ORGANIC FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN THE US: Object Conflicts in a Health-Environmental Social Movement

摘要

The politics of food constitute one of the main points of intersection for social movements (SMs) oriented toward science, technology, health, and the environment. Food-oriented SM mobilization can be directed at the safety issues caused by pesticides, food processing, industrial agriculture, or genetically modified organisms, or it can be directed at the health and environmental benefits of a transition to organic food production and sustainable, community-oriented food systems. This article will focus on the latter, in particular the conflicts that have emerged around the organic food and agriculture movement (OFAM) in the United States. At a theoretical level, the article will develop the concept of 'object conflicts', which may be of general value for thinking through the role of laypeople, the public, and SMs in democratizing decisions over scientific research agendas, technology design, and infrastructure.