In the ongoing debate about food, it can be easy to forget that many people are waking up (or going to bed) without a meal.
That’s the message Diane Sullivan, anti-hunger advocate has in this episode of Food Bullying podcast. She wants to help others connect the dots between their own food shopping decisions and poverty. This connection will help us become smarter consumers, and gives each of us a vote on the way to a hunger-free world.
Key points:
- The hunger problem: how big is it in America?
- The SNAP program: who it helps and its critics?
- Diane’s personal story: why she became an anti-hunger advocate
- Giving a voice to the voice to the voiceless in food policy
- How any consumer can make a difference by shopping with their wallet
The Conversation:
[2:44] What is SNAP?
[4:03] How does food bullying impact SNAP?
[7:00] The consequences of food bullying on the poor
[10:37] How can we improve our response to the food needs of the poor?
[13:34] Diana’s story of feeding her family
[16:44] How can we give a greater voice to SNAP recipients?
[24:26] Why shopping for label and status impact the poor
Fabulous Guest Quotes
“40 million Americans are now struggling to eat.”
“We have bullying and food shaming around people who don’t shop for organic.”
“Low income people are often subject to policies that we don’t necessarily have a say [in]...”
“Poverty is trauma and it’s exacerbated by bad policy.”
“I am one story but there are tens of millions of people out there like me.”
“The more we are educated, the less we are fooled."
“Hunger is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s not an urban or rural issue.”
“It [Hunger] exists in every single county in the country.”
Links to Check Out
Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying B.S. by Michele Payn