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I m good at analyzing policy, tracking legislation and advisingstakeholders. I love thinking through big-picture systemic issues(for example, following the Farm Bill currently winding its waythrough Congress.) Yet I still find keeping up with theins-and-outs of eating sustainably an intimidating process. For me,doing so is important for a few reasons: The environment, Captain Obvious! My health. Between heart disease ( the #1 killer of women in the U.S. ), diabetes and cancer, I just don t need any more scaryincentives to tend to my weekly meal and exercise plans. Labor and workers rights (my dad is a union steward) so I tend tothink a lot about the people who grow, stock, process and cook ourfood. All this, plus I enjoy eating tasty food on a budget. Not a smallorder. Hence my interest in reviewing John Robbins new book No Happy Cows , a collection of his greatest hits from Huffington Post, hereredressed and freshly-introduced. (You may also know Robbins from The Food Revolution and numerous other publications.) If you re also curious andwould like more background on food issues, you ll get a terrificoverview of many Big Issues in Food Today and resources to helpnavigate the grocery store (and the internet). As our individualchoices are made amidst a larger context, he argues that we owe itto ourselves as consumers (and eaters) to engage with our foodsystem more mindfully. Robbins says: "You deserve to know the truth about what youeat, where it comes from, and what its impact is on your life andon the world. The more you know the more power you will have totake effective and meaningful action. The more you know, the betterable you will be to bring your food choices into alignment withyour purpose and your passion. Talking industrial food in the U.S. is not for the squeamish. It sdistressing to think that your bacon comes from a pig who livedamidst miserable conditions, the likes of which Robbins lays outunflinchingly. This is where my inner wonk must point out someparallels between industrial systems. Factory farms in the U.S.(just like highways and suburbia) came to be because we made and enabled them, through government subsidies and regulations, or lackthereof. If you ve committed to engage and learn about your food and whereit comes from, these essays are as good a place as any to begin.Organized by themes including animal welfare, what we re eating, industrial food production and holistic self-care,Robbins begins by setting the context of our contentious politicalenvironment. In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama came under fire byBig Ag for planting an organic garden outside the White House,despite the fact that several Big Ag pros had already beenappointed to the FDA by newly-elected President Obama. Robbins goes on to introduce us to a heartbroken hog farmer, thechickens who lay our eggs and the cows immortalized in ads as the Happy Cows of California (hence the volume s title). In one ofthe chapters devoted to specific food topics, he strongly condemnsBig Ag s overuse of antibiotics, referring to concentrated animalfeeding operations, or CAFO s, as bioweapons factories .(You ll recall that CAFO s, also known as factory farms, use 80%of the antibiotics in the U.S., mainly to encourage faster growth.) Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and others recently called to enforcethe ban upon their use in healthy animals . Robbins explains the issue of antibiotic resistance in a fairlyengaging, even humorous, manner. Ecocentric s egg fans should also note Robbins chapter on the subject, in which healso offers some consumer advice. Here he points out that with realindustrial reforms, the price of more ethically-produced eggs couldrise by only a penny per dozen. When it comes to some handy industrial analysis and buying guides,certain foodstuffs are well-served. Robbins lists the nationalbrand ice cream manufacturers that have committed to using onlydairy from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone,or rBGH (a subject which Stephen Colbert breaks down nicely ), how to best support chocolate that does not rely on child labor and the ins-and-outs of fair trade coffee. Taking on two recent and rather egregious examples of greenwashing , Robbins discusses the Susan G. Komen Foundation s partner inpink-bucket crime, KFC , as well as Coca-Cola s infamous reasonable people wouldn tthink a beverage like this is healthy VitaminWater scandal. As Robbins pieces stand alone, the book is a good choice for busyreaders with ten minutes to spare here and there (or withcorresponding attention spans). Despite the brevity, you willlikely want to let the ideas marinate a little. While theconcluding portion of the book briefly touches on new age conceptsthat might not be for everyone, this volume should appeal greatlyto a wide audience. If you d like a slender book to include asyour heavy reading this summer, No Happy Cows makes a fine choice. Look for "No Happy Cows" at your favorite bookseller. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Ratchet Wrench Manufacturer , Wedge Clamps, and more. For more , please visit Protective Barrier today!
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