Duke University researchers say farmer's markets, food charity part of 'white supremacy culture'

A lecture series by Duke University researchers focuses on a racial framework to food issues, claiming elements such as food charity and farmer’s markets are part of "white supremacist" food culture.

The lecture, broadcast online as a webinar and provided at a Washington State University summit, places race as the most prominent factor in issues of food scarcity and how society attempts to resolve it. Jennifer Zuckerman and Alison Conrad, both white, of the Duke University World Food Policy Center claim that "whiteness" has shaped every part of food culture, even labeling "good" and "bad" foods as an expression of racial power dynamics.

Unlike other areas of racial discourse such as workplace dynamics or education which derive mainly from social science, food and nutrition can derive from a more strictly scientific foundation. Zuckerman and Conrad’s research is entirely based on a cultural framework and does not touch on any potential scientific understanding or interpretation of nutrition that might help discuss the topic.

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