Lack of Vegan Food Branded as Racism

More problems for The Govenor of California - Arnold "hasta la vista, baby" Schwarzennegar
San José, California, August 25, 2010—The Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a Santa Clara County-based nonprofit, has released its food availability study for the area, exploring how accessible healthy foods are to consumers in the county’s communities of color and lower-income communities compared to higher-income communities. The report reveals that higher-income areas have more than twice as many large supermar­kets per capita as lower-income areas. In contrast, the report shows that lower-in­come communities have nearly twice as many liquor stores and 50 percent more markets that sell an abundance of meat products; neither of these types of stores offers a variety of healthy food options, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.

“With all of the wealth in Silicon Valley, it is unacceptable that certain communities do not have access to fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food alternatives,” says F.E.P’s Executive Director lauren Ornelas. “Such a food injustice can lead to a host of health problems, including type-2 diabetes and obesity. That this can happen in our own backyard is inexcusable."

She adds "It’s really a form of environmental racism.”