Food Sharing Revolution

Marvin is a contract hog farmer in Iowa. He owns his land, his barn, his tractor, and his animal crates. He has seen profitsdrop steadily for the last twenty years and feels trapped. Josh is a dairy farmer on a cooperative in Massachusetts. Hedoesn’t own his cows, his land, his seed, or even all of his equipment. Josh has a healthy income and feels like he’s madeit.In The Food Sharing Revolution, Michael Carolan tells the stories of traditional producers like Marvin, who are beingsqueezed by big agribusiness, and entrepreneurs like Josh, who are bucking the corporate food system. The difference isJosh has eschewed the burdens of individual ownership and is tapping into the sharing economy.Josh and many others are sharing tractors, seeds, kitchen space, their homes, and their cultures. They are businessowners like Dorothy, who opened her bakery with the help of a no-interest crowd-sourced loan. They are chefs likeCamilla, who introduces diners to her native Colombian cuisine through peer-to-peer meal sharing. Their success is notonly good for aspiring producers, but for everyone who wants an alternative to monocrops and processed foods.The key to successful sharing, Carolan shows, is actually sharing. He warns that food, just like taxis or hotels, can becoopted by moneyed interests. But when collaboration is genuine, the sharing economy can offer both producers andeaters freedom, even sovereignty. The result is a healthier, more sustainable, and more ethical way to eat.