The reviewer discusses the book's exploration of global food supply chains, highlighting the contrast between romanticized narratives of local food production and the reality of industrial food distribution. They appreciate the book's insights into the complexities of food logistics and the labor involved.
The book delves into the intricate world of global food supply chains, revealing the stark contrast between the romanticized image of local food production and the harsh reality of industrial food distribution. The reviewer appreciates how the book sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of food logistics, including the labor of workers in distribution centers. They find the book's exploration of these themes both insightful and thought-provoking, offering a nuanced understanding of the food industry. The reviewer also notes the book's critical examination of the disparities in food narratives, particularly in urban settings like New York City.
Quick quotes
Global food supply chains are assembled through trails of smoke and mirrors.
On the one hand, there is Chelsea Market, a pricey, gentrified downtown hall owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., that peddles the romance of authenticity, craft production, and all things slow and local to elite tourists and tech workers from the Google offices next door.
In place of the carefully choreographed ombre of fresh herbs and local cheeses and the farmhouse chic aesthetic, Hunt’s Point food terminals offer a decidedly gray and concrete terrain of warehouses and distribution centers.