ABSTRACT
“If people only knew where their food came from. …” This phrase resounds in alternative food movements. My students voice it in the classroom, and it is often the first sentence of papers they write. It undergirds many of the efforts of local food system activists, who focus a good deal of effort on encouraging more personalized relationships between producers and consumers. It is the end goal for a new round of muckraking led by the likes of Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, who seek to unveil existing food production practices. It animates the long list of ingredients on upscale restaurant menus.
