Grist recently addressed the lack of recognition for prominent women in the contemporary food movement:
The public acknowledgment of women’s role in the movement has fallen short, argues Jennifer Cognard-Black in the cover story of the current (summer 2010) issue of Ms. magazine (not online, sadly). Cognard-Black demonstrates the centrality of women in the ongoing effort to challenge the industrial food system; and she adds a fact I hadn’t seen before:
In the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture, the total number of women operating farms increased 19 percent, far surpassing the overall 7 percent increase in farmers.
Clearly, women don’t lack recognition due to a lack of contribution, either in the field, in political organizing, or in the written word. It can only be subtle, ingrained sexism — the failure of people in media to highlight women’s contributions.
This statement made me proud to be at Grid, where we can’t cover amazing women fast enough. Check out our recent cover story on Greensgrow’s Mary Seton Corboy, or these profiles of women-led farms, this run-down of Vandana Shiva‘s illustrious career, or this local business story on Green Heron Tools.
