Below are five books (ok strictly speaking six, but I am going to count the first two as one), five papers, and five reports that I are particularly meaningful and significant to me. Selecting these has been a really interesting and extremely difficult exercise, and many worthy contenders have missed out... but I stand by my selection (at least until I change my mind) 😊
Embedded Files
Free and Indignity, by Lea Ypi
Free and Indignity, by Lea Ypi
The first works that I am going to highlight on here are only tangentially related to food, though it certainly does feature in them.
Simply two of the most thought-provoking, interesting, and deeply humane stories that I have probably ever read. Both books provide a thrilling perspective of a world that few have experienced and few can imagine, and yet I found Lea's story-telling instantly relatable.
I am delighted that I got to meet Lea when she visited Cambridge and Darwin in February 2024 to speak at the Darwin College Lecture Series on the theme of 'Revolution'.
They say don't meet your heroes, but in Lea's case I have no regrets. She was everything I had hoped for and more. I only wish the evening could have lasted much much longer, and that the picture wasn't so fuzzy!
Free: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/books-free-by-lea-ypi#9788079571217
Indignity: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/indignity-book-lea-ypi-9781802064124#10721985167633
Feeding Britain: Out Food Problems and How to Fix Them, by Professor Tim Lang
Feeding Britain: Out Food Problems and How to Fix Them, by Professor Tim Lang
Difficult to overstate how siginficant I have found this book, since I first read it shortly after it was published.
At the time I thought maybe it was a bit over the top with its message of a growing food system poly-crisis that effectively represented an urgent national emergency.
How events have not only caught up with, but overtaken many of the concerns expressed by Tim in his book.
I have also thoroughly enjoyed meeting Tim on now numerous occasions and found him to be an extraordinary kind and generous person.
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/books-feeding-britain-by-tim-lang#9815535157521
Ravenous, by Henry Dimbleby and Jemima Lewis
Ravenous, by Henry Dimbleby and Jemima Lewis
An absolute must-read for anyone that wants to understand the current state of the UK food industry.
Through painstaking work Henry and Jemima have looked at all facets of the system and produced this stunning analysis of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/books-ravenous-by-henry-dimbleby#9787728953617
Food Intelligence: The science of how food both nourishes and harms us, by Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall
Food Intelligence: The science of how food both nourishes and harms us, by Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall
Remarkable book that outlines the complexity of human nutrition, and debunks with clear evidence some of the most common misconceptions found in the field today.
It is both incredibly interesting to read the stories in the book, but it is also packed with useful information. An essential read for anyone working in food.
Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favourite Food, by Bruce Friedrich
Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favourite Food, by Bruce Friedrich
I really love the qualified optimism in Bruce's book. It does not in any way detract from the huge challenges facing the food system today. Nor does it present utopian solutions through rose-tinted glasses. I also like that Bruce is very clear about the gargantuan task of even levelling off, let alone reducing humanity's demand for animal sourced foods, primarily meat. Like him, I don't think humans will ever stop eating meat, but with the right solutions, like him, I believe that we can reduce the excess consumption.
I also agree that the big challenges are taste, texture, and price parity, though to this I will also add nutrition as a gatekeeping quality to match or better.
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Meat-by-Bruce-Friedrich/9781637747933
Strategic menu optimization could reduce carbon emissions and saturated fat consumption: a simulation modelling study of UK hospital inpatient meals, by Annika Flynn, Taro Takahashi, and Jeffrey M. Brunstrom
Strategic menu optimization could reduce carbon emissions and saturated fat consumption: a simulation modelling study of UK hospital inpatient meals, by Annika Flynn, Taro Takahashi, and Jeffrey M. Brunstrom
Masterfully crafted study that is a pleasure to read.
I am also thrilled to see how much impact it has already made. It is a great example of a well designed solution that is grounded in feasibility, but with so much impact potential. I am really excited to see where it goes in the many outlets that I know are already putting it to practical use.
Comparing the impact and mechanistic pathways of micro-environmental interventions targeting healthier vs. more environmentally sustainable food options: an overview of reviews, by Cinja Jostock and colleagues.
Comparing the impact and mechanistic pathways of micro-environmental interventions targeting healthier vs. more environmentally sustainable food options: an overview of reviews, by Cinja Jostock and colleagues.
Beautiful systematic review that show that contrary to the loud voices that claim that we have exhausted individual interventions as an avenue for research and impact potential, there is still so much work to do!
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-025-04381-8
Nutritional and health impacts of alternative animal source foods: a scoping review, by Ty Beal and colleagues.
Nutritional and health impacts of alternative animal source foods: a scoping review, by Ty Beal and colleagues.
The human body is an immensely complicated system. Any considerations of what forms of nourishment are adequate or optimal for the myriad of different contexts billions of people find themselves in, should therefore acknowledge and embrace this complexity. I think this paper does this beautifully in the context of adopting healthier and more sustainable diets.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00302-X/fulltext
Meaningfully reducing consumption of meat and animal products is an unsolved problem: A meta-analysis, by Seth Ariel Green, Benny Smith, and Maya B. Mathur.
Meaningfully reducing consumption of meat and animal products is an unsolved problem: A meta-analysis, by Seth Ariel Green, Benny Smith, and Maya B. Mathur.
Another paper providing a strong rebuke to the notion that we are done with individual interventions as a subject of inquiry. The authors set a relatively easy set of requirements that studies had to meet to be included in the review (true randomisation, adequate sample sizes (at least 25 per arm), and measuring actual consumption behaviour at least 24 hours later), and found that astonishingly few studies actually met them. I quote from the conclusion of the abstract: 'many promising interventions await rigorous evaluation.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666325003861?via%3Dihub
A meta-analysis assessing the effectiveness of demand-side interventions for sustainable food consumption and food waste reduction, by Paul M. Lohmann and colleagues.
A meta-analysis assessing the effectiveness of demand-side interventions for sustainable food consumption and food waste reduction, by Paul M. Lohmann and colleagues.
A wonderful meta-analysis that I have found immensely useful. The analysis deploys machine-learning assisted systematic review, and especially the factoring in of publication bias results in very intriguing findings. The sensitivity analysis indicates very clearly where the avenues for greatest impact potential might lie, and where they probably do not - inviting a tantalising reflection on possibly misdirected efforts.
The False Economy of Big Food: September 2026 update, by Professor Tim Jackson.
The False Economy of Big Food: September 2026 update, by Professor Tim Jackson.
The New Merchants of Doubt, by The Changing Markets Foundation.
The New Merchants of Doubt, by The Changing Markets Foundation.
More, different, stop: The stories we tell about protein, by Tara Garnett and Tamsin Blaxter.
More, different, stop: The stories we tell about protein, by Tara Garnett and Tamsin Blaxter.
Food Chain Misinformation, by The Animal Law Foundation.
Food Chain Misinformation, by The Animal Law Foundation.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse