ABSTRACT
Everyone has some stake in food issues, but very few of us have grappled with our political ideologies and their relationship to food. While food issues are not new to the public policy agenda, food policy has become more complex over time, which has resulted in governments using public policy to address food issues in new ways. In order to be informed citizens, we must understand the extensive history of food injustices, the role of public policy, and our individually held conceptions of justice and fairness. This chapter gives readers the language to begin such an examination. It provides readers with the tools to identify what they believe are the attributes of justice and the skills for assessing a system's ability to manifest those characteristics. Specifically, the authors have offered a review of theories of justice; surveyed policy and program evaluation techniques; presented a concise history of food justice literature and initiatives; argued for the importance of including justice as a key consideration in any policy proposal impacting food issues; and explored a future research agenda that places food issues as a concern for the field of public administration.
