5 Readings on the History of Food and Farming
These readings provide an overview of the food and farming systems in the UK. They tell histories that we may not know, ones that are essential to our struggle for land and food justice. Read on and better understand how we got here…
Read this for an overview:
In this article, Jo Kamal, of Pathways to Land, tells a ‘potted’ history of the UK’s land system. Short and sweet, it’s a useful primer for why we do the work that we do and why we need projects like Pathways to Land and Culture Roots Collective.
Photo credit: Phoebe Davies for Culture Roots Collective
Read this for a detailed understanding: Food Matters’ SANKOFA Report is an in depth look into the relationship between the British food system and colonialism. It takes us through the history and present of how the UK has disrupted other nation’s food systems and how these inequities manifest in modern British society. It also describes the barriers to entry in the food system and is essential reading for those of us who desire a transformed food system.
Photo Credit: Food Matters
Read this for the wider picture:
In this book, Corrine Fowler takes us on ten walks through Britain and uncovers the ties between empire and the countryside. She details the impact of colonialism, not only on our cities and the country’s industrialisation, but on villages, pastures and the land as a whole. A deep exploration of Britain, this book explains that colonialism has shaped the country as we now know it and offers us a chance to have an honest and real relationship to this land.
Photo Credit: Corrine Fowler
Read this to go in-depth:
In this ‘Little Book of Legacies’: Seeding Reparations explain the links between organicism and fascism. They chart the history of the organic movement and ask what this means for those of us who advocate for organic, biodynamic and agroecological methods today. A long and, at times, uncomfortable read that is necessary for all dedicated to transforming food and farming systems so that they serve us all.
Photo Credit: Seeding Reparations
Read this to learn from local knowledge: The Blueprint Architects was a community-led research project that ran in Tower Hamlets and reimagined the food system. They produced two reports ‘Seeds for a Revolution’ and ‘Recipes for a Revolution’ that show the essential link between a fair food system and land justice. We recommend reading both for a place-based understanding of the need for food and land justice.
Photo Credit: The Blueprint Architects