Book Review: Amanda Little’s The Fate of Food

by | Oct 10, 2019 | Food | 0 comments

Image: Erwan Hesry

Endlessly fascinating and thought provoking, this well-researched, well-written book by Amanda Little is certainly worth the read. (I intend to add it to our permanent collection here at home, in the history section.) Being a foodie I’m always reading trends and developments in food and agriculture. It was helpful to see all these individuals and companies I’ve been following, and many I had not heard of, discussed in one place. Engaging and thorough, Little asks the questions many of us are curious or worried about. I appreciated her willingness to go places and try things that many of us can’t or won’t, in order to find the answers… though i don’t agree with all her conclusions, e.g., she lost me in chapter 8 when she basically agreed with the hysteria surrounding climate change and its supposed relationship to the raising and consumption of animal meat. I’m happy to continue patronizing our local grass fed beef, pastured pork, and grazing sheep farmers. The rest of the book is about the many successes and failures of farmers, scientists, and other innovators, and where we’re going in the next decades.

The Fate of Food
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A few months ago I was sitting at a cafe with my son and accidentally but then shamelessly eavesdropped on the conversation happening at the table beside us: store managers of a local gourmet grocery chain and what sounded like local suppliers, enthusiastically discussing a system whereby a customer could walk into a store and share his health concerns/requirements/nutritional deficiencies. The store could then provide him what I surmised were “prescription groceries”, i.e., produce grown and tailored to his needs, or ready-made foods like smoothies and salads: in essence, a personalized nutrient delivery. The meat chapter I didn’t like covers this nicely.

While there are topics that could make for a scary read, I rather see the whole tone of the book as hopeful. My own faith + science both tell me we needn’t be scared of manufactured fears like overpopulation. In past debates I’ve often used the argument that overpopulation is not the problem, but food distribution. Though Little doesn’t say that, her many stories point to this reality. And though the stories of farmers’ livelihoods and communities suffering losses and the continued battle against global hunger were heartbreaking and at times ominous, it was also exciting to read about the gifts of human perseverance, resilience, and ingenuity — people coming up with solutions to the challenges brought about by climatic shifts. I have no doubt that God put many of these individuals on earth because of the good that they could do for many. The last chapter is particularly cheery in my opinion and what I was hoping to read about: people exploring the “third way”, the marriage of ecology + technology. There are many things we can do as individuals, families, and communities to help end global hunger and thirst, as well as simply better stewards of our blessings.

Below I’m taking note of names, companies, and movements that I’d like to continue following.

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