What’s for dinner?
An exploration of the food on the table and the farming that puts it there and what it all means for people who grow food and those who eat it.
When my kids ask what’s for dinner, the range of dishes may be different from those that I ate as a child, but not hugely so. It’s a selection that reflects our heritage, influenced by society, by my education and by my own thoughts about food. Humbly, I eat. But still I question. I question the food I choose to put on the table. I question the food system that makes that food available. I question the messages from the health authorities who say eat less fat and the diet books that shout out against carbs. I question the rise of veganism and what it means for farming. I question what it means when we get told to ‘eat less meat’ and whether it really would be better for the planet. I question what it means to have food traded internationally as a commodity, and what ‘food miles’ really mean for food and eating and the planet. I question the use of synthetic chemicals in growing food and whether we would be better off without them or not. I question and question and question. And in so doing, I go looking for deeper, more satisfying answers to the question of what’s for dinner.
Working on this book was an absolute joy. It enabled me to draw upon decades of researching and writing on environmental and agricultural topics, while seeking to make sense of much of the confusing modern discourse about food in our society. I got to travel around and talk to fabulous farmers and researchers to delve into some deep questions about our food and the farming that produces it for us.
This creative non-fiction book is published by Thames and Hudson Australia. Available now through all good book stores or online.
