Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability

Description

As the threats of food insecurity loom ever larger, the world faces the sad irony of food shortages in the global South alongside a purported 'obesity epidemic' in the global North. The twin issues of food production and food access are of particular concern in the context of climate change, 'peak oil', biofuels, and land grabs by wealthy nations. Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability offers critical insights by international scholars, with chapters on global food security, supermarket power, new technologies, and sustainability. The book also assesses the contributions of diet and nutrition research in building socially just and environmentally sustainable food systems and provides policy recommendations to improve the health and environmental status of contemporary agri-food systems. The book features contributions from a range of social science perspectives, including sociology, anthropology, public health and geography, with case study material drawn from throughout the world.

Geoffrey Lawrence is Professor of Sociology and Head of the School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Australia. Kristen Lyons is Senior Lecturer of Sociology at the School of Social Science, University of Queensland, and formerly of Griffith University, Australia. Tabatha Wallington is a Research Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia.

'A timely and important book addressing one of the world's greatest challenges - how to ensure everyone can eat well and healthily, and at the same time not destroy the planet. Through this clear and cogent collection, Geoffrey Lawrence and co-editors set out pathways for better futures. We can only hope that food, agricultural and public health institutions will listen carefully.' - Professor Jules Pretty OBE, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK. 'In this first-rate book, academics and activists from around the world take on the full breadth of the food crisis in a series of challenging and insightful essays. Every discipline - from political economy to ecology to cultural anthropology to nutrition to science and technology studies - is represented in an anthology that doesn't simply diagnose the problem, but critically examines the solutions offered by governments, corporations and consumer groups. Ideas in these pages will be vital if we are to develop truly sustainable solutions to global hunger, obesity, and climate change.' - Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System.