Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
Can we say, three cheers for learning new things? In recent weeks I’ve felt a little in a rut, writing my thesis and having limited classroom interactions, but I started a new course today on “20th Century Agricultural Economy and Politics” and it’s looking to be oh-so-interesting. One of our textbooks is called “Agriculture in … Continue reading Agriculture – The "Worst Mistake" in Human History?
Short answer – yes. And yet, we too seldom think that way, as a new study by WRAP shows. Surveying over 5,000 UK consumers, they find that more than a quarter regularly leave food behind on the plate – either because it’s too much or because they didn’t like it – and that 57% find … Continue reading Is It Food Waste When I'm Eating Out?
Do you sometimes feel you are getting overwhelmed by news and don’t know where to start? But going back to old-fashioned print newspapers is not an option because you spend most of your waking hours in front of the computer (hi! join the club!) and, anyhow, you like topic-specific content, but not allllll of the … Continue reading On The Radar: The FAO's Food & Agriculture Spotlight
“It was the tension — between a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other — that kept me going.” — Hunter S. Thompson
I know we have talked about this before, but I found this infographic made by Yes! Magazine a great means to dig down into what differences exist between food safety laws on both sides of the Atlantic. Especially since many of these laws could be on the table during international trade negotiations soon. Americans, Europeans, join … Continue reading Food Safety Law Face-Off
Think of “food” and “North Korea” and chances are you will be reminded of the near-yearly news items speaking of hunger, starvation, and malnutrition in the country. However, times might be changing, at least if you believe Andrei Lankov, professor of Korean Studies at Seoul University. In this Al Jazeera piece, he argues that the … Continue reading 10 Facts About Food (Shortages) in North Korea
It’s nice to see that, once challenges are identified, sometimes we do take steps forward to address them. This is at least the purpose of the European food-waste prevention project FUSIONS (Food Use for Social Innovation by Optimizing Waste-Prevention Strategies) that was launched in 2012 and will run until 2016. Along with UK partner WRAP (Waste … Continue reading Tackling Food Waste – One Strategy at a Time
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?
As I’m doing more and more research to try and figure out where to best spend my next year, it’s been slightly overwhelming to find so many different interpretations of “sustainable agriculture”. What is really the “best” paradigm? Permaculture? Agroecology? Holistic management? Sustainable intensification? Can one even say there is one and only “best” strategy? … Continue reading Climate-Smart Agriculture – The New Paradigm for Sustainability?
I just came back from a gloriously sunny run during which I listened to the latest This American Life episode, and was mesmerized by the third story. You can listen to it here or find the article that it’s based on here. It’s ostentatiously about investigating the latest food craze in San Francisco – artisanal … Continue reading On Toast, Coconuts, and Community
