The following is an annotated bibliography on selected resources and publications focused on structural racism in the U.S. food system.
Structural racism in the United States has been defined as the “normalization and legitimization of an array of dynamics—historical, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal—that routinely advantage whites while producing cumulative and chronic outcomes for people of color.”
Our intention was to look at literature that broadly covered structural racism across the entire food supply chain as well as to examine specific sectors of
the chain. We also identified literature that links the social construction of whiteness2 and its intentional or consequential impact on structural racism
within the United States’ local food movement. We intentionally focused on recent peer-reviewed and gray literature3 materials that are national, regional, and local in scope; we also identified materials that included significant references. Blog posts, news or media articles, and college class syllabi are for the most part not included in this bibliography; however, these writings contribute significantly to the discussion on structural racism in the food system and should be part of a more comprehensive education program on this topic.
The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to provide current research and outreach on structural racism in the U.S. food system for the food system practitioner, researcher, and educator. Our intention is to update this resource
on a recurring basis and suggest it be used as a companion resource for training or education sessions on structural racism in the food system.
