Freakonomics Radio
How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)
Dec 9, 2024
Shane Hamilton, a historian at the University of York and author of "Supermarket USA," joins Peter Timmer, a former Harvard economist and expert in agricultural policy. They discuss the strategic role supermarkets played in Cold War propaganda, shaping American eating habits and showcasing abundance to contrast against the USSR. The conversation dives into agricultural innovations like the 'Chicken of Tomorrow,' the influence of government policies on the food supply chain, and the ideological clash represented by consumerism in the Cold War.
38:53
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Quick takeaways
- Supermarkets emerged in the early 1930s as a response to societal changes, revolutionizing convenience and consumer culture in America.
- U.S. agricultural policies during the Cold War aimed to showcase the superiority of capitalism through productivity, impacting food abundance and health.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Supermarkets
Supermarkets have played a crucial role in shaping American consumer culture since their inception in the early 1930s. They emerged as a response to a changing society, combining various food staples and services into a convenient one-stop shopping experience, unlike earlier dry goods stores that lacked perishables and self-service capabilities. The introduction of self-service shopping, notably pioneered by the chain Piggly Wiggly, radically transformed retail, making it accessible and efficient for consumers. The rise of supermarkets reflected larger economic trends and was significantly influenced by advances in agricultural technology and a push toward mass production and consumption.
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