Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Early humans spent most of their lives hunting, gathering, and preparing food in an
environment devoid of a reliable food supply. Human societies today are less isolated
and more globally focused than ever before, and traveling has become easier. Highly
industrialized countries are becoming more culturally diverse as immigrants arrive
from rural and developing countries with new cultures, customs, and food choices
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2004). Simultaneously, in
developing countries, multinational fast-food and supermarket chains are appearing,
potentially leading to more cultural homogeneity globally (Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations 2004). The emergence and evolution of agricul-
ture and its impact on health and lifestyles are discussed in Chapter 1.
How do human beings choose the foods they eat? The consensus of expert opin-
ion is that many historical and social factors as well as availability influence human
food choices and consumption. Culture and customs also determine which foods are
appropriate to eat, which methods are appropriate for processing foods, how foods
are to be distributed throughout society, how foods are eaten, and how foods are used
to promote optimal health. Table 4.1 defines key terms used throughout the chap-
ter. Figure 4.2a illustrates the social construction of food choices; individuals often
define foods by their social characteristics—what “I” eat and what “they” eat.
the Role of food And socIAl stRuctuRe In food choIces
Today, as was true in early human societies, there is still the need to acquire the
essential nutrients to survive. Once an adequate and secure food supply was better
achieved through agriculture and domestication of animals, greater food security
allowed for more diverse food choices and food sharing both internally, within the
family unit, and externally, with friends and neighbors (Fieldhouse 1996). A more
secure food supply and the sharing of food are thought to have strengthened the
social ties between individuals, developed a sense of trust within the community,
enabled individuals to depend on one another, and allowed the community to divide
and delegate tasks that were required for survival (Harris and Ross 1987, Fieldhouse
1996). Rather than spending the majority of time simply searching for food, human
beings were able to build complex societies, eventually leading to the development
of civilization (Ferraro 2006).
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Members of different societies eventually learned to develop and prepare foods in
ways that provided them with a distinctive self-identity, which either drew them closer
to or separated them from their neighbors. Those who wished to associate with other
societies often adopted their neighbors' food habits (Kittler and Sucher 2004). Those
who wished to separate themselves from their neighboring societies often identified
a certain food as a staple of that society and avoided that food to show that they were
different (Harris and Ross 1987, Kittler and Sucher 2004).
As humans from various cultures continue to mix into a more global society, they
are faced with unfamiliar foods, new ways to prepare familiar foods, and new ways
of eating familiar foods. Even within culturally similar settings, individuals differ
