The Politics of Food

This project explores the origins and evolution of national food cultures, emphasizing the sources of variation in terms of quality, safety, and 'sophistication'. Comparing food cultures in postwar Italy, France, and America, I argue that distinctive national patterns of food production and consumption have their roots in the differential ability of small producers and distributors to protect themselves against powerful agricultural, industrial and distribution interests. The product will be a book-length manuscript entitled: "Good Food, Bad Food."