As my senior year is coming to an end, I have been able to spend time reflecting on these past two semesters and the ways in which my project has changed and developed into the final product that I will be sharing with the Emma Willard community. I will admit that after my Signature project last year, which included a very clear vision of what I hoped to accomplish, it was difficult to create another project while still wanting to achieve those high standards. Although I am proud of the work that I have completed thus far, there's so much more that I had hoped to accomplish. Looking into the future, I hope that I can circle back to my project and continue some of the research that I wasn't able to complete. Some difficulties involved in my Signature project this year included challenges connecting with local organizations. Time management was also difficult, because my senior year was fairly hectic. I also took on an incredibly broad topic and I’d like to think of this year as a work in progress because there’s really so much else to look into. Lastly, there were many times during these past few months where I felt overwhelmed; It’s been a challenge to research this enormous issue without feeling like much progress has been made. I've often thought about where I fit into the puzzle and what I can do differently to create an impact. My successes included educating myself, conducting 4 interviews, and learning more about the Capital Region. There was also a lot of overlap between my Signature project and my Spanish class, which was phenomenal, and I was also given the opportunity to present my Signature project in front of my class. Following my presentation, we were able to complete a small activity that involved identifying alternatives to mainstream companies that were engaging in unethical practices. Lastly, I was able to learn how to make more sustainable choices when it comes to grocery shopping. Participating in this capstone program has certainly shaped my senior year by giving me an outlet and allowing me to devote time to learning about something I feel so passionate about.
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Throughout the past few months, I have completed four interviews and continued research on the Fair Trade label and what it means to be organically certified. Upon retuning home for Spring Break, I was able to have interesting conversations with my father, the manager of Caretaker Farm in Williamstown. He shared how difficult obtaining an organic certification can be, especially for small businesses. Our conversation was reinforced when speaking with Mr. Kelly, the produce manager at Honest Weight who also explained some of those same struggles. As I am wrapping up the year, I have recently been working on compiling a list of alternative companies that consumers should support. This list has grown and now includes companies outside of the food industry; I am hoping to publish information about all of these organizations on my website soon.
One topic that I have been thinking about recently is the balance between sustainability and affordability. Accessing fair trade, organic, and/or local produce is a privilege, as not everyone has the economic resources to purchase these commodities. In many cases, equitably produced food is primarily available to white people of higher socioeconomic statuses. The idea that buying sustainable produce is a choice, and not a privilege, is damaging and problematic. I was able to discuss this issue in further detail with Anne Kelly, who brought up the idea of urban gardens, in which community members are growing food in an environmentally friendly way and making it more accessible to the neighborhood. Anne emphasized the important of creative, local solutions, some examples being the community gardens in Troy in addition to the RPI Impact Center. She also explained that these initiatives work more effectively when children are included; children are able to learn about vegetable/fruit production and are given the opportunity to interact with the land that sustains them. In the future, I plan to connect with Honest Weight, the local co-op, to investigate how they balance affordability and fair trade.
During our last Signature manager meeting, Ms. Halfi was able to connect me with Anne Kelly, the executive director at Mayan Hands, an organization, "dedicated to providing economic and educational opportunities to Mayan women and girls so that they can build sustainable futures for themselves, their families and communities, as they continue to live within the culture they cherish." Mayan Hands supports around 200 Guatemalan women to create and sell fair trade products and their goods can be accessed through their website, https://www.mayanhands.org. Anne Kelly contacted me via email and shared a series of websites, videos, and articles with me on topics ranging from fair trade to information about New York State farmworkers. We were able to meet on Monday 1/31 over Zoom and were able to discuss "red flags" relating to conglomerates and alternatives to these large corporations. I'm incredibly excited about this connection and I look forward to updating Anne on my project throughout the semester.
Even before my Signature project commenced, I was aware of the dangers within the banana industry; however, I recently discovered a film available on Youtube titled, "Banana Land: Blood, Bullets & Poison," which can be accessed through this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoRmtQht8-E. I found the United Fruit Company's marketing strategies and propaganda especially concerning, as they romanticized Central America and used suggestive depictions of women to sell more produce. Additionally, small decisions, like telling consumers not to refrigerate their bananas (which would make them last longer), resulted in the purchasing of more fruit. Additionally, the reality that many villages are located in close proximity to banana plantations, results in fungicides and insecticides landing on people's skin, creating serious health problems. Because healthcare is not easily accessible in remote areas, finding remedies and medicine is challenging. Lastly, the film did a fantastic job of highlighting the "Massacre de las Bananas," an event in which the United Fruit Company murdered hundreds of banana workers. A few people in the documentary pointed at the fact that even 80 years after this event, this company, now called Chiquita, still kills, abuses, and stigmatizes laborers. In the next stage of my project, I plan to look into several banana companies and how they've impacted historically marginalized populations around the globe.
This week, I have worked towards uploading my research of world-renowned conglomerates onto my Padlet, which can be accessed through this link: https://padlet.com/gzasada/kfntcga0kv6xdcy9. Over winter break, I had multiple conversations with my father about his experience visiting the Immokalee tomato workers in Florida with a few other organic vegetable farmers in the early 2000s. On his trip, he had the opportunity of interacting with activists supporting the Immokalee workers and he was able to learn about the Taco Bell Boycott, which occurred after the tomato workers asked for a salary raise. In response to our conversation, I decided to further research the plight of the Immokalee workers and how Taco Bell was responding to their requests. Through investigating, I was not only alarmed by how Taco Bell, and more generally YUM! Brands, mistreated their workers, but by how they sourced products such as palm oil and paper. I also was made aware of "Harvest of Shame," a film by Edward R. Murrow centered on the exploitation of United State's migrant laborers, which I look forward to watching.
Along with continuing my research on the "global-scale" aspect of my project, I have begun to create a list of local businesses that either employ Latin American immigrants or support the local immigrant population through funds, housing, and/or assistance with job searches and food. I plan to reach out to some of the owners/managers of these businesses to learn more about their mission and how they have provided support to immigrants in the Capital Region. I'm especially interested to see how they might have responded to the growing need for assistance due to the pandemic. The next steps for my Signature project include adding "pins" to my Padlet map and creating short write-ups for each local business.
Throughout this past month, I've conducted research specifically focusing on large corporations around the globe that have exhibited patterns of exploitation and environmental negligence. While I had initially planned on looking into companies that directly impacted Latin Americans, I decided to broaden the scope of my project in order to focus on businesses in Africa and Asia. Some of the companies that I researched included Goya, Dole, Coca-Cola, Chiquita (and The United Fruit Company), Nucoffee, Bridgestone, and multiple chocolate companies such as Mars, Nestle, and Hershey. While using the internet to find resources, I came across "The Food Empowerment Project," an organization committed to creating “a food system free from the exploitation of humans and the environment and with equitable access to healthy, sustaining food for all communities; where non-human animals are not seen as food but as individuals with lives, personalities, friendships, and family and are free from harm and exploitation; and where workers, communities, and the environment are always protected and treated with dignity, respect, and appreciation.” I'm incredibly excited about using this website as a resource because it provides relevant information to my Signature project while also introducing sustainable and equitable companies that consumers can support so as to not back enormous conglomerates.
This past Tuesday, Ms. Halfi drove me and one of my classmates to Sunhee's Farm and Kitchen, a restaurant that creates authentic Korean food with food sourced from the local area. As listed on their website, one of Sunhee's missions is "Immigrant and Refugee Empowerment," with the following goal: "Recognize the value of diverse immigrant/refugees experiences as well as the challenges of resettling in a new community. Partner with the local refugee resettlement agency to build a strong workforce and provide other in-house services including English classes, resume development, and job counseling." While enjoying lunch, we had the opportunity to meet Jinah Kim, the incredible owner of Sunhee's, who graciously listened to our Signature project aspirations. In addition to managing the restaurant, Jinah has been studying immigration law at Albany Law School! I recently found an article online about Jinah and her work to help the immigrant community in the Troy area (https://www.travelundertheradar.com/sunhees-farm-and-kitchen-immigrant-owned-and-run/). Following our conversation, I reached out to Jinah in hopes of leaning more about the foundation of Sunhee's and its commitment to providing support to local immigrants. Through speaking with her, I am also aiming to understand more about other restaurants/businesses with similar missions. Thank you to both Ms. Halfi and Jinah Kim for this opportunity!
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