Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
Do you know the feeling when you just sit and stare at your screen, mesmerized? A friend sent me to the World Food Clock website and I just couldn’t look away. Numbers don’t always impress me (it’s hard to put them into perspective sometimes), but when they are ticking away in front of your eyes … Continue reading Tick, Tock – The World Food Clock
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
Today, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Olivier de Schutter delivered his last report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He held the post from 2008 until 2014, and has during that time published a number of important reports and observations on the necessity of switching over to a sustainable global … Continue reading SR on the Right to Food Delivers His Final Report to the Human Rights Council
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
It’s always a pleasure to find people that blog [talk, debate, are passionate] about similar issues as you are. The best evidence of that is if 10 minutes into a Skype conversation you are deep in a discussion on the necessities of reducing our environmental footprint and the practicalities of only working 50% and spending … Continue reading Lead.Ahead: How Can We Foster Sustainable Leadership?
This is one of those le sigh posts. Having been born in 1989, it sometimes feels as if it is upon our generation to figure out the way into a sustainable future. When analyzing current policy priorities, one would assume that the problems attached to indefinite per-capita consumption – concerning resource use, pollution and social … Continue reading Sustainable Consumption Policies: What Is Left of Rio?
Have you heard of agroecology? This is a holistic agricultural production system that is similar to organic methods, but yet not exactly the same. The Christensen Fund has made a great infographic that compares and contrasts the agroecological with the conventional system from sky to soil: As this handy policy brief explains, “based on a … Continue reading Agroecology: The Alternative of the Future?
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 drought—and 14.62% of … Continue reading Drought in California = Food Shortage in the USA?
Hej hej, I hope you had a relaxing weekend. I’m busy busy with interview preparations, but just wanted to check in to share these 10 awesome short films that were selected as finalists for the Real Food Media Contest. They promise to be really inspiring and to spread the word about sustainable farming and eating. … Continue reading Real Food Video Contest – Finalists Announced!