Mark Vallianatos

Food Justice and Food Retail in Los Angeles: A Rhetorical Analysis

It is a sad reality that people who need healthy, substantial and nutritious food do not have the financial means to obtain it. This is the issue discussed by Mark Vallianatos in his essay “Food Justice and Food Retail in Los Angeles,” which was published by Ecology Law Currents on June 25, 2009. Vallianatos discusses the divide of Los Angeles as two cities – one side that is encompassed by wealth and privilege, and the other side that is overrun with poverty and crime. Vallianatos appeals to his readers (which could range from high-ranking city officials to blue collar L.A residents) by utilizing ethos, pathos and logos. Vallianatos lays out his argument in a cause and effect

This, in simple terms, is not “fair” and not “just.” In his essay, Vallianatos states the problem clearly. Large food retailers, like supermarkets, are not moving into low-income portions of the city.(Vallianatos 187) It is not difficult to see whom Vallianatos is trying to reach with his essay. The audience is high-ranking city officials who can make a change, and low-income L.A residents who can demand a change. The exigence of Vallianatos’ essay is the lack of available healthy food to lower class Los Angeles residents. The lack of available fresh food is due to large food retailers’ reluctance to open locations in the lower income neighborhoods in L.A, because there is not a reliable customer base. Frequently, the only places to purchase food in these neighborhoods are convenience stores on street corners. There are a disproportionately high number of fast food restaurants, and portable food stands rarely offer fresh produce. To make the issue worse, most residents of these areas cannot travel long distances to purchase food. Vallianatos is working one major constraint on his essay. Vallianatos has to make sure he does not exploit the lower-class residents of Los Angeles. Yes, they need a voice to point out their inconvenience to a larger audience, but it is important that they are not offended in the

For example, Vallianatos discusses how Project CARE was adopted by his own organization, the Center for Food and Justice, and partnered with several community groups. (Vallianatos, 188) There is an ethical value that goes along with him involvement in such an organization and lends credibility to his knowledge on the subject. It also displays his understanding of the needs of residents in these low-income neighborhoods. “These discounters may play a growing role in increasing access to fresh foods because shoppers can buy a few cheap items multiple times a week. This fits with the buying habits of many low-income, public-transit dependent, immigrant resident of Los Angeles.” (Vallianatos, 189) His appeals to ethos are important to his exigence and audience because he is aiming to convince people with power in the city, business owners and lawmakers to focus on making a change in the city. He is more effective in his argument with his appeals to ethos backing up his credibility.

Food justice means that everyone deserves the right to affordable, healthy food. In his essay, Vallianatos uses appeals to logos, pathos and ethos to argue for a change in the city. He gives examples of programs that will bring food justice to Los

Angeles. He displays the difficulty that low-income residents of L.A face to obtain healthy food. Vallianatos effectively tries to convince business owner