Food Activism: Agency, Democracy and Economy

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Across the globe, people are challenging the agro-industrial food system and its exploitation of people and resources, reduction of local food varieties, and negative health consequences. In this collection leading international anthropologists explore food activism across the globe to show how people speak to, negotiate, or cope with power through food. Who are the actors of food activism and what forms of agency do they enact What kinds of economy, exchanges, and market relations do they practice and promote How are they organized and what are their scales of political action and power relations Each chapter explores why and how people choose food as a means of forging social and economic justice, covering diverse forms of food activism from individual acts by consumers or producers to organized social groups or movements. The case studies embrace a wide geographical spectrum including Cuba, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Mexico, Italy, Canada, France, Colombia, Japan, and the USA. This is the first book to examine food activism in diverse local, national, and transnational settings, making it essential reading for students and scholars in anthropology and other fields interested in food, economy, politics and social change.

Reviews

an important contribution to the academic debate on social activism centered around foodThe variety of contexts explored and the attention given to the lived experiences of social actorsallows a very nuanced understanding of the scope and goals of different movements, with an attention to internal differences and hierarchies within movements. The editors have done an excellent job of maintaining an impressive level of cohesiveness while presenting such a wide range of topics covering many fields. * Gastronomica *
Counihan and Siniscalchi [have] composed a remarkable collected volume ... The book is rich in empirical analysis and it certainly provides for a fascinating read ... Taken together, the breadth and richness of the essays is certainly instructive, and the connections that can be made between various case studies are one of its great strengths. * Ethnologie franaise *
Food Activism: Agency, Democracy and Economy is a timely contribution to the sphere of food studies [T]he contributions embodied in [the book] are broad and speak to a range of interests, topics and viewpoints. Each chapter is successful in demonstrating how people choose food as a means of forging social and economic justice, and the editors carefully and cleverly guide the reader through an exploration of contemporary food activism. The strength of Food Activism lies in its ability to cover diverse areas of activism and the editors ability to find thematic axes connecting them Food Activism offers a contemporary anthropological view of a range of social movements and their relationship with power through food. It is therefore highly recommended for students and scholars in anthropology and ethnographers. However, it is also a worthwhile read to those interested in food studies, activism (local, national and transnational), social change movements, politics and social and economic justice. -- Elaine Kellman, Kings College London, UK * LSE Review of Books *
Food Activism is essential reading for anyone interested in the politics that surround our food. * www.sustainablefoodtrust.org *
The editors achieved each of [their] goals by effectively weaving a holistic examination of food activism across the world. The case studies they have assembled individually suggest both diversity and uniformity within food activist movements across geographic, economic, political, and cultural boundaries Food Activisms chapters are easily readable for anyone with a basic understanding of food system theory and a solid social science background. A number of readers will find Food Activism useful. Students will find the work clearly written, with minimal use of jargon, as well as excellent material for in-class discussions and research projects. Food system scholars will find the nuance between the profiled movements intriguing, as it challenges notions of agency and control within food movements. Activists and food policy experts will find inspiration for their own initiatives and policies from the cases presented. -- John C. Jones * Graduate Studies Journal of Food Studies *
Carole Counihan and Valeria Siniscalichis Food Activism: Agency, Democracy, and Economy presents itself as a valuable and timely offering. This edited volume makes two particularly important contributions. First, it convincingly argues that food is a critical nodal point through which activist subjectivities are materialized and around which activist practices are mobilized. Secondly, it emphasizes that the ethnographic approach is especially well-suited to illuminate the diverse and nuanced ways in which contemporary global forces are negotiated, appropriated, and challenged by agents in practices of everyday life. -- Brad Jones * Digest: a Journal of Foodways and Culture *
Pointing towards a vibrant new direction in food scholarship, Siniscalchi and Counihan have crafted a book that should be on the reading list for all students and scholars interested in food in the contemporary world. Food Activism showcases the work of some of the best and the brightest new writers in the field of Food Studies. * Richard Wilk, Provost Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University, USA *
This volume provides fascinating insights into food politics. The editors are to be congratulated for bringing together a set of chapters that reveal the astounding range of social movements that focus on food, as well as the sense of commitment and agency which activists share in shaping their worlds. * Peter Luetchford, Department of Anthropology, University of Sussex, UK *

Author Bio

Carole Counihan is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Millersville University, USA. Valeria Siniscalchi is Associate Professor at the cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales in Marseille, France.