Food and Climate Justice Warriors to Follow Now
Climate justice, food justice, and the human species’ relationship with other animals are deeply intertwined. We cannot solve one issue without acknowledging and resolving the others. Single-issue activism may have its merits, but when the interconnectedness of societal injustices is ignored, we as a society fail to make progress toward a just future for all. Here, we hope to ignite the impassioned activist in you by featuring dedicated activists who remain perseverant and steadfast in their commitment to our planet and instill hope in us all. Read along and be inspired to join this noble movement for a just, equitable, sustainable, plant-centric food system.
1) Genesis Butler
There is no stopping the young environmental and animal rights activist Genesis Butler from advocating for animals and the future of our planet. Genesis is the great-niece of labor leaders and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. At the age of 10, she gave a TEDx talk titled, "A 10-Year Old's Vision for Healing the Planet," where she discusses the negative impact of animal agriculture on the environment.
Genesis was quick to recognize that animals carry their inherent worth and right to live free from harm. She adopted a vegan lifestyle at the tender age of 6 and inspired her entire family to embrace the same. Fueled by her mission to forge a kind, just, equitable world for all, Genesis spearheads the Youth Climate Save, the first youth-led environmental organization that focuses on the detriments of animal agriculture on climate change, while elevating the ardent voices of the youth.
2) Isaias Hernandez
Isaias Hernandez is an environmental educator who centers on intersectional environmental work. His personal experience growing up in Section 8 housing, living off of food stamps, and living in a community facing environmental injustices paved the way for his passion for the environment, social justice, and equity. Isaias works towards creating environmental education that prioritizes accessibility, intersectionality, and diversity of worldviews. Through his social media platform, QueerBrownVegan, Isaias educates his followers by connecting the corporate and nonprofit sectors, changing minds, and inspiring all generations by breaking the barriers to environmental education.
Isaias attended the University of California Berkeley, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. He is a full-time content creator for QueerBrownVegan, a public speaker, and a consultant.
3) Gwenna Hunter
Gwenna Hunter is a force of compassion who is on a mission to empower all beings who are marginalized by the status quo of our society. Guided by her inner calling to center collective liberation in her advocacy work, Gwenna founded Vegans for Black Lives Matter and Vegans of LA to foster a space for intersectional advocacy.
As Gwenna continued to learn about how different social justice issues share more commonalities than she believed, she quickly understood that our current food system exemplifies how the disparate treatment of animals is entrenched in the lacking accessibility of healthy, nutrient-rich plant foods to a vast majority of communities in the Los Angeles area and beyond. To begin her contribution to the solution, she launched the Vegans of LA Food Bank, to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and plant-based products to families experiencing economic challenges and lacking easy access to these foods.
The Vegans of LA Food Bank also tackles food waste by rescuing good quality food with minor imperfections, such as size and packaging, from ending up in a landfill. Gwenna strongly believes in the power of forming alliances and collaborating with other social justice groups. Gwenna is active with organizations like Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, Black Women Farmers of LA, LGBT Center South, and the LA Chapter of The Animal Save Movement, among many others, and inspires us to recognize that all liberation is connected.
4) Julieta Muñoz
Julieta Muñoz’s work will revolutionize how we think about the food on our plates. As an urban farmer based in Pomona, California, she is passionate about urban farming and soil conservation. Through her education specializing in plant and soil science, she grew her awareness about the inequities of our current food system. Inspired by her burgeoning knowledge, she pays homage to traditional and indigenous wisdom of growing food, respecting the land, and living in harmony with the living beings we cohabitate in this world.
Julieta is active in the movement for localized food systems. She founded Growing Roots, a non-profit organization with a mission to build communities through collaboration, a mutual love for our ecosystems, and developing sustainable urban farms and gardens in the southern California region. The Growing Roots team seeks to enhance access to fresh, locally-grown produce for low-income, marginalized communities while promoting social and environmental well-being.
5) Eloísa Trinidad
None are free until all are free. This core ethos drives the plethora of advocacy work that Eloísa Trinidad champions. Eloísa is a total liberation activist who centers an anti-colonial framework to educate the masses on the impacts of Western colonization on the human species’ relationship with other species whom we share this planet with, the dire state of our inequitable food systems, and the gaping disconnect we have with the natural world. She is the Executive Director at Chilis on Wheels New York, where she focuses on facilitating access to nourishing, plant-based foods to communities in need. She is also co-founder and Executive Director at Vegan Activist Alliance, a systems change-focused, community-driven organization that seeks to elevate the status of all living beings. But that’s not all, Eloísa sits on the Board of Directors at Plant Powered Metro NY, is New York Chapter President at Hip Hop is Green, and advises multiple advocacy groups including, Center For Science in the Public Interest, Agriculture Fairness Alliance, and The Vegan Museum.
