Introduction -- Testing the case against industrial farming -- Food swamp nation -- The limits of local food -- The panic for organic -- Should peasants stay poor? -- Rejecting biotech food -- The fate of farm animals -- The brave new future of food -- Straight talk to commercial farmers.
Summary:
"A bold, science-based corrective to the groundswell of misinformation about food and how it's produced, examining in detail local and organic food, food companies, nutrition labeling, ethical treatment of animals, environmental impacts, and every other aspect from farm to table. Consumers want to know more about their food--including the farm it came from, the chemicals used, the nutrition value, how the animals were treated, and costs to the environment. They are being told that organic foods, unprocessed and sourced from small local farms, do the best in passing such tests. Robert Paarlberg reviews the evidence and disagrees. He finds that global food markets have improved our diet, and that "industrial" farming has recently turned green, thanks to GPS-guided precision methods that are now cutting energy use and chemical pollution. America's serious obesity crisis does not come from farms, or from food deserts, but instead from "food swamps" created by food companies, retailers, and restaurant chains. Animal welfare is lagging behind, but progress can be made through continued advocacy, more progressive regulations, and perhaps plant-based imitation meat. Paarlberg finds solutions that can make sense for farmers and consumers alike. From Farm to Table is a road map through the rapidly changing worlds of food and farming, laying out a practical path to bring the two together"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.