Adequate Food for All

"The most notable contribution of this book is the single-volume breadth of the coverage of issues facing our food system. The result is a volume that will benefit farmers, nutritionists, environmentalists, policy makers, and all of us who eat. My hope is that all of these groups will read and discuss this book, for it will stimulate the type of broad-ranging solutions that we will need if we are to provide food security for all." Alice N. Pell, Vice Provost for international relations at Cornell University, from the Foreword Food is the sustenance of life. But while we understand that a secure supply of food has been affected by many factors over the course of history, we do not often allow ourselves to entertain the idea that a lack of adequate food worldwide is a very real and dangerous possibility. While soil degradation, water distribution, climate change, population growth, and environmental issues are of serious concern, the ultimate expectation is that humankind will survive and even prevail simply because it always has, through human ingenuity and continued advances in science and technology. Adequate Food for All: Culture, Science, and Technology of Food in the 21st Century looks at those factors threatening to compromise food production and distribution. It examines the myriad influences on food security today as well as the human responses to them. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that involves authors of diverse expertise, this volume -- Discusses our evolving understanding of what is critical to good nutrition and health Examines the role of religion and faith in food choices, as well as the influence of culture and customs Explores issues of obesity and related diseases as well as diseases of nutrient deficiencies Describes the most dangerous threats to sustainable food production Lays out viable solutions through conservation, technology, and cultural adaptation Ultimately, this volume challenges readers to garner a deeper understanding needed to develop solutions that truly change the future rather than postpone the inevitable. Recognition of food as a universal need of people everywhere may be a point of union for the human spirit. The future holds opportunities and imperatives that must be faced, perhaps none more important than how we come together to keep the world fed. Adequate Food for All: Culture, Science, and Technology of Food in the 21st Century covers many of the issues involved in meeting this goal.