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Eat Here: Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket (Paperback)

~ (Author) "John Ellis is smiling..." (more)
Key Phrases: local food businesses, discussion with author, food policy council, United States, New York, Third World (more...)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Some people may ask, "what’s wrong with getting my food from some distant land, if the food is cheap and the system works?" The point Halweil, a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute, makes throughout this book is that those prices are artificially low, and the system is actually broken. Halweil’s writing is journalistic in its reliance on interviews with farmers and activists, but the book’s abundant statistics, graphs and suggestions for action lend it the tone of a policy paper—one that is, nonetheless, impassioned and accessible. Halweil gives readers reasons for pessimism (the thousands of gallons of fossil fuel used to ship fresh greens around the world; unprecedented risks of contaminated food) and optimism (the spread of "farm shops" across Europe; the Vermont diner that’s thriving by using almost entirely local food); fortunately, his optimism usually prevails. Following each chapter is a short success story, such as that of David Cole, who jumpstarted Hawaii’s cattle-raising and crop-raising business. Halweil makes a strong argument that a system dominated by "globe-trotting food" sold in impersonal megastores is bad for the health of economies and people alike, while "eating local" and encouraging regional self-sufficiency is good for both the environment and the human race. Besides highlighting projects already underway, which will inspire and encourage farmers and activists everywhere, Halweil offers ideas for the individual consumer (such as hosting a "harvest party" at your home or in your community). Even when describing the decline of local agriculture, his tone remains upbeat. An essential read for those interested in the sustainable agriculture movement, this book may also appeal to general foodies and those who are concerned about the land and the environment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

A definite "must read" for farmers, food activists and the general public. -- John Jeavons, author of How to Grow More Vegetables

A definite 'must read' for farmers, food activists and the general public. (John Jeavons, author of How to Grow More Vegetables )

An insightful and timely book indicating just how important food, farms and rural cultures are. (Jules Pretty, author of Agri-Culture: Reconnecting People, Land, and Nature )

An insightful and timely book indicating just how important food, farms and rural cultures are. -- Jules Pretty, author of Agri-Culture: Reconnecting People, Land, and Nature

Now it is up to the rest of us to do something with this amazing gift of a book. (Mark Ritchie, President of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis )

Now it is up to the rest of us to do something with this amazing gift of a book. -- Mark Ritchie, President of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis

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Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; illustrated edition edition (November 17, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393326640
ISBN-13: 978-0393326642
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #213,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

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› Visit Amazon's Brian Halweil Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
John Ellis is smiling. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
local food businesses, discussion with author, food policy council, local food systems, food sovereignty, slow food, urban farming, urban agriculture, urban farmers, crop diversity, local food production, fewer farmers, local growers

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Third World, Whole Foods, Long Island, United Kingdom, Belo Horizonte, World War, East End, Food Alliance, North America, East Hampton, Scuttle Hole, United Nations, Department of Agriculture, European Union, Latin America, Organic Valley, University of California, University of Wisconsin, First World, Peconic Bay, Sag Harbor, Fadzavanhu Enterprises, Farmer's Own

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 32 books:

Slow Food: The Case for Taste (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History) by Carlo Petrini on 8 pages
Letters from the Antipodes by Michel Butor in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods by Gary Paul Nabhan in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
The Living Land by Jules Pretty in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 32 books this book cites

5 books cite this book:

Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen by Anna Lapp� in Back Matter
The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer in Back Matter
The New Atlas of Planet Management by Norman Myers in Back Matter
What to Eat by Marion Nestle in Back Matter
Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating by Jane Goodall in Back Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Going Local by Michael Shuman

Discusses:

Fields of Plenty by Michael Ableman

Discusses:

Food Tourism Around The World by C. Michael Hall

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Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes by Andre Viljoen

Discusses:

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Job, Brian!, December 14, 2004

By	Renate Haeckler "Organic Gardener" (West Chester, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is very well done. He not only describes the problems in the American food system, but does a fantastic job of describing international problems, something that is lacking in many books published in the US. The writing is easy to understand even though it broaches some complicated issues. If there were any weaknesses, I think it's that he doesn't cover the nutritional losses of old food enough.

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasures Abound..., August 24, 2005

By	DMB "bona fide bibliomaniac" - See all my reviews

This is required reading for everyone, not just farmers. It's packed with informative fact and real-life stories. A resource to aid those interested in knowing where their food originates (local is best) as well as how their food is cultivated. This book offers many suggestions to help readers find creative ways to support regional agriculture and a healthier lifestyle.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Local Food Action Plan, February 5, 2009

By	J. Cippel (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Many Americans do not understand that their food purchases have an impact beyond their waistlines. "Eat Here" is both a wake up call for such people and a guide for all concerned citizens on how to improve the world's broken food system. It argues that changing the food system is anything but a pipedream and then sets out a clear path to that end.

In the first part of the book, author Brian Halweil clearly identifies the many failures of our current way of eating. The long distance transport of food is a major contributor to climate change. Instead of the tastiest fruits and vegetables, supermarkets stock those most amenable to shipping. Family farms are disappearing at an alarming rate, killing rural communities in the process. Water supplies and fisheries are contaminated by agribusinesses whose poor crop rotation practices ensure that much of the fertilizer they apply cannot be absorbed into the soil. The list goes on.

Halweil then lays out a cogent plan for remaking the system. The key for him is rebuilding markets for local food, and he suggests a partnership between consumers and local farmers to achieve this. The first step is for consumers to start demanding local food with their voices and their dollars. This argument, in my view, is "Eat Here's" biggest strength, for it emphasizes that consumers, who often see themselves as anonymous actors in a macroeconomic world, can be powerful agents of change. For those concerned about the money cost of food (that is, nearly everyone in these tough economic times), Halweil makes two important points. First, many local products are cheaper than their national counterpart is because local farming usually cuts out the middleman and fuel costs. Second, if consumers start demanding local products, even goods that are more expensive than their national counterpart will become cheaper as more suppliers enter the market.

Halweil then turns his attention to farmers. He argues that to ensure their viability, small farmers must start seeing themselves as entrepreneurs and seize the sizable post-harvest profits available in their food. (The most astonishing fact in the book is that for every dollar spent on bread in the U.S., farmers get 6 cents, the same amount as the company that makes the wrapper. The rest is going to firms up the distribution chain.) The money in agriculture is in what happens after a product leaves the farm, and Halweil offers suggestions to farmers on how to capture this money. In short, the answer lies beyond the farmer's market in farmer-owned facilities to process, distribute, and sell agricultural products.

"Eat Here" is a thoughtful take on a very important problem. Even those who already take their food seriously would benefit from reading it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
Well, this book was certainly interesting...but not so engaging for me as coming home to eat. There is a whole lot in this book that I was not aware of before reading it and... Read more

Published 16 months ago by Amy Graham

5.0 out of 5 stars must read
This book is a must read - it should be assigned reading in classrooms. More people care where their food comes from but this goes beyond that and goes to the farmer and the... Read more

Published on April 24, 2007 by Linda Blossom

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