New Books Network Teresa M. Mares and Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, "Will Work for Food: Labor Across the Food Chain" (U California Press, 2025)
Oct 22, 2025
Teresa M. Mares, an anthropology professor at the University of Vermont, and Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, a geography professor at Syracuse University, dive into the complexities of labor across the food system. They discuss how farmworker insecurities connect to broader labor issues and the impact of immigration on job vulnerability. Highlighting the transformation of grocery and delivery services, they reveal how new business models affect worker conditions. The conversation also addresses reproductive labor and organizations advocating for food worker rights, making a compelling case for a just food system.
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Food Systems Connect Labor Across Sectors
- A food-systems approach links seed-to-waste processes and institutions into a single analysis of food labor.
- Teresa Mares and Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern argue this reveals connections between diverse workers and shared vulnerabilities.
Farmworker Food Insecurity Sparked The Project
- Both authors began with farmworker research and noticed farmworker food insecurity despite their role producing food.
- That irony propelled them to trace labor from fields through processing, service, home care, and waste sectors.
Precarity Extends Historical Exploitation
- Precarity in food work continues centuries of exploitation and is amplified by contemporary anti-immigrant policies.
- The authors show political moments and policy choices shape who becomes more vulnerable today.
