Protesters wave a gay pride flag outside of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Hollywood, Aug. 1, 2012.
While the Chick-fil-A boycott may have been the most visible manifestation of it, the politicization of our food system is more pervasive now than it’s ever been. From progressives decrying “food deserts” to conservatives relentlessly mocking Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden to, on the business side, chains like Starbucks and Chipotle using high-minded ingredient sourcing to reel in customers, food in 2012 was a political proxy for a deeply divided nation.