July 3rd Sheridan's and Esteva's Take on Food Politics

1. “Other peoples of the world discovered, invented and first used all the other items that went into the making of our breakfast.”

This quote supported the idea of the article’s explanation on how our breakfast is more than just “the most important meal of the day”. There’s even another quote that explains how we simply take our breakfast for granted, as if it’s just customary. To me this conveys me to think more about the history of this daily routine and how it originated. “But everything we need to know to know about human history, social relations, cultural difference, the arts, and literature can be organized starting with food.” This quote caused me to reflect and ask myself how many people are involved and think about the politics of food? I’m aware there are plenty areas of controversy involving food globally and even locally, but I never stopped to think about examining food, it’s history, origin, or impact on the political level. “Giving away food is understood beyond the act itself, to express social sentiments of unity, consideration, togetherness and kindness.”             What I was able to gather from this is how food is more than an essential resource for life, but that food can be something we experience and it’s something that doesn’t just bring us together, but helps us connect and sometimes help express ourselves. Whether we understand food as it’s language or use it to say what we can’t, it can also be a process. This process can branch out to contribute to studies, which can also be seen as another way of bringing together.

Abyssinia Dubosarsky, Ursula. Abyssinia. Penguin Books, 2008. Food History Tannahill, Reay. Food in History. New, fully revised and updated edition, 1st American ed., Crown, 1989. Agriculture Rasmussen, R. Kent, editor. Agriculture in History. Salem Press, 2010. INSERT-MISSING-DATABASE-NAME, INSERT-MISSING-URL. Accessed 4 July 2019.

            In the following essay we will discuss the significance behind why we should take the time to examine food, more so the history and its impact culturally, economically, and globally. Have you ever given any more though about why we have a routine of eating 3 meals a day or where this “customs” originated? Before we continue, I’d like you to think about any ethnic dishes or traditional dishes, and why they are significant to you? Also, what are your first thoughts when you hear the term or category Food Politics?