Too Big to be Challenged? Consolidation in the Global Agrochemical World

I’ve been thinking a lot about power lately. Market power, to be precise. The coffee industry has always been relatively concentrated, but currently it is undergoing a period of consolidation that is reverberating across the sector. And it’s not alone: one of the most surprising news stories in recent weeks has been the announced $66 billion … Continue reading Too Big to be Challenged? Consolidation in the Global Agrochemical World

The Pre-Columbian Amazon – A Pristine Rainforest Or Intensive Settlement?

For our last agricultural history lecture, we were fortunate to receive a guest speaker from the department who is involved in a mammoth project of mapping the world’s food systems across time. What an interesting pastime, but what a challenge! This is what I referred to in my last post – one of the off-hand … Continue reading The Pre-Columbian Amazon – A Pristine Rainforest Or Intensive Settlement?

The #Bettertarian Campaign – Awareness Raising or Marketing Plot?

  I love having friends from around the world – it’s the best way to broaden your horizons about what is happening in different countries! My friend Brooke (hi!) pointed me towards the Bettertarian campaign that was recently launched by Meat and Livestock Australia. It’s a pretty comprehensive website that argues for abolishing inflexible diet labels (such … Continue reading The #Bettertarian Campaign – Awareness Raising or Marketing Plot?

New Evidence on Erosion of Crop Variety in Food Supply – What Consequences?

A new study conducted by the CGIAR in collaboration with a whole number of universities (its title is “Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies and the implications for food security” and was published in the PNAS journal) sheds some light on the realities of whether our diets are converging as much as we think they … Continue reading New Evidence on Erosion of Crop Variety in Food Supply – What Consequences?

"Land That Is In Human Use Requires Human Care" – An Interview with Wendell Berry

It’s no secret that Wendell Berry is another one of my inspirations when thinking about sustainable food systems – my post about his work “The Pleasures of Eating” has been one of the most-viewed posts on this blog, and his name repeatedly comes up in things I read and am influenced by. A friend of … Continue reading "Land That Is In Human Use Requires Human Care" – An Interview with Wendell Berry