The Fate of Food

What impact is climate change having on our food supply, and what will that impact look like in the near future? This book looks at those very questions and also finds out about the increasing development of ideas and practical ways to address those impacts.
I found this book a difficult read, largely because it contained so much detail and so many facts, ideas, thoughts and nuggets of information, that I found it difficult to absorb it all coherently. This issue would probably have been helped if I was a part of the food growing/production industry, but as a consumer this is the first time I have read anything like this.
It was eye opening, and at times, more than a little worrying. It was obvious from the quality of the writing that the author, Amanda Little, is both knowledgeable and passionate about this topic, and anyone who reads the book will definitely be impacted upon by doing so.
My thanks to #NetGalley and #Oneworldpublications for allowing me to read this book

The Fate of Food is a tremendous piece from award-winning environmental journalist Amanda Little and explores novel ideas and advancements we may have to take up given the world population is constantly rising and we are also facing threats to the planet such as global warming which will have a big impact on our food production capabilities. What we need is a sustainable way of producing food and the race to discover it is on. This is intensely thought-provoking and written in a relaxed, conversational style which held my attention well and was both informative and entertaining.

Ms Little details various methods to overcome these issues throughout the book and the ideas and information is solid and interesting. It opened my eyes to problems and possible solutions to the crisis we are now heading towards, and it is clear that Little has extensive knowledge of the subject as well as being incredibly passionate about it. Some of the methods are more than a little contentious, but this is a superb book that grapples with ideas we may need to seriously consider implementing in the future. Topical and highly informative, I learned a lot about agriculture and surrounding issues. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.

Food is a really contested and guilt-ridden space and abuts the climate debate a lot. With a growing population placing demands on existing resources, and global warming threatening those resources as well – how will we get enough food to eat?

Should we go vegan? Eat locally? Shun GM and herbicides? Experiment with new technologies? Go back to small, backyard subsistence farms?

The Fate of Food argues we should be doing all of it. It’s not about one or the other being the better solution, it’s about finding a third way that incorporates all of these solutions.

Little covers a wide range of future food trends in this book: hydro and aeroponics, permaculture, fisheries, lab-grown meat, insects, soylent meal replacements and print-on-demand, dehydrated and shelf-stable foods, water, food waste, and making agribusiness more efficient.

I particularly liked Little’s consideration of how different solutions are valid in different contexts. GM crops might be demonised in the West, but vital in Africa. We might mix permaculture-based farms outside cities with city-based aeroponic farms, each growing different types of food. Water desalination and waste water recycling plants might be great in California, but too expensive for use in India.

This an enviably easy read. The writing style is informative, casual and not condescending. Little tells a good narrative, finding interesting voices and perspectives for each of the focus areas and flows well between them. No sections dragged and they provided enough information and points of interest for the reader to go away and dive deeper if they want to.

If you’re even half interested in where our food production will be headed in the future, or where it’s going now, this is the only book you’ll need.

An advance copy of this book was kindly provided by Oneworld Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.