Letter to Gov. Holcomb

November 2, 2021

The Honorable Eric Holcomb

Governor of Indiana

Dear Gov. Holcomb:

We hope this letter finds you well. As Indianapolis residents and the owners of local restaurant Black Leaf Vegan, we’re writing to urge you to join us in fighting for an end to food injustice, which disproportionately affects communities of color. Everyone deserves to have access to animal- and-eco-friendly, healthy fare, no matter what their zip code is.

For decades, the government has been supporting industries that are making people sick and harming the environment. In Indianapolis alone, nearly 20% of the population lives in a food desert, and 888,000 Indiana residents sometimes have to go without food—280,000 of whom are children. Not having access to healthy food forces people to eat processed meats and snacks, which increases their risk for premature death. By contrast, healthy plant-based foods help prevent cancer, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes—one of many reasons why we’re committed to eating vegan and to offering healthy meat-free meals in our community.

Our friends at PETA have a solution. Together, we are giving away free vegan meals and fresh food to people in need and calling for the millions of tax dollars that the Indiana government uses to subsidize the meat, egg, and dairy industries to be redirected toward incentivizing grocers to offer fresh vegetables, fruit, and other healthy, humane vegan foods in food deserts. For example, in 2020, the state gave $38 million to just one dairy processing plant in property tax abatement. That money could have gone toward making healthy food available to everyone, and we hope you will make the health of Indiana residents and their access to nutritious meals and snacks top priorities.

Please redirect subsidies toward those who need them most.

Best regards,

Taria and Derrick Slack

Owners

Black Leaf Vegan