Seeds of Resistance: The Fight to Save Our Food Supply

by Mark Schapiro, Mark Schapiro

Sun. Soil. Water. Seed. These are the primordial ingredients for the most essential activity of all on growing food. All of these elements are being changed dramatically under the pressures of corporate consolidation of the food chain, which has been accelerating just as climate change is profoundly altering the conditions for growing food. In the midst of this global crisis, the fate of our food has slipped into a handful of the world’s largest companies. Food Chained will bring home what this corporate stranglehold is doing to our daily diet, from the explosion of genetically modified foods to the rapid disappearance of plant varieties to the elimination of independent farmers who have long been the bedrock of our food supply.Food Chained will touch many nerves for readers, including concerns about climate change, chronic drought in essential farm states like California, the persistence of the junk food culture, the proliferation of GMOs, and the alarming domination of the seed market and our very life cycle by global giants like Monsanto.But not all is bleak when it comes to the future of our food supply. Food Chained will also present hopeful stories about farmers, consumer groups, and government agencies around the world that are resisting the tightening corporate squeeze on our food chain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Agriculture, Gardening, Environment

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2018

About the author

Mark Schapiro is editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco. He has written extensively on foreign affairs and his work has appeared in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and other publications, and he has reported stories for Frontline, NOW with Bill Moyers, and public radio's Marketplace. Schapiro lives in San Francisco, California"

Reviews

[Isabella Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

thinkinGGGG about seed diversity fr🫡🫡

[Roshini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct, informative, revelatory, and critical.

[Mary Schaefbauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent pacing, organization, and writing.

Schapiro provides an easy-to-read and digest overview of the precarious situation our current lack of genetic diversity in seeds has us in, followed by a hopeful (but realistic) look at how scientists, farmers, activists, and indigenous people are working to ensure a sustainable future.

Brief but rich with references and bibliography that is currently filling my "want to read" shelf to learn more.

[Natasha Alterici · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now know that there are plenty of reasons to oppose GMO's that have nothing to do with the scare-mongering rhetoric about "What's in our food?" that we're used to hearing. A well-researched and well-argued book. Read this book, save those seeds.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of seeds

A journey through stories about seeds and how they are imperiled by chemical corporations who own almost half of them, stripping them of their unique natures to create conformist master crops. Why climate chaos means we must rebel and create new paradigms of resistance and survivability for themselves and ourselves.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about how the lack of diversity in our farming system puts our food system at risk especially with the unpredictability of climate change. It was a bit repetitive, but worth the time.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty eye opening introduction for someone who knew nothing about the ongoing struggle against Monsanto and the other chemical/seed companies. I would have appreciated some concrete advice on how to be a conscientious gardener and consumer.

[Ashley Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

You wouldn’t necessarily think (or maybe you would) that a 150 page book about seeds would be so captivating, but it really was! It made the case for organic, diverse, nutrient rich soil-fed seeds and I’m all about shifting the power away from large chemical/seed companies controlling our crops.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and unique look at our impending agricultural doom; it really isn't a good idea to have three companies responsible for all the seed that creates our food.

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i want everyone everywhere ever to read this

[Brijesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

need indept analysis, looks more like an intro to the whole topic.

[Alana Koscove · Rating 4 out of 5]

the seed is not just the seed. it’s how you plant, it’s how you treat the soil you plant it in. and once you start, it becomes how you live on the earth

[Sam Grisham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but great - recommend!

[Chels · Rating 1 out of 5]

This subject is my love language. This book is nothing but propaganda pushing fear and an agenda.

[Spring Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good starting point for those who have somehow never heard the arguments against genetically modified food, pesticides, genetic patents, and corporations like monsanto. That being said, there isn't anything new or noteworthy about this book for anyone who has done a modicum of research on any of these subjects.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although much of this was not new to me, not everyone follows this thread as closely as I do, and it should be an excellent primer or catchup for many readers. The prose is very accessible, and there are some great vignettes that provide some reason for hope.