Food and Poverty in High Income Countries

Synonyms

Food insecurity; Food poverty; Taste of necessity

Introduction

Household income is the most important factor influencing the food that individuals and families eat. Income has both direct and indirecteffects on the food people eat. Income affects eating practices directly either by putting economic limits on what a household can afford to eat or by allowing the ease and freedom to eat whatever is desired. It affects eating practices indirectly because of its influence on our tastes, preferences, and desires, which appear to be individual but are shaped by class positions shared with others. This entry considers the impact of income, and especially inadequate income, on food practices in rich, developed countries and the particular case of food insecurity, where financial resources are inadequate for a safe, healthy diet that meets personal, cultural, and religious preferences. The entry also introduces key theoretical concepts from Pierre Bourdieu to help explain the “logic”...