The Food Sharing Revolution: How Start-Ups, Pop-Ups, and Co-Ops are Changing the Way We Eat, 2nd Edition
Reviewed By Ian Banks January 21, 2019
Author Michael S Carolan
Distributor: New South Books
ISBN: 9781610918862
Publisher: Island Press
Release Date: November 2018
Website: https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au
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The changing face of food production over the years, in the race to produce more and more food to feed an ever-growing world population, has seen what was once historically a family undertaking turn into giant conglomerates, pressurising the earth to produce more and more while squeezing the small farmer out of business.
Gone are the days when you owned your own land, your own plant and equipment and could produce from a holding a good and substantial living year after year, climate permitting. In the space this change left behind, there has begun to emerge a very different take on small hold farming, which does allow a good income to be created and from that perspective, the philosophy has had a flow on to small business across a broad spectrum.
In The Food Sharing Revolution Michael Carolan has shown what is slowly emerging as the modern face of successful farming, returning control to the small hold farmers, showing how by adopting a slightly different strategy towards the growing, marketing and most importantly sharing, there is and has been a positive change.
Although the case studies and legal aspects of food production are based on America, the over reaching facts can be transplanted to just about anywhere in the world, which makes this an ideal read for people who are investigating some very workable options to either growing and marketing their produce, going into a small business or similar. Carolan investigates that while the concept of sharing in not new, he looks at it as a modern-day alternative to conglomerates, one with very real benefits, not just from a financial perspective but also a community benefit.
The many examples shared, from the Hog Farmer, who while owning all around him was steadily losing money, to the restaurateur Faye, slowly working her way into almost unrepayable debt, Noelle the labour attorney who gave up corporate life to work in the Sharing economy and Dorothy who opened her bakery through a wonderful crowd funding operation all show what can be achieved with the Sharing philosophy.
All the case studies harness the most important factor of success, Community: the sharing, caring and supportive people who embrace change and by doing so, make a success out of their enterprises, large and small. The Food Sharing Revolution is a based-on sharing: sharing of plant, equipment, ideas and funding to achieve a common goal, that of business success.
Throughout the chapters the thread is consistent that regardless of the complex web of laws around food production, particularly in the USA where major corporations rule the legal world, the way through it is to return to a more traditional way of progress, that based in community and collaboration.
Collaboration is the new catch phrase; creating repayable crowd funding through a variety of non-traditional and realistic sources, all contribute to a real sharing economy and the massive benefits that will pay off in lifestyle, the food produced, shared, better relationships within the industry and community, are presented as the way forward, the pathway to future economic and business success.
The food Sharing revolution is packed full with essential information looking as so many aspects of food production it makes essential reading for anyone interested in alternate and community-based living.
Inspirational. A win wine concept that benefits everyone from the bottom up!.