Aaron Salazar UNST 139A, Professor Koeneke Analysis of Food and Globalization ‘Throughout intense research and the analyzing of various articles, I came across an article that stuck out amongst all the rest, this article is Food and Globalization, which is authored by Lynne Philips. This article meant something significant to me, it’s more than just an article 'm going to use for this assignment—it’s a well-organized and in-depth article on the neo- liberalization of the food supply in the 21* century, its impact on countries and regions, the cultures and localization of food, and a step by step analysis of the production of food and how each individual step impacts regions and cultures. This is an article that has expanded my own personal conceptualization of our ever globalizing world, and it inspires me to take a stance and pursue higher research in my future years as an economist. It also inspires me to think critically and consider problems that our future generations may face in the future regarding food identity and security, and solutions that can be implemented to solve them, ‘The article focuses not solely on the cultural aspect, but touches on the realms of political and economic infrastructure as well. It is therefore prudent to keep this in mind when looking at the thesis of the article, which is as follows: The increased interconnection of the world has led to the revision of the food industry as a whole, as well as the cultural identities that are associated with fod; neo-liberal policies supported by transnational corporations have implemented a form of cultural imperialism that botl{ ingenerates)and appropriates lesser- cultures into the global world, while at the same time taking the aspect of “food” and “cultural foods” and modifying them into a commodity for profit maximization on a global and local level. “~ mM Se cme vAThe analysis of this article was broken down into 3 significant stages by Philips: international circulation of food products as commodities, the transnational expansion of food- based corporations, and the global governance of food and food issues, all of which go in-depth into the impact of food on culture at that given level of production, The focus of the article “Food and Globalization” is centralized on the idea that food is central to the creation of identity and culture, traditionally that is. With the expansion of consumerism brought about by neo- liberal policies the global consumption of food has led agricultural producers across the world to be subject to standardized practices of production and distribution: standardized planting, picking, and packaging practices replace traditional and meaningful methods of cultural agriculture, these practices have also had a significant impact on traditional labor; a redefinition of traditional gender roles in bor] e second stage, which answers the question, “What is the driving force behind the restructuring of the global food system?” is the marketing and supply for food at the global and local level, which is being driven by the power and influence of transnational corporations. As Philips explains it, “...what we see today as a global corporate power in the food industry is not a given, but itis instead a product of actions taken by a whole series of actors, including laborers, growers, traders, professional marketers, investors, financial advisors, and grocers.” (Philips 41). Within this stage the indication of profit maximization presents itself, and with the intention of marketing the produce at both a local and global level. It is at this stage that traditional food itself (as an idea) is then modified and even culturally appropriated in hopes of achieving a commodity iat licious and adetive, easy to consume, and appealing to a variety of consumety: KFC as an pti KFC is food as a commodity on a global level and local, which will be explained in preceding paragraphs; the final and 3” stage presented by Philips is the conceptualization of food identity and emerging culture. To put itsimply in the words of the author, “If the ideas and practices of food mark human indifference, what do current projects of food and globality tell us about who we are?”. We've now arrived at the concept of global demand for these commodities and the outcome that oceurs from this demand. ‘The demand for food that is often sugary, saturated, and overall unhealthy, has led to the cultural appropriation of traditional cuisines to fit the desires of consumers who give little regard for the traditional culture value—but at the same time, transnational foods also hybridize to fit the local populations of foreign regions, and by doing so they support a cross between cultures. This continuous cross between cultures is redefining cultural food, cultural practices, cultural interactions, and the overall cultural identification of people in a way that is only possible through the very idea of food itself. An example provided to cite evidence for the first stage in Philips argument is women in the tomato industry within Mexico. The occurrence, furthered by the push of transnational corporations, has been tracked by Bamndt from 1999. His research demonstrates the influence on gender roles in labor; women in Mexico have been conventionalized into the labor force, replacing labor positions that would be filled by men. They are utilized as packers, food processors, supermarket cashiers, and food service providers. This impact is redefining the cultural roles of women in the family, and it slowly erodes cultural agriculture methods (Philips 39) ‘As previously mentioned KFC is a great example provided by Philips for her second stage on the cultural appropriation aspect of cultural food, while at the same time hybridizing to cater to the desires and tastes of the local community. Within the article Philips cites with evidence about how a KFC in Hong Kong constitutes a form of cultural imperialism, but the American founded corporation also incorporates local Hong Kong cuisine into its menu in orderto maximize its profits and be successful in the region; it has been argued that the success of transnational corporations like KFC is evident due to “its ability to become local” (Philips 41). Lastly the example cited by Philips to exhibit her 3" stage of the argument revolves around immigrants coming to the Canada from Hong Kong. As explained by Smart, an economist focused on labor and entrepreneurial immigration in Canada, when people immigrate to foreign places they often bring their kitchen history and cultural foods with them and use them to create revenue within the food industry—but in doing so they must leam to cook a ““Canadianized” form of Chinese food which is composed of lots of sweet and thick sauces to appeal and make profit; this is not a choice but rather a requirement for the entrepreneurial success of Chinese immigrants in the food business (Philips 45). To conclude the content presented in this article and how it can be connected to our course, | believe itis a great example of cultural and economic globalization as a whole, with a minor analysis on globalizing politics as well. It is important to view articles like these because like globalization itself, it cannot be solely broken down into “Cultural globalization” or “Economic Globalization”, but rather the wo, or even three, are intertwined within one another; they each have a significant impact on each other and must be looked through a complete lens, rather than just their parts, to fully grasp the concept that is “Globalization”. Along with the more vivid image of cultural, economic, and political globalization, we also have some new vocabulary to add to our class which is: commodities, food identity, food consumption, Commodities ~ Food expressed as solely a consumer property to be sold and consumed, stripping of cultural/historie background. Food Identity ~The identification brought throughout the consumption and acceptance of various cultural and hybridized foods.Food Consumption ~ Consuming of food, its impact on economic and cultural factors of production, and values represented in the food itself, Philips, L.. (2006). Food and Globalization. Annual Review of Anthropology, 35, 37-67. Retrieved from http:!www jstor.ora,proxy. ib. odx. edu/stable/25064913A