I finished reading this book last night, it kept me really engaged the whole way through.
It really does make you think differently, and more deeply about what you eat.
Michael Pollen follows three food chains, Industrial, Pastoral, and Hunter/Gatherer from their start to the end product, a meal. In the process showing us the hidden side of the food we eat today, and the drivers behind the processed food industry.
His descriptions of the symbiotic and intertwined relationships between the grass, cows, chickens, turkeys and pigs on Polyface Farm are fascinating.
What is the best way to eat? For ourselves? For the planet? Is organic necessarily the best way to go? Or is local more important? What about animal rights? Do we look at the individual or the species?
Well researched and argued, giving both sides, it is still understandable to the layman and very engaging.
Now I need to do some more research myself - as some rules & regulations are bound to be different in Australia from the USA (eg Organic standards, which are not federally legislated here) and therefore might swing the arguments in slightly different ways.
If you are really interested in what you are eating, why you are eating it, and what the consequences are - read this book. It is going to become a permanent part of my library!
MP is a great writer. I try to read him whenever his articles come up. His writing is informative, thoughtful and insightful wihout being too evangelical (I beleive he is a vegan). He was here for the writer's'festival some years ago. During the session, he gave a 2 minute desconstruction of what goes into a supermarket yoghurt. It bascially encapsulates his argument for just eating simple food. Look for it in the Radio National archives if you can
ReplyDeleteThank-you for the tip Nexus 6. I will see if I can find that piece in the archives. Ravs
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