Workers at the L & H beef slaughterhouse in San Antonio, Texas on June 10, 2008 dissect, sort and separate beef parts. More: Workers at the L & H beef slaughterhouse in San Antonio, Texas on June 10, 2008 dissect, sort and separate beef parts. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors are on site to ensure the beef is processed in accordance with USDA FSIS regulations. © USDA photo by Alice Welch
Beyond air conditioning, which primarily involves cooling people, the refrigeration of industrial processes and products constitutes the second largest sector of the artificial cryosphere. A significant portion of these processes and products is linked to food production. Cryogenic cultures predominantly obtain their food through international cold chain logistics. Without supermarkets and the vast imports of fresh and frozen food, urban populations would experience critical food shortages.
Our case study on food delves into the historical and cultural factors that have given rise to the extensive cold-based food economy – using beef as an example.
Beef is a highly resource-intensive food that is widely available, thanks to global cold-chain logistics. Contributing to 14%–18% of total human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, beef is also one of the most unsustainable foods humankind have ever produced. Since fresh meat is also subject to strict regulations (e.g. hygienic inspections, customs controls, taxes etc.), its trade creates extensive data trails that enables us to use beef as a ‘tracer’ for mapping the geographic extension of the cryosphere. By undertaking ethnographic studies and the digital analysis of large text corpora, we will also explore the semantic, socio-technological, and normative dimensions of the concept of ‘freshness’.
In this way, this case study will uncover how the cultural conditions and underpinnings of freshness shape our societal environments, perceptions of time, practices, and values—and ultimately, how they affect our climate.