The Food Sharing Revolution looks at how traditional food producers and sellers are changing ways. Michael Carolan tells stories of farmers who share share tractors, seeds, kitchen space and cultures. Meet Dorothy (who opened a bakery with a no-interest, crowd-sourced loan). And chef Camilla (peer-to-peer meal sharing).
This is a book about pop-ups, farmers’ markets and new ways of farming, buying and eating. People don’t ‘own’ animals in this world, they buck the corporate food systems and find new ways to grow, farm and eat food. From sharing tractors and seeds to sharing kitchen space and cultures, this is full of inspiration for anyone who wants an alternative to monocrops and processed foods.
Food (just like taxis or hotels) can be co-opted by money interests. But with genuine collaboration, the sharing economy can offer both eaters and producers freedom and a more sustainable and ethical way to eat.
Author Michael Carolan was born, raised and educated in a little town of 350 in Iowa, USA. After living there for 30 years, he is now Professor of Sociology and Research Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University.
Reinventing Food Banks & Pantries is a book that looks at how modern food banks are kind, but not working. Millions of people are fed by them, yet still people are hungry. This book offers a new model for charitable food, that changes lives, rather than just doles out supermarket donations.
The key is to focus on the root causes of hunger. We need to build empathy, just society and political will, for real solutions. This warm and engaging book has simple steps for anyone who works or volunteers with a food bank. Her model has people selecting their own food and redesigning waiting rooms and creating long-term supply of healthy food, offering job training and connecting client to social services. And there are also big picture visions, like joining the fight for living wages and a stronger social safety net, so people don’t need food banks in the first place. The book includes plenty of success stories where her ideas have worked.
Author Katie Martin is Executive Director of the Foodshare Institute for Hunger Research & Solutions, with over 20 years experience of finding creative solutions to hunger, and knowledge of the root causes of food insecurity. She also has a B.A. in Political Science.
Put Your Money Where Your Life Is is a complete guide to the local investment movement by expert Michael Shuman. It’s an American book but most you can use here, from setting up and identifying local investment opportunities, to ensuring you stay on the right side of the law. Increase your financial returns and lower your risk, and strengthen your community, instead of increasing some CEO’s bonus. Although an American book, the information is also relevant anywhere.
Author Michael Shuman is an economy, attorney, writer, entrepreneur and leading visionary on community economics. He is directory of a local nonprofit affordable housing company and instructor at Bard College’s business school in New York City.
Local beer – and local investing! This is a valuable guide to taking money out of the few giant banks (which are probably using it to underwrite the fossil fuel industry) and putting it to work, close to home. Bill McKibben
