Washington generates $1.5 billion annually from the production of apples, 10% of the state’s economy. Yet a critical part of this production, migrant laborers, are often overlooked.
After five years of work, Associate Professor of Politics Aaron Bobrow-Strain has published a book entitled White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf. Published on March 6, 2012, the book has been selected as one of Amazon.com’s Best Books for March 2012, and was featured on NPR. It’s currently available in the Whitman Bookstore. Bobrow-Strain spoke with the Pioneer about the book and the current alternative food movement in the United States.
Blaming the poor, especially those on food stamps, for their poor food choices is to ignore the deep, underlying problems with an industrial system of food production. Personal choice is worthless if all options are unhealthy.
The line between healthy behavior and disordered eating can be razor thin. Physical fitness and healthy eating habits are presented as an ideal to aspire towards, and women in particular are bombarded with advertisements telling them that they can be perfect if they just count calories diligently and work hard to shed those last few pounds.
