Where Am I Eating?: An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy with Discussion Questions and a Guide to Going "Glocal"

by Kelsey Timmerman

Overview

A deeply human-centered perspective on the origins of America's food

Where Am I Eating? bridges the gap between global food producers and the American consumer, providing an insightful look at how our eating habits affect farmers and fishermen around the world. Follow the author on his global quest to meet the workers that nurture, harvest, and hunt our food, as he works alongside them—loading lobster diving boats in Nicaragua, harvesting bananas in Costa Rica, lugging cocoa beans in Ivory Coast with a modern-day slave, picking coffee beans in Colombia and hauling tomatoes in Indiana. This new edition includes a study guide, a deeper explanation of the "glocal" concept, and advice for students looking to become engaged as both local and global citizens. Arguing neither for nor against globalization, this book simply explores the lives of those who feed us.

Imports account for eighty-six percent of America's seafood, fifty percent of its fresh fruit, and eighteen percent of its fresh vegetables. Where Am I Eating? examines the effects of this reliance on those who supply the global food economy.

• Learn more about the global producers that feed our nation, and learn from their worldviews intensely connected to people and planet
• Discover how food preferences and trends affect the lives of farmers and fishermen
• Catch a boots-on-the-ground glimpse of the daily lives of food producers on four continents
• Meet a modern-day slave and explore the blurred line between exploitation and opportunity
• Observe how the poorest producers fare in the global food economy

This book takes a human-centered approach to food, investigating the lives of the people at the other end of the global food economy, observing the hope and opportunity—or lack thereof—that results from our reliance on imports. Where Am I Eating? is a touching, insightful, informative look at the origins of our food.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118966525
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/25/2014
Series:	Where am I?
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	715,094
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

KELSEY TIMMERMAN is a speaker and writer who lives in Muncie, Indiana. His works has been featured in The Christian Science Monitor, U.S. News & World Report, NPR, and other media outlets around the world. Learn more at www.KelseyTimmerman.com

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Our Global Connection ix

Part I Coffee: Product of Colombia 1

Chapter 1 The Starbucks Experience 3

Chapter 2 The Grande Gringo Picks Coffee 20

Chapter 3 The Cup of Excellence 30

Chapter 4 The Heart of the World 44

Part II Chocolate: Product of West Africa 61

Chapter 5 Solo Man 63

Chapter 6 Slavery and Freedom 91

Chapter 7 Is It Peace? 109

Part III Banana: Product of Costa Rica 121

Chapter 8 The Banana Worker’s Commute 123

Chapter 9 Banana Worker for the Day 132

Chapter 10 Nowhere to Go But Bananas 153

Part IV Lobster: Product of Nicaragua 165

Chapter 11 Life, Death, and Lobster 167

Chapter 12 The Lobster Trap 184

Chapter 13 The Future of Fish 190

Part V Apple Juice: Product of Michigan China 195

Chapter 14 No Apples 197

Chapter 15 Mr. Feng’s Apple Empire 214

Chapter 16 As American as Apple Juice Concentrate from China 225

Part VI My Life: Product of USA 235

Chapter 17 Food as Faith 237

Chapter 18 Farmers No More 242

Chapter 19 Imagined Futures 252

Chapter 20 Decisions About Man and Land 257

Appendix A A Guide to Ethical Labels 269

Appendix B The Journey Continues 275

Appendix C A Guide to Going Glocal 277

Chapter Discussion Questions 285

Acknowledgments 299