Race, Class, & Gender in the Sustainable Food Movement

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

June 10, 2010

I just came across a great posting on the blog, Racealicious. The author, Janani Balasubramanian seems to hit the nail on the head: the sustainable food movement appeals to the white and privileged American class through it’s role models and language.

Balasubramanian points Michael Pollen’s male-centric concept of food culture erosion in the United States. She writes, “Pollan and others situate the current state of American consumption in a patriarchal paradigm.” I have to say, after hearing Pollen speak and reading his articles and books, I came away with the same impression. Although probably not intentional, he seems to pin the blame for the lack of cooking skills in the U.S. on women rather than applauding their ascend into the public worker sphere.

These issues of race, class, and gender have irked me for a while and it’s nice to see someone write so eloquently about it. However, as a solutions oriented person, I would like to see some step that I can take to start shifting the identity of the movement.

(Cross-posted on Only An Almond Bean)