Harvest for Hope

by Jane Goodall, Gail Hudson, Gary McAvoy

From world-renowned scientist Jane Goodall, as seen in the new National Geographic documentary Jane , comes a provocative look into the ways we can positively impact the world by changing our eating habits.

"One of those rare, truly great books that can change the world."-John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution The renowned scientist who fundamentally changed the way we view primates and our relationship with the animal kingdom now turns her attention to an incredibly important and deeply personal issue-taking a stand for a more sustainable world. In this provocative and encouraging book, Jane Goodall sounds a clarion call to Western society, urging us to take a hard look at the food we produce and consume-and showing us how easy it is to create positive change.Offering her hopeful, but stirring vision, Goodall argues convincingly that each individual can make a difference. She offers simple strategies each of us can employ to foster a sustainable society. Brilliant, empowering, and irrepressibly optimistic, Harvest for Hope is one of the most crucial works of our age. If we follow Goodall's sound advice, we just might save ourselves before it's too late.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Health, Environment, Science, Nature, Nutrition

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

For the Australian academic and mystery writer, see Professor Jane R. Goodall.

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace was a world-renowned ethologist and activist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world every single day.

Dr. Goodall was best known for groundbreaking studies of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, transformative research that continues to this day as the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in the world. Dr. Goodall was the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a global conservation, advocacy, animal welfare, research, and youth empowerment organization, including her global Roots & Shoots program.

Dr. Goodall had worked extensively on climate action, human rights, conservation, and animal welfare issues for decades, and was a central voice in the work to advance environmental progress.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different kind of review today– this book hit home.

To my little brother,

You were right.

You were right and I owe you an apology for offering argument based on my own discomfort and cognitive dissonance rather than on the facts. I’ve spent a long time (an unjustifiably long time, probably) trying to excuse my lifestyle; to convince myself that the things I do are sustainable and ethical when they’re actually much more destructive than I’d like to admit.

For a lot of people, I think, it’s almost unbearably uncomfortable and overwhelming to confront the many problems that humans have created and the extent to which we’ve destroyed our own environment and the creatures with which we were designed to co-exist. Despite the value I’ve placed on having an open mind, and my advocacy for intellectual growth and change based on obtaining new information, I have long avoided informing myself about the food I eat precisely because I didn’t want to change; it’s hard, inconvenient, and difficult to process the fact that I have been wrong about so many things for so long. As horrendous as that seems, I don’t think I’m alone in my avoidance of such personal confrontation. It took an interest in Orca and Jane Goodall’s soft, Mother Teresa-esque advocacy to push me over the edge into serious self reflection.

Meat tastes good. Animal products taste good. It’s convenient to have out-of-season fruits and vegetables available all year long. These things are readily available and easy to eat. And when we’ve been culturally trained to not know where our food comes from– when we’re so removed from the brutal and environmentally ruinous nature of its creation– it’s easy to delude ourselves into thinking that we’re not doing any damage. That what we’re eating is good for us. That what the government and giant corporations are telling us about food is true. Because why would they lie? Government, especially, is here to protect us and work in our best interest, right?

Of course, as we all should know by now, money is the issue here. Greed has led to the corporate takeover of food and water– necessities for human survival– which has led to unbelievably abusive animal farms (”contained animal feeding operations”) and fish farms, irreversible water pollution, mass deforestation, and the poisoning of our bodies and environment. When corrupt and oh-so-rich (and therefore powerful) leaders move seamlessly from government to Monsanto and back again, it should come as no surprise that we the people have completely lost control over the food we eat.

Our situation is bleak. Species are dying off at an astonishing rate. Our water is all but undrinkable and ever more rapidly drying up. Our fruits and vegetables– supposedly the healthiest foods for our bodies– are being created in what essentially amount to experimental laboratories that are destroying what was once arable soil and utterly eliminating the diversity of crops so necessary to long-term sustainability. Animals are being so severely abused and genetically modified that they can no longer walk or function as normal animals should. Their bodies are pumped full of chemicals and hormones that literally dissolve their organs, facilitate mass disease, and inflict endless and unnecessary suffering.

That said, I do think there are sustainable ways to consume meat and animal products. I still don’t wholly condemn the use of animals in contributing to a system of human sustenance. Ethical farming methods do exist, and seem to be making a come back as a result of increased public awareness and outcry. Farmers markets, food co-ops, and the deep organic movements pose a profound challenge to the corporate world today. Minimal to moderate consumption (a completely foreign concept here, I know) has been shown to be harmless, if not healthy in some respects. Long story short, there is hope, however small a spark.

I can’t promise that I’ll never eat meat or consume animal products, nor do I think it necessary to do so in order to live ethically in relation to food and the environment. I CAN promise to be more mindful about the things I choose to buy and eat. I can reduce my meat and animal product intake and do my best to support local, ethical, and sustainable food. The benefits of doing so (my health, environmental health, animal wellbeing, water conservation, etc.) seem to far outweigh the consequences (it’s hard and I have little self control).

For now I’m still digesting (no pun intended) all the information I’ve recently come across and contemplating how it fits into my own identity and the way I choose to live my life. It’s difficult not to be cynical and not to feel somewhat hopeless about the state of the world. But I’m doing my best, and the best I can do right now is to come to terms with the fact that the way I currently do things is contributing to a system that isn’t consistent with my own values. Growth is painful, is it not?

You have a good heart and a wise soul.
Cheesy, I know, but I’m proud that you’re my brother.

Sarah

P.S. This book is fabulous.

[Karen Germain · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jane Goodall. I have seen her lecture three times and have met her personally while working on behavioral research projects. She is inspirational and someone that I greatly admire.

What I liked about this book, was it has a lot of common sense. Goodall is a vegetarian, but she does not expect people to give up eating meat. She explains the reality of today's corporate farms and harvesting methods. It's not so much that big business is bad, but it is kind of scary that so few people control our food and water supply. Food and water are big business and sometimes making money gets in the way of the greater good.

Goodall is not an expert on food. However, this book is well researched and when she doesn't have support to back her up, she admits it. The style is a bit informal, which I liked. She gives logical reasons for why we should care and practical tips for implementing change. Goodall is an environmental activist, but I think that this book has broader appeal. I think that it was written more for someone will a passive view on environmentalism. Goodall is not simply preaching to the converted, she give compelling reasons for change that would appeal to a wide variety of people.

In particular, I liked the sections on heirlooms, GMO's and slow foods. I am not turning vegetarian, but I found compelling reasons to eat a little less meat

[Sigrid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found Harvest for Hope to be well-intentioned with a marked lack of rigorous thought about the real issues facing the planet and feeding the nearly 7 billion humans in it.

Goodall & her ghost writers discuss the increasing degradation of the environment from farming. She both talks about desertification from traditional societies cutting forests for farms, the toxic byproducts of industrial farming, and the destruction of wild habitats. These are serious problems and anyone who loves our planet should be concerned about them.

However, Goodall never discusses problems in any depth. This is a call to individual action. She concludes with, “Remember, every food purchase is a vote. . . Our purchases, our votes, will determine the way ahead. And thousands upon thousands of votes are needed in favor of the kind of farming practices that will restore health to our planet.” Frankly, this sounds like it’s straight out of Whole Foods’ marketing department; a message designed to make you feel good about having the tastes and habits of wealthy, upper middle class Americans.

To me, the biggest and most obvious problem is population growth. This is tangentially mentioned in many places, yet never addressed. She mentions urban development encroaching on farmland in China. India, she says, is losing 6 billion tons of topsoil per year, mostly to deforestation. She talks about the area around Gombe in Tanzania, where once the hills were forested, the trees were cut to make room for farms and the hills are now bare and topsoil washes away, polluting rivers.

Yet what are her solutions? Does she ever mention making sure every fertile couple has access to affordable birth control? No. Since 1950, Tanzania’s population has grown from 7M to 44M and the average woman has 5.5 children. Families with 10 children are not uncommon. Only 26% of the Tanzanian population has access to birth control. Is any of this mentioned in Harvest for Hope? No. Goodall’s solution to the problem of soil degradation, deforestation and the destruction of wild habitats is to support her program to plant trees near Gombe and “When we buy local sustainable food we support a new food paradigm where local communities reap the benefits of trade, rather than a few multinational corporations.” In short, support your local farmer’s market in America while Tanzanian women continue to give birth to more and more children! Yes, that will prevent Chimpanzee habitat destruction. The tomatoes will taste better, too.

The book has a number of errors and plenty of fuzzy thinking and outright nonsense. It has cobbled together common green themes with little thought. The authors (I’m assuming a heavy hand of her ghost writers) extoll at length traditional agriculture and demonize industrial agriculture and chemicals.

On page 170, she says, “If you buy “certified organic” food, you are guaranteed that it was grown without chemical pesticides.” That’s plain old not true. The USDA’s National Organic Program defines what is allowed in the US in foods certified as organic. Tetracycline has been allowed in organic produce since 2002. Copper sulfate is allowed in the US and UK. It’s made by a reaction of copper and sulfuric acid and is very toxic to the environment.

These chemicals are used in organic farming because fungal diseases and pests are a problem. India’s population has tripled in the last 60 years. Thanks to chemical pesticides and fertilizers and seed selection, agricultural productivity has also risen dramatically. Estimates I’ve found have run from 40% to 500%, depending on the crop and the state. How much wild habitat would have been destroyed for farms if productivity hadn’t risen? How many acres of wild habitat has modern farming saved in the last 50 years?

As she points out, many agricultural chemicals are bad for the environment and not all that great for humans. Of course, she condemns GMOs as “Frankenfoods.” By not acknowledging the real benefits of modern agriculture nor the real problems farmers face, she can propose a simple, false solution --- go chemical-free, which not even the UK or the US’s Organic certification boards have found realistic (and why copper sulfate is still used).

If you want a shallow repetition of every green theme out there spiced up with vignettes from Goodall’s interesting and exotic life, by all means, buy this book. If you’re expecting a thoughtful, researched and in-depth discussion of the issues facing our planet, Harvest for Hope is not the book you want.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fully expected to encounter a preachy Goodall telling me that I was a murderer, carcass-eater, and all the other niceties that vegetarians seem to call people who eat meat. But Goodall is smarter than the average vegetarian. She understands that people are different and that being preachy and judgmental isn't the way to save the world.

Instead, Goodall lays out the facts, bit by bit, and leaves it up to you to decide what to do. The facts are many and they are scary. I found myself unconsciously eating less meat while reading this book. She starts off the book with a celebration of food. Why we love it, why we need it and how the different cultures celebrate with it.

Then we get into some dire facts. I honestly had no idea of the extent of the plight of the farmer, no idea about genetically modified foods or how cows, chickens, pigs, etc are "harvested" for their meat. I already knew about the obesity issue in Americans, everyone knows this. But with some helpful suggestions from Goodall, it seems like something that is fixable. She has a chapter on becoming a vegetarian but she repeatedly states throughout the book to just eat LESS meat. The amount of energy, grain and water that is needed to support the meat industry is staggering and if everyone just ate less, it would make a huge difference.

Obviously becoming vegetarian would be helpful, but she says that even becoming semi-vegetarian is helpful. Eating meat only occasionally and eating meat that is organic and free-range shows your support to the farmers who are trying to make a living and make a difference in the world. Going to farmer's markets, buying local produces, buying organic, forgoing bottled water (apparently tests have shown that bottled water has some pretty nasty toxins in it simply because this area isn't regulated like regular tap (public) water is) and growing your own food are just a few ways to help keep the world healthy for the future generations.

The United Nations released a study showing that if we don't stop the degradation of the land, pollution, and overfishing of the seas, we would literally run out of food for the world's population by 2050.

Just reading the book is enough to spur people into action, to take the small steps necessary to protect the earth's food supply for many many more generations. This is a really motivating book.

[spoko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I’m a big fan of Jane Goodall. I like what I know of her scientific work, I am in line with her advocacy, and she seems like a pretty cool person overall. And of course, if you liked that disclaimer, you’re probably not going to like the rest of this review. Because I was quite disappointed in this book.

It’s pure advocacy, of course, which isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for me (though it is an obstacle). But it’s not a very robust work, at all. My major complaint, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, is her truly shoddy use of science. Again and again, she makes sweeping claims that lean very heavily on scant evidence. Besides which, that evidence is either poorly laid out or obviously faulty. She cites certain claims that I know to be problematic, and she isn’t just citing them in passing, or as part of an otherwise well-supported claim. There are other citations that I’m not as familiar with, but in this context, I find it difficult to put any confidence in them. So in the end, though I agree almost entirely with her conclusions, I didn’t draw much insight or inspiration from this book. She’s preaching, not just to the choir, but to only its most enthusiastic, least skeptical members. If you are one, you should love this. If you’re not, I’d advise you to skip it.

Also, the subtitle is thoroughly misleading. This book is much more about consumption (of food, granted) than about eating. Yet another disappointment, though a much smaller one.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointing. I admire her integrity and her choices, but didn't feel that she was enough of an authority on the topic to write a complete text. I would have liked more depth, less breadth and personal anecdotes.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a nice introduction for someone who knows nothing or very little about the current crisis surrounding food production, the modern American diet, and the environment. If this is a topic you know a lot about (like myself) you will probably be very bored. Some of her anecdotes are nice, and again, for a sustainable ag newbie Goodall's voice will help hold your interest amongst all the heavy hitting facts. There were some things I new little about, which were the issues surrounding our water supply and seafood (I'm a middle-America dweller, so I don't often think about what's going on on our coasts). The book is also written from the perspective of a serious animal-lover, so this book may appeal more to vegetarians and animal rights folks than a dyed in the wool meat eater.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Jane Goodall, and I've always admired and respected her as a primatologist.

But I really did not like this book. It's full of infuriating contradictions: GMOs are presented as unquestionably evil, yet lab-grown meat is mentioned as an excellent example of how science can combat hunger. Peace is cited as the best way to eradicate world hunger, yet she actually idolizes people who destroy GMO crops (and this blatant approval of violent/destructive actions is alarming in its own right). Industrial farming is presented as a faceless evil that is diametrically opposed to the caring, wholesome family farm.

Every anecdote, every example of how to fix our evil food problems feels cherry-picked and full of deliberately emotionally-charged buzzwords to evoke a specific reaction in the reader. I grew up in a "traditional" industrial farming community, and felt like Jane was pointing a condemning finger at my entire community's way of life, even though we were all family farms of people who love the land and its wildlife, who strive to use science and technology to improve husbandry of the land, who care about our livestock as living beings. I was disappointed in the lack of interest in understanding the science behind GMOs, as well; it was all "goes-without-saying pure evil" with not much evidence to support the view.

Finally, I got a weird sense of holier-than-thou from this book. No doubt Jane's touring life is demanding, but saying things like "I'm spending time I don't have to write this book" doesn't endear the author to the reader.

[Barbara E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains some good information. I just wish that Jane would advocate for a vegan lifestyle.

[Mikel Mancisidor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro que nos desvela, con tanto rigor como pasión y vitalidad, los lazos estrechísimos que unen la comida y el medioambiente, nuestra compra semanal con el desarrollo, con la vida, con la salud, con la ecología, con la biodiversidad, con las culturas… y con la organización de las personas y de los grupos en la lucha por un mundo mejor para todos. Aunque sus apuestas “vegetarianistas” a mí me resulte un tanto excesivas, el conjunto es muy interesantes y nos ayuda mucho a relacionar lo que de por sí está relacionado, lo que en el fondo son lados de la misma geometría. No pretende ser un ensayo científico -para eso nos vamos a otras obras de su autora, premiada por ellas con el Príncipe de Asturias, entre otros- sino unas reflexiones compartidas desde la vivencia que siente y se interesa por lo que le rodea y se sabe parte actuante de ese entorno. Tras la lectura de este libro, tu compra semanal empujando el carrito no puede ser ya más un acto inocente ausente de consecuencias salvo para tu bolsillo y tu despensa: es una acto con consecuencias políticas, sociales y medioambientales, empeñarnos en ignorarlo no aminora esa trascendencia o relevancia. Lo que compras afecta a los mercados, los ecosistemas, las relaciones sociales, la salud, la biodiversidad. No es lo mismo comprar productos de comercio justo, ecológicos, con denominación de origen garantizada… que no hacerlo. No toda la culpa la tienen los gobierno o el Banco Mundial: ¿qué haces tú con la parte que te corresponde?

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excellent book of propaganda. If Ms. Goodall wanted to present a well-rounded argument, she would have looked into ALL aspects of genetically modified organisms, not just those that are bred to have pesticides within their DNA. This is a great book for fear-mongering, but I would hardly call it informative and would encourage anyone who reads it to also read up on the realities of GMOs, among other things mentioned in this book. Ms. Goodall uses the common tactic of only mentioning the worst of everything, but neglects to state that she uses examples of worst-case scenarios, leading unassuming readers to believe that everything works that way. It doesn't. A very disappointing read from a usually brilliant writer.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a person who raises poultry on the grass, naturally with no added growth stimulants, hormones or chemical help, I try to read any book that promotes this way of raising animals and also tries to educate the public in general.

While Ms. Goodall's book is good, it also covers territory that has been written about in several other books.

If you're just beginning to learn about how major CAFO's and corporations are running/ruining our food supply this is a good book to start with. If you're already invested in the movement, you can read through this one very quickly but you will find some interesting links to organizations that you may not have previously known about.

[Bwong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this book much higher had there been a Works Cited / bibliography.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite surprising, is that Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist known to many as the ‘Chimpanzee Lady’, would be turning her attention to human eating behaviors, and the colossal food industries that force-feed some cultures’ self-destructive habits for mass consumption.

It is her experience as an animal behaviouralist that explains how, during the course of evolution, animals’ need to get adequate food of the right sort, including our own species. Chimpanzees, like humans, are omnivores, but they are predominantly fruit eaters and only occasionally eat meat. Unlike carnivores, with a short digestive tract, humans, like chimps, have a very elongated large intestine, which suggests that we too should include far less meat in our diets than what Western culture today dictates.

Goodall is troubled by the many negative forces that that have created a polluted planet and have been harmful to both humans and animals. In a nutshell, ‘the giant corporations control much of the world’s food, as well as the patents on our seed. Billions of farm animals live in conditions of utmost deprivation and misery. Humans and animals are increasingly becoming poisoned from the chemicals that have been lavishly sprinkled over fields, crops, and food produce and that have contaminated the earth’s water, soil, and air. Disease-causing bacteria are building up resistance to the antibiotics that are routinely administered to livestock in factory farms. Genetically Modified Oganisms have escaped into the environment… Billions of tons of fossil fuel are used to transport our food from one end of the planet to the other – and often back again – contributing significantly to the changes in global climate. And the soil is being not only poisoned but swept away by wind from areas, cleared for agriculture. Mono-culture crops subsidized by governments provide fuel for the manufacture of hamburgers and T-bone steaks. Thousands of children die of obesity and its attendant ills in the West, while millions more die of starvation in the developing world. Family farms are going out of business and asphalt and concrete is spread over more and more good arable land. Water is becoming terrifyingly scarce as well as polluted. All this and more makes grim reading…’

But hope springs from positive sources and the situation is not utterly hopeless: Edible Schoolyard programs in the U.K. and U.S., parents breaking their schools’ ‘unholy alliance’ with fast food chains and soft drink companies, a steady rise in organic purchases.

We need to take immediate steps to reduce fossil fuel emissions; bring to an end government and consumer support for industrial agriculture, including animal factory farms and fisheries that harm the planet; and start subsidising and supporting more sensible and sustainable ways to feed human beings.

Goodall offers many suggestions for rallying others, and exercising one’s own consumer powers:

Buy organic. This will encourage more organic production and less pesticide-laden foods.
Buy locally grown produce. This reduces pollution caused by shipping foods long distances. Available farm-fresh foods will reduce the consumption of packaged, processed and fast foods.
Buy from local organic farmers. Shop at farmers’ markets and/or join a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) group. CSA customers receive regular deliveries of local fresh farm items.
Buy organic and fair-trade imports. If you do buy imports, make certain they are grown and harvested ethically and organically.
Have a family meal free of electronic media stimulation. Turn off the television and radio. Family meals tend to have better nutrition. Children eating family meals tend to have better behavior in school and are less likely to do drugs, smoke, become depressed, or have eating disorders.
Encourage healthy school lunch programs.
Don’t take water for granted. Stop wasting water. Buy a filter for your tap water so you don’t need to buy bottled water from a conglomerate eager to control our water supply.
It is these actions that bring about the ‘Harvest for Hope’.

The book, with its extensive research and many statistics and facts, is an easy read that excels by bringing much new information to topics that have been well covered in the past. Having Goodall’s name on the cover and reading her personal experiences adds a dimension of warmth and interest to those who prefer that their own eating habits be stirred – not shaken – into question.

Says one reviewer, ‘Jane Goodall’s discussions were the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. The camel was mindful eating and Jane finally tipped me over the abyss.’

[DC · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my least favorite (by far) of Goodall's works. Perhaps the multiple authors dilute her voice, because the topic is one about which I care.
The summary chapter explaining how food is important to all cultures and tied up in cultural identity could have been so good. But it is elementary drivel that borders dangerously on admiring the "exotic" for the sake of being "the other." "Chinese people eat Chinese food, of course," is pretty close to being a direct quote from that section. What? My cultural anthropology colleagues would probably have an aneurysm over this chapter; even I found myself rolling my eyes.

I found myself glad not to be an expert in fields like agriculture, cooking, and hydrology, because then the simplistic treatment of these topics would have been just as irksome to me as the anthropology-themed sections. An interesting and relevant topic was treated to very poor prose and a complete lack of citations (which another review of this book on this site has pointed out). The resources section is actually helpful, and despite looking forward to the book's end, it renewed my commitment to eating "deep organic" food, so I suppose it accomplished its mission in that respect.

I'm afraid that its writing style and use of only informal references to actual studies make it unlikely to convince those who are not already committed to making diet changes that are better for human, animal, and environmental health.

[pennyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Goodall is one of my ethical heroes and seemingly lives by example. In this book she outlines a history of food consumption, the demise of small individually owned farms and their long standing practical farm practices like crop rotation and animals raised free range in favor of factory or commercial/gov. subsidized animal/plant “farming” to feed more people for less money resulting in alarming ethical and safety issues with overwhelming costs to our health, water, land, and air.

This was first published in 2005 and is as timely today as then. Today most of us are at least cognizant of these issues but may be overwhelmed by the scope of the problem (and that beautiful, clean air-conditioned supermarket) and lack of solutions. At the end of each chapter she offers suggestions for the individual. Small, simple but impactful changes in our daily lives that can make a difference and who better equipped to make these changes than those of us lucky enough to live in a part of the world where food is abundant. Everyone should read this book.

"The hardest part of returning to a truly healthy environment may be changing the current totally unsustainable heavy-meat-eating culture of increasing numbers of people around the world. But we must try. We must make a start, one by one.”

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Goodall read and, frankly, I was disappointed. The book had stirred up some controversy before publication for being poorly researched, drawing some of its information from Wikipedia and other unreliable websites. I expected Goodall to cite the book heavily in order to counter these accusations, but there is not one citation to be seen. So how exactly do I know that a vegetable grown in Nebraska has to travel 500 miles just to end up at the local Nebraska Wal-Mart? Is that true, or is it something picked from a second-rate website with no editorial value? Not only that, but Goodall seems to base quite a few of her assertions on anecdotes and secondhand observations. Other times, Goodall seemed to contradict herself, lamenting technology such as chemical fertilizer yet lauding silicate soil; encouraging native peoples to go back to their original diets, yet telling stories of how she improved the lives of Africans by bringing them certain farming implements. While the book was an easy read and entertaining at times, I would recommend reading something by the more experienced food writers, such as Michael Pollan and skipping this compendium of questionable source material.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the best person to ask about a topic is someone who is a couple of steps away from the issue. Take for example Jane Goodall. She is best known for her work with primates, but this book takes on the issue of food. Here is someone who has seen food from various perspectives and her book “Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating” proves it.

With the help of Gary McAvoy and Gail Hudson, she writes with clarity, joyful energy and hard hitting prose. As a self professed vegetarian she does not proselytize her viewpoints upon the reader. To better understand our relation to food she uses personal anecdotes to emphasize the dangers of modern agribusiness and the hope of an emerging culture based around quality food raised and grown with common sense and wisdom passed down through the ages. She looks at animal factories, biotechnology, water, organics, family farmers, children and the hope of citizen action. She sees hope in many places and in many individuals.

For a well rounded look at food issues, “Harvest of Hope” is one of finest books written in many years. If you are looking for some clarity on these issues, this book deserves your full attention.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much. Many things in this book made me angry and sad, but then Jane Goodall would tell wonderful stories of hope and change. This gave me hope. There are so many amazing individuals out there making positive changes for this planet and their own health and the health and welfare of others. It is inspirational. I am joining a CSA because of this book. I am going to make a conscious effort to eat locally and support local farmers. DO NOT let the big corporations who only care about their bottom line win. We need to think about ourselves, our families and our planet when making consumer decisions. One person can make a difference!
I was already toying with veganism and trying my hand at various recipes. I am now devoted to making that change in my diet permanent.
I am already very eco-conscious, but I definitely learned a lot from this book. This book is well researched.

[Jeane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I think everybody should have read. It doesn't matter if you are interested what happens with our planet, what you eat or who you are and where. You can decide yourself while reading if there is anything you want to pick up, integrate in your life or even means something to you, if you will change something in your life. It is just really interested and really well written. It gives energy!

[Milkiways · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written full of important facts associated with food production, water usage, reforms, drawbacks etc. around the world. Of course Europe took front seat as usual enforcing reforms while North America no where seem to be thinking anything about it. This book makes perfect sense to me why the number of vegans is increasing so rapidly. Honestly, I don't see myself as a vegan but definitely appreciate them for their role in saving animals.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

very basic overview type stuff about the moral choices involved in eating. i found myself frequently thinking that maybe this book could sway my mom...which is probably the audience type it was intended for. i mean, who doesn't respect jane goodall?? she comes across as an awesomely thoughtful grandmother. give this book to your non-vegetarian non-asshole friends.

[Dbruch]

If you aren't eating organic foods--you may change your mind after reading this. A true eye-opener: you may understand why you are having weird aches and pains and other serious symptoms when you see how many additives come with all of the foods we eat and drink. I've already started eating organic produce for starters--delicious!

[Sarah Babbs Caress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great eye-opening book about the organic food movement. It shows the truth about genetically modified foods, factory farms, our impact on the Earth, and how we can lessen it. I would reccomend this for anyone.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy-to-read book that will change the way you think about food. (And scare you skinny!!!)

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just getting into this book and really liking it. Ms. Goodall knows her stuff. Her observations (IMHO) are right-on.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers simple strategies to foster a sustainable society. Eat organic. Shop at farmer's markets. Important to examine the food you consume - it can be easy to create positive changes.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I was already vegetarian before reading this book, have to say that Jane Goodall's narrative gave me plenty more insights to 'chew on.'

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will definately be cutting back on my meat eating after reading this book and pressuring my government to label genetically modified foods.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Goodall, Gary McAvoy and Gail Hidson present a new paradigm on mindful eating that is ethical, sustainable, and environmentally conscious. This book is dedicated to small farmers and to the ethical treatment of animals. It covers a broad range of subjects including nature's ingenuity in the diverse ways to catch, prepare and digest foods, to diverse ways of protection, to acquisition propagation and consumption. It tells the story of how we lost commonsense farming to the misery of agribusiness and animal farms with its detriments to human health and how to reverse this. The ravaging of the oceans and the seas and the looming water crisis will affect the way we eat. Sprinkled through out these topics are ways and things we can do now. Demand labeling of GMOs, demand supermarkets stop carrying products with hidden GMOs. Also put biohazard labels on GMOs. Eat less meat or buy certified organic animal products. Use your CONSUMER POWER!! Every dollar you spend is a VOTE for small, organic, sustainable, farmers. Buy FAIR TRADE. Nourish the soil, use water more efficiently, and you'll find this book just chocked with knowledge and HOPE !!