Robert Paarlberg

The subtitle promises "straight talk" about the state of modern agriculture and consumption. This book is unusual in that it makes many forceful arguments while seldom devolving into polemic. The author is a descendent of midwestern farmers and knows from that perspective of which he speaks. He is here to defend farmers and technology, and to decry food processors and modern animal husbandry. You don't usually get all that in one package. I found myself enjoying being challenged on some of my daily guiding principals, such as buying organic - as per Paarlberg, it's at best a waste of my money, and at worse bad for the big picture long term. In short, organic requires more land and labor inputs. That's bad for the environment. I've long known that the special drive I make to the farmer's market, plus all the special drives that each individual vendor makes to get there, are not doing the climate any good. Since I'm going to the supermarket eventually anyway, cause you can't live on samosas and greens alone all week long, it's most efficient for me to stock up on all the vegetables I can handle there at Hannaford's, where they've already traveled their food miles in huge bulk quantities, thus making the environmental cost of each individual bunch of carrots piffle.

But I'm not giving it up, no siree! I loves me my overpriced organic, local food. I just FEEL that I like knowing the food came from nearby, and that if anything were amiss with its production, I would be very likely to find out about it. And yes, I enjoy the bucolic scenery when I drive around, and I have to support the farms in order for that to continue to exist. Or should I put "farms" in quotation marks - good quote from Paarlberg: farms in New England are "usually just one step up from gardening and can't count as exposure to modern commercial agriculture." Understood. I know 'farm' around here and 'farm' in the Midwest are two different animals.

Speaking of animals, while Paarlberg is full of good things to say about modern farming, he draws the line at how we treat our animals. It was very good to hear him speak up for animal welfare, and not just stay to one side of the fence on all things modern in agriculture.

I really love his message about pointing our ire where it belongs, at the junk food producers, not the food producers. "Food products laden with sugar, salt, and fat are now deliberately formulated to ensure eaters will crave them; then they are promoted as innocent fun and placed within easy reach." I love that phrase "promoted as innocent fun." That's the thing, I'm fully susceptible to that kind of message, sophisticate though I may be (ahem). Hmm, says my subconscious, the subconscious that will come up with any excuse to down something delicious... seems like EVERYbody snacks don't they... EVERYbody buys ice cream... cmon, buy some ice cream. It's a food staple! Get vanilla, how wholesome can you get! It's INNOCENT FUN!

The previous food book I read, HOW TO EAT, encouraged the same message as Paarlberg does here - all that stuff in the 'middle aisles' of the supermarket is NOT food, and don't let them fool you, because that is what they are trying to do. You know what food is.

My least favorite chapter was the one about GMO's, because here it felt like Paarlberg really deviated from the "straight talk" I felt he was delivering elsewhere. While almost all the other parts of the book felt balanced, Paarlberg has absolutely no room for misgivings in any way, shape, or form about GMO's. They're harmless. Always have been, always will be. As if there were really no other side to this issue to consider at all?

I end up awarding this book 3.5 stars rather than 4 - above just "AOK" but not quite deserving my "fan" status - for that reason.

I also end by noting I am eating meat only about once a week these days, and not cooking it at home. I'll probably go back to cooking some of my cow/pig/bird favorites one of these days, but perhaps the trend will continue generally downward for some time.… (altro)

"...we are all equal in the eyes of God. But as Americans, that is not enough, we must be equal in the eyes of each other" ~ Ronald Reagan


The United States of Excess: Gluttony and the Dark Side of American Exceptionalism by Robert Paarlberg is a look at America's love of conspicuous consumption. Paarlberg is a professor at Wellesley College and Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He has written several books on food policy and politics including the very comprehensive Food Politics.

Back in the 1970s I remember a television called Good Times, the main character JJ would talk about the good life that was coming his way when he'd "Sit back in my Cadillac and have a Big Mac." The American dream, even for the poor in the television show, seemed so desirable back then. Looking at that line today, forty years later, it reflects on what is wrong with this country. We have become wasteful and energy hungry society coupled with an ever growing obesity problem and a dietary nightmare. It's like we took a simple line and carried it to the extreme.

We have changed as a country. Office chairs used to be rated at 300lbs, now they are rated at 600lbs. The new Yankee stadium was built with wider seats. Airlines like SouthWest will charge you for a second seat if you cannot fit into a single seat. Almost a quarter of our calories come from eating outside the house from 5% in 1960. The rear view camera and dashboard display in modern cars may be convenient, but for many too big to turn around in their car seat it is the only to look back. In 1969, 40% of children walked or rode a bike to school. By 2001, that percentage dropped to 13%. Less than half the adult population gets three hours of exercise a week.

We like to drive and not just any cars. We like big cars. We like big houses all of which take more energy to heat and cool. America uses one-quarter of the oil used every day in the world. Advanced countries in Europe and Japan use far less energy and maintain a comparable standard of living, if not better. We trust our corporate lead economy. We allow our government to fall into the hands of lobbyists. Our school lunch program is declining in quality and reason. In the 1980s, we laughed when Congress considered ketchup a vegetable, but today pizza is considered a vegetable because it contains tomato paste (Schwan and Conagra lobby). French fries also count as a vegetable (potato lobby).

Paarlberg covers many areas including the public and governmental belief/disbelief in global warming, alternative fuels, and why Americans use so much fuel in their daily lives. It is not a book that points fingers as much as it is used to explain why we are the way we are, how we got there, and why we stay. Our diets and lifestyles have evolved, and Paarlberg explains the history and guides the reader down the complex path. A very fact filled and interesting read.… (altro)

Food Politics by Robert Paarlberg is exactly what the title says. I thought I knew quite a bit about my food. I am a vegetarian. I read labels. I have seen the documentaries on our food. I am smart enough to know that meat is not neatly created in styrofoam and plastic wrapped packages. I also know that the long list of chemicals on a frozen burrito wrapper are not natural food stuffs. Furthermore, I know that international trade of food is a touchy subject between countries, small family farms are mostly a thing of the past,and feed lots are trouble in the making. Paalberg has much more to add.

We start with Thomas Malthus who proposed that population growth would outpace food production and result in starvation. Population grows exponentially and compared to linear growth of increased production. Fortunately, technology allowed increased harvests and migration to urban settings slowed population growth. Mankind beat Malthus, at least temporarily.

Paarlberg presents several cases for the cost of food. These included production, famine, speculation, and protectionism. Politics is intertwined in almost every aspect of our food. From subsidies, to tariffs and outright bans, politics controls food. No politician from Iowa would survive with out supporting a farm bill nor a Texan politician survive without supporting the beef industry. Whether or not these government programs provide any real value to farmers is a matter for debate. When the government tries to act in good faith to protect the environment against Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO or Feed Lots) it is met with heavy resistance from lobbies and threats of limiting campaign donations. Even when something positive like taxing junk food is proposed it is met by resistance from food processors to the convenient store owners.

What is not pure politics, is in advertising. The food industry manipulates ingredients like fat, sugar, and salt to make irresistible tasting food. This also plays directly to children. The industry spends $2 billion a year advertising food to children. The average American child sees thirteen food advertisements a day. Healthy sounding “Whole Grain” usually means added fat and sugar to make it taste better. School lunches fall to food producers and lobbyists too. Pizza is considered a vegetable because it has tomato sauce. Potato growers fight for French Fries to be included as a healthy vegetable. Other producers fight for the inclusion of soda and junk food to be allowed in schools.

What have food politics gotten us? The Green Revolution provided huge increases in production. The newer battles between agribusiness and sustainability create controversy. Food costs have dropped 50% through the 20th Century and income levels rose 400%. Food is typical 10% of an average American's budget. With that we also have genetically modified food, heavily processed food, high fructose corn syrup, and unprecedented access to a vast variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. We also have a growing obesity problem, but a pharmaceutical industry keeping us “healthy” despite ourselves.

Paarlberg goes into great detail about many more aspects of our food and the politics surrounding it. He presents very balanced arguments and supports them well. His book, however, is not a Fast Food Nation or a Food Inc., or anti-Monsanto/ConAgra/ et al; he presents balance and reason. Food and the politics of food is a timely and important subject as we face increased trade, changes in our farming systems, and vocal groups from anti-GMO to others demanding their right to giant sized sodas in New York City. Food Politcs gave me more information than I thought possible on the subject. It is well written and easy to follow. The only complaint I have is that a more complete bibliography could have been included.… (altro)