One of the more truly politically-aware, and activist, lists I'm on is the COMFOOD list-serv (Community Food movement).  Most of the folks on COMFOOD understand that "political" does not simply mean "being involved in government" or "activism to change/repeal/enact laws and policies."  That is, they know from life experience and solid critical thought that politics in the narrow sense of "government" -- elected office holders, policy-making, arguments over decisions, and the like -- is not only just one, thin, narrow, shallow manifestation of power, it is also the face that deceives many into thinking that power does not shape people and the planet in any other realm.  But it does, of course - and when power goes unseen, unacknowledged, unconfronted in science, education, economics, recreation, entertainment, the arts, "private life," and the many forms of public and private, corporate and domestic consumption .... well, that's how structures and practices of elite dominance and destruction become enormous and intractable.  By fooling the majority into thinking that only "public" and government "power" is the politics to contest. 

Food, of course, like farming, has been off the radar of the narrowly government-politics-focused "progressive" movements for decades. After all, food was marked off as inconsequential (so long as there was enough of it), just some silly "women / mothers/ homemakers" thing.  Farming, as the U.S. became more and more urban, was likewise pushed off the platform as both the largely wealthy, urban-centric politic elites and their so-called progressive opponents dismissed farming as concerning only rural (i.e. ignorant, over-conservative, and thus uninteresting) whites.

Yet food and farming could be argued to be the ultimate example of how the personal is totally political!  We all eat. And most of our food still, despite ravaging the oceans and fantasizing about hydroponics, comes from the land.  Who eats - how much - of what kind and quality - is entirely politically determined, not simply through how money and infrastructure are allocated, but more broadly, through people's cultural decisions on what to eat.  Food and farming decisions, and thus societal, economic, and political support involve not just economic class and environmental awareness but also concern for community, issues of ethnic identity, justice for workers, ethics for people, animals and ecosystems and yes.... what the departed and unlamented list-member Robert Mann hated the most... gender.  ("Real Men Eat Beef" - it's the cowboy way to destroy the planet faster! But women eat quiche, and worry about nutrition and kids and animal welfare, and start home and school gardens, and go vegetarian in far larger numbers, in the West.)

Okay, so given that SftP has this traditional tendency to focus over-much, in my opinion, on the "public politics" that scientists and white men have traditionally indulged in, I think it's always good to look at how the play of power in science (such as our giant, hugely funded complex of Ag universities) and the lives of ordinary people can be altered through awareness of the politics of food!  Here's a post from the Community-Food list-serv that speaks to that.

Could we maybe, collectively, think about what kind of "Science Demands for Occupy Wall St." we could come up with -- and forward to this growing movement? 

Shouldn't we be part of it?

Claudia

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: illona trogub <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 9:59 AM
Subject: [COMFOOD:] Help Craft Food Demands for Occupy Wall St.
To: Comfood <[log in to unmask]>


Hello Everyone,

The Occupy Wall St Movement continues to grow. Occupations are planned for 100+ more cities throughout the US and several overseas. I'm attaching a primer for those not completely familiar with what's happening. I suggest you share it within your circles to get everyone caught up to speed. There was a media black out and now the corporate media is attempting to corrupt the integrity of the movement. So avoid all that noise and learn for yourself. 

The biggest request I have of the Comfood community is to contribute to the Demands of Occupy Wall St. It's a crowd-sourced demands list and food security has not been focused on.

In Solidarity,

illona trogub



Below is the email I've been sharing with everyone: 
_____________________________________________

Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to learn more. Inspired by the new People's Constitution of Iceland, the Arab Spring and Protests happening all over the world, we have come together here in the U.S. This is just the beginning. What I can tell you right now is that billions of people all over the planet are restless but not hopeless...and we're organizing.

Watching footage from NY is inspirational and has brought tears to our eyes. We are organizing without leaders. We are creating space for dialogue where everyone has the freedom to speak. No official list of demands has been released but with your help, we can craft them. So here are the resources to get educated. Please help us spread the word of this movement. Share this email with your friends, family, and anyone you know.

Love,
The 99%

The List of Grievances as crafted by the Occupy Wall St.
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/first_official_statement_from_the_occupy_wall_street_movement/
We have three more underway, that will likely be released in the upcoming days: 1) A declaration of demands. 2) Principles of Solidarity 3) Documentation on how to form your own Direct Democracy Occupation Group. This is a living document. you can receive an official press copy of the latest version by emailing [log in to unmask].

BETTER THAN TV Livestream Channel including Live Coverage of Occupy Wall St.
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

How You Can Help!
http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/how-you-can-help-occupywallstreet.html

How You Can Help Your Action Locally!
http://www.occupytogether.org

Read about what is happening at the General Assembly in NY. (The General Assembly is the leaderless discussion about what our demands are and how we will have them met)
http://nycga.cc/

LINKS AND ARTICLES including first hand accounts
http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet

FACEBOOK LINKS
Occupy Wall St    http://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt
Occupy Together   http://www.facebook.com/OccupyTogether
Carpool to Wall St   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carpool-to-Occupy-Wallstreet/222614057794752

BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN CRAFTING DEMANDS
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1guZ03g0yCMvX1W4wH5Ji5tykYDYt9X84vnhZYjXhtnQ/edit?pli=1&hl=en_US

PARTICIPATE IN VOTING ON DEMANDS
http://coupmedia.org/occupywallstreet/occupy-wall-street-official-demands-2009

Remember: It's easy to be cynical. It's easy to dismiss this as just another protest.
But keep in mind that it's possible that WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. 


FOR SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING TO COMFOOD, AND FOR ALL POSTING GUIDELINES,
PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK :http://foodsecurity.org/Comfood_Posting_Guidelines.pdf









--
The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.  -- Paul Cezanne