When I went to school in NYC and Baltimore, the closest stores near me were fast food chains and convenience stores. These schools are located in predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods, which are traditionally disproportionately affected by food apartheid. I want to see a world where everyone has equitable access to lead healthy lives.
Most produce in US supermarkets are trucked, shipped, or flown across the country or borders, contributing to climate change and global warming. US farmland is not efficiently used, dominated by corn crops grown for biofuels and animal feed, rather than for communities in the region. 30-40% of the US food supply is wasted across the production and supply chain due to blemishes, spoilage from improper storage, and over-ordering/purchasing. Despite the national food waste problem, more than 14 million households are food insecure or have inconsistent access to food, especially those in lower-income neighborhoods.
My dream is to overhaul the US food system in a way that people can appreciate and work with nature to live more sustainably. I see a world with decentralized food systems, allowing municipalities to establish partnerships with local farmers and businesses to supply our communities with fresh, affordable local produce. In this world, factory farming and industrial agriculture do not exist, and sustainable agricultural methods are the norm. Everyone would recognize the intrinsic value of Earth’s resources, educate themselves on their ecological footprints, and live within planetary boundaries.
I see a world where young people drive change in their households and communities. Children, no matter what neighborhoods they are from, would receive quality hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Topics include climate change, renewable energy, urban gardening, composting, water conservation, and urban foraging. When I was in school, I lacked vocational opportunities to take wisdom out of the classroom and into my community. In this world, I envision youth leading the way to create home gardens in their front yards, transform empty lots into public green spaces, educate their guardians on responsible production and consumption, and actively participate in decision-making processes to shape the world they want to live in.
This world is possible with investment from elected leaders—subsidies for local farmers and residents for rainwater harvesting and gardening needs, experts brought in to develop STEAM curricula, and budgets allocated to waste management infrastructure, such as community composting, are just the start of creating a more sustainable world.
United States 