From Wild Weeds to Artisanal Cheese

Abstract

The author (& editor of this book) notes the contrasting ways in which Americans choose to buy the food they eat. He describes seeing lines of cars waiting at fast food take-out windows, or people filing into supermarkets to buy grapes from Chile & frozen lamb from New Zealand, while he is on his way to buy organic peaches at the farmer's market & grass-fed lamb chops from an Amish farmer. Many choose all three of these ways, but few consistently take the time to grow or buy, prepare, & eat fresh food. The contributors to this volume are alarmed about trends in the industrial, international food system & the global politics of food. However, they also observe that while producers & retailers continually try to standardize their foods, consumers are fickle enough to elude such attempts. Transnational food producers & fast food franchises have had to learn to cater to local tastes. While many see the retail food giants as the major obstacle to a mass market for high-quality food, Wal-Mart has recently announced that it intends to become the largest seller of organic & gourmet foods in the US within ten years. It will not be a farmer's market, but it & other big chain stores may find a way to offer safe, high-quality food to everyone. References. J. Stanton