ABSTRACT
The ever-expanding gulf between the consumer and the producer leaves a huge number of people employed by the food industry vulnerable to the economically motivated decisions made by a powerful cartel of food retailers who control the global food economy. If urban culture is largely oblivious to agricultural affairs, it is entirely ignorant of the procedures involved in the food processing and packaging industries. The millions of workers employed in the vulnerable primary and secondary sectors of the food industry have taken the brunt of the pressures in the food system resulting in underpayment and a climate of social discrimination. Champs Elysees honey sold under the Grand Palais label has joined other meil de Paris brands costing a steep 15 for a 125g pot at high-end food outlets. Home restaurants are much cheaper than a take-away, and exude a phenomenal sense of occasion. Since 2009 the urban planter collective SOLEfood has transformed the space into a successful farm.
