Introduction

We would like to begin by acknowledging that we are writing this book from Mi'kma'ki1 and that, as a result of unlawful trespass and dispossession, settlers are here on the territory of the Mi'kmaq. The land and territories were never ceded by treaty nor have been purchased by the British Sovereign. Mi'kmaq Chiefs in the treaty reserved their ancestral territory and resources for their clans and families, and for "their heirs, their heirs of their heirs forever" (Treaty 1726, renewed in 1752). Mi'kmaq Chiefs also authorized peaceful British settlements in Mi'kma'ki as trading posts. However, the settlers gradually dispossessed the Mi'kmaq. The Peace and Friendship treaties lay the foundation for relations with settlers, and guarantee the inherent powers and territories for the Mi'kmaq Nation. Reconciliation then requires us to respect each other, work together for the benefit of all, and to take care of the earth. This opening acknowledgment is not only an important reminder of our place as authors, and our history, but it also relates to so many aspects of this book focused on creating a more compassionate and just food system.

We begin from the standpoint that Indigenous knowledge systems are critical not only to questions of social justice related to food but as foundational lenses for interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations on the broader questions of climate change and global citizenship. These lenses frame humans in healthful and compassionate relations with other humans, nonhuman animals, and the land in ways that fundamentally challenge the harmful and often violent features of our global economic system driven by profit and overconsumption. The inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems was also important to us as we work in solidarity with Mi'kmaw and Indigenous Peoples globally who are leaders in protecting the integrity of ecosystems and ensuring future generations will be able to live healthfully and compassionately on our planet.

It is important to note that Indigenous communities, not only on Turtle Island (North America) but around the world, are disproportionately affected by industrial production systems such as resource extraction and food production that have violated Indigenous rights and expropriated Indigenous lands. In addition, one of the clear outcomes of the industrialized production of other animals as food is climate change which, once again, disproportionately impacts Indigenous communities (LaFortune 2020).

Since food, clean water, and fresh air are all basic necessities of life, all communities have a vested interest in seeing the climate crisis resolved. With this in mind, it was important to us to frame Indigenous knowledge systems and viewpoints as essential in constructing sustainable and compassionate ways forward. This is also essential within the Canadian context as there has been a "Call to Action" in response to the history of colonialism (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 2015), made more blatantly visible in the past few years through the gruesome discoveries of mass graves of Indigenous children at residential schools. This brutal consequence of systemic abuse and neglect illustrates the urgent need to decolonize policies, frameworks, belief systems, research, and institutions in order to foster true and lasting reconciliation.

The book that you are reading has evolved over time. At first, we thought it would be an overview of the many ways that the Animal-Industrial Complex (A-IC) - the large-scale, industrial system of production, distribution, and consumption of animals as "food" within the broader global capitalist system - harms humans, other animals, and the ecology of the planet (Noske 1997; Twine 2012). But the research was telling us that while there are many excellent resources that explore the systemic issues and impacts connected with the industrial production of animals as food in general, there was little out there that weaves nonhuman animals into the broader narratives of social and climate justice in a more holistic way (i.e., not just as an "add on" or for a readership primarily interested in nonhuman animals).

Many authors before us, several of whom we had an opportunity to interview for this book, offer comprehensive studies on the harms of the A-IC and the intensive system of producing other animals as food. We are cognizant of, and fully appreciate, the influence of these other studies in laying the groundwork for this book and their voices are weaved throughout.

We chose the title Food in a Just World rather than "Food Justice" intentionally to highlight the reality that building a genuinely "just" food system is inseparable from building a world in which broader social justice issues related to racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism/disability, sexism, and speciesism are all tackled together. While it is obvious to us that the current dominant food system directly and unapologetically makes nonhuman animals into commodities, there are few voices out there that demonstrate how this reality is interwoven with and inseparable from the commodification of people and land.

We would argue that the food justice issue is connected with all other social justice struggles and, directly, to biodiversity destruction, mass species extinction and climate change. These realizations created a two-fold issue for us in writing this book. Firstly, we feel we cannot get to the heart (literally) of the matter of food without a very broad scope, but we also acknowledge that we cannot in one book adequately address all social justice issues or the literature of all the disciplines that tackle the food question. So, our caveat is that we don't pretend to!

We apologize in advance for the discomfort that this may create for some readers, particularly the academic ones. What we intend to do, rather, is to provide a guide to some key threads that we have identified as intersecting amongst the various literatures and disciplines, pointing where possible to helpful resources along the way. In addition to that, we will highlight some inspiring examples of the drivers of change.

This book is therefore, by nature, interdisciplinary and intersectional with a focus thematically on rethinking democracy - in the largest sense of the word - through the lenses of social and ecological justice and as a process which must include complete transparency and accountability. It tackles several of the intersections of oppression related to the industrial food system and points to ways in which seemingly divergent issues are related. Uniquely, we believe, it examines some of the issues of the heavily industrialized and intensive food system from multiple and connected perspectives: citizen-consumers, workers, nonhuman animals, and the environment.

Fueled by firsthand interviews with knowledgeable experts and advocates who work directly on food and environmental issues, we further draw upon, and attempt to synthesize, work from a variety of other sources: scholarly work, policy papers, news articles, and popular information sources such as documentaries. We also hope that this work will inspire and demonstrate that, despite the precarious and unknown future of life on this planet, not only is positive change possible, but as the interview participants point out, in many communities it is already happening.

Our book assumes that there are three key parts to how change happens. One is through the activism, advocacy, and emotional and practical labor of concerned citizens from all walks of life - classes, races, genders, and cultures. These advocates are trying to make transparent, and end as many of the harms, particularly the worst harms, of the system as quickly as possible. Another significant and often forgotten or ignored way that change happens is through the modeling of new ways of being by individuals, communities, and organizations demonstrating practical alternatives. The third aspect of shifting oppressive systems is large-scale institutional processes and legal changes (i.e., changes at the structural level). This final category of change often frustrates people from all places on the political spectrum because it is the one in which we can often feel the most impotent.

In the book we give attention to all three of these aspects of change, again with the proviso that we do not claim to adequately explore all the facets or implications of the global structures of governance or economy, or all the incredible work for change in food systems happening around the world. The food system, treatment of workers in producing all types of food, but especially those that relate to nonhuman animals, and climate disruption are all increasingly receiving attention; an attention that has intensified since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is important to keep talking about these intersecting issues while amplifying the success stories, and that takes a broad lens.

Dr. A. Breeze Harper, Critical Race Feminist and Food Studies Scholar, said in her interview with us that "dystopian stories make us feel helpless and hopeless. We need to demonstrate a reimagining that a 'utopian regenerative future' is possible. This will bring much-needed hope and resilience to the discussions of food systems, and environmental care" (Interview with Breeze Harper 2022). And, as we heard from many interview participants, "paradigm shifts" also need to move the discussion so that marginalized voices and wisdom...