TY  - THES
N2  - The organic industry has grown exponentially since the distinction was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1990. While organic has become a household name and driven food sales for both corporations and small farmers, its popularity inspires consumers to buy organic food without questioning whence it came, or how or by whom it was grown. This establishes a fetish, which is prevalent in contemporary popular discourse and which is played out via a belief that one can improve the food system with one's shopping habits, known as voting with your fork. Using critical discourse analysis, I found that contemporary popular discourse reinforces a number of illusions about organic agriculture and about race, class, and gender issues in the food system. Specifically it (a) creates confusion, shame, and/or fear around conventionally grown food; (b) equates organic food with dignity, health, and/or happiness; (c) emphasizes the ease with which one can access or process organic food; (d) makes a social movement out of a personal choice; (e) applauds the consumer's ethical fortitude and/or good taste; and (f) subordinates or ignores the rights or existence of farm workers. My thesis explores the idea of contemporary popular discourse revealing a fetishization of organic food, which compromises food justice, particularly for the food-insecure and farm workers. I approach the problem as a pragmatist, using a food-justice framework explore the unintended consequences of fetishizing organic and then suggest meaningful ways of effecting change via policy and activism, rather than commerce.
DO  - 10.6083/n583xv60h
DO  - DOI
AB  - The organic industry has grown exponentially since the distinction was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1990. While organic has become a household name and driven food sales for both corporations and small farmers, its popularity inspires consumers to buy organic food without questioning whence it came, or how or by whom it was grown. This establishes a fetish, which is prevalent in contemporary popular discourse and which is played out via a belief that one can improve the food system with one's shopping habits, known as voting with your fork. Using critical discourse analysis, I found that contemporary popular discourse reinforces a number of illusions about organic agriculture and about race, class, and gender issues in the food system. Specifically it (a) creates confusion, shame, and/or fear around conventionally grown food; (b) equates organic food with dignity, health, and/or happiness; (c) emphasizes the ease with which one can access or process organic food; (d) makes a social movement out of a personal choice; (e) applauds the consumer's ethical fortitude and/or good taste; and (f) subordinates or ignores the rights or existence of farm workers. My thesis explores the idea of contemporary popular discourse revealing a fetishization of organic food, which compromises food justice, particularly for the food-insecure and farm workers. I approach the problem as a pragmatist, using a food-justice framework explore the unintended consequences of fetishizing organic and then suggest meaningful ways of effecting change via policy and activism, rather than commerce.
T1  - Voting rights: how the fetishization of organic compromises food justice
DA  - 2015
AU  - Athens, Kristy
L1  - https://digitalcollections.ohsu.edu/record/7687/files/Athens.Kristy.2015.pdf
PB  - Marylhurst University: Oregon Health and Science University
PY  - 2015
ID  - 7687
L4  - https://digitalcollections.ohsu.edu/record/7687/files/Athens.Kristy.2015.pdf
KW  - Farmers
KW  - Human Rights
KW  - food policy
KW  - organic food
KW  - liberalism
KW  - industrial organic
TI  - Voting rights: how the fetishization of organic compromises food justice
Y1  - 2015
L2  - https://digitalcollections.ohsu.edu/record/7687/files/Athens.Kristy.2015.pdf
LK  - https://digitalcollections.ohsu.edu/record/7687/files/Athens.Kristy.2015.pdf
UR  - https://digitalcollections.ohsu.edu/record/7687/files/Athens.Kristy.2015.pdf
ER  -