Who can deny the significance of food? It has a central role in our health and pleasure as well as in our economy politics and culture. Food in Society provides a social science perspective on food systems and demonstrates the rich variety of disciplinary and theoretical contexts of food studies. While hunger and malnutrition remain a reality in many countries for some food has become an experience rather than a sustenance. This book addresses the different worldwide understandings of food through thematic chapters and a wide range of material including: description of the political economy of the food chain from production to the point of sale; analysis of global issues of supply and demand; critical debate of environmental and health aspects of food including GM food the role of habits taboos age and gender in food consumption. Each chapter contains a guide to further reading and to websites of relevance to food. Extensively illustrated this book is essential reading for students of food studies in the social sciences and humanities. . Language: English