Addressing the need for healthy food, education and involvement of the youth in achieving food security, Rooted In Community (RIC) organized a Leadership Summit in its 13th Annual RIC Conference in Philadelphia on June 30, 2011. This summit drafted a Declaration of Youth Food Bill of Rights.
The Rooted In Community National Network (RIC): This is a national grassroots network that empowers young people to take leadership in their own communities. We are a diverse movement of youth and adults working together and committed to fostering healthy communities and food justice through urban and rural agriculture, community gardening, food security, and related environmental justice work.
Find out more about RIC and their work here.
The Declaration of Youth Food Bill of Rights: This document was created with the active participation of youth from all over the US. It recognizes the impacts of food insecurity, food injustice and farm subsidies. It also recognizes the importance of funding, education, nutrition and food access. With 19 ‘demands’ or statements for food rights, this is presented as a working document.
Find out more about Youth Food Bill of Rights here.
RIC and Youth Food Bill of Rights in the news:
Youth participants from all over the country took part in the Summit and drafting the Youth Food Bill of Rights. The Oakland Tribune featured teenage participants from Growing Youth Project, a community and youth empowerment organization in a Food Desert Area of Alameda, Bay Area, California. Read the news article “Alameda teens attend Philly social-justice summit” by Alan Lopez (08/25/2011) here.
Therese Madden, WHYY writes that the Food Bill of Rights was drafted by youth under the age of 20 with guidance from older youth leaders. Read the news article “We the Youth…” by Therese Madden (08/06/2011) here.
