Every October 16 is World Food Day – an awareness campaign created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Each year, the organization focuses on a theme surrounding food issue around the world. This year, the focus is on achieving the elimination of world hunger through healthy diets. In addition to healthy diets, the website lists biodiversity and climate threats as players in this issue. 

Our Acres U.S.A. online bookstore is a great resources for farmers, growers and producers, as well as a way for non-farmers to learn more about eco-agriculture. Today we’ve put together a suggested reading list, with the important themes of World Food Day in mind:

Suggested Titles on Food and Human Health

Food, Farming and Health by Dr. Vandana Shiva

This book shows how health is a continuum from the soil, to the plants, to our bodies. The several decades since the advent of chemical farming have thrown challenges to ecologies and humans as not experienced in the thousands of years prior. In this multi-authored work, readers will connect the dots between the cause of modern disease in toxic farming fields and industrial food factories and gain an introductory understanding to philosophies of human diet, health and healing proven through thousands of years.

The Myths of Safe Pesticides and Poisoning Our Children by André Leu

These two books from author, farmer and Eco-Ag Conference speaker André Leu present the peer-reviewed evidence that proves the claims of chemical companies and pesticide regulators are not all they seem. Leu translates technical jargon into layman’s terms to break down the five most repeated myths about pesticide use:

  • The “Rigorously Tested” Myth
  • The “Very Small Amount” Myth
  • The “Breakdown” Myth
  • The “Reliable Regulatory Authority” Myth
  • The “Pesticides Are Essential to Farming” Myth

 Eat Right by Nick Barnard

This comprehensive guide will show you how to find true nourishment and pleasure in the discovery, preparation and eating of real food and drink. It’s not about fashionable dieting or being anxious about food choices, it’s about positive eating. Learn more about Nick Barnard at the 2019 Eco-Ag Conference.

Want more? Check out our other health-focused books.

Suggested Reading on Biodiversity from EcoFarming Daily