Why Can't Poor Moms Eat Ethically in Oregon?

by Charlotte Hill · 2010-03-02 12:30:00 UTC
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In Oregon, the freedom to make smart, ethical food choices is a luxury reserved for the wealthy. For those low-income mothers in the state's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, buying most organic, hormone-free, or cruelty-free items is simply not allowed.

The reason for these products' exclusion from Oregon WIC's list of approved foods isn't exactly clear. The list is a confusing hodge-podge of arbitrary rules: mothers in the program can buy organic fruits and vegetables but not organic milk, grains, legumes, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, or infant foods and cereals. They can buy soy milk but not rice milk or raw milk, white eggs but not cage-free or those with higher Omega-3 or Vitamin E. Cheese options are slim -- only six varieties are permitted. Moms can't even purchase low-fat peanut butter for their families. Not all of these rules appear to be based on concerns about nutrition or high prices.

By limiting mothers to a narrow range of food choices, Oregon WIC prohibits low-income mothers from joining in the movement for nutritious, safe, animal-friendly and environmentally sustainable food. From the rapid growth in farmers markets across the country to Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign against child obesity, food is this generation's hot issue, and it's not hard to figure out why. Our food choices are incredibly personal; what we eat determines in a very real sense who we are, from our physical appearance to our environmental footprint. For parents of young children, the importance of wise shopping and eating habits is only compounded.

Everyone should have the opportunity to make smart decisions about what they eat, regardless of their economic standing. Ask Oregon WIC to revise its food list to include organic, hormone-free, and cruelty-free items.

Photo credit: USACE Europe District

Charlotte Hill currently serves as the social media fellow for EARN, a California nonprofit that helps low-income workers save money to create long-term prosperity.
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