Consumed: Sustainable Food Solutions for a Finite Planet | Eco-Friendly Eating & Zero Waste Lifestyle

Consumed - Food for Finite Planet - is essential and stimulating reading. What could be more central to our wellbeing than the food we eat and the land we produce it on? With projected water shortages, dwindling biodiversity, and an exponential growth in agricultural oil dependency, it doesn't take much to see a horrifying crisis on the horizon. But those fears can seem so overheated, sitting down to a big meal at our tables in the first world; we know we're on the brink, but we're not certain - and would rather not imagine - that we'll be among the ones who'll suffer. Sarah Elton neatly shreds our illusions. Her tone is measured, sober, and bracing. Elton shines light on a series of issues that demand worldwide attention, and her observations are candidly direct. There will always be those who manipulate or dismiss these concerns, and it can be depressing to see how easily they displace responsibility. But I've come away from Elton's book invigorated with optimism. She depicts a number of examples of conscious confrontation - the women's agricultural cooperative in rural India - rooftop gardens in Queens - sustainable CSAs in China - many many others. In intelligent, evocative prose, Elton renders numerous examples of positive self-determination, people she sought out and actually listened to, and she shares their success stories and methods without hyperbole. I get so sick of talking heads who remain isolated from the subjects they comment on, always hedging their bets on where and how the system will collapse - while make sure to suggest how to profit off the chaos that will ensue. They maintain enough distance to ignore fundamental concerns, taking care to avoid discussing first principals and answer basic questions about their values. Who deserves to eat healthy food grown in healthy soil, and who deserves to profit from it? Are we going to continue to permit a global economic structure that allows algorithms on Wall Street to radically manipulate the price of bread? But Consumed isn't only a provocative critical analysis. What makes this book really useful - and such a pleasure to read - is how constructive and encouraging Elton is, how many real-world solutions she offers. She got her hands dirty and dug out the evidence to prove we can do it differently - we can structure a global food economy that's just AND sustainable. Elton has proven how interconnected we are, and presented a refreshing analysis of the challenges and rewards of our responsibilities. I love books that offer this level of intelligent problem solving - I can't recommend it enough!!!