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| Preface to the Second Edition of Food Politics | |
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| An Overview of Food Politics | |
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| What is food politics? | |
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| Is food politics driven by material interests or by social values? | |
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| Is food politics a global or a local phenomenon? | |
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| Who are the most important actors in food politics? | |
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| Has the politics of food and agriculture recently been changing? | |
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| Food Production and Population Growth | |
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| Who was Thomas Malthus, and why did he see hunger as inevitable? | |
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| Was Malthus ever influential? | |
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| Are Malthusians still influential? | |
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| Can we feed a growing population without doing irreversible damage to the environment? | |
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| Is Africa facing an eco-Malthusian food crisis today? | |
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| Do Malthusians try to reduce population growth? | |
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| Do Malthusians argue that we should reduce food consumption? | |
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| The Politics of High Food Prices | |
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| When did high food prices become a political issue? | |
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| What caused these spikes in international food prices? | |
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| How many people became hungry when prices spiked in 2007-2008? | |
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| Do international food price spikes cause violent conflict? | |
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| Have higher food prices triggered "land grabs" in Africa? | |
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| Have subsidies and mandates for biofuels contributed to higher international food prices? | |
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| Have higher international prices become a permanent feature of food politics? | |
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| The Politics of Chronic Hunger and Famine | |
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| How do we measure hunger? | |
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| How many people around the world remain chronically undernourished? | |
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| What causes chronic undernutrition? | |
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| Does chronic hunger trigger political unrest? | |
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| Is chronic undernutrition a problem in the United States? | |
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| Do developing countries have policy remedies for chronic undernutrition? | |
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| What is the difference between undernutrition and famine? | |
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| When have famines taken place? | |
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| What causes famines? | |
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| How do famines end? | |
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| What has been the most successful international response to famine? | |
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| Can famine be prevented? | |
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| Food Aid and Agricultural Development Assistance | |
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| What is international food aid? | |
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| Which countries get food aid? | |
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| Do rich countries give food aid to dispose of their surplus production? | |
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| Why are America's food aid policies so difficult to change? | |
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| Does food aid create dependence or hurt farmers in recipient countries? | |
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| Do governments seek coercive power from food aid? | |
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| How is agricultural development assistance different from food aid? | |
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| How much international assistance do rich countries provide for agricultural development? | |
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| Which agencies operate United States agricultural development assistance? | |
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| Who benefits from agricultural development assistance? | |
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| The Green Revolution Controversy | |
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| What was the green revolution? | |
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| Why is the green revolution controversial? | |
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| Did the green revolution end hunger? | |
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| Did the green revolution lead to greater rural inequality? | |
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| Was the green revolution bad for the environment? | |
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| Why did the original green revolution not reach Africa? | |
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| What farming approaches do green revolution critics favor? | |
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| How have green revolution critics shaped international policy? | |
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| The Politics of Obesity | |
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| Is the world facing an obesity crisis? | |
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| How do we measure obesity? | |
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| What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic? | |
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| What is me cause of today's obesity epidemic? | |
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| Does cheap food cause obesity? | |
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| Do fast foods and junk foods cause obesity? | |
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| Is the food industry to blame for the way we eat? | |
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| Do "food deserts" cause obesity? | |
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| What government actions are being taken to reverse the obesity crisis? | |
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| Who lobbies for and against stronger policies on obesity? | |
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| The Politics of Farm Subsidies and Trade | |
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| Do all governments give subsidies to farmers? | |
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| What explains the tendency of all rich countries to subsidize farm income? | |
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| Do farmers in rich countries need subsidies to survive? | |
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| Why are farm subsidies hard to cut? | |
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| What is the "farm bill" and what is the "farm lobby"? | |
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| Is the use of corn for ethanol a subsidy to farmers? | |
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| What is the value of promoting corn-based ethanol in the United States? | |
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| How do farm subsidies shape international agricultural trade? | |
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| Has the WTO been able to discipline farm subsidies? | |
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| Do trade agreements like NAFTA hurt farmers in counties like Mexico? | |
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| Farming, the Environment, Climate Change, and Water | |
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| Does agriculture always damage the environment? | |
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| What kind of farming is environmentally sustainable? | |
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| What is low-impact or "precision" farming? | |
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| Do fragile lands, population growth, and poverty make farming unsustainable? | |
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| Do cash crops and export crops cause environmental harm? | |
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| Do farm subsidies promote environmental damage in agriculture? | |
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| How will climate change affect food production? | |
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| Does agriculture contribute to climate change? | |
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| Is the world running out of water to irrigate crops? | |
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| What can be done to improve water management in farming? | |
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| Livestock, Meat, and Fish | |
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| How are farm animals different torn crops? | |
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| Is meat consumption increasing, or not? | |
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| Is a vegetarian diet healthier? | |
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| If people in rich counties ate less meat, would hunger be reduced in poor counties? | |
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| What are CAFOs? | |
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| Are CAFOs bad for animal welfare? | |
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| What else generates opposition to CAFOs? | |
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| How important are fish as a source of food? | |
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| Are wild fisheries collapsing? | |
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| Is fish farming a solution? | |
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| Agribusiness, Supermarkets, and Fast Food | |
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| What does the word "agribusiness" mean? | |
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| Why is agribusiness controversial? | |
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| Do agribusiness firms control farmers? | |
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| Do food companies and supermarkets control consumers? | |
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| Are supermarkets spreading into developing counties? | |
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| Is Wal-Mart taking over food retailing in Africa and India? | |
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| Are fast food restaurant chains spreading unhealthy eating habits worldwide? | |
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| Organic and Local Food | |
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| What is organic food? | |
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| What is the history of organic food? | |
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| How is organic food regulated in the United States? | |
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| Is most organic food grown on small farms? | |
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| Is organic food more nutritious and safe? | |
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| Is organic farming better for the environment? | |
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| Could today's world be fed with organically grown food? | |
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| What is the local food movement? | |
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| What explains the growing market for local food? | |
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| What is urban agriculture? | |
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| Does local food help slow climate change? | |
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| What is the difference between local food and slow food? | |
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| What explains the loyalty of some groups to organic, local, or slow food? | |
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| Food Safety and Genetically Engineered Foods | |
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| How safe is America's food supply? | |
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| How do foods become contaminated? | |
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| Who regulates food contamination in the United States? | |
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| Is food safety an issue in international trade? | |
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| Does the industialization of agriculture make food less safe? | |
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| Is irradiated food safe? | |
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| What is genetically modified food? | |
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| How are genetically engineered foods regulated? | |
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| How widespread are genetically engineered foods? | |
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| Why do some people resist GMOs? | |
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| Do genetically engineered crops strengthen corporate control? | |
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| Are GMO foods and crops safe? | |
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| Could genetically engineered crops provide benefits to small farmers in developing countries? | |
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| Who Governs the World Food System? | |
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| Is there a single world food system? | |
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| How do national governments exercise control? | |
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| Which are the most important international organizations in the food and farming sector? | |
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| What has limited the influence of international organizations? | |
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| Do multinational corporations control the world food system? | |
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| How much power do non-governmental organizations have? | |
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| What Is the role of private foundations? | |
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| The Future of Food Politics | |
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| In the future, will obesity continue to replace hunger as the world's most serious food problem? | |
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| In the future, will food and farming systems become more localized or more globalized? | |
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| In the future, will the spread of affluent eating habits destroy the natural environment? | |
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| In the future, will the politics of food remain contentious? | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Index | |