Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
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
Every year, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) presents a report on what happened in the previous 12 months in the global food policy arena. Of course, it is nearly impossible to shed light on every development, but the full report, spanning more than 120 pages, does a great job at attempting it! You … Continue reading IFPRI 2013 Global Food Policy Report – What You Need to Know
Writing this blog is a great way to experience the truism that policy-making is a marathon, not a sprint. Or, as we say in German, you have to be ready to drill holes into thick slates of wood (weird expression much?) What I want to say is – the next episode of the story of … Continue reading EU Parliament Rejects Draft Seed Regulation
When we talk about sustainable supply chains and the need for transparency in the entire production process of a product, oftentimes it’s argued that such detailed information is impossible to provide because of the complexity of our global food system. Well, think again – a French organic yoghurt company called “Les 2 Vaches” (“The 2 … Continue reading "Les 2 Vaches" Shows You Where Your Yoghurt Really Comes From
It’s no secret that Wendell Berry is another one of my inspirations when thinking about sustainable food systems – my post about his work “The Pleasures of Eating” has been one of the most-viewed posts on this blog, and his name repeatedly comes up in things I read and am influenced by. A friend of … Continue reading "Land That Is In Human Use Requires Human Care" – An Interview with Wendell Berry
Chances are, your favorite news feeds/sources are overflowing with headlines of the following variety: “Protein ‘almost as big a cancer risk as smoking“, “High-Protein Diets In Midlife Linked To High Risk Of Premature Death, Study Says“, or the ever amusing “Now we can’t eat protein. What can we eat?“ Studies like the one referenced – … Continue reading Does High Animal Protein Intake Really Cause Cancer? What The Latest Research Really Says
Happy Tuesday! If anybody else need help to start their day (my pot of coffee is already brewing), here are some interesting and entertaining little videos to get your brain juices flowing: This is a satirical take on the meaning of the “all-natural” label you can find on so many products and whose lack of … Continue reading Let's Watch Some TV – Just the Good Kind Though đ
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 droughtâand 14.62% of … Continue reading Drought in California = Food Shortage in the USA?
In my first blog post of the year, I mentioned the ongoing negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States as one of the issues to watch out for, and thought the time was right to dig a little deeper into the question – what would … Continue reading The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: What Does It Mean for Ag?
… or, alternative title: “Can anybody explain how the EU works?” Have you heard the news? The European Commission is set to approve a new variety of genetically modified corn (a variety called Pioneer 1507 which was developed jointly by Dow Chemical and DuPont) despite the fact that 19 out of 28 countries oppose its … Continue reading The EU GM Battle Goes in the Next Round…
