The Eco-Foods Guide: What's Good for the Earth is Good for You!

By Cynthia Barstow

Natural. Organic. GMO-free. Biodynamic. Shade-grown. IPM-certified. No additives or preservatives...Shopping for food used to be so easy. But lately, it's become a misguided maze of acronyms,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0865714606
• ISBN13: 9780865714601
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: New Society Publishers
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Food is sacred!

Interested in sustainable agriculture? Look no further. In "The Eco-Foods Guide", Cynthia Barstow helps us navigate the complex issues surrounding food security and in clear, accessible language illustrates how our everyday food choices impact the planet. That said, this book, which is written in a friendly, conversational voice, is anything but a dry read. In fact, it's really rather fun. (Granted I am extremely passionate about food politics!) As a long-time natural foodist and someone with a lot of experience working in the field of organic foods, I highly recommend this guide. It's very comprehensive and covers everything from biodynamic farming to community supported agriculture to why you should only buy shade-grown, fair trade, organic coffee. It also discusses the grave environmental dangers of biotechnology. At the risk of sounding new-agey, I must also agree with the underlying spiritual message of this book. Eating local, seasonal, organic food really does help you re-connect with the earth. It's time we once again remember that food is holy! As all of life is interconnected, what's good for the earth is good for you!

For anyone concerned with seeking out alternatives

The Eco-Foods Guide: What's Good For The Earth Is Good For You! by sustainable agriculture and consumer advocate Cynthia Barstow is a very practical and "user friendly" consumer's guide to shopping the grocery-store aisles. Individual chapters cogently teach the reader about confusing yet critically important terms on grocery shelf cans, boxes and labels such as shade-grown, IPM-certified, GMO-free, biodynamic, and more, as well as offering sound and invaluable advice for shopping at farmer's markets, buying local produce, being aware of what edibles are being purchased for consumption, and generally regarding food as a sacred part of life itself. The Eco-Foods guide is very highly recommended, indispensable reading for anyone concerned with seeking out alternatives to the overly processed, additive contaminated, preservative laden, and chemically adulterated and synthesized and genetically altered foods that can (and do) significantly contribute to contemporary health problems.

Keep it in a handy place

The Eco-Foods Guide is an indispensable resource for the consumer who wants to go beyond reading labels and really delve into the truth about where our food comes from. Cynthia Barstow's conversational style is readable and down to earth--she answers the questions that loom in our heads as we make choices at the grocery store. She discusses the issues of buying organic vs. non organic, the benefits of buying locally, and she de-mysifies GMO's and what role they play in our food. Barstow also inlcludes helpful websites for futher purusing. As a mother of a two year old, I am grateful for this accessible guide--keep in a handy place!

Great resource for why and how to do good food buying

Barstow's Eco-Foods is a well-thought out book that focuses on: local, organic, seasonal qualities of the food we should eat. The book is easy reading and optimistic, full of pro-active and productive actions we could take. Eco-foods brings in a thorough historical background of important topics. While I consider myself well-read and informed on modern food issues, Cynthia enlightened me on subjects such as genetic drift, genetically modified, terminator technology, labeling, salmon waste, pouring rights, and more. The book flows with a compendium of who's who in the field (like Rachel Carson, Frances Moore Lappe, Thomas Berry, and many more), listing of relevant websites in an easy to see manner, shopping tips, brief vignettes on subjects that are discussed. I will use Eco-Foods as a resource for my good foods purchases.