Wow, where has Bryan Walsh been all my life?
If you have not seen last week’s article in TIME magazine “Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food“, I encourage you to dig in and then share it with everyone you know. Because the beauty of this piece is that it’s not just for us ‘foodies’ who already have a decent understanding of the problems surrounding the crap we’re shoveling into our mouths.
This article can cross the divide to those who do not know and previously did not think or care about these issues. And that’s possible due to the sheer brilliance of Bryan Walsh’s writing. He has tackled a mountain (health, safety, environment, worker/animal cruelty, and sustainability) and powerfully and succinctly made his points. (And that’s just the opening paragraph.) The reader has no time to be distracted by round about introductions or politics or wondering if he/she really cares about this issue because the words and information are so direct—so unavoidable.
And although there’s no doubt Walsh owes his knowledge to the masters who came before him (Sinclair, Schlosser, Pollan), the addition of his pen to this cause might be just what is needed to light a fire with the masses.
For more great resources about where food comes from, check out my interviews with the following:
Michael Pollan author of The Omnivores Dilemma.
Curt Ellis producer of “King Corn” (a fantastic documentary based on Pollan’s work).
Rory Freedman author of Skinny Bitch. (The book is not what it seems, is not for everyone, but definitely offers a unique opportunity to reach those outside the choir.)
Kathy Freston author of Quantum Wellness. (I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but Kathy—and Rory—use different and effective ways to get us thinking about what industrialized agriculture is doing to animals, people, and our planet.)
Must read books on this topic:
The Jungle
Fast Food Nation
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Sick Planet
This entry has been posted as part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday.
(And a special shout out to Rob Smart of ProFood for bringing the TIME article to my attention. He’s always a great resource for sustainable food info.)
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Thank you for sharing this article. It was awesome!!! It’s about time the movement goes mainstream.
I can agree that this is a great article. It touches on points that, with the state of the world today, we need to start paying attention to. The main problem I have with it is the shear amount of information left out of the article. Walsh focuses completely on one side. The entire essay is one sided and point of view. I would have liked to read an an essay that had both sides, so I could make my own choice.
Hi Kay,
I do see your point that it would be great to have these things laid out in a point/counter point fashion. (I have often felt this way about several political issues as well)
To Walsh’s defense I would argue that in this case, we’ve been ‘hearing’ the other side almost exclusively for years in the form of big food marketing/advertising, well crafted public relations campaigns, and high pressure lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. I, for one, am so darned glad that thoughtful critics are finding their voice as well as air and print space to raise some valid concerns. And on a logistical level, a point/counterpoint approach would take a lot more space than any one magazine can offer.
This is one of the reasons I so enjoyed Michael Pollan’s visit to Madison, WI for three days this past week. In Madison he publicly met his fans as well as his critics…and he answered to both, beautifully. (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he converted some of his strongest opponents.)
I like it when folks like Walsh and Pollan are able to eloquently pen their arguments. I like it even better when they open themselves to being publicly challenged.
Thank you for your comment! I so welcome the exchange.