Conceptualizing food justice in the food charity system in Prince George’s County, Maryland, USA

Abstract

The well-documented flaws of the American food charity system include accessibility challenges, lack of food choice, and a dearth of nutritious food options. Creating a more just food charity system would require significant restructuring of existing networks and would emphasize agency and choice, allowing clients to select foods that are fresh, nutri­tious, and culturally appropriate and to do so at times and places that are convenient for them. Our study focuses on Prince George’s County (PGC), Maryland, and engages with people at each stage of the supply chain: urban growers as producers, food pantries as distributors, and food pantry clients as consumers. Our holistic analysis of the food charity system reveals the differences in perspectives about nutritional food access, equity, and convenience within it. Although confronting the root causes of food injustice is beyond the scope of this study, harm-reduction lessons from the food justice para­digm can meaningfully improve the existing system in the short term. Our recommendations highlight the ways that food pantries can alter their opera­tions to reduce harm and move the food charity system closer to one that is just, accessible, and provides nutritious food options.