Exam Prep Readings.xlsx

Question 1

Questions

Answer 1

Answers

Question 2

What is the focus of food regime analysis according to Philip McMichaels in ‘How Our Capitalist Food System Came to Be’?

Answer 2

Food regime analysis focuses on the historical and geopolitical relations that shape agriculture and food, including commodity chains, dependency analyses, fair trade studies, and various case studies on hunger, technology, cultural economy, social movements, and agribusiness.

Question 3

What historic threshold do we face according to Patel 2007, mentioned by McMichaels?

Answer 3

We face a historic threshold governed by peak oil, peak soil, climate change, and global malnutrition of the ‘stuffed and starved’ kind.

Question 4

What characterized the first food regime (1870–1930s)?

Answer 4

The first food regime combined colonial tropical imports to Europe with basic grains and livestock imports from settler colonies, provisioning emerging European industrial classes and underwriting the British ‘workshop of the world’.

Question 5

How did the second food regime (1950s–70s) re-route food flows?

Answer 5

The second food regime re-routed flows of surplus food from the United States to its informal empire of postcolonial states on strategic perimeters of the Cold War.

Question 6

What technologies and reforms did ‘Development states’ adopt during the second food regime?

Answer 6

‘Development states’ adopted Green Revolution technologies and instituted land reform to dampen peasant unrest and extend market relations into the countryside.

Question 7

How did agribusiness contribute to the exhaustion of WTO-style agricultural liberalisation according to McMichaels?

Answer 7

Agribusiness elaborated transnational linkages between national farm sectors, forming transnational commodity complexes, which contributed to the exhaustion of WTO-style agricultural liberalisation.

Question 8

What is the localist project referred to by Friedmann and McNair (2008)?

Answer 8

The localist project refers to the local/regional certification movement led by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, which has been appropriated by supermarkets for profitability via ‘quality’.

Question 9

According to Tony Weis in ‘Ghosts and Things: Agriculture and Animal Life,’ what are ‘ghost animals’?

Answer 9

‘Ghost animals’ are animals displaced by agricultural development and environmental changes caused by industrial farming practices.

Question 10

How does Weis describe monocrop farming systems?

Answer 10

Weis describes monocrop farming systems as ‘oceans’ due to their vast expanses of single crops, contributing to environmental degradation and pollution.

Question 11

What is meant by ‘commodi-faunation’ as discussed by Weis?

Answer 11

‘Commodi-faunation’ refers to the commodification of animal life and agriculture, treating animals as mere commodities within industrial food systems.

Question 12

What significant change in African-American farmland ownership does Eric Holt-Giménez and Breeze Harper mention in ‘Food—Systems—Racism’?

Answer 12

African-Americans once owned 16 million acres of farmland, but by 1997, after decades of systemic challenges, less than 20,000 Black farmers owned just 2 million acres of land.

Question 13

What key period is known as the ‘global food crisis’ according to Holt-Giménez?

Answer 13

The period from 2007-2008 is known as the ‘global food crisis,’ which has continued since then.

Question 14

What are the proximate causes of the global food crisis as identified by Holt-Giménez?

Answer 14

Proximate causes include drought and the increase in biofuel production, but the root causes lie in the industrial agrifoods complex and corporate monopolization.

Question 15

What is the ‘industrial agrifoods complex’?

Answer 15

The ‘industrial agrifoods complex’ refers to the system of corporate-controlled agriculture characterized by monocropping, monopolization, and the exploitation of resources and labor.

Question 16

How do Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) introduced by the WB & IMF in the 70s affect agriculture?

Answer 16

SAPs ended state-led agricultural models, contributing to the 3rd world debt crisis and further entrenching corporate control over food systems.

Question 17

What synthesis does Goodman, DuPuis, and Goodman foresee in ‘Alternative Food Networks’?

Answer 17

They foresee a synthesis between corporate food regimes and food sovereignty movements, incorporating aspects of alternative food networks and fair trade circuits.

Question 18

What is ‘telecoupling’ as discussed in ‘Telecoupling & Tomatoes’?

Answer 18

‘Telecoupling’ is a framework that helps consumers and suppliers understand the environmental and social impacts of global food trade and production systems.

Question 19

How does the source of tomatoes affect CO2 emissions in Germany?

Answer 19

Tomatoes from Polish workers in the Netherlands have significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to those from West African workers in Spain, illustrating the environmental impact of sourcing locations.

Question 20

What disparities exist in access to healthy food in the United States according to Walker, Keane, and Burke?

Answer 20

There are significant disparities, with wealthy individuals having more access to healthy food while poorer populations have to travel further and are often targeted by advertisers promoting unhealthy food.

Question 21

What is the concept of ‘food gentrification’ as discussed in ‘The Takeaway: Gentrification’?

Answer 21

‘Food gentrification’ refers to the transformation of traditional or ‘soul food’ into upscale, fashionable cuisine, often stripping it of its cultural context and accessibility.

Question 22

How does street food ‘gentrify’ urban spaces according to the ‘Streetfoodification’ article?

Answer 22

Street food, like electric bikes and food delivery services, occupies niches in high-rent urban areas, making traditional street food experiences commodified and overpriced.

Question 23

What role does ‘authentic and traditional’ play in the foodification of historic centers like Florence?

Answer 23

These adjectives are used to market previously unnamed local foods, commodifying them while making historic downtown areas consumables for the middle class.

Question 24

What does Christoph D. D. Rupprecht advocate for in ‘Edible Green Infrastructure or Edible Landscapes’?

Answer 24

Rupprecht advocates for the co-stewardship of multispecies commons and the integration of edible landscapes into urban planning to promote sustainability and collaboration.

Question 25

What is meant by ‘urban armature’ according to Susan Parham and Jacques Abelman?

Answer 25

‘Urban armature’ refers to the combination of architecture and opportunities for consumption and social interaction within a flexible and adaptable network in urban design.

Question 26

How has ‘urban armature’ changed in contemporary city planning?

Answer 26

Contemporary urban armature has become commodified and fixed, losing its adaptability and the public-space primacy that previously created vibrant community centers.

Question 27

What is the ‘movement economy’ as described by Hillier in 1996?

Answer 27

The ‘movement economy’ refers to how people navigate urban spaces, influenced by car-centrism and the resulting distant, single-function shops and supermarkets.

Question 28

What are ‘obesogenic environments’ in city planning?

Answer 28

‘Obesogenic environments’ are urban areas designed in ways that promote obesity through lack of access to healthy food and reliance on car transportation.

Question 29

What is the concept of ‘foodshed’?

Answer 29

‘Foodshed’ is a concept similar to ‘watershed,’ representing the flow and distribution of food within a specific geographic area.

Question 30

What does Dave criticize about urban planning and food production?

Answer 30

Dave criticizes urban planning as a barrier to sustainable food production, advocating for the abandonment of rigid plans in favor of allowing people to plant and own what they need to survive.

Question 31

What is the focus of ‘Campus Food Systems Alternatives’ by Classens et al.?

Answer 31

The focus is on alternatives in procurement, production, and pedagogy within university food systems to avoid monopolies and promote socio-ecological awareness and student engagement.

Question 32

What is ‘longitudinal research’ as needed for improving campus food systems?

Answer 32

Longitudinal research involves extended studies over time to understand changes and impacts within the campus food systems and their socio-ecological dimensions.

Question 33

What does ‘Agroecology: The Ecology of Food Systems’ define agroecology as?

Answer 33

Agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems.

Question 34

How did the convergence of ecology and agronomics break after WW2?

Answer 34

After WW2, agronomics and ecology grew apart until around the 1970s when agroecology emerged as a field integrating both disciplines.

Question 35

What is the ‘Law of Return’ mentioned by Vandana Shiva in ‘Who Really Feeds the World?’

Answer 35

The ‘Law of Return’ states that for all gains, there must be something given back, emphasizing the need for sustainability and reciprocity in food production and consumption.

Question 36

How does the Green Revolution narrative misrepresent India’s agricultural history according to Shiva?

Answer 36

Shiva argues that the Green Revolution narrative falsely credits it with saving India from starvation, when in reality, it promoted chemical agriculture under conditions imposed by the US and World Bank.

Question 37

What are ‘multispecies commons’ as discussed in agroecology?

Answer 37

‘Multispecies commons’ refer to agricultural systems where humans and other species collaboratively steward the land and resources for mutual benefit.

Question 38

What critique does Dave offer about traditional urban planning in relation to food systems?

Answer 38

Dave critiques traditional urban planning for creating barriers to sustainable food systems, advocating for decentralized, community-driven approaches.

Question 39

What is ‘telecoupling’ and how does it relate to tomato production in Germany?

Answer 39

‘Telecoupling’ refers to the interconnectedness of global systems, illustrated by the differing environmental impacts of tomato production in the Netherlands versus Spain for German consumers.

Question 40

What does the concept of ‘urban armature’ involve in food system planning?

Answer 40

‘Urban armature’ involves creating flexible, adaptable networks in urban spaces that integrate food production and social interaction.

Question 41

How does the ‘green revolution’ differ from ‘red revolution’ according to agroecology?

Answer 41

The ‘green revolution’ focuses on technological solutions to agricultural problems, while the ‘red revolution’ emphasizes social and economic justice and redistribution.

Question 42

What is ‘commodi-faunation’ in the context of industrial agriculture?

Answer 42

‘Commodi-faunation’ is the commodification of animal life within industrial agriculture, reducing animals to mere economic units.

Question 43

How do community gardens challenge systemic boundaries?

Answer 43

Community gardens challenge systemic boundaries by fostering cooperation, social capital, and ecological awareness among participants.

Question 44

What are the limitations of food-based non-profit organizations according to Meenar (2015)?

Answer 44

Non-profits often face budgetary constraints, spatial mismatches, and a lack of inclusivity, particularly in reaching underserved and minority communities.

Question 45

How do ‘alternative food networks’ differ from traditional food systems?

Answer 45

Alternative food networks focus on local, sustainable, and equitable food production and distribution, often challenging corporate monopolies.

Question 46

What are ‘obesogenic environments’ and how do they relate to urban planning?

Answer 46

‘Obesogenic environments’ are urban areas designed in ways that promote obesity through lack of access to healthy food and reliance on car transportation.

Question 47

What is the significance of the ‘movement economy’ in urban design?

Answer 47

The ‘movement economy’ analyzes how people navigate urban spaces, influencing the design and functionality of cities to promote healthier lifestyles.

Question 48

How do ‘community gardens’ contribute to social capital?

Answer 48

Community gardens build social capital by fostering personal connections, cooperation, and shared responsibility among participants.

Question 49

What is the role of ‘telecoupling’ in understanding global food systems?

Answer 49

‘Telecoupling’ helps in understanding the environmental and social impacts of global food trade and production systems.

Question 50

What are ‘multispecies commons’ and their importance in agroecology?

Answer 50

‘Multispecies commons’ emphasize collaborative stewardship of land and resources among humans and other species, promoting sustainability.

Question 51

How does Vandana Shiva critique the Green Revolution in ‘Who Really Feeds the World?’

Answer 51

Shiva critiques the Green Revolution for promoting chemical agriculture under imposed conditions, misrepresenting its impact on India’s agricultural history.