Praise for Previous Editions “Carolan delivers a brilliant and insightful overview of agrifood systems with a level of accessibility that will reach undergraduates and rigor that will convince graduate students. Supported by evidence and scholarly references throughout, this work exceeds the standards of most textbooks, while infusing pedagogy that is absent in typical monographs.” – Gregory Fulkerson, Associate Professor of Sociology, State University of New York at Oneonta, USA “The interactions between food and society are incredibly complex, as well as increasingly contested. This book illustrates the value of applying a critical, sociological lens to these topics. The second edition is even more comprehensive, and remains an extraordinary synthesis of a very diverse field of scholarship.” – Philip H. Howard, Associate Professor of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, USA, and author of Concentration and Power in the Food System “I found the first edition quite useful for helping the growing number of students enrolling in my sociology of agriculture and food systems course survey the field. I appreciate the expanded topics in this second edition that explore in more depth an even broader range of food system topics that reflect where the field is evolving. I also really love all the graphics integrated into the text.” – Jeff S. Sharp, Director and Professor of Rural Sociology, The Ohio State University, USA “Michael Carolan’s second edition of The Sociology of Food and Agriculture is a timely addition to a growing chorus that describes our current predicaments while offering sources and tools of hope. Carolan’s unique style blends the breadth and depth of a creative academic, a driven sociological imagination and a passion for justice around issues of food and agriculture that can inform and inspire students and scholars alike. This is a vital book at an important time.” – Paul V. Stock, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Environmental Studies Program, The University of Kansas, USA The Sociology of Food and Agriculture Thoroughly revised and updated, the third edition of The Sociology of Food and Agriculture provides a cutting-edge, comprehensive introduction to the study of food and society. The book begins by examining the food economy, with chapters focusing on foodscapes, the financialization of food, and a new chapter dedicated to food and nutrition (in)security. In Part II, the book addresses community and culture. While some books only look at the interrelationships between food and culture, this section problematizes the food system from the standpoint of marginalized bodies. It contains chapters focusing on agricultural and food labor and the peasantries, topics which are often overlooked, and gender, ethnicity, and poverty. Part III examines food and the environment, with chapters addressing important topics such as agro-ecosystems, food justice, sustainable food, and agriculture and food sovereignty. The final part focuses on food futures and includes a brand-new chapter on sustainable diets and ethical consumption. The book concludes by showcasing how we can rethink food production and consumption in a way that can help heal social, political, and cultural divisions. All chapters draw on international case studies and include learning objectives, suggested discussion questions, and recommendations for further reading to aid student learning. The Sociology of Food and Agriculture is perfect for students of food studies, including food justice, food and nutrition security, sustainable diets, food sovereignty, environmental sociology, agriculture, and cultural studies. Michael Carolan is Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University, USA. He is the author or co-editor of numerous books, including the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems (2020), The Real Cost of Cheap Food (2018), Society and the Environment (2017), and Cheaponomics (2014), all published by Routledge. Other books in the Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series Multifunctional Land Uses in Africa Sustainable Food Security Solutions Elisabeth Simelton and Madelene Ostwald Food Security Policy, Evaluation and Impact Assessment Edited by Sheryl L. Hendriks Transforming Agriculture in Southern Africa Constraints, Technologies, Policies and Processes Edited by Richard A. Sikora, Eugene R. Terry, Paul L.G. Vlek and Joyce Chitja Home Gardens for Improved Food Security Edited by D. Hashini Gelhena Dissanayake and Karimbhai M. Maredia The Good Farmer Culture and Identity in Food and Agriculture Rob J.F. Burton, Jérémie Forney, Paul Stock and Lee-Ann Sutherland Deep Agroecology and the Homeric Epics Global Cultural Reforms for a Natural-Systems Agriculture John W. Head Fighting for Farming Justice Diversity, Food Access and the USDA Terri R. Jett Political Ecology of Industrial Crops Edited by Abubakari Ahmed and Alexandros Gasparatos The Sociology of Food and Agriculture Third Edition Michael Carolan For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/books/series/ ECEFA/ The Sociology of Food and Agriculture Third Edition Michael Carolan First published 2022 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Michael Carolan The right of Michael Carolan to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Carolan, Michael S., author. Title: The sociology of food and agriculture / Michael Carolan. Description: 3rd edition. | Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, 2022. | Series: Earthscan food and agriculture | Includes bibliographical references and index. Subjects: LCSH: Agriculture—History. | Agriculture—Social aspects—History. | Food—Social aspects—History. Classification: LCC S419 .C366 2022 (print) | LCC S419 (ebook) | DDC 630—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021013599 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021013600 ISBN: 978-0-367-68002-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-68001-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-13378-0 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003133780 Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents List of figures ix List of tables xi Preface to the third edition xii Acknowledgements xiii 1 Introduction to a complex and ever-changing field 1 PART I The multi-scalar food economy 23 2 Understanding foodscapes: past, present, and future 25 3 Food and nutrition (in)security 46 4 Financialization of food 67 PART II Community, culture, and knowledge 87 5 Community, labor, and peasantries 89 6 Food and culture 111 7 Gender, ethnicity, and poverty 128 PART III Food justice and the environment 145 8 Agro-ecosystems and the nature of “natures” 147 9 Food, agriculture, and the environment 167 10 Food sovereignty – beyond food security 190 viii Contents PART IV Agrifood futures: solutions, trade-offs, and opportunities 205 11 Sustainable diets and ethical consumption 207 12 The “traps” in agrifood studies . . . and beyond 226 13 Reimagining healthy eating 241 Index 259 Figures 1.1 Price index for agricultural outputs and farm expenses, 1950 to 2020 (US) 9 1.2 Agricultural and input treadmills of conventional agriculture 10 2.1 US food system “hourglass” (hanging by a thread) 29 2.2 New Zealand food system “hourglass” (hanging by a thread) 30 2.3 Seed industry structure, 1996–2018 32 3.1 Medium change in the relative contribution to calories from crops of interest to CGIAR in national diets in developing countries, 1969–2009 54 3.2 Each country’s food supply composition in contribution to calories: 1961, 1985, 2009 55 3.3 Sustainable nutrition security (SNS) metric indicators 62 3.4 SNS indicators for select countries 62 4.1 Global FDI inflows in for Food, Beverages, and Tobacco, 1991–2018 (in USD billion) 68 4.2 Global ethanol production, 2007–2019 70 4.3 Top biodiesel producers worldwide in 2019, by country (in billion liters) 70 4.4 Deforestation on peatland for palm oil plantation, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia 71 4.5 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations 72 4.6 Countries most affected by land grabs 78 5.1 Share of non-regular and employed farm labor in the EU-28 2016 93 5.2 Area for fresh vegetable production in the EU-28 2016 94 5.3 Racial segregation of restaurant industry, US 95 5.4 Gender segregation of restaurant industry, US 96 5.5 Classic extension model of knowledge generation/transfer 101 5.6 Model of knowledge generation/transfer based on open understanding of expertise 103 6.1 1917 advertisement for Airline Honey 118 7.1 Gender and vulnerability to climate change 138 8.1 Changes (and increasing diversity) in scale and scope of agroecology research 148 8.2 The seven capitals that constitute ecological, social, and economic sustainability 156 8.3 The four “myths of nature” 160