Consumed is one of the most terrifying books I’ve read. Sarah Elton’s research efforts add up to a 350-page warning about the depressing race to find a food solution by 2050, the year past when mistakes are predicted to come home to roost. Even worse, when the Canadian journalist offers up hopeful alternatives from her research travels – a successful organic and sustainable farm in the Indian province of Maharashtra; a boutique cheese-producing venture in France’s Aubrac region among them – they seem no match for the might of an industrial food system that “has broken our connection with nature”.
Big Farming is undeniably part of the problem, with its genetically modified seed hybrids providing just one example of why: each variety requires soil-damaging chemicals, which are creating new herbicide-resistant weeds that threaten entire crops. It’s all complicated and mind-boggling, but the takeaway here for a society of increasingly convenience-obsessed individuals is that things need to change, and change fast. At the very least, Elton argues, we need to break away from “bigger and faster is better” thinking, and make better choices when it comes to what we eat, where it comes from and how it is grown.
amcqueen@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
