Food Empowerment Project

Overview

The Food Empowerment Project (FEP) is a vegan food justice organization based in the United States. It was founded in 2007 by Lauren Ornelas and is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. FEP aims to create a more just and sustainable world by highlighting the impact of food choices on animals, people, and the environment.

Mission

The organization encourages healthy food options that promote a compassionate society by focusing on abuses against animals in farming, environmental resource depletion, unfair working conditions for farmworkers, and limited access to healthy food in low-income areas. By supporting informed choices, FEP seeks to address injustices affecting animals, people, and the environment, while discouraging corporations from promoting unhealthy foods in disadvantaged communities.

Values

FEP adheres to a broad set of values opposing social injustices, including animal exploitation, worker exploitation, slavery, and food apartheid. The organization also stands against ableism, ageism, antisemitism, body shaming, casteism, classism, colonialism, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, and xenophobia. As a vegan organization led by a woman of color, FEP supports marginalized communities and promotes solidarity with Indigenous peoples.

Vision

FEP envisions a food system free from human and environmental exploitation, with equitable access to nutritious food for all communities. It advocates for non-human animals to be treated with respect and not used as food.

Operations and Initiatives

FEP operates under a collective leadership model, which aims to foster inclusivity and collective decision-making among team members. This approach aligns with the organization's core values of justice and compassion for all beings.

Key initiatives include:

• Veganism and Education: FEP promotes veganism through educational programs and provides tools to raise awareness about the impact of food choices.
• Farm Worker Rights: The organization supports legislative and regulatory changes to advance farm workers' rights, including participating in boycotts called by farm workers.
• Access to Healthy Food: FEP conducts community assessments and advocates for better access to healthy foods in underserved areas. It collaborates with community organizations and government bodies to address these issues.
• Chocolate Transparency: FEP has campaigned for transparency in the chocolate industry to highlight issues such as exploitation and environmental degradation.

Achievements

FEP has been recognized for its contributions to food justice, including awards from the cities of San José and Vallejo in California. The organization's work has been cited by international bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Additionally, FEP has successfully concluded boycotts, such as the one against Amy’s Kitchen products, to improve working conditions and wages.

Leadership

Lauren Ornelas, the founder, has extensive experience in the animal rights movement and has led successful campaigns against factory farming and other issues. The board and team members bring diverse expertise in social justice, vegan advocacy, and community organizing.

[1] https://foodispower.org/mission-and-values/ [2] https://foodispower.org [3] https://foodispower.org/our-work/ [4] https://foodispower.org/our-collective-model/ [5] https://foodispower.org/our-team/