CULTURE

Food and culture intersect to create the world we know today. Throughout history, food has influenced where and how people live, thus creating culture. Today, the culture of food differs from community to community, making food sustainability a difficult topic to unpack. When trying to solve the issue of food sustainability, it is important to understand why things are the way they are. 

VICTORIA ALBERT MUSEUM

The emphasis of community and food, especially in Asian countries, can be seen in multiple exhibits throughout the Victoria Albert Museum. This emphasis from Asian countries has also spread to European countries such as Great Britain along with other aspects of Asian culture such as tea and porcelain.  

In the Ottoman exhibit, there is an emphasis on eating as a family, strongly contrasting many modern families in the states. This shift is largely due to the fast-paced lifestyle of many Americans as well as the incredibly large amount of food options available.  

Tea and porcelain are very well-known aspects of UK culture, however, they did not originate here.  Tea was first introduced by Dutch traders brought from China. Porcelain was also brought from China through Roman trading. 

THE HERMANNSDORFER FARM

Visiting the Hermannsdorfer Farm gave us a firsthand look into the world of meat production and agriculture. We were able to see how animals can be treated in a way that is more humane than factory farms. Farming has also been traditionally a key line of work in all parts of the world; smaller communities still heavily rely on agriculture.

More humane farming involves using the entire animal as well as allowing more space for the animals to live.

A reality for many farms is that farm workers tend to be immigrants or poorer workers which can result in exploiting these workers. This is the case with Munich and African immigrant farmers who due to Munich's farming actions, African farmers are forced to go outside of the continent to look for better job opportunities. However these better opportunities don't equal better conditions.