About the Author

Tristram Stuart has been a freelance writer for Indian newspapers, a project manager in Kosovo and a prominent critic of the food industry. He has made regular contributions to television documentaries, radio and newspaper debates on the social and environmental aspects of food. His first book, The Bloodless Revolution, 'a genuinely revelatory contribution to the history of human ideas' (Daily Telegraph), was published in 2006. He lives in the UK.

Reviews

The world faces incredibly difficult challenges-we simply can't afford the kind of crazy waste Tristram Stuart uncovers and describes in this beautifully reported work. It's nauseating in places, but ultimately hopeful: if we got serious about preventing this waste, we might just find the margin we need to deal with our biggest problems. -- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

Stuart (The Bloodless Revolution) writes of the perilous illusion of abundance and how countries can reduce food waste by accurately examining how much they toss away due to poor storage or unused surplus-and why. European and American food manufacturers, supermarkets and consumers throw away between 30% and 50% of their food supply-enough to feed the world's hungry. Waste also occurs as a result of inadequate harvesting and farming techniques, prevalent in countries like Pakistan, where the author examines the need for better grain harvesting and land cultivation. Stuart's thoughtful illumination of the problem and his proposed solutions are bound to get even the most complacent citizen thinking about how slowly wilting vegetables might have a second life. Simply growing more food, Stuart argues, is not necessarily the answer. Agriculture takes up space and often results in deforestation. If rich countries could cut waste by treating food more carefully, while developing countries gained the equipment necessary to improve their output, he contends, a significant reduction in global food waste-and even global hunger-could be achieved. Stuart's brief is passionately argued and rigorously researched, and is an important contribution to the discussion of sustainability. (Oct.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Compelling and thought-provoking, with the power to change a reader's daily habits, this book, first published in the United Kingdom, offers a simple thesis: wasting food wreaks environmental havoc and contributes to global hunger. To argue his point, historian/activist Stuart (The Bloodless Revolution: A Cultural History of Vegetarianism from 1600 to Modern Times) focuses primarily on the "food profligacy" of developed nations, exploring a range of topics from food manufacturing policies to the ethics of biofuel development. The case study of the waste produced by British supermarkets is particularly fascinating. Occasionally, the text feels imbalanced, with a lengthy chapter devoted to reintroducing the practice of swill feeding, while little attention is paid to proper food handling and storage. Verdict Stuart is an impassioned writer who pairs quirky personal anecdotes with alarming statistics to craft an irrefutable argument. Although some of Stuart's suggestions for addressing food waste are directed toward the general public, this work is most suitable for academic readers, who will appreciate his detailed research and extensive bibliography. Stuart's highly readable study may also appeal to well-informed general readers interested in food policy.-Kelsy Peterson, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

The world faces incredibly difficult challenges-we simply can't afford the kind of crazy waste Tristram Stuart uncovers and describes in this beautifully reported work. It's nauseating in places, but ultimately hopeful: if we got serious about preventing this waste, we might just find the margin we need to deal with our biggest problems. -- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy