Exploring Food Insecurity Through Mathematics for Social Justice Lens

This paper explores the intersection of mathematics education, food insecurity, and social justice, focusing on how mathematics can empower students to critically engage with real-world issues. Grounded in Gutstein’s (2006) “Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics” framework and UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (2020), the study examines how mathematical tasks can foster critical thinking, civic empathy, and social agency. Drawing on data from sources such as the United Nations, the paper highlights the growing global crisis of food insecurity, intensified by conflict, climate change, and inequality. It investigates two central questions: (1) How can mathematical tasks be designed to engage students in analyzing and critiquing food insecurity as a social justice issue? (2) What pedagogical approaches can empower students to use mathematical reasoning to propose solutions to these challenges? The paper presents a structured, phased task that supports both statistical reasoning and critical consciousness, emphasizing localized, and community-based modeling. It concludes by recommending transformative pedagogies that build mathematical competencies and equip learners to act as agents of change in addressing food justice in their communities and beyond.