Questioning our food systems – also from an ethical and moral perspective 

This is a very special year for CEMAS. Through a series of events open to the public, we have had the pleasure of convening extraordinary specialists who have brought the major challenges facing our food systems closer to the public. One of our most recent meetings was held on 18 October at the City Hall of València (Spain) on the occasion of World Food Day.  

In the conference “The ethical and moral importance of re-educating ourselves towards fair, sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems” we were honoured to bring together thinkers, philosophers and high-level experts to reflect together on the challenges and realities we face at the food level and how food can help us build a fairer common space for all. 

Collaborating to move forward together 

The mayor of València, Joan Ribó, was in charge of the opening speech, where he pointed out that talking about food in cities and sustainability brings people together, but also institutions, civil society, academia and public administrations. At the end, he put the following question on the table: Is it ethical to speculate on food or its geostrategic use when its most immediate consequence is world hunger?  

Ethics at the foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals  

The first expert to speak was Marta Pedrajas, Valencian philosopher and economist. She has been part of the team that represented Spain in the creation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the commitment that would mark the future of global development.  

The expert referred to the preamble, the political declaration that forms part of the agenda and constitutes a moral framework: “From the outset it includes the dignity of the most vulnerable people, the sustainability of food systems, as well as the issue of food insecurity and hunger”. She also stressed that hunger “is a moral problem because it is what most affects human beings in their personal fulfilment”. 

The exquisite value of food 

The second talk was given by Joan Beau, philosopher, baker and expert in bread philosophy, who conveyed through his personal story the value of food, recalling Léonie, a woman who provided him with a slice of bread when he was a child, while going through the harsh consequences of war.  

The bread that Léonie and Beau have been making for 50 years is made with flour, water and salt. Absolutely nothing else. But in his story, as natural and simple as those ingredients are, they had the power to brighten a child’s life for a moment. A feeling that 80 years later Beau still remembers as if it were yesterday. “Flavours stick in our minds, and mine still holds onto that of Léonie’s bread. Its flavour and subtle taste pop back into my mind all the time”. 

More discussion and more responsibility 

In her reflection, Marcela Villareal, Director of the FAO Partnerships Division and in charge of implementing the Decade of Family Farming, argued that the ethical aspects of hunger are fundamental and not sufficiently discussed. “Hunger is increasing as are inequalities. Those who suffer the most are the least responsible for causing them”.  

She also stressed that when we talk about the ethical aspects of hunger, we must also talk about conflicts. “Decision makers need to be more aware of the repercussions of their actions and their consequences”. In addition, she pointed out that people who take actions that pollute our planet should pay financial compensation for the improper use of natural resources.   

Hunger as a political issue 

Apart from being a moral issue, hunger is a political issue. This was stated by Luigi Ferrajoli, former Judge of the Supreme Court of Italy, expert on guarantees and rights: “We must interpret hunger not only as an immoral occurrence but as a crime, a wrongdoing, and a massive violation that produces millions of victims. Inequality is not a natural occurrence but the product of predatory capitalism”.  

The smartest decision 

María Neira is director of the Department of Public Health and Environment of the World Health Organization. In her speech she pointed out the importance of opting for sustainable food systems to curb climate change. Ultimately, climate change and public health are connected and, according to the expert, investing in health is the smartest decision governments can make.  

“It is unbelievable that in 2022 we still have to use the law to say that access to food is a fundamental right. A sustainable and affordable food system is necessary to respond adequately to the most basic human rights”, says Neira. 

Towards a more cosmopolitan reality  

For Adela Cortina, philosopher and director of the ÉTNOR Foundation, ending hunger and extreme poverty is not just a goal: it is an ethical, economic and social duty. This is not a long-term process but an obligation that our society must fulfil now. First, because there are more than enough means to put an end to them; and second, because all human beings have the right to live with dignity and to choose their life plans. 

“I don’t know why we don’t take our declarations seriously. To declare is to commit. From the moment we say that human beings have the right to life, we are saying that they have the right not to be poor and to have food. These are rights that we have to comply with”, says Cortina.  

Hunger and poverty are a global problem, and we are all involved. Therefore, the expert suggests that the solution lies in creating a cosmopolitan society in which all human beings are treated as first-class citizens, who have and can claim the right not to be poor and to live a dignified life. 

This extraordinary day ended with an interesting debate between the speakers and young students. Would you like to know their concerns and the experts’ answers? Click here so you don’t miss anything (1:21).