Main content

How does food make a president?

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鈥檝e 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/大象传媒)

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Mon 19 Oct 2020 00:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 15 Oct 2020 10:32GMT
  • Thu 15 Oct 2020 15:32GMT
  • Thu 15 Oct 2020 21:32GMT
  • Thu 15 Oct 2020 22:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Oct 2020 07:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 2020 00:32GMT

Food Chain highlights

Tea, coffee, spices, chillies ... snack on a selection of programme highlights

Podcast