Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Will you become a locavore after reading this book? Why or why not? What would induce you to try the same experiment?

Kingsolver admits that the family didn’t go totally local: They still buy things like coffee and olive oil. Do you think this hurts her argument at all? Why or why not? Do you think they should have cut out all non-local foods?

Kingsolver offers several reasons as to why Americans have allowed industrial farms and processed food to dominate food culture. What do you think the biggest contributing factors to this change have been? Do you, like Kingsolver, believe in progress toward a healthier, more eco-conscious society?

Why do you think the issue of industrial farming seems to be so much worse in the US than in other countries?

Describe some of your family’s food traditions, and how they may relate to the theme of food and family in the book.

If everyone began eating local, what do you think the industrial farms would do? How would they change their operations—or their marketing—to regain profits?

Summarize some of the essays from Hopp and Camille. What do they add to the book?

Do you agree with Kingsolver’s stance on vegetarian and vegan lifestyles? Why or why not?