Welcome to Litsy!

Did you know that starvation kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined? Around the world, millions of people go to bed hungry every night. Farmers and ranchers produce enough food to feed everyone, but much of that food does not get to the people who need it most. In some places, food has become a precious commodity—almost like gold. Why is food scarce in some places and abundant in others? Why isn't food available to everyone? In this book, author Kathlyn Gay explores the complicated interaction between food, business, politics, and the environment. She examines the international food aid system; giant "factory farms," which grow and slaughter animals using assembly-line techniques; and the genetic engineering of seeds, plants, and animals. These systems and practices promise to get more food to the people who need it—but the promises don't always pan out. Worse, many modern agricultural practices are harmful to the environment, to the workers who produce the food, and even to the consumers who eat it. Gay explains that food politics will only become more complicated as Earth's climate grows warmer, bringing rising sea levels, shifting growing seasons, and shrinking freshwater supplies. But despite some dreary predictions for the future of food and agriculture on Earth, the news is not all bad. Around the world, people are forging a new food future. As Gay explains, the movement for sustainable agriculture works not only to provide good food for everyone but to do so in way that nurtures the soil and water, keeping farmland healthy and productive for generations to come.