A portrait of a food system that has become miraculously proficient at giving us cheap produce whenever we want it but at the expense of so much else.” —Ben Cooke, The Times
“From farmers regenerating their soil and scientists battling a banana pandemic, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the global impacts of what we eat.” —PD Smith, The Guardian
“In a global food network, there are no black and white answers ... In the meantime, here are some food stories to munch over.” —Boudicca Fox-Leonard, The Sunday Telegraph
“Packed with insight, impeccably researched, and skilfully narrated, this book is attuned to the contradictions and possibilities of the contemporary diet and ripe with appreciation for the visceral importance of plants.” —Rob Percival, author of The Meat Paradox and Head of Food Policy, Soil Association
“Engaging stories and lively sanity for veg-forward eating in our complicated times.” —Hattie Ellis, author of What to Eat?: 10 Chewy Questions About Food
“[Explores] the nuances and complexities in a deeply relatable way.” —The Spectator
“Essential reading for anyone that eats, Avocado Anxiety takes you on a journey through food and its impact on our planet. Brilliant, just brilliant!” —Jake Fiennes, author of Land Healer: How Farming Can Save Britain's Countryside and Head of Conservation, Holkham Estate
“In a quietly confident manner, Avocado Anxiety makes you think for yourself on matters that can only be described as universally urgent. Everyone should read it.'” —Caroline Eden, author of Black Sea, Red Sands and Samarkand
“A fascinating book full of surprising facts that will force you to reconsider everything you thought you knew about fruit and vegetables. Truly, this is food for thought.” —Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment
“Fascinating and informative.” —Delicious
“How what we eat every day has an impact on us and on the world, and the ways in which we can eat better ethically and gastronomically.” —BBC Radio 4 Start the Week
“By turns fascinating, moving and funny, Louise Gray gives readers the knowledge they need to make more informed choices about what to eat.” —Emily Beament, author of 12 Small Acts to Save Our World and Environment Correspondent, Press Association
“Gray makes an overwhelming topic digestible. … Avocado Anxiety encourages understanding the science behind one's food and demonstrates the global impact of every meal.” —Foreword Reviews
“Gray, a journalist who specializes in food and environmental issues, is not afraid to get her hands dirty… With comprehensive research and intelligent, fair-minded writing, this is an informative, optimistic read.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Each of the stories is an engaging essay written with punch and flair … an intriguing read.” —Read, Listen, Watch
“Fascinating … Gray helps us to work out what's worth worrying about and what's not.” —Ben Cooke, The Times
2022-12-23
An exploration of the backgrounds of our favorite fruits and vegetables and examination of ways to minimize the carbon impact of what we eat.
Gray is a journalist based in Scotland who specializes in food and environmental issues, and she is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Her acclaimed 2016 book, The Ethical Carnivore, recounted her year of eating meat and fish that she had killed herself. In her latest, she writes about her journey across Britain visiting farms and suppliers to track down the origins of the produce in her local supermarket—and to assess the environmental effects. “The fact is that eating most things nowadays makes us anxious,” she notes. “Never before have we had so much food to eat, watched so many cookery programs or read so many cookery books. Yet, for many people, food is not a source of joy but a source of worry.” Thankfully, the author finds plenty of positive stories, including farmers who are changing their growing practices for soil restoration, the resurgence in foraging for wild foods, and experimentation with new varieties. Gray also engagingly investigates the history of potatoes, bananas, tomatoes and, of course, avocados. She acknowledges the difficulty in working out the environmental footprint of foods, especially the carbon costs of transport, and she is wary of the emphasis that some environmental activists put on buying only locally grown food, which can hurt struggling producers in developing countries. It all makes for a complex equation requiring tolerance and trade-offs. Gray advises that readers stay informed, make the best decisions you can, keep an open mind, and don’t attack other people for their choices. She concludes each chapter with an illustrative, unusual recipe; the honey roast tomatoes on toast sounds particularly tasty.
With comprehensive research and intelligent, fair-minded writing, this is an informative, optimistic read.
