Food Fears: From Industrial to Sustainable Food Systems

By Alison Blay-palmer

Book Overview

The industrial food system of the West is increasingly perceived as problematic. The physical, social and intellectual distance between consumers and their food stems from a food system that privileges quantity and efficiency over quality, with an underlying assumption that food is a commodity, rather than a source of nourishment and pleasure. In the wake of various food and health scares, there is a growing demand from consumers to change the food they eat, which in turn acts as a catalyst for the industry to adapt and for alternative systems to evolve. Drawing on a wealth of empirical research into mainstream and alternative North American food systems, this book discusses how sustainable, grass roots, local food systems offer a template for meaningful individual activism as a way to bring about change from the bottom up, while at the same time creating pressure for policy changes at all levels of government. This movement signals a shift away from market economy principles and reflects a desire to embody social and ecological values as the foundation for future growth.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138266264
• ISBN13: 9781138266261
• Release Date: November 2016
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.2"