--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eaters must understand,” Wendell Berry…" description: "\"“Eaters must understand,” Wendell Berry writes, “that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/barbara-kingsolver-200_eating_eaters-must-understand-wendell-berry-wri_1989671.png" --- # Eaters must understand,” Wendell Berry writes, “that… ![“Eaters must understand,” Wendell Berry writes, “that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/barbara-kingsolver-200_eating_eaters-must-understand-wendell-berry-wri_1989671.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/barbara-kingsolver-200_eating_eaters-must-understand-wendell-berry-wri_1989671.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/barbara-kingsolver-200_eating_eaters-must-understand-wendell-berry-wri_1989671.png) > ““Eaters must understand,” Wendell Berry writes, “that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.”” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She conveys that eating is an agricultural act that shapes the world, urging mindful consumption. **In simple terms:** Eating is an agricultural act that shapes the world. Key Takeaway Our food choices affect the planet. Themes Eat mindfully to impact the world positively. Mood thoughtful concerned Type ethical environmental When to use this quote - sustainable consumption - ecology - food systems Key Concepts environment agriculture ethics Practical Applications - food production - dietary habits - policy making - education Questions to Reflect On - How does your diet affect the environment? - What choices can reduce ecological impact? A Different Perspective May simplify complex food systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) ## Related quotes > [Eaters must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/eaters-must-understand-that-eating-takes-place-inescapably-in-the/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Eaters must understand, how we eat determines how the world is used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/eaters-must-understand-how-we-eat-determines-how-the-world-is-used/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Eating takes a special talent. Some people are much better at it than others. 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Yes!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/increasingly-progressive-voices-in-the-media-are-shining-a-spotlight/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [“To go into the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bernhard/to-go-into-the-dark-with-a-light-is-to-know-the-light-to-know-the/) [Toni Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bernhard/) > [“Eating is an agricultural act,' as Wendell Berry famously said. It is also an ecological act, and a political act, too. Though much has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eating-is-an-agricultural-act-as-wendell-berry-famously-said-it-is/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Wendell Berry warned, “It is easy . . . to imagine that the next great division of the world will be between people who wish to live as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tish-harrison-warren/wendell-berry-warned-it-is-easy-to-imagine-that-the-next-great/) [Tish Harrison Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tish-harrison-warren/) > [“If the environmental crisis is ultimately a crisis of character, as Wendell Berry told us way back in the 1970's, then sooner or later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/if-the-environmental-crisis-is-ultimately-a-crisis-of-character-as/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Wendell Berry’s definition: “If the word community is to mean or amount to anything, it must refer to a place (in its natural integrity)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-votava/wendell-berry-s-definition-if-the-word-community-is-to-mean-or-amount/) [Mark Votava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-votava/) > [“Modern ignorance is in people's assumption that they can outsmart their own nature. Wendell Berry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/modern-ignorance-is-in-people-s-assumption-that-they-can-outsmart/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [THE WILD ROSE” – BY WENDELL BERRY Sometimes, hidden from me in daily custom and in ritual I live by you unaware, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-wild-rose-by-wendell-berry-sometimes-hidden-from-me-in-daily/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Not only do I recommend Wendell Berry to anyone who will talk to me for more than seven seconds, but I buy his books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/not-only-do-i-recommend-wendell-berry-to-anyone-who-will-talk-to-me/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“We disdain limits. Wendell Berry warned, “It is easy . . . to imagine that the next great division of the world will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tish-harrison-warren/we-disdain-limits-wendell-berry-warned-it-is-easy-to-imagine-that-the/) [Tish Harrison Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tish-harrison-warren/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. 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Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Eating quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [I have my meals delivered... you know what I like? Chicken and rice... But the problem with being a defensive lineman is, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-douglas/i-have-my-meals-delivered-you-know-what-i-like-chicken-and-rice-but/) [Hugh Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-douglas/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [My mom cares that I tweeted a picture of my breakfast. She's knows I'm eating and I'm safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-dorsey/my-mom-cares-that-i-tweeted-a-picture-of-my-breakfast-she-s-knows-i-m/) [Jack Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-dorsey/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I have an intense dislike of doctrines, because you will always end up eating your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/i-have-an-intense-dislike-of-doctrines-because-you-will-always-end-up/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [The worst thing for me is to not taste what I'm eating, to not know what I'm eating. It upsets me to no avail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/the-worst-thing-for-me-is-to-not-taste-what-i-m-eating-to-not-know/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [The heaviest I've ever been is 65 kilos. 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