Tony Martin from Vegan Organic Network interviews Doctor Laila Kassam (Animal Think Tank) about her new book Rethinking Food and Agriculture which she co-authored with her father Professor Amir Kassam (University of Reading).
Rethinking Food and Agriculture explores and uncovers some of the key historical, ethical, economic, social, cultural, political, and structural drivers and root causes of unsustainability, degradation of the agricultural environment, destruction of nature, short-comings in science and knowledge systems, inequality, hunger and food insecurity, and disharmony. It reviews efforts towards ‘sustainable development’, and reassesses whether these efforts have been implemented with adequate responsibility, acceptable societal and environmental costs and optimal engagement to secure sustainability, equity and justice. The book highlights the many ways that farmers and their communities, civil society groups, social movements, development experts, scientists and others have been raising awareness of these issues, implementing solutions and forging ‘new ways forward’, for example towards paradigms of agriculture, natural resource management and human nutrition which are more sustainable and just.
Contributors include Robert Chambers, David Jenkins, Tony Juniper, Dr. Shireen Kassam, David Montgomery, Vandana Shiva and many others. It’s a wonderful contribution to science and philosophy supporting the urgent need to transition to a non-violent vegan food system and restore a right relationship with ourselves, other species and nature.
Book links:
About Laila Kassam
Dr. Kassam has been involved in social change for most of her career having worked in the international development sector for 15 years, conducting research on poverty and food security for rural development projects in the Global South. She has an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Dr. Kassam is a co-founder of Animal Think Tank, a grassroots organisation building a social movement for animal freedom in the UK. She is co-editor of a new book called “Rethinking Food and Agriculture: New Ways Forward” which envisions a truly just and sustainable food system based on a framework of ‘inclusive responsibility’.
Follow Dr. Kassam on Medium
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