David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé take us far beyond the well-worn
adage to deliver a new truth: the roots of good health start on farms.
What Your Food Ate marshals evidence from recent and forgotten science
to illustrate how the health of the soil ripples through to that of
crops, livestock, and ultimately us.
The long-running partnerships through which crops and soil life nourish
one another suffuse plant and animal foods in the human diet with an
array of compounds and nutrients our bodies need to protect us from
pathogens and chronic ailments. Unfortunately, conventional agricultural
practices unravel these vital partnerships and thereby undercut our
well-being. Can farmers and ranchers produce enough nutrient-dense food
to feed us all? Can we have quality and quantity?
With their trademark thoroughness and knack for integrating information
across numerous scientific fields, Montgomery and Biklé chart the way
forward. Navigating discoveries and epiphanies about the world beneath
our feet, they reveal why regenerative farming practices hold the key to
healing sick soil and untapped potential for improving human health.
Humanity's hallmark endeavors of agriculture and medicine emerged from
our understanding of the natural world--and still depend on it.
Montgomery and Biklé eloquently update this fundamental reality and show
us why what's good for the land is good for us, too. What Your Food
Ate is a must-read for farmers, eaters, chefs, doctors, and anyone
concerned with reversing the modern epidemic of chronic diseases and
mitigating climate change.
