– October 1, 2013 –

Here in the US, autumn is the traditional harvest season. But for food justice advocates, this season is more than a season of pumpkin recipes – it’s a season of action. It’s a time to think about our food, where it’s grown, who grows it, and what we can do to help make sure everyone on the planet has enough to eat, always.

That’s why food justice advocates celebrate World Food Day every year on October 16 – and you can too!

Invite your friends and family to join you for a special meal this month: a World Food Day Dinner. Oxfam America, a sponsor of EAD 2013’s National Gathering on “Food Justice for a Healthy World” and a luncheon on “Land Grabs,” will send you all the materials you’ll need – tasty recipes from some of their favorite chefs, placemats, a discussion guide to help get the conversation started, and more.

During harvest season, we think a lot about farmers and their farms. Whether at your local farmers’ market or in a farming community across the world, farmers everywhere depend on access to good farmland to grow the food we all eat.

US farmers struggle to find or hold on to good farmland. Now, imagine what this fight is like in some developing countries. Imagine being told you’re about to be evicted from your home, or that you no longer have the right to remain on land that you’ve lived on for years. And, if you refuse to leave, imagine being forcibly removed. For many communities in developing countries, this is a familiar reality. It’s what’s known as a “land grab” – a land deal behind closed doors that often results in farmers being forced from their homes and families left hungry.

Food Justice advocates will be shining a spotlight on land grabs this fall, and how you can help stop them from happening – and one way you can take action is by raising awareness and talking about food, farms and farmers at your dinner table during your World Food Day Dinner.

American farmers and farmers in developing countries face different challenges, but they also stand on a great deal of common ground. So this fall, we’re asking you to look for common ground: Protect farmers and farm land around the world.

When small-holder farmers thrive, their local communities thrive, too – but when they struggle, their communities often go hungry. That’s why we’re working so hard to protect their rights to the resources they need, like land. And this season, we’re counting on you to join other food justice advocates from around the country!