Contemporary Food Issues
ASSIGNMENT: Values-Based Food Labels
In recent years the use of values-based food labels- claims and information on food that signify information about the social and environmental conditions of production- have grown exponentially. On the one hand, values-based food labels serve as an important tool for making our food system more transparent. On the other hand, these labels are a form of marketing and are widely used as such. For this assignment, you are asked to investigate a specific food label that makes a statement about the production and processing of a specific food item. You are not exploring the nutrition information panels on the side or back of food packages, but on values-based labels that connect to this class by claiming the food as embodying specific qualities (e.g., organic, local, natural, fair trade, free-range, cage-free, GMO-free, rBGH-free, etc.).
Assignment Process
1. Select a food item with a label or a specific label to examine.
2. Briefly describe the food and the label.
3. Critically explore the label's claim: What does the label mean? What food problems does the label purportedly address? What problems are specifically not addressed?
4. Discuss the potentials for food labeling to help address the contradictions of the conventional food system. Are food labels useful tools for improving the food system or simply marketing ploys that leave the conventional food system intact? What are the benefits of food labels? What are the limitations?
Format
• Blackboard Blog Post
• Blog Title
• ~500-750 word essay, image of the food and/or label, plus other supporting media (images, films links, etc.)
• Bibliography citing your sources, including links where possible (relying on class readings is fine)
• Proofread and spell check; grammar and spelling factored. Citations and Bibliography
• Direct links or parenthetical citation is expected, format does not matter, just be consistent
• If you need guidance, the Library has a webpage that provides support
• Information from the Internet must be verifiable
Guptill, Amy, Denise Copelton & Betsy Lucal. 2013. Food & Society: Principles and Paradoxes. Malden, MA: Polity.