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Food & Culture: The Labor of Food

Food as Labor

Food takes labor--and environmental resources--to produce; it takes labor to cook. Some of it is obvious: we see environmental devastation in the rainforests. We know people who work in restaurants (or maybe we work there ourselves). Some of it is less clear: we may not always know about the water used to grow our corn, or the labor of sugar, or the ways in which scientists work on contemporary food products.

This page intersects with the labor and capital of food, from growing it to cooking it.

Agriculture

From ranches to small farms, and from indoor urban farming to corporate farms and farm labor, agriculture is a huge industry--and an essential one. 

Subject Lines & Starter Searches

Selected Books

The Labor of Food

There's a lot of labor that goes into the growing, harvesting, producing, and making of food and beverages in all their myriad forms. These resources, from subject lines and suggested searches to books and articles, delve directly into the human labor involved in our food chain.

Subject Lines & Starter Searches

These are selected searches and subject lines. You can build your own search around some of the same parameters. For example, if you're particularly interested in slaughterhouse workers, or vineyard workers, substitute either and start building a search based on your particular interest. 

Selected Materials

Food & Capital

Food and capital crosses wires rather often with the labor of food, though it goes beyond to look at management, as well. Cross-reference in your own searches, to ensure that you've got everything covered.

Suggested Searches

Subject Headings

  • "Agricultural economics"

Selected Materials

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