Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
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
I found this great infographic at the Massive Health blog and thought I’d share it. When I did diabetes-prevention research last summer, I read a ton of articles on how portion size increases have affected the obesity crisis, and I remember noting a noticeable change in portion sizes when crossing the Canadian-American border. At the … Continue reading Finish Your Plate – Or Should You?
With the controversy around the Food Prize, and Food Security Conference after Food Security Conference being sponsored by large seed and food corporations, it is interesting to consider how the market power of some large enterprises can influence the academic debate and shape public policy discourse. Dr Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health … Continue reading Of Market Power, Models and Policy Analysis
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"
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CLWRclarri0#!] Have you ever wondered how cities today, and in the past, are provided with the immense amounts of food they need to feed their inhabitants? Carolyn Steel gives a fascinating overview on the interrelations of food and urbanity and the possibility of creating a proper ‘sitopia‘, a food place. I particularly like the last … Continue reading The History of How Food Shaped Cities
Yesterday, I participated in a townhall-style event called “KlimaEssen” here at my university in Bonn (which can be loosely translated as ClimateEats) in which we discussed various ways in which we can all eat in a more sustainable fashion. One great aspect of the event was that it was in part organized by the university’s … Continue reading What's for Lunch? Sustainable Dining Hall Practices
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
I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years, out of ethical and increasingly environmental considerations – and we have talked about the environmental impact of livestock production in abundance. However, I realize that the probability of most people switching towards an herbivore lifestyle is rather low, whether they want to maintain protein intake or plainly like … Continue reading Lab-Grown Meat – the Future of Farming?
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.
I first heard of the ‘Buycott App‘ via Global Food Politics, where Noah Zerbe highlighted the ease of it, as well as potential drawbacks. Now, it has made the news again for its immense popularity: according to this article, it was downloaded by so many consumers interested in making conscientious shopping decisions that it crashed … Continue reading 'Buycott': The App So Popular It Crashes Site