New Book: Food Fight: Citizens Guide to a Food and Farm Bill

Posted by on June 25, 2007

FOOD FIGHT, The Citizens Guide to a Food and Farm Bill

The book addresses the United States Farm Bill — perhaps the single most significant land use legislation enacted in this country, but not understood or recognized by most Americans in terms of its broad impact on our daily lives. Farming subsidies reach nearly $25 billion dollars per year, and the Farm Bill largely dictates who grows what crops, on what acreage, and under what conditions, impacting rural economies, health and nutrition, national security, and biodiversity. As debate and wrangling over the 2007 Farm Bill intensifies, Food Fight offers an easily accessible and uncomplicated analysis of this incredibly complex issue.

The book’s forward is by Michael Pollan, and introduction by Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow at Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Ames, Iowa. The book is exceptional. It is up to date and filled with data. It emphasizes the need to “get us out of this quagmire we’re in”, and elaborates on two “wedges” which are energy demands and nutrition.

He feels that the push for increased corn production to be used for ethanol is fueled by growers of genetically engineered corn, and we face serious situation of monocropping more and more corn to the detriment of other crops.

Do seek out this excellent book, also encourage libraries to make it available.