This spring Food Tank is recommending 20 books that take readers on a journey through food and agriculture systems. These resources highlight ways that eaters can make more informed decisions in the grocery store, garden, and kitchen to support more sustainable production and consumption choices. And they celebrate the joy that food brings to communities around the world.
Here are 20 titles that Food Tank is reading this spring.
1. Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Bite by Bite is a collection of essays that explore the emotional and sensory connections people have to food. Through personal anecdotes with illustrations from Fumi Nakamura, Nezhukumatathil explores how flavors and aromas shape memory and identity. The book uses personal reflections to celebrate the richness that food brings to eaters’ lives.
2. Chimi Nu’am: Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen by Sara Calvosa Olson
In Chími Nu’am, Sara Calvosa Olson lifts up Native foodways from California while reimagining traditional dishes for modern home cooks. With more than 70 seasonal recipes featuring Indigenous ingredients, from elk chili beans to huckleberry hand pies, the cookbook guides readers through the culinary richness of the year.
3. Company: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others by Amy Thielen
Company by Amy Thielen welcomes readers into the world of casual yet elegant entertaining, offering inventive recipes and twenty enticing menus for gatherings of all sizes. With a focus on cooking that is enjoyable and stress-free, Thielen encourages readers to embrace the art of hosting everything from intimate dinners to larger celebrations.
4. Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine by Loretta Barrett Oden
Corn Dance narrates Loretta Barrett Oden’s culinary journey, as she blends Potawatomi and Mayflower heritage into dishes showcased at her renowned Corn Dance Café. Oden shares insights into Indigenous ingredients and cooking practices, from utilizing piñon nuts to incorporating cedar branches into braises. With practical wisdom and cultural reverence, this illustrated book invites readers to explore the vibrant flavors and traditions of North America’s Indigenous cuisine.
5. Cultivated Meat to Secure Our Future: Hope for Animals, Food Security, and the Environment by Michel Vandenbosch and Philip Lymbery
This anthology dives into the world of cultivated meat, featuring essays by experts including biotechnician Isha Datar, author Chase Purdy, and cell-cultured food researcher Hanna Tuomisto. Readers can find insights into the latest studies and perspectives on cultivated meat and how it can address pressing environmental challenges. With a foreword by Ira van Eelen, daughter of cultivated meat pioneer Willem van Eelen, this book helps readers envision alternative models of food production.
6. Cured: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves & More by Steve McHugh with Paula Forbes
Discover the transformative power of curing with Steve McHugh and Paula Forbes’ comprehensive guide, Cured. Featuring over more than 150 recipes, the book teaches readers to elevate everyday meals with pickles, jams, preserves, and more. Dishes include Kimchi Meatloaf, Creamy Smoked Seafood, Parsnip, and Celery Root Soup, and Smoked Nuts Chocolate Tart.
7. Edible: 70 Sustainable Plants That Are Changing How We Eat by Kevin Hobbs and Artur Cisar-Erlach and illustrated by Katie Kulla
Edible presents an exploration of lesser-known edible plants from around the globe, offering insights into their growing conditions, nutritional value, and culinary uses. Authored by Kevin Hobbs, Artur Cisar-Erlach, and Katie Kulla, this book features 164 color illustrations and provides tips for growing, cooking, and incorporating these plants into one’s diet. Edible highlights the diversity of plant-based foods and serves as a source of inspiration for sustainable eating.
8. Food in a Just World: Compassionate Eating in a Time of Climate Change by Tracey Harris and Terry Gibbs
Food in a Just World explores how global food systems have brought harm to both people and the environment. Tracey Harris and Terry Gibbs argue that positive change will come by giving communities greater control over their food choices. They also emphasize the importance of urgent action for a more just and sustainable food system. The authors also share stories from activists, workers, and policy members to illustrate the relationships between people and the natural world.
9. Peasant Politics of the Twenty-First Century: Transnational Social Movements and Agrarian Change by Marc Edelman
Peasant Politics of the Twenty-First Century examines how global movements led by farmers are reshaping rural communities and food systems worldwide. Edelman dives into the objectives and the alliances of these movements, which advocate for issues like land rights and food sovereignty. The book highlights challenges farmers face, including land grabbing and climate change. And it stresses the importance of collaborative activism and research to overcome them.
10. Our Little Farm: Adventures in Sustainable Living by Miriam Wohlleben and Peter Wohlleben and translated by Jane Billinghurst
Our Little Farm is a memoir by Peter and Miriam Wohlleben, known for their work on sustainable living and forest conservation. Drawing from their beginnings in a remote forest lodge and their experience creating a harmonious homestead, the Wohllebens share practical advice to help others live in harmony with nature. As they relay experiences planting crops and caring for animals, the couple convey a deep appreciation for living in alignment with their values while caring for the Earth.
11. Practicing Food Studies edited by Amy Bentley, Fabio Parasecoli and Krishnendu Ray
Practicing Food Studies provides a deep dive into the emergence of the field of food studies and how it has changed over time. New York University’s Food Studies Professors share their experiences and insights, helping readers understand what food studies entails and its relevance today. This book offers insight into how academic fields evolve and the factors that shape them.
12. Principles of Sustainable Aquaculture: Promoting Social, Economic and Environmental Resilience by Stuart Bunting
The aquaculture industry has seen significant growth in recent decades, and in his new book Stuart Bunting focuses on how it can contribute to social, economic, and environmental resilience. Drawing on case studies from around the world, Principles of Sustainable Aquaculture lays out approaches that can enable widespread adoption of regenerative practices. Chapters touch on issues including equitable aquaculture development, sustainable coastal and marine aquaculture, as well as urban and peri-urban aquaculture.
13. Remarkable Cities and the Security and Sovereignty of Food and Nutrition: 41 Ways to Regenerate the Local Food System by Jonathan Rosenbloom
Jonathan Rosenbloom, a Professor of Law at Albany Law School, delves into local governance and sustainability with a focus on land use in Remarkable Cities. The second installment in the Sustainability Development Code project series, this book aims to catalyze a shift towards healthier, fairer, and more environmentally conscious communities. Rosenbloom also presents 41 recommendations to revise development codes, enhance food and nutrition security and sovereignty, and foster healthier communities.
14. Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs
Slow Drinks is a comprehensive guide intended to help readers create cocktails and other beverages using botanical ingredients. Organized by season, it features recipes that blend botany, history, and culture, while honoring traditional and contemporary techniques. With photography and illustrations, this book can serve as a resource for bartenders, homebrewers, and anyone interested in the art of botanical drink making.
15. Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South by Kate Medley
Thank You Please Come Again offers a visual and narrative exploration of service stations, convenience stores, and quick stops across the American South through Kate Medley’s lens. Beyond capturing food and gas, her images reveal the profound sense of community, generosity, and creativity found within these iconic gathering spots. Medley invites readers to ponder whether these rural and urban pit stops are the true “filling stations” of our time, making this book an artful and heartfelt testament to the richness of Southern food, culture, and connection.
16. The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes) edited by Nadia L. Hohn and illustrated by Roza Nozari
The Antiracist Kitchen offers a flavorful blend of personal narratives and culinary creations from racialized authors across North America. Through tales of food, family, and activism, these writers showcase the power of cuisine in combating racism, reclaiming cultural identity, and fostering unity. With a diverse array of recipes and reflections, this book highlights the potential of shared meals in building understanding and solidarity among people of all backgrounds.
17. The Avocado Debate by Honor May Eldridge
The Avocado Debate explores the global fascination with avocados while shedding light on their environmental and social impacts. By examining the journey of avocados from local crops to international sensations, the book prompts readers to consider broader questions of food sovereignty, justice, and sustainability within the global food system. Author Honor May Eldridge aims to empower readers, helping them to critically evaluate their food choices and understand the complex relationship between farming, the environment, and diet.
18. The Globalization of Wheat: A Critical History of the Green Revolution by Marci Baranski
In The Globalization of Wheat Marci Baranski looks at the complex legacy of Norman Borlaug, hailed as the father of the Green Revolution. Borlaug developed high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties and is credited with significantly increasing crop yields worldwide. But these developments also came with drawbacks. Baranski works to shed new light on Borlaug’s role in agriculture science, contending that his technologies ultimately favored wealthier farmers and led to the erosion of traditional farming practices.
19. The Practical Permaculture Project by Sophie McKay
Sophie McKay’s The Practical Permaculture Project helps readers embrace permaculture, improve their health, and restore their connection to the land. McKay provides a detailed roadmap, offering tips on garden design, water management, soil improvement, composting, and more. The book is designed as a guide to help individuals increase their independence and uplift their communities.
20. You Can’t Market Manure at Lunchtime: And Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable Company by Maisie Ganzler
You Can’t Market Manure at Lunchtime offers business leaders five essential lessons for achieving sustainability, profitability, and recognition for their efforts. Author Maisie Ganzler draws from her own experiences leading a US$1.7 billion corporation towards sustainability, sharing insights gained over three decades of successes and failures. Through anecdotes from time spent on pig farms and into boardrooms, Ganzler demonstrates how businesses can integrate sustainability into their operations while driving growth and earning due credit.
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