Before I thought about writing these reviews, I asked myself a simple question: what is the end goal here? I really wanted to figure out what I would achieve by writing this article in the first place. Do I recommend both of these books? Absolutely. Do I think they are highly informative and present real-life issues and dilemmas thoroughly? Of course. So what is the point of the review then? Well, I think a review of these two books would be a means of spreading awareness about ongoing issues that are currently taking place in today’s world. These are issues that are not as apparent as others. These issues happens right under our noses, but unfortunately, many are too unaware to notice.

You see, reading these two books, which I will talk about in just a moment, made me realize that there have to be some urgent measures in place if we want to live normally in the future. The current Coronavirus pandemic has definitely shifted the social paradigm of countries, and has made wearing masks a conventional duty, bestowed upon citizens and officials alike. Some countries have allowed for access of travel and have allowed non-essential businesses to operate, but for how long? Is this cycle going to be a non-ending one? Or is this the beginning of an eminent change currently unfolding in front of us? The answer to this I am afraid, is unknown as of yet.

The two books mentioned in this article are centered on how our “toxic” relationship with food is ruining the planet. The word climate change is thrown out a lot these days, and so are melting icecaps. But what is completely ignored is the little things that set-off a difference in our lives. Whether that is the number of bees in the world, or the fertility of soils, the Anthropocene has shown us the potential of human innovation, yet also its ability to destroy as well. 

Both Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat and Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were, encapsulate the dire need of changing our food system towards one that is more sustainable. But, when we think about it, what does sustainable actually mean? Does it mean that we should completely change and revamp the way we view food and its associations with our cultures and traditions? Should we completely adopt a new diet that is ecologically friendly but that requires a completely new culinary approach? I think whichever way one might look at it, a sustainable food system is one that is able to feed the most amount of people with the least amount of damage to the environment.

The stats and figures are important, and both books actually provide them in a very thorough and digestible fashion. The main difference between both books is that Farmageddon delves into the animal agriculture industry, whereby the author recounts his experiences exploring different farms across the world. The storytelling is very meticulous, and highly detailed, as the author allows the reader to see the events through his eyes. There is a sense that the author is building up a narrative about factory farming, which shows a side of the industry that incorporates an approach that is devoid of any femur for sustainability. Packed with detailed figures and an approach towards sustainable farming, the author sees the need to inform consumers that their food choices play a large role in how the world is being shaped by industrial farming.

In Dead Zone, the focus is on the diminishing numbers and habitats of wild animals. Each chapter of the book discusses a different animal that is facing a threat to its existence on Earth. In the book, the author zooms in on how industrial-based farming not only diminishes habitats and the natural ecology of things, but also shows how people are compromised by an industry that is geared towards “feeding the world”. The author heavily questions this notion as he recounts his stories in different parts of the world where he observed the correlation between rising industrial farming and diminishing natural habitats. Whether that is through the deforestation of land in order to provide enough room for large soy/corn monocultures, or the plundering of valuable minerals in the soil through chemical fertilizers, the answer that the author underlines is that the only way forward is to embrace nature in the way it is.

So you might be asking by now, how do we feed the world in a sustainable fashion? This in of itself is a hard question, since it tackles various different aspects that can be seen differently in many parts of the world. For instance, we cannot apply the same consumer standards in the West to a country that is highly impoverished—it just would not make sense. These standards also have to be accounted for when we view the farming industry as a whole. Countries have different ways of farming and subsidizing their farms/farmers, so it is imperative to view the case of sustainable farming as one that presides in the hands of those who are able to create a difference. At the end of the day, there are three main actors in this ordeal:

• The producers (local farmers, CAFOs, farming companies…)
• The consumers (families, restaurants, food services…)
• The politicians (lobbyists, technocrats, paid politicians…)

Although there are more actors, I personally believe that on a general scale, these three actors provide the foundation of tackling the problem of unsustainability. I have also provided a more comprehensive view of how these three actors interact in my blog as well.

The producers are those that place themselves in the position of creating a product that is then sold off to the consumer, which can be a retailer that sells to individuals or a restaurant that buys food from a retailer. In our modern times, producers have become very efficient at creating products at a fast pace and at a large capacity due to technological innovations that allow for faster and more effective production methods. Food, like any other product, can be created in a form that can match up to the standards of modern-day consumerism. In both books, we can get a glimpse of how different farms and farmers set their standards and how that ultimately reflects on their sustainability methods. Some farmers manage large amounts of land or animals by inconceivable measures that are completely corrosive because their aim is to profit as much as possible. This in turn leads to negligence in aspects that are extremely vital for the continuation of their production because they have initially decided to uptake gross production over long-term sustainability. Other farmers operate on smaller scales and are more aligned with nature and wildlife as a whole.

In Farmageddon, the author recounts a pig farm in China whose sanitary management has completely faltered, causing a leak from the farm into open waters. Occurrences like these are not uncommon in the animal agribusiness, as there are many concentrated animal farming operations (CAFO) that dump their wastes into bodies of water that are referred to as waste lagoons. Waste lagoons, as I have discussed in my blog before, are very harmful to the surrounding environment. The air quality is reduced, the water becomes toxic and the surrounding soil can become contaminated. Lagoons often times end up leading to what is aptly known as dead zones, where life simply cannot flourish.

Lagoons are just one part of the problem that pose a threat to our environments. Another big problem that is touched upon in the books is the production of monocultures in lieu of wild and fertile lands. The problem with creating a monoculture, whether that is corn or soy, means that nothing else can grow on that designated land. Whatever was growing on it prior, was cut down and destroyed in order to allow for one crop to flourish. The vast array of monocultures that are described in the books send a shiver down my spine, because it is symbolic of all the wild and natural land that once existed that has been ravaged by human actions. More people are subscribing to a Western diet that is heavy in meat, and the demand is ever-so growing.

Almost 95% of all the world’s soy production is used as animal feed, and that on its own is alarming. This is where we begin to draw the correlation between demand and supply. In order to produce cheap meat quickly, there has to be an incentive of feeding the animals a diet that is calorically dense without a sensible regard for their wellbeing. It is very common to see chicken in CAFOs that are unable to stand on their legs because of their excessive weight, plus the fact that they their genes have been hampered with extensively. This immobility leads animals to put on more mass than they can physically handle, and for certain animals such as cows and pigs, when they reach that desired weight, they are sent to the slaughter regardless of their age. Thus, there exists a lack of morality and animal welfare within the process itself because it is purely driven by profits. Understandably however, the global demand for meat is rising in many parts of the world, especially in the Asian continent, where the average population is able to afford a diet that incorporates a lot of animal products.

As such, the producer is able to produce more and more in order to accommodate the consumer’s constant demand for cheaper food products. Animal products are the most intensive in terms of production because they require on average more land, water and resources to produce, than any other grown food product. In Farmageddon for instance, the author provides a comprehensive chart of how food waste, which is a large issue in today’s food system, is heavily determined by animal production. Per different sources, out 100% edible crops harvested, only 33% remains as a form of crop whilst 11% is transferred over as meat and dairy produce. This leaves us with a total of 56% loss in crops that were completely edible. This loss is massive! 56% of edible and nutritious food is gone because the way food is currently produced is not sustainable. When faced with these figures and statistics, it is not surprising to know that the global annual food production can feed up to 16 billion people, yet 800 million people starve every year. The facts and figures are alarming, and the books describe the consequences and possible solutions, in great detail as such.

Final thoughts?

I gave a little glimpse of what the books have to offer. Honestly, they go a lot deeper than what I can talk about without having to spoil too much! If you want to have a good and comprehensive idea about animal farming and about the Anthropocene in general, both of these books are amazing resources to consider. Additionally, the author does not shy away from expressing his opinions either! Both books have broadened my sense of understanding about agribusiness as a whole, and for those who want to learn more, I cannot recommend these books enough!

About the author(s):

As quoted from Dead Zone

Philip Lymbery is chief executive of leading international farm animal welfare organisation, Compassion in World Farming (Compassion), and Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester. His book, Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat, was chosen as one of The Times Writers’ Books of the Year in 2014, and was cited by the Mail on Sunday as a compelling ‘game-changer’. He played leading roles in many major animal welfare reforms, including Europe-wide bans on veal crates for calves and barren battery cages for laying hens. Described as one of the food industry’s most influential people, he has spearheaded Compassion’s engagement work with over 800 food companies worldwide, leading to real improvements in the lives of over a billion farm animals every year.

As quoted from Farmageddon

Isabel Oakeshott is a political journalist and commentator. In 2012, she won Political Journalist of the Year at the UK Press Awards and she is the ghost write for Inside Out, an explosive insider account of Gordon Brown’s regime. She lives  in the Cotswolds with her husband and three young children.