Danielle Nierenberg writes for Forbes magazine:
‘The food system is about so much more than the food on our plates and in our bowls. Yes, I’m a nerd—and proud of it!—and the books I love reading about the food system, including many new ones out this spring, understand this fact.
As these authors write, food can be so much bigger than what shows up on our tables: We’re not just talking about bananas, we’re talking about imperialism and agricultural destruction. Understanding soda means unpacking corporate influence over food and health, and discussing wheat can bring us into complex conversations about diaspora. Food can highlight conflict but also resilience, as Hawa Hassan writes beautifully in her new book.
And on the other hand, the food system can be minuscule. In his book on carbon, Project Drawdown Founder Paul Hawken explores how intertwined carbon is with not just being alive but with the human experience more broadly. And Jack Lohmann helps us understand how the element phosphorus (and its phosphate form) has shaped our past and possibly our future.
But something else I believe deeply—and probably also say all the time!—is that the food we eat does matter! While we work to understand the broader social forces shaping the food system, we cannot forget to prioritize the ways food can bring us joy, cultural connectedness, and health. That’s why I love when chefs like Nina Compton bridge these worlds, as she does in her forthcoming book “Kwéyòl / Creole: Recipes, Stories, and Tings from a St. Lucian Chef’s Journey,” which I cannot wait to cook from when it comes out.
So here’s a sneak peek at the list of books I’m enjoying this season (These titles are listed in alphabetical order.)’
See the list here.
