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Biting the Hands that Feed Us How Fewer, Smarter Laws Would Make Our Food System More Sustainable By Baylen J. Linnekin Washington, DC (September 15, 2016) — Food waste, hunger, inhumane livestock conditions, disappearing fish stocks—these are exactly the kind of issues we expect food regulations to combat. Yet, today in the United States, laws exist at all levels of government that actually make these problems worse. In Biting the Hands that Feed Us (Publication Date: September 15, 2016), food lawyer and scholar Baylen J. Linnekin tells the human stories of farmers, food producers, sellers, and consumers who have been hurt by—or are working against—bad food laws. The book’s impressive cast of characters includes chef Mark DeNittis, whose artisanal salumeria was forced out of business by USDA rules and Jay “Eggman” Hamburger, a Houston food Samaritan who continues collecting and sharing food with the homeless, despite ordinances which mean he could be slapped with a $2,000 fine or jail time. The individual experiences of these characters are echoed by disquieting statistics—like the sobering estimate that nearly 40% of all food goes to waste—and careful, peer-reviewed research. The result is an engrossing introduction to the perverse consequences of many food rules. Some of these rules constrain the sale of “ugly” fruits and vegetables, relegating bushels of tasty but misshapen carrots and strawberries to food waste. Other rules meant to improve food safety—like those mandating food preparers wear latex gloves—are wasteful and actually make food less safe. There are even rules that prohibit people from growing fruits and vegetables in their own yards. Throughout the book, he identifies four broad failings of our current food system: Food safety rules often hurt sustainable producers without making food safer, ISLAND PRESS | PRESS RELEASE | 1
Food rules are often crafted by “big government” to benefit “big food,” Food rules often promote food waste, and Food rules often prohibit sustainable food practices at home. Far from calling for food rule anarchy, however, Linnekin acknowledges the vital importance of laws that keep people—and the environment—safe. Linnekin is a staunch supporter of good food laws, which he says emphasize good outcomes over rigid processes. Throughout the book, Linnekin offers policy recommendations based on this standard. For some well-intentioned but misguided food laws—like the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act—Linnekin offers common-sense changes that would make the law more sustainable. Others—like farm subsidies and rigid standards of identity—he proposes eliminating altogether. Authored by a leader in the burgeoning field of food law and policy, Biting the Hands that Feed Us is a powerful treatise in favor of fewer, smarter food laws that will create a food system that is healthier and sustainable. Baylen J. Linnekin, a food lawyer, scholar, and speaker, teaches food law and policy courses at George Mason University and American University, and founded the nonprofit Keep Food Legal. His opinion pieces on food and law have been published by the Boston Globe, New York Post, Newsweek, Playboy, Reason, Huffington Post, and many others. Biting the Hands that Feed Us Island Press Hardcover Publication Date: September 15, 2016 224 pages | Price: $30.00 (C)/$29.99 (E) ISBN: 9781610916752 (C)/ 9781610916769 (E) http://islandpress.org/book/biting-the-hands-that-feed-us Founded in 1984, Island Press works to stimulate, shape, and communicate the information that is essential for solving environmental problems. Today, with more than 800 titles in print and some 40 new releases each year, it is the nation’s leading publisher of books on environmental issues. Island Press is driving change by moving ideas from the printed page to public discourse and practice. Island Press’s emphasis is, and will continue to be, on transforming objective information into understanding and action. For more information and further updates be sure to visit www.islandpress.org. ###
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Six Ways Today’s Food Rules Hurt Sustainable Food Producers and Consumers 1. Focusing on processes rather than results. Today, federal, state, and local food-safety rules hurt sustainable food producers by mandating processes that often don’t make sense, don’t make food safer, and are too expensive. Instead, we need to mandate good outcomes, which means, for example, requiring food sellers of all sizes to keep fresh meats chilled below the 40 degree Fahrenheit danger zone. What it doesn’t mean is requiring expensive cooling equipment to chill food, since many smaller sellers can achieve good outcomes with an inexpensive ice chest. [p. 52] 2. Prohibiting you from growing your own food. Zoning rules in cities and towns across America have caused homeowners and renters alike to face fines, arrest, and the destruction of their fruit and vegetable gardens. If that sounds outrageous, that’s because it is. [p. 150] 3. Turning school lunch into food waste. We waste nearly 40% of our food, meaning there are more than enough leftovers to feed everyone in this country. More people are realizing this to be true and devising thoughtful ways to combat food waste, yet the USDA’s National School Lunch Program actually contributes to this problem. Instead, school lunch could— and should—be a healthy way to help eliminate food waste from restaurants and at home. [p. 111] 4. Favoring large producers. During the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Time magazine reported that the USDA was “skeptical of amateur farmers.” Unfortunately—given the agency’s billions in subsidies for large producers and food safety rules that push out small producers—not much about the USDA’s attitude has changed in the last 80 years. “Big” doesn’t mean “bad.” Rules should ensure food producers of all sizes can thrive. [p. 8] 5. Outlawing food donations to the homeless and less fortunate. Cities across the country— including Houston, New York City, Orlando, and others—have banned or severely curtailed our right to share food with the less fortunate. That’s awful for those in need, not to mention that it encourages us to turn healthy food into food waste that clogs up our landfills. [p. 170] 6. Wasting tens of thousands of tons of edible seafood. Certain restrictions on fishing make sense—including those that ban the cruel and species-endangering practice of shark finning. But others are a waste. Literally. Rules that require fishermen to throw edible “bycatch” back into the ocean in the misguided effort to depress demand is one example of a rule that’s creating tons of waste while harming—rather than helping—stocks of threatened fish. [p. 134] ISLAND PRESS | TIP SHEET | 1