By Chai Yee Xin

Geographies of Food: Global Visions of Healthy and Unhealthy Food is an academic curation of chapters which focuses on the meaning of healthy food as perceived by consumers in different geographies.  

In the introductory chapter, the book’s editor, Awuh, discusses how the narratives of food system transformations are largely driven by technocrats and middle-class niche movements and I wholeheartedly agree. Living in Singapore, we tend to forget the existence of food deserts and places where concerns of food security are more critical than having healthy food to begin with. Many chapters speak of accessibility being a huge barrier to encouraging healthy food consumption, especially as food prices rise.

What I appreciate about the book is that it includes diverse perspectives from different parts of the world, offering a more inclusive approach without being skewed toward any particular cultural or regional opinion. In addition to this, it acknowledges the differences in the countries they explore, whether its regional differences or economic differences, which helps explain the variety of reasons behind people’s perception of food.

Overall, I think this is a very good book especially for researchers and those interested in consumer behaviour of food. I also think the book helps challenge one’s current perception of health to make better decisions for ourselves and kinder opinions of others, as too often we forget pathways to healthy living can be a privilege that not everyone has access to.