From Roots to Rivers: Food Justice in Chicago

Explore how environmental justice, food sovereignty, and cultural relevance come together in Chicago. From the legacy of industrial pollution and the “Toxic Doughnut” to the impact of climate change on local growers, we examine how communities are reclaiming power through food. Tune in to hear how land-based farming connects to seafood, and why culturally rooted food systems matter for a more just and sustainable future.

Episode Transcript

Episode Guide

• 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition
• 02:14 Meet Nick Davis, managing director of communications and engagement at the Community Food Navigator, a community-run organization dedicated to building power amongst small-scale food growers of color in the Chicago Foodshed
• 06:03 We dive into the history of Chicago and the environmental challenges that affect the river systems that lead into Lake Michigan, affecting the surrounding communities
• 09:12 Cheryl Dahle, a design strategist for systems change, shares how telling stories of communities can be a part of driving systems change
• 12:36 Altgeld Gardens, a community of about 7,000 residents on the southside of Chicago, surrounded by the “Toxic Doughnut” - toxic waste dumps and landfills - and, notably, the residence of Hazel Johnson, considered the mother of the environmental justice movement
• 15:27 What do food growers need?
• 18:14 What is culturally relevant food?
• 25:55 Nick details the importance of fish that can be found in Chicago’s rivers
• 29:47 Climate change is affecting the region’s food growers in a variety of ways
• 34:07  Nick gushes about others working towards food justice in Chicago, like Oscar Villa of Bee-utiful Honey, soil scientist Dr. Ishmael Israel, and Urban Growers Collective
• 38:25 The hosts tie the interviews about food apartheid and culturally appropriate foods grown on land to seafood, emphasizing the connection between land-based farming and seafood production

 Resources

1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.