Agrifood System Transitions in Brazil: New Food Orders(Critical Food Studies)

This book explores the agrifood system transitions in Brazil to provide a new understanding of the trajectory of agriculture and rural development in this country. It accentuates the increasing diversifi cation and hybridization of food production and consumption practices throughout history. With a framework that combines convention theory, neoinstitutional approaches and practice theory, this book suggests the concept of “food orders” which represents different arrangements of practices, institutions and sociotechnical artifacts. By exploring the interrelations between these elements, the book looks at six different food orders: industrial, commercial, domestic, aesthetic, civic and fi nancial, in tandem with examples of practices, sectors and territories to understand the dynamics of each one. This aids in understanding the main tendencies of the agrifood sector in such a vast country that, being a major player in global food markets, also affect production and consumption dynamics in several other countries. Besides, this book also seeks to comprehend the current institutional changes in Brazil that may be critical to interpret the global dissemination of populist and autocratic governments. Offering key insights into the contemporary sociology of agriculture and food, this book demonstrates how strengthening democracy and supporting the organization of civil society are major challenges when we think about transition for sustainable food systems.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Food Orders 2. Modernization and Consolidation of the Industrial Order 3. The Reinvention of the Commercial Order 4. Crisis and Resilience of the Domestic Order 5. Ethical Criticism and the Construction of a Civic Order 6. Aesthetic Order: Immaterializing of Food 7. From Agribusiness Economy to the New Financial Order 8. Conclusions

About the Author :
Paulo André Niederle is Professor of Rural and Economic Sociology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Valdemar João Wesz, Junior is Professor of Rural Development at the Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçú, Brazil.

Review :
"This book reveals a new generation of researchers redirecting the agenda of agrifood studies. The authors create an original synthesis of convention theory, neoinstitutional theory and practice theory, captured in the concept of social orders. In an ambitious and convincing work, the great transformations of the Brazilian agrifood system since the early twentieth century are reinterpreted in the light of this new analytical framework." ― John Wikinson, Professor of Economic Sociology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro "Understanding reality as a "social order", the authors propose an innovative review of the evolution of agrifood system in Brazil. His conclusions about the instability and contradictions of social orders are not only a contribution to the Sociology of Agriculture and Food, but also an important contribution to Sociological Theory." ― Alessandro Bonanno, Regents' Professor of Sociology, Sam Houston State University "A remarkable and challenging book. Few authors can combine so well such a pluralist theoretical inspiration and detailed historical analysis. The dynamics of Brazilian agriculture and agrifood system are analyzed in its multiple facets, revealing countless contradictions and complementarities." ― Sergio Schneider, Professor of Sociology of Food, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre "For everybody interested in the dynamics of food and eating, this book offers an exciting and original panorama of the theme, clearly connecting the theoretical framework that guides the authors and the reality of the Brazilian context. No doubt this is a must-have and must-read." ― Livia Barbosa, Professor of Political Anthropology and Consumption, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro "A reference book to understand the transformations in the food system. By means of the innovative approach of the "food orders", the authors trace a broad panel of the dynamics of food production and markets. This is a must-read for academic, entrepreneurs and policymakers." ― Walter Belik, Professor of Agricultural Economics, State University of Campinas