An empowering and inspiring book for readers to make informed decisions and create a better world—for themselves and our planet—written by an international award-winning food engineer.
Have you ever wondered how we can feed 80 billion farmed animals per year while nearly one billion people are food insecure?
Food for Thought is a comprehensive, science-based analysis of the social and environmental costs of eating animals. Noted Food Engineer Camila Perussello, PhD explains how animal-based food production is directly linked to some of the most pressing issues of our time: violence, discrimination, the climate emergency, and the global burden of disease.
This book uncovers the deliberately hidden and brutal reality of animal-sourced food production – from animal suffering to human rights violations, environmental degradation, diet-related illnesses, pandemics, food insecurity, and consumer manipulation. Food for Thought also debunks myths on “humane” and “sustainable” animal foods, such as organic milk, grass-fed meat, and cage-free eggs, detailing the differences between production systems, geographical regions, and animal welfare labels. The book ends with a practical guide on how to live vegan, the challenges you might encounter, and the personal benefits you should expect. Most importantly, Food for Thought will make you aware of your power to reshape industry and society, despite the misleading narratives made to sow confusion about the vital role of consumer choices in social change.
Written with impeccable detail and academic rigor, Food for Thought is a valuable reference guide to food technologists, veterinarians, biologists, environmentalists, animal rights activists, and all professionals and individuals working towards justice and sustainability.
“Camila brings all the arguments for not eating animals and animal products together in one interconnected story, much like the issues are themselves. Her words call on our compassion but also our ability to connect hard facts to action. She makes the reader question their ideas about oppression and how it shows up in our lives, both among human and non-human animals. She challenges you to question the status quo in our beliefs, as well as the often misplaced trust we have for industries to do the right thing. You’ll walk away educated with real life examples and empowered to share and utilize that information in your own life.” —Tessa Graham, Director of Compassion Innovation at The Pollination Project
“Food for Thought could not have come at a more critical time. Humankind has reached its point of greatest damage to the planet and our kindred beings, and a sustainable future will not be possible without a major transformation of our global food systems. With impeccable detail, Dr. Camila Perussello presents comprehensive evidence of the impacts of animal exploitation on health and the environment, and effectively links it to a broad range of issues, including cultural identity, politics and governance, economics, supremacy and racism, human rights, and social justice. The graphic photographs, from undercover investigations by Animal Equality, drive home the point that commodifying animals is above all an act of unspeakable cruelty. It’s difficult to imagine how any reader would come away from this book and not be compelled to go vegan. To that end, the last chapter of the book contains practical advice and tips for making the transition, and offers hope that the possibilities for a more compassionate world do indeed begin with the food we choose to put on our plates.”—Dr. Joanne Kong, editor of Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers
“Food for Thought is a well-researched wake up call to the issues related to the food we eat. Its message is as eloquent as it is empowering: in the fight for your planet and its denizens, you too can—and should—play a role!”—Tobias Leenaert, Author of How to Create a Vegan World and Co-Founder at Proveg International
“Dr. Camila Perussello’s Food for Thought is an eye-opener, her careful research effectively dispelling any doubts or complacency over the devastating impact—on our health, animal lives, and the Earth—of the meat and dairy industries. Perussello goes further, providing useful resources for anyone interested in learning how to take action to save themselves, other forms of life on the planet, and even the planet itself.”—Ingrid Newkirk, author, Free the Animals
“At a time when animal-based diets are contributing very significantly to a potential climate catastrophe and other environmental threats, an epidemic of life-threatening diseases, risks of future pandemics, the very wasteful use of increasingly scarce land, water, energy, and other resources, and the massive mistreatment of farmed animals, Dr. Camila Perussello’s wonderful book, Food for Thought, is a very welcome addition to the literature on vegetarian and vegan diets. Her passion, compassion, and concern for a decent world for future generations are evident throughout the book. It is extremely comprehensive and well-documented. I have been reading books and articles on plant-based diets for over 40 years, but still learned many new things. I heartily recommend the book. It has the potential to help many people switch to healthier diets and to help shift our very imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.”—Richard H. Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, College of Staten Island
“A meticulously researched tome that illuminates production methods used for animal foods and their associated moral, ethical, and environmental concerns. Using passionate and lucid prose, Perussello offers compelling arguments to persuade readers to consider a vegan diet as an alternative.”—Paul Singh, Distinguished Professor of Food Engineering, University of California, Davis
