Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Russia’s contemporary food revolution is not just an increase in caloric intake but also changes in where urbanites eat and where they buy food (private retail food chains and supermarkets, private restaurants and cafes, fast food chains, and traditional farmer markets). The bimodal Soviet system of food distribution left consumers vulnerable, which was not recognized until the system started to break down in 1990-1991. Russia’s urban consumers today are food secure not just owing to access and availability, but also because the food delivery system has moved beyond bimodal distribution and has multiple ways to deliver food. Russia’s food revolution is mainly an urban phenomenon (and the urban population accounts for about 75% of Russia’s population) and is most pronounced in large cities. Russia’s food revolution has changed cultural perceptions of food, lead to an emancipation of women from the kitchen, transformed social contexts of food consumption, and has discernible economic impacts. Despite a small downturn in foot traffic to traditional restaurants in 2016 due to economic recession, fast food and fast casual continue to experience growth in revenue and foot traffic. Such a food revolution can spread to medium and small towns, and eventually to rural areas provided income growth, entrepreneurship, and opportunities.