Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty

This book is probably the best descriptor of how our food systems end up leaving out those in poverty. Extremely well written. If you liked Michael Pollan's books, you will love this.

Winne has authored a brilliant treatise on the real issues surrounding food insecurity in The US. With tremendous real world experience, Winne puts a human face on the problems of poverty and the serious costs all of us pay for merely throwing money and food at the problem OR worse yet - ignoring the poor. I read this book, got angry and more importantly got inspired to make a difference in Northern Illinois. READ this book, talk to your friends about it and take home how interconnected poverty, food insecurity, diet-related disease, and escalating healthcare costs really are. THANKS Mark Winne

The other two reviewers who give Mr. Winne a five star rating are telling the truth. He has written a truly readable and practical book that is accessible, and yet is is not a simpleton's introduction to the world of hunger and food insecurity in America. We are presented the challenge of preventing hunger from existing in this rich nation and Mark Winne, from years of experience in the field, shows us some of the steps we need to take. Read this book.

Mark Winne's book is a must read for those concerned about the growing poverty, hunger, and income inequality in America today. The personalized account of his journey from a comfortable, middle-class upbringing in New Jersey to community organizing in the gritty, underserved neighborhoods of Hartford, Connecticut is witty and informative, demonstrating why he has become a leader in this nation's food security movement. Winne's claim that our current "food system is racist, classist, and sexist" is supported by his well-documented experience in Hartford. He doesn't let any of the powers that be off the hook, from "the mean-spirited ideologues" who have, at times, dammed the federal assistance pipeline to corporate junk food purveyors who he says should be tried and sentenced "to eat nothing but their own food for twenty-five years to life" and even to food bankers who "will do virtually anything to appease [their corporate] donors." His clarion call for bolstering sane, systemic changes in local food structures - like farmers' markets, community gardens, and community supported agriculture - rings true.

Having read almost every book out there on food policy (and having written my own), I can safely say that Closing the Food Gap has something unique and important to offer. The author has been in the trenches and speaks from first-hand experience, which is rare to find among writers on this topic. Even though I am familiar with the many of book's issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the personal, accessible style and poignant story-telling. If you are looking for an introduction to food justice issues in the U.S., then this is the perfect doorway in. Winne takes us into a world where there are no easy solutions. But by the end, we are convinced that we must find a way to fix the deep injustices in our food system. What makes this book a critical contribution is its elegant argument for access to affordable and sustainable food for everyone. Even if you think you've read other books like it, you really haven't. Read this book and then pass it on. Michele Simon, author, Appetite for Profit: How the food industry undermines our health and how to fight back