GREEN BAY – It may not be the first thing on their minds when Somali refugees first arrive in Green Bay, but a lack of access to halal meat can really take its toll on a family.
Halal meat starts with a live animal, but that’s where its similarities to more common meats end. The animal’s diet must be natural, free of animal byproducts, and the slaughter process must adhere to Islamic law, which comes with a series of sacred rituals that are not part of the traditional slaughterhouse techniques commonly found in the United States.
Said Hassan, executive director of COMSA, a Green Bay-based immigration organization focused on Somali refugees, said many of its clients rely on big box stores, such as Walmart and Costco, where specialty meats like halal are simply not available. available. Because of its shortage, Hassan said, many people have no choice but to drive to Milwaukee, Chicago or Minneapolis to get meat that matches their religion.
“The type of food they depend on is very expensive and this contributes to food insecurity,” Hassan said. “Traveling long distances (to get halal meat) very quickly depletes budgets.”
Record inflation has done this population no favors. Hassad said about 20% of the immigrants served by COMSA are unemployed as a result of COVID-19, which severely reduces travel options.
When a family from another country or tradition experiences food insecurity, they also risk not being able to access culturally relevant foods—that is, safe and nutritious foods that meet the diverse needs of people based on their cultural identity . Wisconsin is home to a wealth of different religions, ethnicities, races, and traditions, but that’s not necessarily reflected in your average food pantry.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, however, culturally appropriate foods are an important consideration in all pantries, can improve healthy eating, and foster positive mental health.
Having culturally appropriate food choices, according to the CDC, expands opportunities for people to make more informed and healthier decisions about their kitchens.
Camila Martin, a pediatric clinical nutritionist with UW Health, said equity has remained an open issue in conversations about food insecurity, particularly for black and Hispanic populations in Wisconsin. Not surprisingly, health disparities are highest among these populations, and often the solution requires additional work and attention.
“It’s important to have more targeted approaches to certain populations and actually identify stakeholders. We don’t have to make assumptions like, ‘Oh, well, the black population would really benefit if we did this,'” Martin said. “No, we have to really engage people in those conversations, be intentional about them, be thoughtful about them, listen a lot.”
Kara Black, fresh category procurement coordinator for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, is responsible for ordering all fresh produce items for 35 counties in eastern Wisconsin. She handles logistics between producers and the Feeding America East Wisconsin program, focusing not only on getting culturally important foods to communities of color, but also working with farmers of color on procurement.
The Tribal Elder Program, for example, focuses on purchasing foods that indigenous peoples have relied on for centuries, such as certain types of fish, wild rice, ground bison, apples from an Oneida-based orchard, and maple sugar from crushed.
“Because we know we’re feeding not just the body, but the whole part of a person,” Black said. “Food is culture. Food is medicine. Food is everything.”
Jicama, tomato, bok choy: Culturally specific foods are ‘a human right’
Tomatillos, plantains, jicama, bok choy, jalapenos, garlic, collard greens and aquaponic lettuce are some of the foods that Wisconsin’s many crops have sought out. And it turns out that the state has the climate and the farmers to realize those items.
In western Wisconsin, Black said, Hmong farmers are growing collard greens, a vegetable with a rich tradition in the Black community, that are shipped to Milwaukee. Asian growers in the Milwaukee area are shipping tomatoes, garlic and jalapenos after realizing the needs in Hispanic communities.
Sheboygan farmers are able to grow a “huge influx of bok choy,” Black said, which can better serve Hmong families through Feeding America partnerships.
“If we plan far enough ahead and have our farmers in place, we can see what partners are within their network and our area and we can dive into those partners,” Black said.
For the next year, Black plans to reach out to Hispanic partners in the Milwaukee area to figure out which foods would make the most sense to potentially get.
“All of our growers are so open. They tell us, ‘We’ll grow whatever you want us to grow,'” Black said. “As long as they have the seeds ahead of time, they can grow specific foods for the needs of communities.”
Across organizations, requests like this are fruitful. The journey of the jicama root vegetable in northeastern Wisconsin began with families from Casa ALBA Melanie, a Hispanic cultural resource center in Brown County, wondering where they would be able to get the starchy vegetable, which is an integral part of many meals. traditional in Latin America. .
Welllo, a community-driven organization in Brown County, grew. The northeastern region of Wisconsin, it turns out, can grow jicama. Beth Heller, director of strategic partnerships at Wello, said it’s important to get culturally appropriate vegetables to farmers markets across the county and is in the midst of writing major grants to support more funds that deploy specific vegetables. on plates across the county. .
It’s easy to dismiss the importance of culturally specific food in the face of food insecurity, but for Heller, “culturally specific food is a human right.” She knows this is not something everyone can agree on.
“It’s just a measure of respecting other cultures and recognizing that foodways bring people together, foodways create traditions, and if we deny that, it really destroys the fabric of society,” Heller said.
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Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Central Wisconsin. She welcomes tips and comments on the story. You can contact her at [email protected] or check out her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text Hopeline to the national crisis text line at 741-741.
