Edible Activism: How the counterculture took on the food industry in the 1960’s

‘Food is much more than a means of survival. It permeates all other aspects of our lives from the most intimate to the most professional practices. It is also a key factor in how we view ourselves and others, is at the centre of social and political issues, and is a mainstay of popular media.’- Janet Muriel Cramer, Food as Communication: Communication as Food[1]

As Janet Cramer states, food penetrates every aspect of our lives and tells us a great deal about who we are individually and how we function as a society. Whether we as a society decide to help feed the hungry or simply ignore them, food is very much tied into our beliefs about the world. Throughout our lifetime, we have seen the ability that food has to bring people together. People are able to bond over cooking, eating and even the cleaning required after the meal. Not only does food have the ability to define group ability, it also has the ability to create it.

Because food had the ability to define identity, whether we define it with an individual or communal case, it also became useful as a tool of political and social expression.

The 1960s was a period of great social change in America. Countercultural groups of this era such as the New Left created a group of student and intellectuals who rejected policies and cultural mores. Members of these movements held the popular belief that one would have to embody the changes in their everyday lives. Food established itself as an important medium for activist groups to demonstrate their ideas and in this case, discontent with American society.[2]

In line with mass discontent and rejection, the counterculture heavily rejected the food industry with its canned and processed products. Counterculturalists sought to move away from the culture and food that they grew up with, a culture that heavily valued processed foods such as wonderbread or twinkies[3]. As a result, members of these groups moved away from the dominant foods, resorting to natural and organic food stores or simply growing their own produce.

The groups went beyond this and turned food into a political issue, encouraging Americans of all ages to consider the political impact they are having by the food they consume, choosing wholemeal bread over wonderbread or choosing organic co-op stores over superstores. This demonstrated a commitment to set beliefs and independence from a growing corporate America.

The 1960s did a stellar job of creating this image of sex, drugs and rock and roll that it failed to highlight the importance of food in creating community and identity. A factor that we as a society, simply dismiss.

While America has somewhat moved beyond its radical past of the 1960’s, food remains a staple of its society. The groups used food as a tool for social and political change. By tackling food production in its different stages, the activists of this era can be linked to protests and changes we see now with the food industry in the twenty-first century. Food is more than just a means of consumption, it has the ability to define identity and transform our society.

Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below

Luke Garcia

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[1] Janet Muriel Cramer, Food as Communication: Communication as Food, (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2011), chapter ix

[2] Ibid,p.59

[3] ‘’White vs Brown Bread’’, The Washington Post, May 24, 1914