My 2017 Summer Reading List – Food Edition

Here are some interesting/ controversial books on the global food and agriculture industry that you can add to your summer reading lists. While many of these books are written by activists, there are some great insights and examples of the workings of our industrial food complex.

The Economics of Food by Patrick Westhoff. This is a highly readable explanation of food and prices. The author answers virtually every question commonly asked about food and hunger and demonstrates how reliance on the common wisdom can lead to faulty conclusions.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906

Merchants of Grain by Dan Morgan. A classic written in 1976 explores the 5 Sisters – Cargill, Continental Grain, ADM, Louis Dreyfus and Bunge that have developed and controlled the global grain industry.

Full Planet, Empty Plate by Lester Brown. This is an extremely important piece of work for all those that live in today's globalized world and it is a stark reminder that many people who are living comfortable lives may no longer be living those comfortable lives if nothing is done to alleviate or eliminate the current and future issues that surround the global food system. Brown presents all this in a logical and structured manner, which is very easy to read and it keeps you turning the page.

Food Politics by Marion Nestle. Marion Nestle goes behind the scenes to reveal how the competition really works and how it affects our health. The abundance of food in the United States--enough calories to meet the needs of every man, woman, and child twice over--has a downside. Our over-efficient food industry must do everything possible to persuade people to eat more--more food, more often, and in larger portions--no matter what it does to waistlines or well-being.

Meat Racket by Christopher Leonard. In his eye-opener to the inner workings of the corporations that control and manipulate the nation’s meat supply, journalist Leonard reveals how these vertically integrated behemoths operate to the detriment of both farmers, who do the hard and risky work of raising animals, and consumers, who have actually fewer true choices when shopping in the grocery store or ordering at the local fast-food franchise.

Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss. The author is the journalist who first cracked open the "pink slime" meat scandal and the depth of his investigative journalism is really impressive. It seems that he has spoken with scores of researchers, marketers and financial officers of the processed food companies in order to learn about things such as the invention of the Lunchable, as a way to sell more processed meats, and the growth of cheese from a food meant to be savored on its own into an ingredient that is shoved into a million different kinds of food.

Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollen. A classic. It's a fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs. You'll certainly never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again. Pollan approaches his mission not as an activist but as a naturalist: "The way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world.”

The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals by Wayne Pacelle. From the leader of the nation’s most powerful animal-protection organization comes a frontline account of how conscience and creativity are driving a revolution in American business that is changing forever how we treat animals and create wealth.

Food Wars: The Global Battle for Mouths, Minds and Markets By Tim Lang. An important book that should be read by everyone who cares about how the way food is produced affects our own health as well as that of the environment and our national economies.

The Last Hunger Season by Roger Thurow. A Fellow at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, Roger writes a compelling story of the plight of Africa’s smallholder farmers and their lives living from season to season. An interesting backdrop to our global picture of feeding the world.

Concentration and Power in the Food System by Philip H. Howard. In this 2016 documentation of the global food system and its concentration through decades of mergers. The concentration of the large food companies has led to economies of scale, improved quality and food safety as well as lower prices. But the downside of overly processed foods and a reliance on a handful of companies for our calories does not go unnoticed.

Agriculture and Food in Crisis by Fred Magnoff and Brian Tokar. This book features a collection of scholars from around the world to explore this frightening long-term trend in food production. The contributors share a focus on investigating how agricultural production is shaped by a system that is oriented around the creation of profit above all else, with food as nothing but an afterthought.

A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture since 1929. Paul K. Conkin examines the history of American agriculture, showing how New Deal innovations evolved into convoluted commodity programs following World War II. Conkin assesses the skills, new technologies, and government policies that helped transform farming in America and suggests how new legislation might affect farming in decades to come.

Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System By Raj Patel. In taking a moralistic view of starvation and obesity, our media, governments and many NGOs have condemned those suffering to more of the same.

The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Science Fiction. In a future Thailand, calories are the greatest commodity. Anderson is a calorie-man whose true objective is to discover new food sources that his company can exploit, at any cost.

. . . and of course

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The classic 1906 fictional account of an immigrant family and their struggle in Chicago stockyards. Sinclair had spent seven weeks gathering information while working incognito in the meatpacking plants of the Chicago stockyards for the newspaper. Don’t read while eating lunch.

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Dave Donnan is a Senior Partner with the management consulting firm A.T. Kearney where he leads the global food and beverage sector. Dave is a prolific author and speaker on topics of importance to the agriculture, food and beverage, retail, and restaurant industries. He’s appeared on Bloomberg TV and has been quoted in various business journals including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Business Week. He can be seen speaking at influential industry conferences such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Food Marketing Institute, the National Restaurant Association and many others. Dave is also active in the not-for-profit sector in the areas of food security, nutrition, and economic need. Dave is based in Chicago.

You can reach Dave on Twitter at @ddofbanff and LinkedIn at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/donnan.

Other content by Dave:

• Is Big Food in Trouble
• Rethinking Supply in Food and Beverage
• Supply Availability for Food and Beverage will Trump Price
• Fresh Prepared Foods: A Driver for Your Company?
• Recipe for Change: Can We Feed the World?
• Operators & Manufacturers Rethinking Supplier Relationships
• Is Your Store the Best Restaurant in Town?
• Securing Supply in Fresh