Freegans: Diving into the Wealth of Food Waste in America

(Paperback)

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Description

If capitalism is such an efficient system, why does 40 percent of all U.S. food production go to waste while one in six people in the nation face hunger This startling truth has stirred increasing interest and action of late, but none so radical as that of the freegans, who live on what capitalism throws away including food culled from supermarket

Reviews

"Eat this book. If youre lucky enough to find it in the trash, dig it out and bite in. Its sociologically fresh and environmentally nutritious. Alex V. Barnard writes crisply and invitingly, and his analysis of the fetishism of waste is novel and helpful. This is ethnography as it is meant to be: going through the trash and thrash of everyday life and uncovering analytic treasuresfree to be had, if we only stop to look."Michael Bell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"In Freegans, Alex V. Barnard examines how this group of activists aims to change the way we live on this world, one overripe tomato at a time."Tristram Stuart, author of Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal

"Readers with interests in social justice, activist movements, environmentalism, consumerism, and food waste will find this book thought-provoking."Library Journal

"Barnards book is refreshing ... an important and thorough critique of food waste."On the Brink

"The timeliness of many themes, from political disenfranchisement and social movements to climate change and food security, make this a compelling and urgent read. Barnards easy and accessible writing style ensures this book is also engaging and valuable to a non-academic audience."Environmental Politics

"This engaging, well-written book, full of vivid observations and interviews, is sure to attract a wide readership. Highly recommended."CHOICE

"This work will shed light on how alternative activists are enacting a more sustainable future today, and citizens who are doubtful that sustainability can be attained via conscious consumption might find inspiration in freegans radical waste politics."Food, Culture & Society

"Barnard succeeds in making visible drivers of ecological destruction in capitalism and provides a thoughtful analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and inconsistencies of anti- capitalist social movements."Environmental Values

"A wonderful text for a social movement class looking for a well written, enjoyable read to illustrate the recruitment, tactics, role of identity and culture, and decline of a movement."Mobilization

"This thorough account reminds us of the dangers of capitalist co-option and the need to stick to our values when the world around us appears blind. Freegans reveal a more complete story of capitalist waste and want that to contribute to unraveling these complex issues."The British Journal of Sociology

"A critical addition to undergraduate and graduate classes on the subject."Agriculture and Human Values

"Barnards re-conceptualization of freegans speeches and practices offers other interesting insights."European Journal of Sociology

Author Bio

Alex V. Barnard is a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a food justice activist.