Introduction

This chapter focuses upon the idea that affordable food is food that affords people the capabilities to pull themselves out of poverty and develop along trajectories of their own choosing. It examines cheap food through the lens of international development. The Real Cost of Cheap Food first appeared in 2011, on the heels of the Great Recession and during a time of near-record food prices according to the Food and Agriculture Organization food price index. The percentage of disposable income spent on food within the United States has steadily decreased since 1947. An analysis supports this point that conventional food policy really only makes certain foods cheap. Cheap food also refers to the de-contextualization of what we eat. Olivier De Schutter served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food from 2008 to 2014. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.