Mapping the Pathways to a Better Food System

Nourished Planet: Sustainability in the Global Food System (ed. D Nierenberg)

When asked what the biggest threat to worldwide food security was at the time the book was published, Nierenberg stated: “Apathy. If we don’t understand the urgency of these issues and take action now, we will continue to have nearly a billion people worldwide who go to bed hungry each night”.

The book describes the global food system today as “like the Titanic”, a feat of engineering in its enormity and complexity, but propelling itself towards its own destruction.

The book is structured in four sections: Food for All, Food for Sustainable Growth, Food for Health and Food for Culture. Each one is accompanied by interviews with ‘Voices from the New Food Movement’.

The content provides neat explanations of various phenomena such as land grabbing and food deserts, but also thought-provoking discussions and arguments underpinned by clear infographics.

In the Foreword, Pavan Sukhdev and Alexander Müller emphasize that “this book focuses not only on the problems – of hunger, obesity, climate change and poor nutrition – but also on the solutions”.

Review for Sight and Life magazine by Jonathan Steffen available here.

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