Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
You may have already seen this – it ran in the New York Times two weeks ago – but I just loved the gist of this article too much to not share. “Broccoli’s Extreme Makeover” challenges ad companies to come up with advertizing strategies normally used for cookies and junk food to ‘makeover’ commonly unpopular … Continue reading A Big Break for Lowly Broccoli?
(click through for a larger pdf version) The FAO has just released a new infographic showcasing some of the facts and numbers its statistics unit, FAOSTAT, regularly collects. Some of the numbers that stand out to me: More than 840 million people worldwide are undernourished. Compare that with the fact that the average annual food … Continue reading The Current State of Agriculture (According to the FAO)
I’m assuming the answer is yes. Which might be why the cut in food stamp benefits in the US – between $11 per month for a one-headed household and $36 for a four-headed one – that came into effect on November 1st may not have been a big-ticket news item, and went unquestioned by policy-makers. … Continue reading Could You Live With $10 Less Grocery Money?
It’s finals week over here, which explains the scarcity of posts – I am spending most if not all of my time glued to Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, trying to make convincing cases to save Ecuador’s rain forests and re-energize the Mexican agricultural sector, and then there are exams as well, sigh! But I … Continue reading Is Your Lifestyle Pre-Designed?
Ok, first watch this video: What’s your first reaction? “Wow, that’s quite a good investment. Just increasing fruit and veg consumption would save $11 trillion? Let’s fund fruit and vegetable growers!” Want to know my first reaction? “How the hell did they come up with those numbers?!” See, I’m all about eating healthier and supporting … Continue reading An Apple A Day Is Worth $11 Trillion? An Economist's Concern about the Union of Concerned Scientists' Math
I remember my childhood excitement when we would go to the United States for holidays – this was before globalization, before you could get any of your favorite big-brand foods anywhere in the world – because it meant that I could finally get my fingers onto those iconic cookies again. Oreos are one of the … Continue reading I'm Addicted To Oreos – No, Really.
Since World Food Day happened recently, I was surprised to learn that the USA celebrate their own Food Day today! Maybe it’s similar to the difference between the Canadian and American Thanksgiving, or between European and North American daylight savings time? I guess globalization has its limits. 🙂 Still, why not celebrate twice? Happy Food Day! … Continue reading US Food Day – How Food Literate Are You?
This Wall Street journal article raised an interesting point about what Michael Pollan called “the most sustainable meat” – venison or wild such as deer. Apparently, until now it is prohibited for American wild game hunters to sell the meat of the animals they shoot on the commercial market. Instead, they use it themselves, donate … Continue reading Open Minds for Sustainable Meats?
… And if you want to think about food specifically today, check out this food photography project that has made its rounds round the Internet for a while and which pictures what an average weekly grocery trip looks like for families around the world. Definitely a case where a picture says more than a thousand … Continue reading Happy World Food Day!
Today, I have two very different, but yet similar videos on our food system for you. I am curious about your impressions and reactions. The first is an art installation called “Sirens of the Lambs” by the street artist Banksy, also known for his socio-critical and beautiful graffiti art. He has a slaughterhouse delivery truck … Continue reading Videos For Thought