Food is at the centre of human existence. We eat every day, not only to satisfy our physical needs but also as part of cultural and social interaction. Food choices and markets shape the agricultural landscape and the cities we live in. Whereas what we choose to eat and feed our family is part of who we are, a growing number of actors compete to influence our food habits, through marketing strategies and nutritional advice. And ethical considerations are coupled with every choice over food - whether related to production, distribution, consumption, food waste, policy in general, marketing or advice.
Given the variety of implications the ‘food problem’ entails, the construction of an inclusive society must redirect the concerns about food in the present to the imagination of future alternatives. The search for innovative solutions calls for multidisciplinary critical enquiry - and utopian thinking will be instrumental in that regard.
This book brings together work by scholars in a wide range of disciplines addressing many different topics related to food futures. Topics covered include food and literature, food waste, food communication, food policy, corporate social responsibility and public procurement in food supply, responsible research and innovation in food production as well as sustainability and animal ethics and welfare.