About
One of the most important things I learned over the course of UNIV 203 is that despite how passionate one is, change must address structural issues and complexity of the Global Challenge. Six major topics are analyzed: the history and development of the capitalist food system, food as something essential for life vs. food as a commodity, the changing role of land, ecological vs. capitalist agriculture, the intersections of oppression, and a look at some of the current approaches to solving issues in the food system.
The book predominantly uses a Marxist lens to understand the capitalist food system, introducing readers to core concepts and terminology, activist groups, and ideas they may not have been aware of. Just as the book presents a broad understanding of the issues of a capitalist food system, it also presents a broad approach towards solving these issues. In this way, the concepts of the book are applicable to a wide range of fields. It pushed me to think more deeply in regard to my current and future roles in dismantling unjust hierarchies and creating lasting change.
This book provides the framework needed to conduct a an analysis of the the structures of the capitalist food system.
It provided numerous examples of innovations like Golden Rice that promised a solution, but did nothing to address the underlying issues. One example is Golden Rice that was championed in 2001, to address vitamin A deficiency. The rice was genetically modified to include higher levels of vitamin A, but the innovation itself never addressed the issue of lack of access to fundamental nutrients. Throughout the book, I was able to examine issues and critically consider how innovations are capable of creating lasting change.
The book predominantly uses a Marxist lens to understand the capitalist food system, introducing readers to core concepts and terminology, activist groups, and ideas they may not have been aware of. Just as the book presents a broad understanding of the issues of a capitalist food system, it also presents a broad approach towards solving these issues. In this way, the concepts of the book are applicable to a wide range of fields. It pushed me to think more deeply in regard to my current and future roles in dismantling unjust hierarchies and creating lasting change.
This book provides the framework needed to conduct a an analysis of the the structures of the capitalist food system.
It provided numerous examples of innovations like Golden Rice that promised a solution, but did nothing to address the underlying issues. One example is Golden Rice that was championed in 2001, to address vitamin A deficiency. The rice was genetically modified to include higher levels of vitamin A, but the innovation itself never addressed the issue of lack of access to fundamental nutrients. Throughout the book, I was able to examine issues and critically consider how innovations are capable of creating lasting change.