Polatsek, Omri
Drawing on history, anthropology, and critical agrarian studies, the seminar examines the industrialization, globalization, scientification, and financialization of food since 1945 up to the present. The focus lies on the historical transformation of food provisioning from largely local subsistence-based economies to a planetary-scale, market-based, industrially driven food system. Throughout the course, students will engage with diverse case studies from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and North America to explore how, over time, these regions were integrated into, and co-shaped, our modern-day food system.
Putting food at the center of our analysis, we will concentrate on three main issues: first, we explore the history of food politics and technologies. Second, we try to understand why food systems have become vulnerable to global political events and economic shocks, while maintaining their uneven character between the Global North and South. Third, departing from our modern-day ecological crisis, we also critically examine contemporary suggestions for the future transition of our food systems.
Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Brooklyn, NY: Melville House, 2012.
McMahon, Paul. Feeding Frenzy: The New Politics of Food. London: Profile Books, 2013.
