Creating Food Futures

Book excerpt: A global transformation in food supply and consumption is placing our food security at risk. What changes need to be made to the ways we trade, process and purchase our food if everyone in the world is going to have enough wholesome food to eat? Is there genuine scope for creating food futures that embrace considerations such as ecological sustainability and social equity as well as placing good food on the table - and making money? Drawing upon examples of innovative food chains in Europe, Canada, Africa and Latin America, leading academics and practitioners challenge the idea that individuals are powerless in the face of global supply chains and the legal apparatus protecting them. The authors do not, however, underestimate the scale of the task at hand. They explore the tensions and dilemmas inherent in innovative practice - such as the ethics of mainstreaming, balancing a variety of goals and the ways in which success is defined - as well as presenting success stories and explaining how they were achieved. Creating Food Futures provides you with inspiring examples of what is being done and thought-provoking suggestions for future work.