For Indigenous People, Biden Can Make Or Break His Legacy With The Farm Bill

Oaxacan food activist Neftalí Durán thinks the food system as it stands is bound for a reckoning.

“What I ask of consumers is to be discerning and actually learn about what is going on out in the world,” said 43-year-old chef and food activist Neftalí Durán. Since moving to the United States from Mexico in 1997, the culinary guru has attempted to do just that: educate the public in matters of agriculture, sustainability and ecology, as seen through a gastronomic prism. Durán is also the co-founder of I-Collective, a group of Indigenous cooks, educators and activists seeking to raise awareness around Indigenous food movements. In this Voices in Food story told to Anna Rahmanan, Durán looks deep into the issues that have plagued the American agriculture system while offering solutions that he hopes will give rise to a fairer and more sustainable future.

It’s hard to describe Indigenous cuisine because it would involve putting all the ingredients and cultures of the world in a bucket. I am from Oaxaca, Mexico, and, for me in particular, Indigenous cuisine is the foundation of Mexican food and [specifically] involves corn, beans, squash and chili. It’s important that we keep the cuisine alive because Indigenous people care for 80% of the biodiversity of the world, although making up only 5% of the global population.