May/June 2006 Issue

Food for Thought: Futher Reading

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


From the Mother Jones Archives

Cruising on the Ark of Taste
By pursuing the politics of pleasure, the Slow Food movement hopes to save rare species and delectables – and give the considered life a second chance.
By Michael Pollan
May/June 2003 Issue

Pandora’s Pantry
In its rush to approve genetically engineered food, the government ignored warnings from its own scientists about threats to human health and the environment. Finally, the tough questions are being asked.
By Jon R. Luoma
January/February 2000 Issue

Fish or Foul?
Coming soon to a dinner table near you: DNA filet.
By Jon R. Luoma
March/April 2001 Issue

Meet A Potato
The potato has inspired several revolutions — not all of them agricultural. So, next time you chomp on a french fry, show a little respect.
By Leah Shahum
March/April 1997 Issue

More by Michael Pollan

“Our National Eating Disorder,” The New York Times Magazine October 17, 2004

“An American Transplant,” The New York Times Magazine, May 16, 2004

“Cattle Futures?” The New York Times Magazine, January 11, 2004

“The (Agri)Cultural Contradictions Of Obesity,” The New York Times Magazine, October 12, 2003

“An Animal’s Place,” The New York Times Magazine, November 10, 2002

“Power Steer,” The New York Times Magazine, March 31, 2002

“Naturally,” The New York Times Magazine, May 13, 2001

“Produce Politics,” The New York Times Magazine, January 14, 2001

“Playing God in the Garden,” The New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998

Books

Fat Land : How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, by Greg Critser

The Oxford Companion to Food, by Alan Davidson

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, by Peter Menzel

Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History,
by Sidney W. Mintz

What to Eat, by Marion Nestle

Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle

Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism by Marion Nestle

Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Food and Nutrition, by Marion Nestle et al.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma : A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, by Eric Schlosser

Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America, by Morgan Spurlock

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate