Upsetting Food: Three Eras of Food Protests in the United States

Jeffrey Haydu's book "Upsetting Food" explores the history of food reform and protest in the US, tracing the movements from the 1830s to the 1960s and 70s and how they shaped the politics, inequalities, and gender relations of their time.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2021
Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.

The production, distribution, and protection of food have long been the subject of intense debate, with lines drawn over how food is produced, what food is made available to whom, and how best to safeguard consumers from risky or unhealthy food. In his book Upsetting Food, Jeffrey Haydu resurrects the history of food reform and protest in the United States, showcasing how activists have defined food problems, articulated solutions, and mobilized for change.

Haydu's sociological history begins in the 1830s with diet reformer Sylvester Graham, who blamed alcohol and store-bought bread, symbols of a commercializing urban society, for poor health and moral decline. His successors at the turn of the twentieth century rallied against impure food and pushed for women to be educated in scientific food preparation and nutrition. Decades later, in the 1960s and 70s, a grassroots movement for organic food emerged, battling commercial food production in favor of food grown ecologically, by small farmers, and without artificial chemicals.

Each campaign raised doubts about food safety, health, and transparency, reflecting how a capitalist system can undermine trust in food. However, Haydu also considers how each movement reflects the politics, inequalities, and gender relations of its time. He traces how outcomes of each campaign laid the groundwork for the next, thus creating a continuous and recurring food movement.

Upsetting Food provides readers with a historical background to better understand contemporary and contentious food politics. By examining the past, Haydu offers insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the food system today, and encourages readers to become active participants in shaping a more sustainable and equitable food future.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781439920909