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Determining Health: Food justice practice brief

Cette ressource est également disponible en français. 

As we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of how food systems impact health, our focus on addressing food system inequities also gets stronger. This practice brief explores food justice as a priority for public health action on food system inequities. 

What is food justice? 

“Food justice is a concept, approach and social movement focused on ensuring everyone has access to the food they need and benefit from the systems that provide our food” (p. 2). With origins in the activism and resistance of Black farmers and communities in the United States, food justice has gained more recent prominence in Canada.  

A public health approach to food justice centres racial equity; intersects with other social justice issues; and recognizes the complexity of factors related to the social, ecological and structural determinants of health. 

Dimensions of food justice 

This practice brief describes three main dimensions of food justice related to supporting healthier, more sustainable and just food systems:  

1. distributive justice, focused on the “fair share” of food resources 
2. procedural justice, focused on having a “fair say” in decision-making about how food systems are designed and operate 
3. recognitional justice, focused on ensuring “equal respect” for all people at the core of food systems planning and implementation  

Key principles of food justice 

This resource offers an original framework of eight interconnected principles of food justice linked to the dimensions of food justice. These principles are: 

1. dignified access to food and food-producing resources 
2. ecological sustainability 
3. racial equity and justice 
4. labour justice and rights
5. people power 
6. diverse knowledge systems 
7. critical food systems education and research
8. social justice solidarity 

A summary for each principle includes a description of how it contributes to health outcomes, key areas and examples of action for public health practitioners and organizations, and discussion questions to guide action. Several real-world scenarios describing food justice initiatives are interwoven with the principles. An illustrative case example profiles school food programs as a promising area for public health food justice action. 

While the challenges facing our current food systems are widespread and affect the entire population, the negative health impacts are disproportionately experienced by Black and racialized communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other communities living with inequities. Food justice presents a promising and impactful area of focus for public health work to advance equity.

Use this resource to

• Build understanding of dimensions and principles of food justice 

• Identify opportunities to link food justice with other public health equity efforts on the structural, social and ecological determinants of health 

• Develop plans to engage in food justice work as part of current and future public health initiatives and action 

 

Related resources:

Determining Health: Food systems issue brief 

Let’s Talk: Determinants of health 

Let’s Talk: Community organizing 

Determining Health: Decent work issue brief 

 

See other resources in the Determining Health series. 

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Reference

National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2025). Determining Health: Food justice practice brief. Antigonish, NS: NCCDH, St. Francis Xavier University. 

Tags: Food systems, Healthy public policy, Modify and orient interventions, Document, Practice Brief, Determining Health