Foodopoly: The Battle Over The Future Of Food And Farming In America (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I was surprised by how much I learned reading this book (full disclosure: I work for Food & Water Watch and Wenonah Hauter is my ED). However, this book is flawlessly researched and many chapters are totally gripping. Not only is this book a wealth of information about the food system that I will turn to in both personal and professional lives, but it's actually an inspiring read. It easily could have been a depressing book that simply made people afraid to eat again, but that's not the case. As a organic farmer who runs a CSA, I think it's clear that Hauter grasps the importance of local, sustainable food but has seen from her own experience that there are hard limits to how buying at the farmers market or purchasing organic produce can change the food system. This book is informed by her experience, but it's also a fascinating in lesson in public policy over the last several decades. It goes without saying that this book is political, but it is also empowering. As a side note, I was particular wowed (and terrified) by the chapter on nanotechnology as a field that's almost entirely unregulated. It's impossible to read this book without feeling outraged and I hope this leads more people to engage with food as a political issue. Agribusiness is destroying the land, feeding us unhealthy food, and price gouging with monopolistic power. This is only the beginning of the list of bad things that giant globally powerfully agribusiness corporations do to harm people and the planet. Wenonah Hauter has done a tremendous job of detailing and explaining the decades-long takeover of our government by giant companies like Monsanto that seem to confuse poison with food and then pass laws to make it the only thing available to eat. Hauter's main point is that people who are aware of the terrifying state of our food system CANNOT change it by simply shopping for organic products. Most organic producers have been bought by giant companies and there's little way to know if the products are actually good for you anymore. Food safety in the U.S. is a total sham. Factory produced meat is NOT REALLY inspected. Poisoning people is kept in check by dousing food with disinfecting chemicals and zapping it with radiation. The author calls on people to take political action and make the government begin enforcing anit-trust laws in order to break up the power of the giant companies that control food delivery from Earth to mouth. Sadly with our rigged election system, corporate monetary control of all politicians, and no representation for people I don't see how political action can accomplish anything. I know in theory we the people have power, but have you noticed how it never works out that way anymore? It's not our world, we just live in it and are increasingly being forced to eat genetically modified low nutrition food contaminated with toxins. Maybe we can't change our government or stop the people who think poisoning and destroying Creation is a good business plan, but no one has to support the lie that they're feeding the world or doing anything positive because they're not.
What do You think about Foodopoly: The Battle Over The Future Of Food And Farming In America (2012)?
Excellent book on food policy, antitrust issues and genetic manipulation.
—rvca
Bob Edwards interview June 20, 2013
—katiemarie122194
