The Politics of the Pantry

Mikulak's experience as a small-scale farmer, coupled with his academic background, gives him unique insights into the food we eat, how we grow it, how we acquire it and how much of it we consume. His book is not a dry academic treatise on agriculture and agrarian politics. He takes a historical approach but does not shy away from contemporary issues. He cites scholarly sources along with popular ones; Jamie Oliver, Al Gore and Michael Pollen mingle with academics such as Julie Guthman and Imre Szeman. The best thing about the book is that Mikaluk reviews much of the literature on, as he terms it, the "ecology and economy" of agriculture. His approach is a balanced one and avoids taking an apocalyptic view. He divides the thinking on the political economy of food into three broad categories: the Gamekeeper, the Hunter and the Gardner. The Gamekeeper maintains "the balance of nature by keeping people out." The Hunter is the "epitome of the neoliberal individual." The Gardner tries to attain an "ideal of harmony." Mikulak sees the flaws in all three ideologies and is able to posit a synthesis to more accurately reflects the reality of our era. (Sept.)