As Covid tragically illustrated, large numbers of Americans are in poor health and especially vulnerable to viruses and other pathogens. How did we get here? According to physician Robert Lustig, it started with the turn toward processed food, which has led to an ongoing national and global public health crisis, while enriching corporations and the … Continued
NYT columnist, author, MAJOR foodie Mark Bittman talks about his new book: “Animal, Vegetable, Junk: a History of Food, from sustainable to Suicidal’”. Hosted by Kris Welch.
There have been numerous exposés of the conditions in factory farms, where livestock are crammed together by the hundreds of thousands. But anthropologist Alex Blanchette argues that animal agribusiness, rather than being a sordid, exceptional case, has represented the cutting edge of capitalist industry for more than one hundred years. He discusses the exploitation of … Continued
If we look back over the 20th century and even into the 19th, we can see a series of historical periods that shaped how food was produced and consumed. And we can see how periods of relative stability alternated with periods of crisis. Sociologist Harriet Friedmann discusses her theory of food regimes and what they … Continued
A report by NASA earlier this month showed that California only has one year of water left in its reservoirs. It’s set off alarm bells across the state. All of us being told to take shorter showers and water our gardens less. But what about the state’s biggest water users? Agribusiness companies account for 80% … Continued
