Transforming Food Systems - (Burleigh Dodds Agricultural Science) by Dave Watson (Paperback)

About the Book

This book assesses one of the great global challenges of our time: how to reform food systems so they are more sustainable but still able to produce the food we need. It reviews the pros and cons of reformist, progressive and radical solutions and how we might choose between them.

Book Synopsis

There is an almost universal recognition that modern agri-food supply chains are unsustainable. They are seen as both contributing to and vulnerable to climate change, too reliant on environmentally-damaging synthetic inputs, as undermining biodiversity, generating significant losses and waste and failing to deliver the nutritious food required for a healthy, balanced diet.

This book traces the evolution of the current global food production system and reviews competing approaches to achieving more sustainable production, starting with 'neo-productivist' and 'reformist' approaches which promote new technologies as a way forward, such as genetic modification, vertical farming and synthetic foods (plant-based meat alternatives and cultured meat).

The book also considers the pros and cons of 'progressive' approaches, such as regenerative and organic agriculture, as well as the more radical solutions which seek to achieve a more fundamental reform of the food system.

From the Back Cover

"This book provides an authoritative account of the evolution of the global food system and the various prescriptions for reform currently in play. Using the conceptual prism of regimes of accumulation, it helps make sense of different alternative food systems and sheds light on the prospects for incremental and radical reform. With over 120 pages of references, it will provide an invaluable source for students and scholars interested in the sustainability of food."
Professor Neil Ward, University of East Anglia, UK and author of Net Zero, Food and Farming: Climate Change and the UK Agri-Food System

"Written from a supply side perspective, this is an excellent, well-written and comprehensive synthesis of a huge volume of literature on ways to improve the sustainability of food systems. I enjoyed reading it."
Professor Tim Benton, Distinguished Fellow - Environment and Society Centre, Chatham House - Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK

There is an almost universal recognition that modern agri-food supply chains are unsustainable. They are seen as both contributing to and vulnerable to climate change, too reliant on environmentally-damaging synthetic inputs, as undermining biodiversity, generating significant losses and waste and failing to deliver the nutritious food required for a healthy, balanced diet.

This book traces the evolution of the current global food production system and reviews competing approaches to achieving more sustainable production, starting with 'neo-productivist' and 'reformist' approaches which promote new technologies as a way forward, such as genetic modification, vertical farming and synthetic foods (plant-based meat alternatives and cultured meat).

The book also considers the pros and cons of 'progressive' approaches, such as regenerative and organic agriculture, as well as the more radical solutions which seek to achieve a more fundamental reform of the food system.

Dr Dave Watson is a leading authority on sustainability issues affecting agriculture. He has taught at the University of Hull, UK as well as managing research programmes for the International Livestock Research Institute, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.

Review Quotes

"The depth of the analysis and the wealth of references in Dave Watson's book provide a solid foundation for understanding the implications of the pressing environmental challenges we face, particularly the global food crisis. His engaging style makes this book not only informative but also inspiring. It encourages us to rethink our relationship with food, to value our culinary traditions, and to promote systems that nourish not only individuals but also our planet." (Book Review Published in International Journal of Environmental Studies - Professor Nadia Boutaleb, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco)

"Written from a supply side perspective, this is an excellent, well-written and comprehensive synthesis of a huge volume of literature on ways to improve the sustainability of food systems. I enjoyed reading it." (Professor Tim Benton, Distinguished Fellow - Environment and Society Centre, Chatham House - Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK)

About the Author

Dr Dave Watson is a leading authority on sustainability issues affecting agriculture. He has taught at the University of Hull, UK as well as managing research programmes for the International Livestock Research Institute, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.