Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
You may have heard by now that the US Farm Bill has spectacularly failed in the House of Representatives, making it the first time in at least 40 years that a Farm Bill was voted down in the House. The $500 billion bill was voted down with 234 to 195 votes, leaving lawmakers baffled and farmers … Continue reading What Future for the Farm Bill?
In a last-push effort before his term ends at the end of the year, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is attempting to make the city just one more bit sustainable – by introducing food waste recycling and composting programs that could eventually become mandatory for New Yorkers. According to the New York Times, “food … Continue reading Bloomberg Aims to Tackle "New York City’s Final Recycling Frontier"
I am still in Barcelona for a conference, but wanted to share this inspiring article about great women farmers! Have a great weekend and I will be back on Monday!
This morning, I found an exciting piece of news in my inbox: “Connecticut Passes Nation’s First GMO Labeling Law“! That should be a cause of celebration, especially after the industry-financed defeat of a similar law in the California polls. However, wait until you hear all the stipulations attached to the bill. The main big catch: … Continue reading GMO Labeling Laws: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
This Sunday, if you have an hour, I have a thoroughly interesting report for you to read. The NGO Food and Water Watch just published a document called “Biotech Ambassadors“, in which they analysed the 250,000 U.S. State Department cables that were publicized through Wikileaks (which represented around one tenth of all State Department cables … Continue reading Sunday Read: Biotech Diplomacy
Yesterday, the New York Times ran an article called “The Health Toll of Immigration” which looked into scientific research regarding the link between immigration to the USA and health changes. Their conclusion – in an ironic twist, moving to the United States might raise your general standard of living, but shorten your life expectancy.
Staying on the topic of the US Farm Bill being currently discussed, here is some uplifting news: The Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act which Congresswoman Chellie Pingress introduced (originally in 2011!) has found widespread bipartisan support in both House and Senate Agricultural Committees, and many ideas from the act have been adopted into the … Continue reading Boosting Local Food in Congress
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2K4pfiYK2IQ] Remember the so-called Monsanto Protection Act? Here is a little more light-hearted analysis of the legislative process that got it passed. This popping up in my newsfeed is quite timely, though, since the US Congress is set to finally debate the Farm Bill that had failed to pass last year. The Agricultural Committees of … Continue reading You Put What in Where?! Congress and the Farm Bill
The decision that has been eagerly awaited by a great number of people might disappoint just as many. I covered the Bowman vs. Monsanto case earlier when the oral hearings were made, and commented that it didn’t seem to look too good for Mr. Bowman’s case. This impression has turned out to be true: in … Continue reading Bowman vs. Monsanto: Upheld.
As I was only able to check in a couple of minutes on Sunday, I left you with a link to an expose on farm labor in the US. I wanted to come back to that topic, though, and add a little more reflection. In particular, today a NY Times story was run which read … Continue reading Who Is (Or Should Be) Picking our Food?