The influence of capital on scientific truths

Article by ISS PhD researcher Christina Sathyamala in Development and Change (47 (4): 818-839). DOI: 10.1111/dech.12250).

The food and agricultural industry has long had influence in policy making in nutrition. However, the active promotion of the private sector as the most viable option for resolving problems of nutrition is a more recent phenomenon. This contribution uses two case studies to illustrate how scientific discourses in nutrition are shaped by the needs of capital and how capital determines scientific truths. The reformulation of food needs as nutritional norms has facilitated the emergence of business as a pivotal player with further opportunities for capital accumulation.