Price of a Meal - A study of food’s role in conflict

Have you ever thought about where your food comes from ? Not in a literal sense; but have you ever looked down at your plate and felt the weight of each morsel? Of the history tucked away beneath every fold, every grain? Of what it stands for? Your cultural ties, your traditions? That it’s a matter of pride and more than just an instagrammable picture. That food has a story to tell and you just have to listen. This capstone studies food under the lens of conflict and culture and the consequence of that symbolism.

Food cannot be stripped of its context. It is deeply symbolic and rooted in periods of struggle. Bread, for instance, is considered a basic right in the Middle East. A barometer of how well an economy is doing. Are the poorest able to afford this humble meal that takes many different forms around the world?

This video tries to capture the essence and emotion that drove this project.

Data is as fascinating as it is confusing. The biggest challenge this project presented was in compiling a data set that didn’t currently exist. New questions had to be asked to compile data because they weren’t easily quantifiable numbers.

Another huge part involved compiling the information and visuals into an easily understood manner.