April 13, 2017

AALI made waves at Harvard’s Annual Just Food? forum

Professor Kathy Hessler and AALI fellow Rebecca Jenkins speak at Harvard about labor issues in the U.S. and international fishing industries.

CALS own Professor Kathy Hessler and Rebecca Jenkins made waves at Harvard’s annual Just Food? forum this April. The conference drew experts from multiple disciplines and from across the country in pursuit of achieving justice in the food system. This year’s focus was labor- Who are the workers nurturing, harvesting, and processing the world’s food? What are their rights and needs? How do we best coordinate with those on the ground to improve the welfare of all?

Both Professor Kathy Hessler, Clinical Professor of Animal Law & Founder of the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative, and Rebecca Jenkins, the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative Fellow, were key speakers in the breakout panel “Caught in the Net” which grappled with the most pressing issues related to labor in the U.S. and international fishing industries, including unsafe working conditions, child labor, and other substandard practices standing in the way of a truly ethical and sustainable system of food production. More broadly, the conference tackled issues related to agricultural and restaurant workers’ rights as well as the impact of immigration policy on our food system.

What’s next? Keep a close eye on the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative as its members continue to advocate, educate, and speak out in the name of aquatic animals and their ecosystems, because the food system is just one of the many ways in which the lives of animals intersect with human goals. 

 

–Jennifer Williams