Doctoral Dissertation Research: How is geopolitical conflict reflected in the marketing and valuation of food?

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

Foodstuffs are advertised to consumers in ways that can reveal the values of both producers and consumers. How this valuation arises differs in relation to numerous factors, including the extent to which producers identify their products as traditional and local versus more modern and global. This doctoral dissertation project examines the valuation and marketing of foodstuffs in relation to geopolitical conflicts to understand whether and how contestations over land are reflected in food. In addition to providing funding for the training of a graduate student in anthropology in the methods of empirical, scientific data collection and analysis, this research contributes to policy-relevant scholarship by enhancing the scientific understanding of the significance of geopolitics and its impact on economic activity. A key impact of this study is visual StoryMaps that contribute to diverse forms of spatial narratives that can be compared against existing tourist or geopolitical maps to illuminate possible intersections and divergences. Results are shared with policy-makers and nongovernmental agencies. This research assesses initiatives at multiple levels that regulate and define qualities inherent to agricultural products. Through twelve months of ethnographic research, including spatial analysis, semi-structured interviews, and photo documentation, this research examines how heritage food products are integrated into state and political structures and how this impacts the commodification of foodstuffs and localized communities of production. Research results have intellectual merit for scholarly and policy analyses of economic policies and development projects by examining issues like heritage and tourism, new global economic partnerships, and the dynamics of regional and international food markets. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.