Healthy eating, health and sustainability: a debate on social justice

Abstract

From old and new epidemics to ensuring the quality of life, from economic development to the preservation of the planet, from poverty to redistribution and social justice, the term that groups these concerns is sustainability. One of the pillars of sustainability is the so-called adequate and healthy food, which encompasses a complex of dimensions, from the macro-relationships of production and distribution of goods to the community social microrelationships and the recognition of people as political subjects. In this sense, this concept of sustainability presupposes a theoretical and practical debate on social justice, which will be developed in this article. We will address, initially, the socio-cultural aspects of food, in reference to the construction of cultural identities and the identification of social inequalities, which are expressed in the concept of adequate and healthy food found in the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (PNAN, in Portuguese). This policy seeks to articulate food, health and quality of life having as principle the adequate and quality food understood as a human right. Finally, we will reflect on social justice based on the articulation between food policies and social justice theories, focusing on the debate proposed by Nancy Fraser.