good evening from los angeles, i am tavis smiley, access to help fresh food is a challenge for many people. fast food and junk food are readily available. a conversation with our entrepreneur and food activist helping the community, eating healthy food. a conversation with roy choi, ron finley and sam polk in just a moem. moment moment

and and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers i clike yo thank you. ♪ >> thank you. joining me for a conversation tonight for food justice sam polk here in california, ron finley, urban gardner and roy choi, chef and restaurant tourer. you all know roy. good to have you guys here.

>> it seems to me that across the country there is a growing conversation about what some called food justice. food justice. >> you don't like that praihras. >> it is food injustice. >> okay. >> i go to colleges and talking about people, who works in food justice. no, you don't, you work into food injustice. >> lets call it what it is. >> i am glad you jumped in. what i was going with that is some people don't even call it food justice, they call it food par tie. it is not a natural ecosystem, it is a manmade segregated problems where people are having more and other communities having less. what i want to start is what's happen ng the country that's causing the conversation about food justice or injustice, to be so dynamic and apart of the phrase, "organic" at the moment.

>> one thing that's clear in today's world that in equality is a huge issue. food is this fundamental thing that most people agree is a human right. people should be available to have healthy food. there is neighborhood where you say it is not available. it is one of those issues when people are confronted of the facts that moms cannot afford to put healthy food for their kids, they know it is not right. >> this started 2017, and given the kind of food, i will let your restaurant local serves. it was not four or five stars on the west side. it was a spot in the neighborhood. tell me why you think that is. >> well, i think it is because everything that local stands for and from the man who gave the award, jonathan gold, and his understanding of the context of

who we are and the war goes to watch. without a war, it is not an equal driven war. the whole dynamics and infrastructure and criteria of what a restaurant is has to change. i don't think it is the answer to everything but it is a start. now, no matter what happens in life, the restaurant of the year is in california. that changes the whole dynamic of everything. when you look at news and media and heritage, the omnivore store that's written about watts never really came from the inside out and they were positive. they dealt with a lot of murders and games and crimes. >> that's not what the community is and not everything that defines our people, what everyone is about. this is a moment where if humanity of watts have to be

talked about. >> what's happening that are given rise and not to these kinds of conversations but to these establishestablishments. >> well, it definitely opens people's eyes to say that it definitely, i don't think it shock people in a bad way. it opens everyone's eyes to understand why a restaurant not on the west side as you mention the restaurant of the year. again, the criteria, we are conditioned to believe that a restaurant has to be certain things for it to win an award. now that conversation has to change. it is not squjust about the cher the food or the dish or the meal is, it is about the context and the community and what it mean s and as far as a discussion of what's missing. all of those things mean something now and it could be anything. i think that's really important. >> ron, you and i have known each other for years. >> i had a chance to come to

your lecture at your garden. >> what i heard as friends -- >> so we all know that in la for that matter and oakland, across the country, we see gender location are takes place everywhere. >> i am told that when you give the lectures, you are brutally honest of conditions and circumstances of what needs to be done. when you are given these conversations lectures and creating these conversations with pofolks who don't look lik you and me would come to the neighborhood and thinking they're doing the right thing, how are they responding to these issues you are razing about how these conditions are created in the first place? >> a lot of them hear it but we must realize that the genter

fire is being fired. >> they're not moving over there because they want to, they're moving because they cannot afford venice. you know now they want $2 million? we cannot do that. we had somebody coming to the neighborhood, well, you know, this is an up and coming neighborhood. this people are already here, christopher columbus. we don't need you to come over here to tell you that neighborhood is up and coming. what kills me is all of a sudden, the complexion of the neighborhood changes, you have infrastructure and caves and all facilities so all that is telling me is the people that were there before, you don't really care about. the only thing that change now is the complexion. the house is still the same and the streets and except when they put the fence up, they put

themmthem horizontal. >> i mean, i guess the way i would answer it is that, a kid born and walks, for example, lives on average 12 years less than a kid born on the west side of la. there is a lot of reasons for that. kids are left out of the economy and functioning healthcare system. for sure, a functioning food system. it is a weird time for all of this to happen because donald trump -- is stepping out of the world and representing this, systematic in equality that's a cool part of our country since the beginning. i think people like roy and ron and a little bit myself are trying to stand against that and say like -- you know this is a world where a kid born and wants

to live twelve years less, that's not right. it needs to change right away. >> i was stunned to look at the numbers and looking at food thrown away. how does this happen in the country where -- that's the fundamental issue i think of why we are in this position is because we don't have a meetiea culture. >> we don't have an eating culture? >> it is absurd to think of the fact that there is so many people going hungry and so many people being hungry and starting to car kindergarten and going through all their whole life. so us as chefs, we are not political.

i think as a healer's point of view, i live my life around the abundance. i have the fortunatety as a chef to have food all around. i want to share that with everyone. all us needs to put down our guns and fists and look at if food and realize how absurd it is. we have our food here and hundreds of thousands of kids growing up with no food and this food is being thrown away. >> can i say something about it, too? >> i think it is a good point. we need to figure out how to get the left overs. that's the they think of what roy is doing a. this is food that's good enough for everybody. how come it is about the need

for charity. how can we solved this? >> some of the food should be thrown away because it is not food. >> we have society now where your food is killing you slowly. you will be amputated and diabetes so you are feeding all of these systems before you pass away. >> that needs to be addressed. some of the food is not food. >> the food that you are talking about that kills us are the food in these communities. the food you are talking about is not being used or throwing away. it gets deep. we'll have to challenge the economy and what people have in pockets and what control they have in order for that food not to be thrown away. >> why does it come back to money? >> because it is. >> what's the true cost of food? >> that's the question that needs to be asked.

the guy is picking those tomatoes for us, what are they getting paid and what are they getting poison with? >> what's the cost of food. >> the choose burger that you buy costs very little but the diabetes that you have to pay later. >> there is money involved and people tend to understand that. >> some of your cousins got pun. >> my point is this. if for no other reasons, when the healthcare bill continues to skyrocket. that alone is a motivator to take this food. what am i missing? >> what you are missing is we are not controlling none of that. you know what it is going to tell you? the store, water don't grow on

trees. they have not been exposed to. there is no food education. a doctor cannot tell you what this herb can do to you. he cannot tell you what's going to stop this. they're not teaching it. it is all -- when you stack it all up. it starts from education. when you are talking about education. not my question, it is economy. if money is wasted and spent on this healthcare cost because we adopt take the issue serious on the front end. >> without the knowledge. >> maybe i am wrong. >> here is one truth is prison cost off. people are kept in prison and there is a lot of reason for it. it is not a money xaviesaver.

food has become that. it is a good argument that says food and fast food and cheap and expensive fast food. there is a great form of social control and oppression, it keeps people poor and sick. it keeps them out of a sort of a vibrant life. if you take of what sam said, i will never argue with sam and roy, too. that sounds to me like not just miseducation or understanding. that sounds like a malign neglect for people in the communities. >> yes, there is a lot that's deliberated and planned and structured. the way we can change it is a lot of what we are doing is talking about it. a l if you are talking about economy and why things are being thrown away and why people are not making the roiight choices, you have to drive the incentives for that to happen. instead of arguing the negative

of everything right now because that stuff is right there and these guys can go on for days, you know? about everything you are talking about. what we troy to y to do is like artist and making it something where everyone has to pay attention. >> even if i cannot change the marketers or the mone money -- perhaps, i can change the people that live in the community. before you started that, you would do something called grocery ships. tell me what it does and how do you change the people in the community who make food choices everyday. >> grocery ship is a nonprofit that works with food and poverty and help moms who are living in what are called food desert getting themselves and family help think. >> it is a support dprup helpgrg

people. i do want to go back to what you are saying. it is about positivity and branding. it is also about economics and what every table is doing is saying, look, there is no matter how many times we tried to convince folks who are living in the neighborhood that has the $13,000 a year income. if that costs ag bueight bucks,s not realistic. as a chain for our restaurant for our stores in downtown, we have meals that's costing 13 bucks and we are selling these for 7 bucks. we also have stores in south la and soon compton and watts. those stores, the same food is

sold for four bucks. for me, trs aboit is about givis options and until you can make food less expensive then in the communities that we mostly try to help is not a functional choice. >> if given those options, people accept it. >> yes. >> the first thing is what we do, we have to change culture, okay? >> we have to have literally our culture. if we don't have it and our culture has been designed for s us. that's why we take peopl people -- that's where it all began and where it all ends. life comes out of soil, we need to show these kids that come out of soil and tree gives fruit for us, it is not for the tree. that's when the knowledge and the education come in of money g grows on trees.

does money grow on trees? >> the biggest owner in california. everything that mother nature produces are resources. these leaves are not trash. you know so we have to make it economic and that's how we make it sexy. yes, we have to change culture. and then with joker, we have e what they called savely. ru a slave if you don't touch soil. this is where life comes out. >> that makes my job so much harder because of this legacy that we have and i have to tell you -- imagine if you own that land. okay? >> the irony here and i am glad you went there. the irony that i want to get to is where we start. we have gone a full circle now.

people do not twoowant to put t hands -- >> people are starting to work their way back but the irony of it is we got away from it >> exactly . >> are you encouraged or making the trick? >> i am extremely encouraged. wou what i would have done with little strips of plants. and i mean, i got everything from almond trees to bananas growing on the streets literally. people see this and it changes their whole mind on about food and where food comes from. i get e-mails literally from all over the world just like people hearing me, you know what, we just did that, this is because of you. a guy ran up to me from rio,

there is this big giant apartment built with the big land in front of it. we took this and made it afar because of you. i know it is sustainable but can you scale it up. >> if enough people growing, you don't have to scale it up. if you have several blocks where people are planning it their parkways. it is impossible. you see food on trees. now, not only you see revenues, you have stuff to sell. >> can i say one thing about that? >> i think one of this i think that is ron is doing that's important is redefining the idea of foods. it is no more of mcdonald's and fas fast food. at the same time, a lot of the communities that are, woirking in, money is in short supply but so as time. that's what every table is

trying to do is taking inspiration like whole foods and vegetables and dpragrains that out of the earth but create a system where we can create incredible meals where people can and not spending all that time to cook. when you are a single mom and four kids, you don't have time to do that. >> where do you get the ingredient from? >> i want to know your back story and what they are supporting is legit. >> by being legit if you know in your heart that you are doing something right and you are making the right choices. you don't have to prove to anyone else. it is also important to not make claims you cannot live up to. >> what local represented is a

pathway and a journey. we don't claim to be all organic and we don't claim to be all sustainable or whatever the case maybe. we claim by natural greingredie as best we can and use better farmers. in the mix, sometimes it is going to be local produce. it comes down to being honest with your decisions and intents. everything does not have to be perfect from the beginning. our mission does not have to be perfect from the beginning. as long as your intent and your path towards it is truth and honest, you are going get there. you don't know how but you will get there. >> do you think food justice is fad or the way of the future? >> i hope it is not a fad. i think it is the binning of this slumber, of this sleep and

slumber that we had. if you look at other countries around the world and the country that my parents are from and my blood is from, things are not perfect. we can point out million of things wrong. food is not one of them. i am saying the culture of eating and eating -- not omnivoonly from a child but family and a teenager when you say things of the least, the hottest thing to do is find the hottest thing and eating a bowl of noodles, right? >> we got to develop that culture into arguing and so i hope it is the beginning. i hope that ten years from now and twenty years from now, i hope artist and rappes and rappg about food and not about strip clubs. >> how about ron? >> we are here and we are

warriors and we woke up this morning and i got another shot of this and being able to go around the world and see change happening. i don't believe in hope. i believe in opportunity and that's what people in our community needs. they don't need hope. they need opportunities to show how truly brilliant they are and that's where it starts it. >> so a very smart man tavis smiley once said to me is that justice is wanting for everyone else's kid of what ever you want of your own. every table is at that. i do think we have a model that has the potential to bring healthy food into every community, period in the country

and especially every under serve community and that's what keeps me going. >> sam, ron, and roy, good of what you guys are doing tonight, man. >> thank you, thank you. >> tavis smiley, thank you for watching tonight, as always, keep the faith. for more information on today's show, visit www.tavissmiley@pbs.org join me next time as we take a deep dive unto what into what's happening around the country, that's next time, we'll see you then.

and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

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