Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
After it was mentioned in one of my classes, I started wondering… what exactly happened to the much-heralded tax on goods high in saturated fats that Denmark installed at the beginning of 2012? This law was the first time that this relatively drastic step to curb obesity and try to steer healthier eating habits was … Continue reading The Life and Death of the Danish Fat Tax
Having moved to Sweden just a week and a bit ago to spend my second year of my Master’s studies here, I am extremely excited to explore Swedish culture and language. Though my language classes only start in two weeks, I already found out about a word that lacks a real English translation and is … Continue reading Swedish Concept of the Day: "Lagom"
“The land is there,” he said. “All you need is your hands.” This is how one Greek citizen explained the importance of agriculture in times of crisis. After a year of unemployment, he decided to stop waiting for the government to fix the situation, get his own hands dirty and start following an agronomy course … Continue reading Back to the Roots for Greece?
[ted id=1538] Incredible Edible is an amazing idea that transformed an entire British town. In Todmorden, upon the initiative of two energetic women, the community is coming together and connecting with each other, their food and their environment. In the process, they are teaching each other and the next generation about growing vegetables and herbs, … Continue reading Incredible Edible – An Incredible Story
I just discovered a new website called, short and simple, Resilience.org, which has really great and well-researched stories as well as resources and groups that help build community resilience. Over the weekend, I read a story called “The Impact of Transnational ‘Big Food’ Companies on The South: A View From Brazil“. Following up on the … Continue reading Can "Big Food" Replace Tradition? A Brazilian Testimonial
Remember the failure of the Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives? And the uncertainty of the way forward? Two weeks ago, I wrote: “Fiscal conservatives are suggesting to split the bill in two, thereby divorcing the historically-married issues of farm support and food stamp programs. However, the combination of these two in one bill has … Continue reading The Food Bill Divorce
There was an interesting article in the New York Times two days ago about how the defeat of the farm bill signals that agriculture is not as powerful as it used to be in American politics. Whereas farming lobby groups used to have tremendous influence and the Agricultural Committee was one of the most prestigious … Continue reading Is the Power of Agriculture Waning in US Politics?
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!