A Five Week Crash Course in Sustainable Food

A friend of mine recently asked for a crash course in sustainable food. "I often get overwhelmed on where to start," she said, "so could you suggest some things to give me a solid background on the issues, without the need for a tremendous amount of time?"

I have a feeling she's not alone in her thinking, so this year's anniversary of Earth Day seems an appropriate time to compile an updated syllabus for Sustainable Food 101. Many of you will already be familiar with most of these suggestions. But for those of you who aren't, this will hopefully be a good primer.

This is far from an authoritative list and I've left out many great resources, so please post your suggestions below. Without further ado, a five week crash course in sustainable food:

Week 1: Watch the film Food, Inc. There are several great food films out there, but this one really touches on all the major issues. It's short, to the point, and visually effective. Buy, rent, or watch the film during its PBS premiere this Wednesday, April 21st. If you have a little extra time, navigate your way to TED.com and check out some of the great 20 minute talks by experts in the food world, as well.

Week 2: Time to hit the books! It was a tough choice, but reading In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan will be time well spent. It's not that I think it's necessarily the best book, but it's a quick read, very digestible (pun intended), and most important, it's practical. Plus, it gave life to the catchiest 7 words ever written about eating sustainably: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."

Some people may wonder why I didn't include another popular Pollan book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, on this list. I think it's a great book and also well-worth the read, and it's really responsible for catapulting the whole sustainable food movement into mainstream culture. But I think Food, Inc. does a great job of addressing many of the same issues, and for those short on time, is a suitable replacement.

Week 3: It's the elephant in the room. Factory farmed animals. Grass-fed this, pasture-raised that. Meat. Eating Animals is the much-hyped new book by Jonathan Safran Foer, and let me say, the hype is deserved. The book is painstakingly researched, eloquently written, and sharp as a dagger. You might not become a full-fledged vegan afterward, but if you can read this book without at least making some changes to your diet, you might want to just stop here. I think I'm pretty well-read on many of these issues, but this one made my jaw drop.

Week 4: I know this may ruffle some feathers, but despite it's provocative title and some questionable assertions, Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly by James McWilliams is a good counterpoint to much of the "gospel" of the sustainable food movement. Unfortunately, his strongest argument — that we need to eat less meat — is lost upon those who just bristle at the title and move on. Do I agree with everything McWilliams says? No. But it's a thought-provoking book with some interesting ideas that are worth considering.

Extra Credit: Food Politics by Marion Nestle will give you a great background on the history and politics of food marketing and government regulation. Really anything by her will be an informative and entertaining read.

Week 5: Read any cookbook, food blog, magazine or recipe site. There are a lot of big, difficult to comprehend issues surrounding sustainable food, but change really starts with each one of us! As trite as it may sound, the decisions we make about what to purchase, prepare, and consume actually matter. So now that you're informed, pass along the info, get to the market, and get cooking!

Photo credit: David Orr