Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
The Christmas vacations feels so long ago – despite it having only been three weeks since I came back to Sweden, I have had a hard time getting back into the rhythm of school and am under the impression I could use a break again – anybody else? Let’s pretend to be back in the … Continue reading Review: "Cooked" by Michael Pollan
(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
Man, I love lentils. And chickpeas. Black beans. Give me any legume, basically, and I am a happy camper. What a typical vegetarian, you say? Well, keep reading, have a look at this Ensia article, from which most of this information comes from, and think again. Turns out, there are at least five reasons why … Continue reading 5 Reasons to Love Lentils – Boost Your Legume Literacy!
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
Since my post about nitrogen fertilizer is still one of the most successful ones yet (who’d thought?), and I’ve been working non-stop this week on a paper to analyze phosphorus and its resource, phosphate rock, for a paper in my class Economic Growth and Sustainable Development, I thought I’d give you some insights into what … Continue reading 10 Things I Didn't Know About Phosphorus Fertilizer
I know we talked about GMOs before, but it seems they have come to a whole different prevalence lately, thanks mainly to this Grist series on Panic-free GMOs. Author Nathanael Johnson goes into minute detail in figuring out everything from what GMOs really are to the literature surrounding it to the regulations attached to them. … Continue reading Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About GMOs
Ohhh sugar. We love it, right? But often, it is also the demise of self-control, of overeating, and of our long-term health. Here are three articles that – topically, now in January – look at sugar and its addictive power.
We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. – Anaïs Nin So relevant to any debate reaching from GMOs to animal welfare. Trying to keep that in mind and remaining respectful, understanding and genuinely aiming to see where people are coming from would make discussions so much more meaningful – … Continue reading We don’t see th…
Have you heard of Temple Grandin? I must have been living under a rock or something because I had no idea about her and her amazing achievements – including designing equipment used in more than half of all American slaughterhouses that contributed to great steps forward in animal welfare. She also got a doctorate, is associate … Continue reading Temple Grandin – Seeing the World as A Cow Would
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0 This little nifty science experience (narrated by adorable Elise) can really give you pause in thinking about the organic vs. conventional debate, even if I don’t quite agree with her final conclusion (there are many reasons why cancer rates have gone up, including the fact that people just don’t die of other causes first … Continue reading Elise's Potato Project