One of the biggest networks in the world is the food network. Food is made, grown and processed in one place, then somehow ends up on our plate after passing through a systematic network of workers. Coffee, for example, is grown and harvested in many places throughout the world. One example is in Uganda, where coffee is grown and sold to a local middle man, which is then sold to a mill. The coffee is then sent to an exporter who sends it to a big producer such as Nestle or Starbuck's (Patel, 2007).The food network is not just physical, but virtual. Tumblr has entire blogs dedicated to food, recipes and anything yummy. The network is used especially with recipes. If I wanted to cook something that I didn't really know how to, I could go onto a blog such as this.
The lecturer told the class that food is more than just a physical edible item. It is a representation of its country of origin. Curry is seen as an Indian food just as pasta is seen as an Italian food. It is a symbol of the culture (Kuttainen, 2013).
In the same way, the food on a blog can be a symbol of of the blogger. In the example blog, the person appears to be into sweet foods and desserts, which has a lot of "sweet" connotations about the person who runs the blog.
References:
Patel, R. (2007). Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World's Food System. Canada: Portobello Books Ltd.
Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 7: Food Networks.
Image From: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/food
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