The Foreign Service Journal, March 2014

60 MARCH 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL ess, while McMahon lacks confidence that science will advance sufficiently to meet global demand. He instead argues for increased small-scale global production. Both authors are critical of so-called “land grabs,” through which countries and even some global commodity trading houses enter into food production agree- ments by acquiring land (nearly 50 million hectares worldwide, McMahon estimates). The United Arab Emirates has acquired 1.5 million hectares in Sudan and other parts of Africa, and it is just one of several Persian Gulf states actively seeking such territory. Curiously, neither author is willing to concede that the countries involved might have found these deals mutually beneficial. Both McMahon and Paarlberg’s books are worth reading, but this reviewer found the latter superior in most respects. As Paarlberg sagely says about the future of agriculture: “Increasingly, it will be non- farmers without a livelihood stake in crop or livestock production who set the terms of the debate.” Members of the Foreign Service must continually educate themselves on the changing global debate over food politics. There is no better way for them to do so than to equip themselves with Paarlberg’s thorough and highly readable book. n Former FSO James Patterson’s reviews, essays and reporting have appeared in The Foreign Service Journal, Agricultural History , the Journal of Food Distribution Research , the Christian Science Monitor , InThese Times and Choices , among many other publica- tions. He taught agricultural economics, marketing and policy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Graduate School for 10 years, and has been an adjunct professor of econom- ics at Northern Virginia Community College. Moving? Take AFSAWith You! Change your address online, visit us at www.afsa.org/address Or Send change of address to: AFSAMembership Department 2101 E Street NW Washington, DC 20037