'We need it to work': the restaurants trying to be forces of social and climate good
Whether it’s a beautifully decorated bistro, neighborhood diner, fancy white tablecloth eatery, or fast-food joint, millions of people escape to restaurants every day for nourishment, leisure and enjoyment. In the US the industry accounts for 4% of the country’s total GDP, currently employs around 12.5 million people, and in 2020 – despite the pandemic – reported $659bn in sales.
Still, restaurants do not serve all Americans equally. To name a few issues, according to the non-profit One Fair Wage seven of the 10 lowest-paying jobs in the country are restaurant industry positions. And along with grocery stores and foodservice companies, eateries account for 40% of the 40m tons of food supply wasted every year. Moreover, Feeding America reports that more than 42 million people could be facing food insecurity, including about 13 million children, a situation that has been badly exacerbated by the pandemic.
So can restaurants be forces of social and environmental good? If a restaurant tried to practice ‘food justice’ in various forms, what would that look like?
“The conversation around food justice and restaurants is very nonlinear,” chef and food justice advocate Sophia Roe said. “Food justice looks different everywhere because the reasons people don’t have food are different everywhere.” Roe said restaurants have to consider both the workers involved in their operation, and also the environment.
“When I speak about all of the elements that have to come into play, such as fair wages, involvement of the community, sustainable farming and sourcing locally, people say it sounds impossible,” Roe said. But she added that numerous restaurants around the country are already at the forefront of change.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/20/us-restaurants-social-climate-good
