Eat Here is a well-written, engaging look at the problems that have accompanied the rise of the now-dominant global food system. Author Brian Halweil makes a case for shifting back to local food systems. The argument is presented in nine chapters, each pairing analysis of myriad food system issues with brief case examples of healthier, more sustainable and equitable alternatives currently in place around the world. This approach succeeds in both educating and inspiring the reader.
One of the strengths of this book is the use of creative terminology to bring concepts to life. Chapter 1 introduces us to the overall theme by contrasting the local and regionally produced foods at the Centreville Farmer's Market in Lincoln, Nebraska with the anonymous, ‘travel-weary foods’ across town in the super Wal-Mart. In Chapter 2 we meet ‘transcontinental lettuce’ and ‘jet-lagged fruits’ as Halweil continues tracing the rise of the modern food distribution system. These introductory chapters also begin to make the case for ‘food democracy’ and rebuilding the local foodshed, ‘that sphere of land, people, and businesses that provides a community or region with its food’.
The food industry's ‘culture of bigness’ is analyzed in Chapter 3. The development of this culture has been accompanied by the precipitous decline of the farmer's share of the food dollar from forty cents in 1910 to less than eight cents in 1997. Halweil identifies major causes of this decline as national and global economic policies (including transportation and subsidies), industry marketing and lobbying efforts, and the concentration of various layers of agribusiness (especially the seed, trade, meat and milk, and retail sectors). This chapter makes one of the key points of the book—that this culture of bigness has also encouraged a ‘culture of sameness’ which, according to Yale historian Steven Stoll (as quoted by Halweil), marked ‘the end of seasonality’ which ‘has only made it easier for people to forget that their food comes from specific environments.’
Chapter 4 asks, ‘Where Have All the Farmers Gone?’ and elaborates on the issues introduced in the previous chapter. Herein a description of farm loss and the decline of agricultural work due to mechanization, consolidation, and decreases in crop prices gives way to a discussion of the social effects of ‘de-agrarianization.’ Chapter 5 goes on to address the loss of agricultural biodiversity and begins to outline techniques for restoring local self-sufficiency, in both rural and urban areas.
The focus of Chapter 6 is on ‘Taking Back the Market.’ It opens with the story of The Farmer's Diner in Barre, VT, a classic diner with a ‘new’ twist. Founder Tod Murphy endeavors to provide as much food from local producers (within 70 miles) as possible, having reached the 65% mark and aiming for 100%. The chapter outlines a variety of local food marketing models including farmer's markets, farmer cooperatives, CSAs, value-added processing, farm shops, farm-to-school, restaurant, and other institutional buyer programs. This is the most exciting chapter of the book. It brings the local foodshed idea to life and makes it seem not only possible, but inevitable.
However, the following chapter quickly brings us down to earth with a look at the barriers to these solutions. Chief among them is the concentration of the processing, marketing, and retailing components of the food system. According to Halweil, viable local food systems require the rebuilding of links (such as canneries, butchers, bakeries, etc.) between producers and consumers. The difficulties inherent in this process are evident in the ongoing struggles of The Farmer's Diner. In August 2005, after the publication of Eat Here, the diner closed abruptly for ‘retooling and regeneration’ [Palmer, Robin. 2005. ‘Farmer's Diner shuts its doors.’ Times Argus, August 10. Available at Website: http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005508100339 (retrieved on 31 May 2006)] with plans to reopen in October 2005. Still closed in May 2006, a phone message indicates plans to reopen in a new location in July 2006.
Chapter 7 does offer some specific suggestions for rebuilding the mid-level food system. One such idea is the local commercial kitchen created to incubate local value-added food processing companies and supporting food entrepreneurs. Halweil also acknowledges that many of the solutions must be made at the national and international policy levels. The chapter ends with policy recommendations largely focused on consolidation, commodity payments, and world trade rules. This sets the stage for the focus of Chapter 8 on the international Slow Food movement, including an important discussion of the class issues and accusations of elitism often leveled at this and other local or organic food movements.
This book is clearly a call to action with appendices on ‘What Individuals Can Do’ and information on ‘Organizations Working to Rebuild Local Foodsheds.’ Each chapter ends with a section entitled ‘Breaking Ground’ in which Halweil briefly describes a community, company, or program that models a local food system component that could presumably be replicated elsewhere. These inspirational vignettes include farm cooperatives in Nairobi, an organic food, fabric and herbal medicine company in Cairo, and agricultural tourism in Norway. Inspiring stories are also peppered throughout the text and provide detailed examples of programs like farmer's markets, CSAs, buy local campaigns, farm-to-school initiatives, and local food policy councils.
Halweil concludes the book with a reminder that growing concerns about food safety, energy costs, health, security and access, sprawl, rural community viability, cultural heritage, the environment and democracy are powerful motivations for the shifting of foodways from global to local. As he revisits the major themes of the book he shares a story from his own community at the eastern end of Long Island that highlights the counterintuitiveness of the current system:
People in the food business still remember, with some embarrassment, when the attacks of September 11 shut down all traffic in and out of New York City, and many East End restaurants closed because they were without suppliers. The sight of fishless sushi houses surrounded by fishing fleets and salad-less restaurants surrounded by fields of lettuce and tomatoes prompted many chefs to visit a farm or dock.
Eat Here is journalistic in style and upbeat in tone. It provides both anecdotal and statistical data to back up each argument and remains accessible to a general audience. Endnotes are concentrated at the back of the book followed by a helpful and extensive index. The text contains seven figures and one sidebar. Though there are few such visual summaries of information contained in the book, they are well-chosen and enhance and support the arguments being presented. The book would serve equally well as a tool for community groups and a text for the undergraduate classroom.
