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The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

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The Food Chain: How does food make a president?

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How does food make a president?

15/10/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, How does food make a president?

How food is used to win over voters in the US election

How food is used to win over voters in the US election.

Presidential campaigns are all about connecting with voters, and Donald Trump and Joe Biden have both been using food to do it. 

Emily Thomas hears how they’ve targeted food brands, food media and even food influencers to help bolster their image, promote their policies, and reach new audiences.

But the deep cultural connections that come with food can make it a risky policy - eating the wrong thing or in the wrong way on the campaign trail can have a devastating impact.

And, entertaining though all of this might be, does it detract from the serious food issues that affect the lives of every American, and the fact that actual food policies are rarely discussed?

Contributors:

Emily Contois, assistant professor of media studies at the University of Tulsa
Jeremy Jacobowitz, @brunchboys
Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and head of the agricultural economics department at Purdue University

(Picture: Fries being dropped into a ballot box. Credit: Getty Images/Katie Horwich/BBC)

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