The Open Food Network is aware of a divisive conflict within the Ruby community which we depend on and contribute to. For example, David Heinemeier-Hansson is the creator and a core maintainer of Ruby on Rails, which has provided a reliable and flexible framework that continues to enable the Open Food Network to grow and flourish. We are thankful for this, but must also acknowledge that he is sharing increasingly discriminating opinions through his high-profile blog. He also holds significant power over the Rails ecosystem.

We want to call out this behaviour as inappropriate and are considering using a fork of Rails if it can be maintained by a healthier community. This is only a last resort, as pushes for more balanced maintenance have failed so far. 

Our community is a signatory to the open letter asking the Rails Core to cut ties with DHH and hard fork Rails to a new project with proper governance and wishes to reaffirm its strong commitment to peace and social cohesion in a world where some seek to divide citizens against each other.

We are witnessing a dangerous escalation of polarisation, racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, and xenophobia fuelled by some political leaders, condoned by the silence of most other political leaders and amplified by inflammatory media narratives.  

The Open Food Network stands firmly against polarisation and violence. As a values-led organisation, we know that the struggle for climate justice is inseparable from the struggle against polarisation, racism and capitalism. The same systems that exploit the planet also exploit people, especially those pushed to the margins. Our work is rooted in connection, community, and justice. We will not be silent while hate threatens the very communities we exist to serve. 

Open Food Network communities around the world are building interdependent local food systems. These systems bring together farmers, growers, eaters and food buyers to create fair, resilient, kind and sustainable networks that provide highly nutritious food to everyone in their communities.  Projects like this are designed to build on these connections in order to build social cohesion within local communities in the belief that this cohesion will ripple out across regions, countries and across borders.

We call on government leaders, policymakers, corporations and institutions to act, not with platitudes, but with urgency and accountability to counteract this rise in hate.