Synopses & Reviews
With globalization has come an increased focus on food--where it comes from, how it is transported, who eats it, and what cultural significance it has. This volume brings together ethnographically based anthropological analyses of shifting meanings and representations associated with the foods, ingredients, and cooking practices of marginalized and/or indigenous cultures. Contributors are particularly interested in how these foods intersect with politics, nationhood and governance, identity, authenticity, and conservation.
The chapters cover diverse locales, issues, and foods: the cultural meanings of sinonggi, a thick sago porridge from Sulawesi, Indonesia; the significance of pom, a Surinam dish popular in the Netherlands; the transformation of alpaca meat in Peru; the impact of culinary tourism on indigenous cuisine in Mexico; the re-presenting of minor millets in South India; and the development of cheeses in the Italian Alps. A conceptual essay on food and social boundaries rounds out the collection.
Throughout, the contributors address important questions, including: How are traditional foods "repackaged" in the process of mainstreaming access? What does this repackaging mean for the ways local or indigenous peoples view their traditional food practices? How are local cuisines mobilized in movements to create national images and identities? What tensions emerge between new representations of foods and local cultural meanings?
Together the contributors provide a thoughtful inquiry into what happens when food and culinary practices are moved from the cultural or physical margins, and how such movements can be shaped by--and employed in the pursuit of--political, social, and cultural goals.
Review
“These essays are highly original, creative, and provocative.” —Warren Belasco, author of
Food: The Key Concepts“This collection ably makes it clear that scholarly analyses of foodways in their cultural context provide a complex and fruitful way to consider the effects of global issues on local cultures.” —Rachelle Saltzman, Project Director of Iowa Place-Based Food
Review
and#8220;The subject is highly important to the current and future development of the food industry, especially for local alternatives. . . . [Growing Local] makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of contemporary issues in the food system.and#8221;and#8212;Charles Francis, professor of agronomy and horticulture and the former director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture Systems at the University of Nebraska
Synopsis
In an increasingly commercialized world, the demand for better quality, healthier food has given rise to one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. food system: locally grown food. Many believe that andldquo;relocalizationandrdquo; of the food system will provide a range of public benefits, including lower carbon emissions, increased local economic activity, and closer connections between consumers, farmers, and communities. The structure of local food supply chains, however, may not always be capable of generating these perceived benefits.
Growing Local reports the findings from a coordinated series of case studies designed to develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how local food products reach consumers and how local food supply chains compare with mainstream supermarket supply chains. To better understand how local food reaches the point of sale, Growing Local uses case study methods to rigorously compare local and mainstream supply chains for five products in five metropolitan areas along multiple social, economic, and environmental dimensions, highlighting areas of growth and potential barriers. Growing Local provides a foundation for a better understanding of the characteristics of local food production and emphasizes the realities of operating local food supply chains.
About the Author
Robert P. King is a professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. Michael S. Hand is a research economist with the USDA Forest Service in Missoula, Montana. Miguel I. Gand#243;mez is Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professor in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.