After this week's election, the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) would like to share what guides us.
We are, at heart, a museum inspired by the simple yet profound act of breaking bread with others. Our mission is to educate, inspire curiosity, encourage connections, and contribute meaningfully to the community that surrounds us, all through the lens of our shared commonality — food. We do this because we know food holds immense power: to create and define culture and to embody our shared humanity.
We also know that those who work in the food industry are often the most vulnerable and unprotected class of workers, from migrant farm workers, to meat packers, to dishwashers, and street cart operators. Food workers across the industry are often underpaid, overworked, and lack access to benefits like healthcare. Commercial agriculture is one of the leading causes of greenhouse emissions. Approximately 30 to 40% of our food goes to waste, making up the largest component of municipal solid waste. We also know that 1 in 7 households in America lacks access to nutritious, affordable food. And we've all experienced unwarranted rising food costs and seen how much less a dollar can stretch in the grocery store.
Food is a powerful tool. One that we, the people, can also wield to take care of our communities, sustain our bodies, and nourish our souls for the long road ahead. The beauty of studying food is that one gains an understanding that behind every story there is joy and pain – the nuance and complexity required to understand our food culture helps us understand the nuance and complexity of our world.
MOFAD will continue creating exhibitions and programs that highlight the diversity of our country, demonstrating that American food is not defined by a single group but is the amalgamation of hundreds of years of interactions and knowledge sharing – forced and freely given – between indigenous people, enslaved peoples, and immigrants to create a cuisine that is uniquely our own. While MOFAD may be "just a museum," we are also part of a broader community and will continue to amplify the voices that spread hope and kindness, and lift up the scholars, food workers, chefs, and writers who use the power of food to give words to what we feel and to make us question what we think we know.
Next time you are in DUMBO, please visit MOFAD, share your stories, and sit in community with us–even if there is disagreement. Together we can learn how to create a more thoughtful, equitable, and delicious future.
