Food Fight: From Plunder and Profit to People and Planet

by Stuart Gillespie

'Scholarly, literate and deeply moving, this isn't just a good read, it's an essential reference for anyone hoping to understand the food system, why it's broken and how we might imagine fixing it' CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN

Food is life but our food system is killing us. Designed in a different century for a different purpose – to mass-produce cheap calories to prevent famine – it’s now generating obesity, ill-health and driving the climate crisis. We need to transform it into a system that can nourish all eight billion of us and the planet we live on.

In Food Fight, Stuart Gillespie reveals how the system we once relied upon for global nutrition has warped into the very thing making us sick. From its origins in colonial plunder through to the last few decades of neoliberalism, the system now lies in the tight grip of a handful of powerful transnationals who are playing for profit at any cost – aided by governments who let them get away with it. With his eye trained on the future and on solutions within our grasp, Gillespie also celebrates the impact of success stories from around the world, driven by remarkable citizens, social movements, policy makers and politicians. These case studies offer hope that, by organising and learning, we can build a better food future for ourselves and for our children.

Both unflinching exposé and revolutionary call to arms, Food Fight maps a way towards a new system that gives us hope for a future of global health and justice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Environment, Audiobook, Social Justice

368 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some important points in here about inequality, malnutrition, food access, poverty, and the politics of global health. But finding them is like going on an archaeological dig armed only with a teaspoon while someone whispers WHO reports in your ear for 400 pages

[Georgina Reads_Eats_Explores]

“Food is life but our food system is killing us.”

It’s not often a book lands its central argument in the opening line and then spends the next few hundred pages proving it, but that’s exactly what Stuart Gillespie does in Food Fight.

Part food politics, part public health investigation and part call to action, this is a deeply researched look at how we’ve ended up with a food system where hunger, malnutrition, obesity and diet-related illness can all exist side by side.

Gillespie draws on decades of experience in global nutrition policy, and that expertise shines through. What could have been an overwhelming subject is made surprisingly accessible as he traces the journey from colonial exploitation and post-war industrial agriculture to today’s ultra-processed food economy.

The chapters exploring the power of “Big Food” were particularly compelling. Gillespie examines how large corporations influence policy, shape public narratives and delay regulation, drawing uncomfortable parallels with tactics previously used by the tobacco industry. Whether you agree with all of his conclusions or not, the evidence he presents is difficult to ignore.

I also appreciated the historical perspective. Rather than treating today’s food challenges as separate issues, Gillespie connects them to wider questions of inequality, corporate power and political decision-making. His reflections on Ireland’s “Great Famine”, and what it reveals about who controls food and who goes hungry, are particularly striking. So too is his exploration of ultra-processed foods and how they have become so embedded in modern life. Readers who enjoyed Chris van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People may find this a natural next read.

The second half of the book shifts towards solutions. I did find myself wondering whether the proposed reforms could ever match the scale of the problems outlined earlier, but Gillespie remains hopeful throughout. His argument is ultimately that meaningful change requires political leadership, citizen action and a willingness to challenge the structures that created these issues in the first place.

This isn’t a light read, but it is an important one.

If you’re interested in food systems, sustainability, public health, food justice or simply understanding why the way we eat has become such a political issue, Food Fight offers a thoughtful and thoroughly researched starting point.

A fascinating, sometimes infuriating, but ultimately hopeful exploration of one of the biggest challenges facing all of us.

Thank you to the publisher for the kindly gifted copy. All opinions my own.

[Simone Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuart Gillespie uses his years of nutrition education to present his argument that today's food system benefits no one but the very rich. He explains how "Big Food" companies are largely responsible for worsening the lives of those in poverty and for contributing to the raising rates of obesity in many countries. He covers some of the worst atrocities that these companies have caused, such as the Nestle baby formula scandal.

I'm not sure if this book would be of interest to everyone, but I found it very engaging and informative. I do think that everyone should be educated on how giant food companies have more sway over our lives than we realise and this book is a great resource for that.

Our current system of the richest 1% worsening the lives of everyone else is not sustainable, fair or moral. Stuart Gillespie ends the book with a list of what is needed to change the current food climate. It's a hopeful note to end the book on, speaking of the power of individuals coming together. However, the true power of change lies in the hands of those who are causing the problems. Will they make those changes? Only time will tell.

[WonChia Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

作者以为自己写的是资本如何劫持粮食，其实写的是世界帝国如何完成对人类胃口的统一。殖民时代的东印度公司用军舰、税吏和饥荒重组孟加拉的土地，今日的跨国公司用广告、配方和超级市场完成同一件事。手段文明了，结构并没有改变。谁控制粮食，谁就控制人口；谁规定日常饮食，谁就不必再征服灵魂。

传统社会的食物来自地方共同体。中世纪修道院、英格兰庄园和中国宗族都把生产、储藏、祭祀和救济结合在一起。现代体系则把这些功能拆散，农民成为原料供应者，消费者成为财政和医学管理对象，中间由公司、银行与行政机关分配风险和利润。廉价热量并非制度失灵，正是制度成功。罗马晚期以安诺纳供养城市无产者，大英帝国以糖、茶和谷物维持工业人口，现代国家则以高度加工食品维持脱离土地的群众。肥胖、糖尿病和营养不良，是人口被纳入统一市场以后支付的秩序成本。

作者的问题在于，他仍然相信经过更好监管、更公平贸易和更有责任感的企业，世界食品体系便可以服务人民。这是进步主义知识分子一贯的幻觉。他们看见了帝国机器，却只想更换驾驶员。权力一旦集中，粮食就必然服从财政、战争和组织效率，而不会服从营养学家的善意。

真正的替代方案不来自全球治理，而来自地方共同体重新取得土地、加工、信用和分配权。没有退出权的消费者，只是被喂养的人口；不能决定生产方式的农民，只是拥有地契的雇工。所谓食品危机，是地方社会死亡以后，帝国仍能生产卡路里，却已经不能生产自由人的结果。

[Bridget Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and depressing. The government is supposed to work for the people, and widespread obesity and malnutrition is a failure of the system and not the individual. This is proven at great length with research and insights of corruption/conflicts of interest.

The author frames the solutions as very practical, which I appreciated. The content is depressing and it t is more productive to offer a solution than to only focus on the systemic downfalls.

[Cameron Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give Gillespie's book 4 1/2 stars I would. It falls short of 5 stars for one very simple reason: it doesn't map out actionable steps for individuals (like us readers) to take. Instead, it gives categories of activities (e.g., "knowledge sharing and continuous learning" p. 299). Gillespie does, however:

* Provide a list of organizations that can be resources for further action,
* Provide occasional examples of good actors, and
* Leaves readers with the needless-to-be-said conclusion that buying or eating Ultra Processed Food (UPF) is bad.

Still, most of the book is about the nearly infinite list of policy failures by governments across the globe to tackle this must-tackle epidmic of UPF consumption.

I think the readers who will appreciate this book the most will be policy actvists. Since I am one (though not in the food world), I truly appreciate how difficult it is to write a book about policy failures and fixes. To his enduring credit, Gillespie carves out an unrealistically wide lane to cover then deftly stays within that lane in an engaging yet still thorough way. The author has a wealth of experience and is persuasive. Some gems from the book:

* Nestle's emissions from food and packing are about three times those of its host country, Switzerland (whoa!)
* It takes up to 600 liters of water to produce just one liter of soda (that's rough!)
* Five companies -- ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Cofco, and Louis Dreyfus -- control 70-90 of the global grain trade (that's dangerous!)
* Three-quarters of the global food retail is coontrolled by five companies (Nestle, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Unilever) (sounds like a cartel to me)
* Nestle spent around US $18.5 billion on marketing in 2022, more than the health budgets of most low- and middle-income countries, and five times the operating budget of the World Health Organization.
* The "know-do gap" is pronounced in the world of food policy. We know what's right and wrong, but don't do what it takes to make the right decisions or what it takes to stop the bad ones. We need a generation of "pracademics" who study and act on the problem. Not just study the problem.
* Foundations/Big Philanthropy ("Big Phil!") can be part of the problem. Surprising details in the book.

All 300 pages are packed with factoids like this that'll get your attention. If you care about the planet, your community's health, and your health, you'll want to choose carefully what you consume. The knowledge in this book is a good place to start.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although interesting, I did find this very dense, and the audio read by Stuart, was a little monotone as well. You may give up before the second half of the book, as it seems like almost nothing is good or going good in this 'food fight' but he does finally go on about things that can be done, yet in reality, not in the vein of what 'we' can really do - that is, the 'normal people' as it is more about how the big business, governments and corporations are running the food world, and in the end, it will probably up to them to fix the mess that they have created, which is a shame. Although 'suitable' for teens, I don't think they could stick it out reading this book. More suitable for people willing to listen to the ideas, which are good, but will interest those only who are into the 'food fight' and the politics behind it.

[Mat Greener · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real eye opener about the harm that big food companies have done 5 are still doing including being complicit in millions of deaths to turning a blind eye to slave labour. I am a number nerd but even I found at times the statistics were too heavy felt like reading a scientific paper but saying that when you digest the figures they are scary.As a result of this book I will try to avoid Nestle products . This was something I had heard other people saying but never realised / heard all the facts.
Food is definitely a problem up there with alcohol, opioids, tobacco & gambling

[Edward Silverman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was well written and argued though not for me. I follow the space a bit so was not surprised by anything. Additionally the author’s passion for the topic came through. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and probably makes the story great - but, knowing the background it came across preachy. That said, I still rate the book highly as it is a good survey of how the food system works. I do not know if it will persuade, say a regular joe coke drinker. But I don’t know if they will even pick this up to begin with.

[Tlalli Uribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't all too sure what I would be reading, but I was in for a true revelation. I am Mexican, and I had no idea of the conflict of interest that President Fox had going into government. I am furious. How did this happen?! Stuart, if you read this, thank you. I needed to know this. I wholeheartedly believe our capitalism, neoliberalist mode of production, needs to change for this world to improve.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now the wealthy barons have taken over our food system, yet again profit over the best interests of the population. They are making us ill with the over processed food and corrupt systems. An important discussion on how we can fix our food system

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing.

I consider myself quite food-aware, but it was shocking to read first-hand revelations about how far the Big Food lobby really goes to get us all hooked since day one on the planet.

My book of the year so far.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book everyone should read

[Thordis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking book that I highly recommend people to read.

[Ben King · Rating 2 out of 5]

poorly but passionately written