How the World Eats

A Global Food Philosophy

Julian Baggini

A Next Big Idea Club must-read selection

From the bestselling author of How the World Thinks, an exploration of how we grow, make, buy and eat our food around the world—and a proposal for a global philosophy of food.

How we live is shaped by how we eat. You can see this in the vastly different approaches to growing, preparing and eating food around the world, such as the hunter-gatherer Hadza in Tanzania whose sustainable lifestyle is under threat in a crowded planet, or Western societies whose food is farmed or bred in vast intensive enterprises. And most of us now rely on a complex global food web of production, distribution, consumption and disposal, which is now contending with unprecedented challenges.

The need for a better understanding of how we feed ourselves has never been more urgent. In this wide-ranging and definitive book, philosopher Julian Baggini expertly delves into the best and worst food practises in a huge array of different societies, past and present. His exploration takes him from cutting-edge technologies, such as new farming methods, cultured meat, GM and astronaut food, to the ethics and health of ultra processed food and aquaculture, as he takes a forensic look at the effectiveness of our food governance, the difficulties of food wastage and the effects of commodification.

Extracting essential principles to guide how we eat in the future, How the World Eats is a thought-provoking and illuminating call for a pluralistic, humane, resourceful and equitable global food philosophy that will guide us towards a food system fit for the twenty-first century and beyond.

Julian Baggini's books include the internationally bestselling How the World Thinks; How to Think Like a Philosopher; The Virtues of the Table; and The Pig That Wants to be Eaten. He is the Academic Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and is a member of the Food Ethics Council. He is a regular columnist for The Guardian, Prospect magazine, Financial Times and a columnist and book reviewer for The Wall Street Journal. He has also written for New Humanist magazine, The Week, New Statesman, New York Times and Literary Review. Visit him at julianbaggini.com.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"British philosopher Baggini pivots from contemplating the meaning of existence to the more mundane habit of eating. Yet he applies the same intellectually rigorous analysis, and his deep research shines on every page. In this wide-ranging book, Baggini surveys how different societies define food, from the Maasai people in East Africa who thrive on meat, milk, and the blood of their cattle to industrialized Westerners who relish fast food." Booklist, starred review

"A provocative, intelligent survey of the many complexities, moral and practical, of bringing food to our plates." Kirkus Reviews

"Debunks myths aplenty. Baggini’s arguments are both readable and reasonable, which should find common ground across the food industry, whether you are a committed vegan or part-owner of a meat processing plant." The Irish Times

"A refreshingly balanced and nuanced survey of the complexities and realities of food today. Baggini explores the global reach of what we eat and weighs up competing voices to give some clarity of thinking amongst the clamor and crises." Hattie Ellis, author of What to Eat: 10 Chewy Questions About Food

"Very informative and highly enjoyable." Ha-Joon Chang, SOAS University of London, author of Edible Economics

"Julian expertly takes the reader on a wonderful journey and exploration through philosophy, culture, and gastronomy across the globe. A must-read for anyone passionate about food, culture and connections." Dr Rupy Aujla, author of The Doctor’s Kitchen

"An overview of how people throughout the entire world—from hunter-gatherers to NASA astronauts—view, exist within, manage, and try to improve their food systems. Baggini's philosophy makes sense. We need sustainable food systems to feed the world." Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, New York University, and author of Slow Cooked

Praise for Julian Baggini

"There to fill the Sapiens-size hole in your life." The Observer (London)

”Such scope, and such lucid, lightly worn learning. Enlightening, perspective-shifting, mind-expanding - a superb tour through world philosophies with an erudite and friendly guide." Sarah Bakewell, author of How to Live and Humanly Possible

"This book is like the Sudoku of moral philosophy: apply your mind to any of its thought experiments and quickly be transported out of rush-hour hell." The New Statesman