Seminar
SDC SEMINAR:From the struggle for food sovereignty to the emergence of food cultural heritage: The case of Amaranth in Mexico City, by Charlynne Curiel
In the course of the last five years amaranth (a pseudo-cereal rich in protein and free from gluten) went from being a marginalized crop to officially becoming a part of Mexico City’s cultural heritage. In this talk Charlynne Curiel will discuss this case to explore: 1) the emergence of a discourse that ‘ancestralizes’ food by celebrating precisely those attributes that were responsible for its centuries-long marginalization; 2) the role this discourse plays in the demand for food sovereignty ; and 3) whether or not appointing amaranth as ‘heritage’ depoliticizes the struggle for food sovereignty.
Abstract: From the struggle for food sovereignty to the emergence of food cultural heritage: The case of Amaranth in Mexico City
In the course of the last five years amaranth (a pseudo-cereal rich in protein and free from gluten) went from being a marginalized crop to officially becoming a part of Mexico City’s cultural heritage. This was made possible by the emergence of the Grupo de Enlace para la promoción del amaranto en México (GEPAM) that, by vindicating ideals of food sovereignty, succeeded in turning the crop into national patrimony and included it in the ‘basic food basket’ of millions of Mexicans. This happened in the broader context of ‘patrimonializing’ local “cuisines” and food products as public policy and official cultural project.
In this talk Charlynne Curiel will discuss this case to explore: 1) the emergence of a discourse that ‘ancestralizes’ food by celebrating precisely those attributes that were responsible for its centuries-long marginalization; 2) the role this discourse plays in the demand for food sovereignty ; and 3) whether or not appointing amaranth as ‘heritage’ depoliticizes the struggle for food sovereignty.
