Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
Have you heard of agroecology? This is a holistic agricultural production system that is similar to organic methods, but yet not exactly the same. The Christensen Fund has made a great infographic that compares and contrasts the agroecological with the conventional system from sky to soil: As this handy policy brief explains, “based on a … Continue reading Agroecology: The Alternative of the Future?
There might be some rain coming soon, but it might still not be enough to quench the drought in California. Apparently, this past year has been the driest in the past half millennium for the state. Currently, the federal government says that “every square mile of California is in some state of drought—and 14.62% of … Continue reading Drought in California = Food Shortage in the USA?
I was pretty perplexed when I realized that exactly one year ago I wrote my first post on this blog – has it already been so long? It doesn’t feel like it at all, which just comes to show that I like doing it, I guess. And it’s so exciting that one year later, people … Continue reading Happy Blogiversary! And Thanks for Reading!
This is pretty shocking news – when testing what kinds of fish are sold under which labels, in some states as many as 52% were mislabeled, mostly in order to sell less expensive fish en lieu of the more high-end ones and still capture the price premium. Not only that, but sometimes fish was even … Continue reading "What Fish Would You Like?" "… Do I Have A Real Choice?"
(via cornucopia.org; click through for a larger image/to zoom in) This is really scary to me. Within my economics background (and despite the fact that I don’t always agree with all the axioms we learn there), such a concentration of any particular industry is generally seen as bad news. “Oligopolies” (a situation where a small … Continue reading The Seed Empires of Today
One of my friends studying chemistry recently reposted 3 images that blogger James Kennedy Monash created to counter “chemophobia”, or the unreasonable fear of chemical compounds in our food sources. First I scoffed, but then I looked at it and it was definitely thought-provoking so… goal achieved? Let me show them to you: These images … Continue reading The All-Natural Ingredient List
Hey friends! I am making my last preparations before flying off into the sun tomorrow (with varying internet access), so I want to wish you a very merry holiday season with lots of family & friend fun, good job and plenty of relaxation. A couple of things to keep you busy between all the eggnog-drinking … Continue reading Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Hej hej, how are you surviving the pre-Christmas rush to get things done? I had my last class on Monday, but am still up to my ears in things-to-do before I get on a plane on Saturday for some well-needed travels. I hope you are getting into the Christmas mood though – here are some … Continue reading Link Bonanza – On Antibiotics, Ethics and Food Geography
Right now, I’m taking a class on “Economic Growth and Sustainable Development”. In it, we discuss a lot of economic notions on how to deal with non-renewable resources that might run out in the future, and how to accommodate economic growth within the confines of a finite planet. While I have found our discussions fascinating, … Continue reading Our Climate Budget – Already in the Red?
Well, the Warsaw summit on climate change has turned out to be a major disappointment, with many prominent NGOs walking out prematurely to signal their protest at governmental inaction and last-ditch agreements remaining vague and postponing real commitments to future meetings. Commentators especially deplored the lack of urgency that seemed to reign among the negotiators, … Continue reading What Does Warsaw Mean for Agriculture?