BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Prefigurative politics and plant-based food in the Anthropocene: q
 uiet activism within Sydney's foodscapes - Andrew McGregor\, Geography and
  Planning\, Macquarie University
DTSTART:20170912T120000Z
DTEND:20170912T130000Z
UID:TALK80331@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr. Chris Sandbrook
DESCRIPTION:The livestock industry\, sprawling over one third of the earth
 's non-ice terrestrial surface\, is a key driver of planetary change.  Var
 ious propositions are being assembled as to how societies should respond t
 o growing awareness that current patterns of growing global meat consumpti
 on are unsustainable – ranging from more intensive farming\, caring cons
 umption\, in vitro meat production\, to abandoning livestock production al
 together.  In this paper we explore each of these propositions before focu
 sing on the latter proposition in the context of Australia – where estab
 lished political economies and cultural norms have resulted in one of the 
 world's highest per capita rates of meat consumption.  In the absence of a
 ny formal political action to address meat consumption we approach the pro
 duction and promotion of plant-based food as a type of prefigurative polit
 ics in which proponents employ a variety of strategies that assemble skill
 s\, knowledges and materials oriented at plant-based food futures.  Our re
 search\, based on a city wide audit of plant-based food businesses\, initi
 atives and proponents\, reveals a growing\, dynamic and innovative communi
 ty employing a quiet activism oriented at contesting meat cultures. We foc
 us on the visceral politics employed by plant-based food makers and the su
 pportive strategies assembled by plant-based food communities. We also con
 sider some of the apprehensions within this community in regards to class\
 , gender\, access and the policing of particular identities.  The paper co
 ncludes with a discussion on the potential and problems facing plant-based
  food proponents wanting to contribute to broader socioecological change.
LOCATION:Hardy Building 101\, Department of Geography
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR