Food and Drink in Contexts

Food has moved to the forefront of public discourse. Not that it did not have a vital role before. Since the inception of sedentary civilization, food has constituted an important tool that the powerful and the wealthy have used to wield influence and convey authority. Throughout history, societies have employed different strategies to ensure a sufficient amount of food supplies to support the legitimacy of existing political structures, especially in urban centres where political opposition could more easily emerge. Instability due to shortages easily generates insurrections or even revolutions.