Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability / Edition 1

by Geoffrey Lawrence, Kristen Lyons, Tabatha Wallington

Overview

As the threats of food insecurity loom ever larger, the world faces the sad irony of food shortages in the global South alongside a purported 'obesity epidemic' in the global North. The twin issues of food production and food access are of particular concern in the context of climate change, 'peak oil', biofuels, and land grabs by wealthy nations.

Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability offers critical insights by international scholars, with chapters on global food security, supermarket power, new technologies, and sustainability. The book also assesses the contributions of diet and nutrition research in building socially just and environmentally sustainable food systems and provides policy recommendations to improve the health and environmental status of contemporary agri-food systems. The book features contributions from a range of social science perspectives, including sociology, anthropology, public health and geography, with case study material drawn from throughout the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781844077755
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/30/2009
Edition description:	1
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Geoffrey Lawrence is Professor of Sociology and Head of the School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Australia.

Kristen Lyons is Senior Lecturer of Sociology at the School of Social Science, University of Queensland, and formerly of Griffith University, Australia.

Tabatha Wallington is a Research Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes vii

List of Contributors ix

Acknowledgements xvii

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations xx

Foreword Eric Holt-Giménez xxiii

1 Introduction: Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability in a Globalized World Geoffrey Lawrence Kristen Lyons Tabatha Wallington 1

Part I Global Food Security

2 Breadbasket Contradictions: The Unstable Bounty of Industrial Agriculture in the United States and Canada Tony Weis 27

3 Security for Whom? Changing Discourses on Food in Europe in Times of a Global Food Crisis Gianluca Brunori Angela Guarino 41

4 The Re-emergence of National Food Security on the United Kingdom's Strategic Policy Agenda: Sustainability Challenges and the Politics of Food Supply David Barling Tim Lang Rosalind Sharpe 61

5 Neoliberalism and Food Vulnerability: The Stakes for the South Gabriela Pechlaner Gerardo Otero 79

6 Energy Security, Agriculture and Food Jago Dodson Neil Sipe Roy Rickson Sean Sloan 97

Part II Food Systems, Diet and Nutrition

7 Unequal Food Systems, Unhealthy Diets Sharon Friel Wieslaw Lichacz 115

8 Explaining Patterns of Convenience Food Consumption Lisa Schubert Megan Jennaway Helen Johnson 130

9 Public Health and Moral Panic: Sociological Perspectives on the 'Epidemic of Obesity' Stewart Lockie Susan Williams 145

10 The Food Regulatory System - Is it Protecting Public Health and Safety? Mark Lawrence 162

11 The 'Wellness' Phenomenon: Implications for Global Agri-food Systems David Burch Geoffrey Lawrence 175

12 Supermarkets, Food Systems and Public Health: Facing the Challenges Libby Hattersley Jane Dixon 188

Part III Towards a Sustainable Agri-food Future

13 Bodies, Bugs and Dirt: Sustainability Re-imagined in Community Gardens Kelly Donati Susan Cleary Lucinda Pike 207

14 Biofuels: Finding a Sustainable Balance for Food and Energy Sophia Murphy 223

15 Examining the Mythologies of Organics: Moving Beyond the Organic/Conventional Binary? Hugh Campbell Chris Rosin Solis Norton Peter Carey Jayson Benge Henrik Moller 238

16 Nanotechnology and the Techno-corporate Agri-food Paradigm Gyorgy Scrinis Kristen Lyons 252

17 Conclusion - Big Choices about the Food System Tim Lang 271

Index 289

Editorial Reviews

'A timely and important book addressing one of the world's greatest challenges - how to ensure everyone can eat well and healthily, and at the same time not destroy the planet. Through this clear and cogent collection, Geoffrey Lawrence and co-editors set out pathways for better futures. We can only hope that food, agricultural and public health institutions will listen carefully.' - Professor Jules Pretty OBE, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK.

'In this first-rate book, academics and activists from around the world take on the full breadth of the food crisis in a series of challenging and insightful essays. Every discipline - from political economy to ecology to cultural anthropology to nutrition to science and technology studies - is represented in an anthology that doesn't simply diagnose the problem, but critically examines the solutions offered by governments, corporations and consumer groups. Ideas in these pages will be vital if we are to develop truly sustainable solutions to global hunger, obesity, and climate change.' - Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System.

From the Publisher