The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
A review of The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
Written by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. Published by Rodale Books.
By Katie Fiorella
As I stood staring at the eggs at the supermarket the other day, I was thoroughly confused by the variety of labels on each package. With about six varieties of eggs to choose from, I read the labels over and over trying to decide if “cage-free,” “fed an all vegetarian diet,” “organic,” or “farm fresh” was the right choice. At that point I wondered if reading Peter Singer and Jim Mason’s The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter had done more to confuse me than inform me. Then I realized, despite the fact that a dozen store-brand eggs were about a quarter of the price of the other brands, I had not even considered adding that package to my cart.
For omnivores, vegetarians and vegans, food choices are rife with moral dilemmas. As Peter Singer and Jim Mason describe in The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, consumers’ choices of where to purchase food and which products to buy are, or at least ought to be, moral decisions. Singer and Mason examine the choices of three families, representing the standard American diet (SAD), the conscientious omnivore diet, and the vegan diet, to frame an exploration of how Americans shop and eat. As the families decide among venders such as Wal-Mart, farmers’ markets, and Whole Foods, Singer and Mason note the foods they buy and trace the products back to the farms from which they originated.
Singer and Mason evaluate each family’s choices with a lens toward the moral issues concerning the animals involved in food production and the environment. The evaluation of the standard American diet, characterized by shopping trips at Wal-Mart and dining on factory farmed meat and dairy products, is largely an expose of modern factory farming. As Singer and Mason track products purchased at Wal-Mart they are often stymied by the closed doors of the farming industry and what they do see is sharply criticized for immoral treatment of animals and the environment. The discussion of the conscientious omnivores, who try to purchase humanely treated and organic products, reveals many challenges in discerning the morality of food production. Despite concerted efforts to purchase morally produced food, the conscientious omnivores are often confronted with confusing labeling schemes and insufficient information that makes this diet morally challenging. Finally, the vegans, who do not eat animal products, avoid most moral issues concerning farmed animals, though they too must deal with issues surrounding organic, locally grown, and fair trade foods.
Through the discussion of the various diets explored, Singer and Mason take great care to note the challenges facing consumers at all levels. The plethora of labels found on food products, like Certified Humane, Fair Trade, organic, Farm Fresh, conventional, and locally grown often create confusion as they obscure information. Consumers must sort out which labels are marketing schemes, which represent only inadequate regulations, and which are legitimate. As Singer and Mason evaluate the three families’ diets and explore each label they inform the reader and incite critical evaluation of food choices, urging the reader to “vote at the supermarket” as he reflects on the impact of his food choices on others. Though Singer and Mason suggest which food choices are moral and which are not, the book’s strength is in motivating the reader to do the same. Whether it involves choosing a carton of eggs, produce, or a supermarket, readers will have much to consider beyond checking off items on a shopping list.