Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Junk

Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book by Mark Bittman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Be prepared for a lot of history and a bleak picture of our food systems. I'd recommend everyone read this. We need change at the personal level (for your health and to support those doing good work) and at the macro level (policies, reform, and global cooperation).

Food writer and journalist Mark Bittman presents a comprehensive history of human food systems, tracing their development from foraging and farming practices to the modern industrialized food economy. He argues that the way humans grow, process, and consume food has always shaped societies, economies, and environments— and today’s food system, dominated by commercial agriculture and ultra-processed “junk” foods, has become unsustainable and harmful.

There are three parts: Part I: The Birth of Growing covers the shift from hunter-gatherer societies to the rise of agriculture, settlement patterns, and farming methods. Part II: The Twentieth Century examines technological progress, colonization, and industrial farming, emphasizing how these boosted production but also led to the exploitation of workers, animals, and ecosystems. Cash crops, monocultures, and colonial food systems prioritized profit over nourishment, laying the foundation for current injustices. Part III: Change explores resistance, the current situation, and the future path. Bittman advocates for regenerative agriculture and diversified farming, strong food policies based on sustainability and equity, and a shared responsibility for systemic reform that benefits both farmers and consumers.

If you're not interested in history or detailed accounts, you might skim through some sections. A bleak picture is painted until the last chapter, where several solutions are offered that give some hope.


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