Organic: A Journalist's Quest to Discover the Truth behind Food Labeling [Hardcover]

Its a testament to Laufers skill as a writer and reporter that he can make an interesting and edifying book out of idle musings on the origins of some organic walnuts and black beans he bought at Trader Joes and a local health food store. The question of whether the walnuts from Kazakhstan or the beans grown in Bolivia came to Laufers table in Oregon without a boost from pesticides and chemical fertilizers becomes an examination of the $27 billion organic food business. His investigative zeal is spurred by the 'obsessive secrecy' of Trader Joes PR response to his inquiries about the identity of the Kazakh farmer whose spoiled walnuts got him thinking about the compromises that 'make every package of food certified organic suspect.' A lively, highly informative expos? -Kirkus Reviews Ever wonder if that 'organic' sticker on your produce is legit? Peter Laufer did the work to find out, and the answers are equal parts fascinating and disturbing. Bill McKibben, author of Wandering Home It's tempting to stick your head in the sand on this topic, but Laufer is rightwhere there's money there's (unfortunately) corruption. His international quest to trace the origin of his organic food is both intriguing and enlightening. Lisa Leake, author of 100 Days of Real Food Praise for The Dangerous World of Butterflies: Absorbing and far-reaching.... --NPR Science Desk Compelling. . . . Laufer delivers an absorbing science lesson for fans of the colorful bugs. --Publishers Weekly Like The Orchid Thief, The Dangerous World of Butterflies takes us deep into the dark heart of obsessed collectors and the passionate activism & Laufer, a veteran reporter on cultural and political borders, understands how these worlds cross and collide. His book is a Venn diagram of the beautiful and bizarre. --Los Angeles Times [Laufer's] book is charming and his attention to detail, combined with a real gift for describing these fascinating characters&made me want to read everything else he lƒ½