I’ve read a number of books that delve into issues surrounding Australian food production and it’s fair to say that I found Jill Griffiths’ book What’s For Dinner? the easiest one to digest (pun intended).
Jill is a biologist and journalist who’s been writing about the environment and agriculture for more than three decades and her book is a blend of science, history and lived experience.
Through the book Jill takes readers on a journey to meet the plants, animals and people who provide our food while exploring the increasing separation consumers have with the origins of what we put on our plates.
The first thing I liked about this book was the way it was structured; broken into stand-alone segments so the reader can easily dip in and out of the topics it covers. Jill even explains how and why the book is segmented this way and part of her explanation comes in the startling fact that “75 per cent of the world’s food comes from just 12 plant species”. Jill’s book does a deep dive into six of those plants.
Meat production (cattle, chickens, pigs and sheep) is another aspect the book covers as well as milk and eggs. I was surprised to learn that chickens make up 46 per cent of meat eaten in Australia and was even more surprised to discover the reason why ‘meat chickens’ now grow faster and bigger than ever before. Contrary to widespread consumer belief this accelerated growth is NOT to do with added hormones or steroids but is instead due to genetics and feed.
The book also takes us behind the scenes of food production and I particularly enjoyed the recount of Jill’s trip to Bannister Downs Dairy.
Food nutrition is also discussed and I particularly loved the quote Jill added from food scientist Dr Vicky Solah; “If packaged food has more than six listed ingredients, it’s highly processed and alarm bells should ring.”
The book also includes discussion about “eating locally” and when comparing it to imported foods, how the manner in which those foods are transported greatly influences ‘food miles’. The fact that food transportation by sea produces less greenhouse gas emissions than when transported by air sounds obvious but it’s personally something I’d not considered before.
Adding a personal touch to the book are Jill’s stories about life growing up in WA’s Wheatbelt region as well as some about her successes and failures growing produce in her own veggie garden that any home gardener will be able to totally relate to.
Jill even finds space in the book to look at how we serve up our food and reveals that our plate size – and therefore our meal portion size – has increased dramatically from that of the previous generations.
All in all I found this a fascinating read and whether you consider yourself a dedicated foodie or simply someone who eats to survive, this book certainly shines a light on what we put on our plates. Highly recommended reading.
Author: Jill Griffiths
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 9 781760 763169
Buy through the ARR.News Store
This book review is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.
Related story: Author interview – Jill Griffiths
