Happy Food Day! Today marks the annual celebration of Food Day where we recognize the movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food. In honor of this most important day, there will be more than 4,500 events in all 50 states to focus on the strides we have made in our efforts to improve our food system and to bring awareness to the need for additional work that still needs to be done to ensure that we have healthy and sustainable diets without a negative environmental impact.
Food Day as a day of celebration was created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). According to Michael F. Jacobson, executive director and founder of Food Day:
We hope that one of the things that comes out of Food Day is a movement that is stronger, more united, and better equipped to press for changes that make it easier to eat healthier year round . . . . Today hundreds of thousands of Americans will add their voices to a growing campaign for food that is produced with care for consumers, the environment, and the men and women who grow, harvest and serve it.”[1]
The main purpose of Food Day is to “help people eat real.” Food Day is a very organized and focused movement with five priorities, which are as follows:
- To promote safe and healthy diets for all people.
- To support sustainable and organic farms.
- To reduce the occurrence of hunger in this country.
- To ensure reform of factory farm practices so as to protect both farm animals and the environment.
- To ensure fair working environments for both food and farm workers.
Many cities have Food Day events occurring today, as well as throughout the upcoming weekend. Activities range from educational events at local schools, round-table discussions and forums hosted by civic organizations and local food festivals. This is a great opportunity to involve the entire family in the celebration of Food Day, gathering information and planning healthier diets through better food choices. I urge you to ditch the bag of chips and to get out and explore the choices and opportunities that Food Day has to offer. Also, don’t forget to like Food Day on Facebook. This page also has great ideas, contests and valuable opportunities to support this worthy cause.
We here at LGBG urge all of our readers to join in the celebration of Food Day and to support this very important movement. To do so is to live green, be green.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O721Fvj075c&w=560&h=315]
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[1] http://www.cspinet.org/new/201310241.html
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