Everything I Want to Do is Illegal by J.Salatin, Book Review Example

Problems Presented in the Book

In the book “Everything I want to do is illegal”, Salatin (2007) reveals how small local farms are limited by the government regulations. The main message of the book is that the food regulations in the United States are designed to favor large farms and processing companies, and they make the life of a small farmer, who is simply looking to provide safe, organic food for local people impossible. Different aspects of the problem are presented in the book, written from the perspective of a family farmer. First, it states that governments are making it impossible for small farmers to make a living on the land and create a competitive advantage. Secondly, it also states that by over-regulating the local farms, governments are reducing the number of choices customers have regarding food.

The Question of Stakeholder Responsibility

One of the main messages of the book is that the government does not treat farmers fairly, and they try to apply the regulations on small scale that are designed for industrial food production. Governments’ main responsibility would be to ensure that every person in the country has a freedom of choice, and by limiting the choice of available food items, and restricting the sales of local food, artisan products, it is disadvantaging customers. Further, the agencies regulating food safety are disadvantaging small farms, and make it almost impossible for them to be able to offer produce at the same price as supermarkets do. They need to face extra costs and inspections, while – according to the author – it is hard for them to compete with large companies to start with. Salatin (2007, p. 49) states: “without the expensive labeling, packaging and processing infrastructure requirements, this food could be sold at regular supermarket prices, and it would be infinitely better”. Analyzing the external forces of the industry, it is clear that mass production and manufacturing of food is more cost-effective than producing crops and vegetables on a small scale. Farmers struggle to make a living, and they are limited in what they can sell. Clearly, the regulations and standards in America are designed to fit large companies, and are not suitable for small farms. The author, however, describes how he has won a handful of battles with authorities and “went around” the rules in order to be able to produce food at a profit. His example and innovative way of thinking shows readers that there is a need for changing regulations so that they do not disadvantage stakeholder groups and small farms, but provide them equal marketing opportunities. The question is who does the standardization of the agriculture market benefit? As the author has highlighted, it does not benefit the government, as it creates extra work for health and safety, food hygiene inspectors. It does not benefit small farms, and it takes away the freedom of choice from the most important stakeholders: customers. It seems like the only stakeholder group that benefits from the strict regulation of small farms is the mass food production industry, and they can easily build price-based competitive advantages, while small farms struggle to realize any profit.

Pros and Cons of the Book

The strongest feature of Salatin’s book is that it shows the impact of regulations on small farms from the owner’s perspective, and provides his own account on how regulations restrict farming in the United States.

The main weakness of the book is that it is one-sided, and lacks effective, actionable recommendations for solutions. He does not carefully analyze potential solutions in order to determine whether or not they would create any risks or provide advantage for various stakeholder groups.

Salatin, J. (2007)  Everything I want to do is illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front. Polyface Publications.