Food: The New Gold

Written by Kathlyn Gay

Narrated by Intuitive

Did you know starvation kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined? Around the world, millions of people go to bed hungry every night. Farmers and ranchers produce enough food to feed everyone, but much of that food does not get to the people who need it most. In some places, food has become a precious commodity—almost like gold.



In this book, author Kathlyn Gay explores the complicated interaction between food, business, politics, and the environment. She examines the international food aid system; giant "factory farms," which grow and slaughter animals using assembly-line techniques; and the genetic engineering of seeds, plants, and animals. These systems and practices promise to get more food to the people who need it—but the promises don't always pan out. Worse, many modern agricultural practices are harmful to the environment, to workers who product the food, and even to consumers who eat it. Gay explains that food politics will only become more complicated as Earth's climate grows warmer, bringing rising sea levels, shifting growing seasons, and shrinking freshwater supplies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner
• Release date: Jan 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512442397

Kathlyn Gay

Kathlyn Gay has been writing professionally since the day her daugher was born in 1957, selling her first article after she got out of the hospital. Now with over 100 books published, including "first readers," middle grade and young adult books, encyclopedias, teacher manuals, and portions of textbooks, she still finds her life enriched by writing nonfiction work focusing on social and environmental issues, culture, and history. In recent years, she has collaborated (primarily by email) with family members across the country, sons Martin and Douglas Gay and daughter Karen Hamilton. She's married to Arthur L. Gay, a retired educator. They have lived in Illinois, California, Indiana, and now Florida. Family members include two grandchildren, Nissa Beth Gay in California and Dakota Sandoval-Gay in Washington state.

Reviews for Food

[lillibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Food: the New Gold by Kathlyn Gay is an informative and sobering look at food through multiple perspectives. At just under 100 pages, this slim volume tackles a lot: global hunger, industrialized farming, environmental impacts, and the science and politics that drive food production, safety and economics. The book delves into agricultural history to give readers a greater sense of the benefits and consequences—for consumers, workers, plants and animals—that have resulted from scientific and industrial advancements. In addition, the book illustrates how people’s food choices and buying habits can influence the global market.

Food has an engaging layout with numerous full-color photos, quotes and diagrams. Smaller, related topics are visually highlighted throughout the book, such as recycling, biofuels, and future food sources. A glossary, source notes, bibliography and additional resources are provided at the book’s end. Older students requiring more comprehensive citations may find the source notes lacking, particularly for the diagram statistics. Overall, though, this is an excellent introduction to the social, political, and economic impact of what we put on our plate. A well-balanced and broad account, Food: the New Gold gives student researchers (forgive the pun) a lot to chew on.