Egyptians often say that bread is life; most eat this staple multiple times a day, many relying on the cheap bread subsidized by the government. Yet anxiety pervades Egyptian society surrounding the possibility that the nation could run out of wheat or that people might not have enough good bread to eat. In this Crown Seminar, Jessica Barnes, in conversation with Heather J. Sharkey, will explore the process of sourcing domestic and foreign wheat for the production of bread and its consumption and meaning across urban and rural settings. Drawing from her book, Staple Security: Bread and Wheat in Egypt [brandeis.us13.listmanage.com] (Duke University Press, 2022), Barnes will offer a novel conceptualization of the nexus between food and security, drawing attention to staples and the lengths to which people go to secure their consistent availability and quality.

Jessica Barnes is associate professor in the Department of Geography and the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment at the University of South Carolina.

Heather J. Sharkey is professor in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania.

This seminar was recorded on February 7, 2024.