How Canadians Communicate VI : Food Promotion, Consumption, and Controversy

Food nourishes the body, but our relationship with food extends farbeyond our need for survival. Food choices not only express ourpersonal tastes but also communicate a range of beliefs, values,affiliations and aspirations—sometimes to the exclusion ofothers. In the media sphere, the enormous amount of food-related adviceprovided by government agencies, advocacy groups, diet books, and so oncompete with efforts on the part of the food industry to sell theirproduct and to respond to a consumer-driven desire for convenience. Asa result, the topic of food has grown fraught, engendering sometimesacrimonious debates about what we should eat, and why. By examining topics such as the values embedded in food marketing,the locavore movement, food tourism, dinner parties, food bankdonations, the moral panic surrounding obesity, food crises, and fearsabout food safety, the contributors to this volume paint a rich, andsometimes unsettling portrait of how food is represented, regulated,and consumed in Canada. With chapters from leading scholars such as KenAlbala, Harvey Levenstein, Stephen Kline and Valerie Tarasuk, thevolume also includes contributions from "foodinsiders"—bestselling cookbook author and food editorElizabeth Baird and veteran restaurant reviewer John Gilchrist. Theresult is a timely and thought-provoking look at food as a system ofcommunication through which Canadians articulate cultural identity,personal values, and social distinction.