Farmers' markets, community gardens, the push for more local, organic food -- what's often called the alternative food movement is all the rage. But are there any downsides? Julie Guthman contends that the movement, inasmuch as it views consumer choice as the primary vehicle for change, can and will have limited impact on the industrial food status quo. She also challenges claims made about obesity and its causes.

Could it be that what we don't eat is destroying our environment? Historian Tristram Stuart argues that the vast amount of food that is wasted by manufacturers, supermarkets, farmers, and consumers -- up to 50 percent of food grown in this country -- has massive ecological consequences, leading to the depletion of the oceans, the decimation of rainforests to grow grains for livestock, and mountains of methane-emitting landfills. (Encore presentation.)

Could it be that what we don't eat is destroying our environment? Historian Tristram Stuart argues that the vast amount of food that is wasted by manufacturers, supermarkets, farmers, and consumers -- up to 50 percent of food grown in this country -- has massive ecological consequences, leading to the depletion of the oceans, the decimation of rainforests to grow grains for livestock, and mountains of methane-emitting landfills.

Should the neoliberal "free market" govern food production and distribution? Or can we learn from the efforts of Venezuela, under Hugo Chavez, to address food insecurity? Christina Schiavoni describes the transformation of that nation's food and agriculture system. David Pimentel points out the colossal energy demands of the US system, and proposes ways to reduce fossil fuel inputs.