The efforts of Tohono O’odham Community Action (TOCA) to promote health, cultural revitalization and economic vitality through food system redevelopment will be highlighted on CBS News’ 60 Minutes II on Wednesday, July 14. The story – focusing on the diabetes epidemic in Native American communities – features interviews with TOCA’s Co-Directors, Terrol Dew Johnson and Tristan Reader. It also highlights TOCA’s harvest celebration from this past fall.
TOCA’s Food System Redevelopment Program is revitalizing the production and distribution of traditional Tohono O’odham foods in an effort to combat the diabetes that is devastating its community. In 1960, no tribal member had ever suffered from the disease; today, more than half of the population has Type II Diabetes, the highest rate in the world. The loss of a sustainable food system is the primary cause of the epidemic. Traditional Tohono O’odham foods have been shown to regulate blood sugar levels, thereby helping prevent and regulate diabetes.
For more information about TOCA, please visit www.tocaonline.org.
