Taking the Long Way: Rhetorically Generated Distance in the Local Food Movement

摘要

This article explores the rhetorical construction of the local food movement through the narrative genre of the food expose. On the surface, local food appears to be a grassroots movement, easily understood by any and every one. Yet, through an analysis of the tropes used to describe and construct the movement, another story emerges—one that rhetorically distances audiences and creates gaps in our understanding. Using narrative critique, this article explores several popular texts about our food system and local food. Ultimately, I argue that the narratives of local food give the impression that this way of eating and living is for eveiyone, while simultaneously creating divisions that threaten the movement's ability to forge identification with awider audience. The largest issue is that the movement needs to rhetorically generate distance to argue for locality. Thus, this article reveals inconsistencies that undermine both the rhetorical and material goals of the local food movement.