The end of food : the coming crisis in the world food industry ([Updated] ed)

The emergence of large-scale food production gave us unprecedented abundance - but at a steep and ultimately unsustainable price.

Relentless cost-cutting has made our food systems vulnerable to contamination and disease.

More than a billion people are overweight or obese, yet roughly the same number are still malnourished.

Over-crowded countries like China are already planning for tightened global food supplies.

As the world veers back to a time of hunger and uncertainty, Paul Roberts explores the vulnerable miracle of our modern food economy and pinpoints the decisions we must make to avoid the coming meltdown.