This Town May Become the Nation’s First to Ban Nestle from Stealing their Water

They hope to become the nation’s first.

In Hood River County Oregon, a first-in-the-nation ballot initiative to stop Nestle from buying public water may soon be up for a vote.

The ballot initiative aims to stop a convoluted water deal giving up water rights of both the state of Oregon and Hood River County to Nestle, resulting in the company selling the county’s water. The ballot initiative could stop the deal and sound a warning to Nestle and other water-bottling companies that local populations are rallying to protect their water rights.

Nestle’s plan has been in the pipeline for over 6 years. The deal has been under siege by local activists, including Native American populations living in the local area. Indigenous activist Anna Mae Leonard went on hunger strike in august this year to try to stop the deal from going through.

“It is intrinsically a desecration to sell that water,” Leonard told KOIN.

This pressure as well as creative work by local environmentalists has led to the ballot initiative. For this petition to get issued before the electorate the organizers must get at least 664 signatures.

The battle for potable water is going to be a major issue in the coming decades. Nestle has already been criticized for bottling water in the drought-stricken Colorado River basin, including parts of Southern California, where there have been water rationing measures enforced on the local populations. And just last year, the Maine Public Utilities Commission allowed the sale of Fryeburg, Maine’s water rights to Nestle ignoring public outcry. That decision was especially monumental, as two of the regulators who ruled in Nestle’s favor had previously recused themselves from the decision, citing previous deals with Nestle.

As scarcity of water spreads, local populations are becoming more resourceful in their efforts to preserve local water supplies. Committed activists like those in Hood River County are taking after the example of prior organizing efforts, like those in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to keep their water publicly-owned.

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Bus Converted Into Mobile Food Market Provides Low-Income Neighborhoods With Fresh Food

The Mobile Good Food Market travels across Toronto selling affordable fresh food in neighborhoods, selected through consultation with local communities and analysis of access gaps.

In the United States, about 23.5 million people live in “food deserts,” geographic areas where access to affordable healthy food options (aka fresh fruits and vegetables) is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. Left to depend on the offerings sold at convenient stores and gas stations, this crisis is partly to blame for the increasing obesity epidemic. 

Perhaps the solution is to bring healthy food to the people, similar to what the Mobile Good Food Market is doing in Canada.

As the video above shares, the inspiring Mobile Good Food Market is bringing fresh produce to low-income neighborhoods and making a world of difference. Thanks to a collaboration between FoodShare Toronto, the city of Toronto, and United Way Toronto, an old bus was converted into what is now a mobile food market.

Everything from broccoli and lettuce to apples and onions are available when the bus comes to town, twice per week. Because the costs involved by the bus have to be taken care of, food prices aren’t much lower than what might be found in a supermarket. However, at least families have the opportunity to purchase higher-quality, nutrient-dense food when the bus visits.

Watch the video above to learn more, and share this article to raise awareness.

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