There are certain things that people don't care to know about their food. Unpalatable things, information that is difficult to digest - or that simply gives them indigestion.
Did you realise, for example, that 27 million tonnes of fish are discarded as waste every year? That two-thirds of people in the US - a nation of 300 million - are overweight or obese? That 10 million children die every year and starvation is the underlying cause in most cases?
These are just some of the startling nuggets contained in The Little Book of Shocking Food Facts, a combination of thought-provoking graphics and... well, shocking facts about food.
As the world's population grows and its natural resources diminish, what and how we feed ourselves will become increasingly important. A more sustainable approach to agriculture, livestock farming and water use is needed if food systems and the environment are to cope with the challenges of feeding an estimated 9 billion mouths by 2050.
The Little Book of Shocking Food Facts by Craig Holden Feinberg and Dale Petersen (Fiell, £8.95)
To buy a discounted copy for just £7.95, telephone 01394 389977 or email sue.slee@antique-acc.com, quoting 'Ecologist’. UK postage is free
READ MORE... | |
GREEN LIVING Organic food comes of age at Bristol's Organic Food Festival Held at Bristol Harbourside and celebrating its 10th anniversary, Europe's largest organic festival is a feast of food, drink and fabric that doesn't cost the earth |
|
NEWS Cargill sticks with rainforest-destroying palm oil supplier US food giant refuses to stop buying palm oil from Sinar Mas group as Burger King joins Nestle and others in criticising its illegal activities |
|
COMMENT The water footprint: the hidden cost of our meat consumption Watching our leaky taps is the least of our problems when it comes to water wastage - agricultural practices and animal products are by far the greater danger |
|
HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Otarian: the fast-food chain with the low-carbon menu Otarian aims to show you how eating out can help you save the planet, one kilo of carbon at a time |
|
NEWS Rising demand for bycatch will lead to ‘ecological catastrophe’, scientists warn A growing market for bycatch coupled with declining shrimp stocks and profits is prolonging the use of unsustainable trawl fishing practices, a new study says |