Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) is a volunteer-based non-profit organization focused on

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...

ism and

food justice The Food Justice Movement is a grassroots initiative which emerged in response to food insecurity and economic pressures that prevent access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods (food should fit the cultural background of the ...

. Its mission statement is "to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one's food choices." The organization was founded in 2006 by

Lauren Ornelas lauren T. Ornelas is an American animal rights advocate for more than 20 years and is the founder of the Food Empowerment Project. Background and education Ornelas was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in Texas, where she became a vegetari ...

, who continues to lead it. Based in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, the F.E.P. opened an additional chapter in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, in 2016.

Organization and mission

The organization is composed of a team of activists from various

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

and

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

organizations. They work on encouraging healthy food choices that reflect a more compassionate society by spotlighting the abuse of animals on farms, the depletion of natural resources, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the lack of access to healthy foods in low-income areas. In January 2011, the organization began researching companies that make vegan products containing chocolate to find out if they source their cocoa beans from countries where child labor and slavery can still be found. The frequently updated list of companies is available on the F.E.P. web site.

Reports

In April 2008, the Food Empowerment Project supported California Senate Bill 1443 which would require that a written contract between a retail food facility and a purchaser include an option that allows the purchaser to direct the facility to donate leftover food to a non-profit food bank or provide it to the purchaser. In March 2009 the F.E.P. began surveying supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail businesses that sell food in Santa Clara County. The resulting 2010 report, "Shining a Light on the Valley of Heart's Delight", found that higher-income areas had more than twice as many large supermarkets per capita than lower-income areas, while lower-income communities have nearly twice as many liquor stores and 50 percent more markets that sell an abundance of meat products. Neither of these latter store types offers a variety of healthy food options, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Campaigns

F.E.P.'s first corporate campaign targeted

Clif Bar Clif Bar & Company is an American company that produces energy foods and drinks. The company's flagship product, CLIF Bar, was created by Gary Erickson and Lisa Thomas. The company is based in Emeryville, California and was privately held until ...

, maker of energy bars and drinks, for not disclosing the source of their chocolate. This worried F.E.P. because two West African countries,

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

and

the Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

, which supply 75 percent of the world's cocoa market were documented by a handful of organizations and journalists to employ

child labor Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...

and in some cases,

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

on cocoa farms. On December 2, 2014, F.E.P. declared victory with Clif Bar & Company publicly disclosing that its cocoa sources included both suspect countries. F.E.P. holds an annual school supply drive for the children of farm workers.

Accolades

F.E.P. received the 2012 Top-Rated Award from

GreatNonprofits GreatNonprofits is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization based in the United States with a website where donors, volunteers, and clients to review and share their personal experiences with charitable organizations, essentially providing cro ...

References

External links