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 products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

ism and

food justice Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy Human food, food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Simila ...

. 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, who continues to lead it. Based in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

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

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, 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 Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

, environmental and

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

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. In 2024, Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) transitioned to a

collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...

operational model, reflecting its commitment to shared leadership, horizontal decision-making, and community empowerment. This shift aligns with the organization's values of equity and justice, allowing all team members to participate equally in decision-making processes, fostering a more inclusive and cooperative structure for achieving its mission of food justice and animal rights advocacy.

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, 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, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

and the Ivory Coast, 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 is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...

and in some cases,

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

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. Beginning in January 2022, F.E.P. launched a boycott against Amy's Kitchen, maker of organic convenience and frozen foods, after workers reported widespread injuries, low wages, and unreliable healthcare. Workers also cited unreasonable and unsafe workplace conditions, including defective equipment, blocked fire exits, workloads that led to repetitive-stress injuries, a lack of bathroom breaks and access to clean water, and being expected to roll 10 to 12 burritos per minute, while an understaffed line was expected to assemble as many as 72 plates of food per minute. The boycott, which was called for by the workers and was also supported by the group Veggie Mijas, ended on June 12, 2024, after eight months of discussions with Amy's executives. Gains made by workers include increased wages, increased workplace safety measures, a commitment to having bilingual representatives to help workers navigate company benefits, and that the company will not use labor relations consultants, which often force workers into captive audience meetings.

Accolades

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

References

External links