The Food Systems Textbook We All Have Been Craving!

Abstract

First paragraphs:

Natural resource specialist Lisa Chase and vegetable and berry specialist Vern Grubinger, both with University of Vermont Extension, offer an approachable introduction to food systems in Food, Farms, and Community: Exploring Food Systems. With the aim of providing a tool for educators, students, and general readers wanting to better understand our food system, Chase and Grubinger explore critical issues, provide case studies that show what is currently being accomplished, and suggest ways to further improve local food systems.

At its core, Food, Farms, and Community is a call to action for academia, farmers, policy-makers, business people, and all other stakeholders in the food system to collaborate in an informed way to help address the multitude of challenges within the modern food system. The operative word here is informed: educating readers is what the book does best. Where popular books and documentaries, such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Food Inc., have increased public awareness of the scale and scope of food issues, Food, Farms, and Community delves deeply into the issues as well as some possible solutions.