Commentary
Paul Roberts examines the sobering realities of food policy and politics as he issues a dire warning that the global system of food production and distribution is nearing a breakdown point. Roberts brings a global focus to the problem, as he identifies places around the world where the crisis is already clear (in Africa, in Pakistan, in Haiti, the United States, and others), and in each case he thoroughly explains the scope of the problem and its implications for our interconnected world. Despite the tone of the book, Roberts's book makes good reading as he clearly explains sometimes difficult-to-understand issues in agriculture, business, science, government, and cultural and societal behaviors, and he shares sharp insights, such as the idea that food is a commodity as well as a human necessity. While he notes the many worthy efforts to address issues of sustainability, he underscores his point that nothing less than a large-scale shake-up and remake of the global food distribution system will do. As he did in his earlier wake-up call THE END OF OIL, Paul Roberts here really does mean "the end."

Reviews
"A revealing, deeply dismaying overview of how the world's food is produced and marketed."

"What sets Roberts apart is how he pulls...topics together into a panorama of the food economy as a whole."

James Pressley