Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
A couple of years ago, the world thought it had found a solution toward more sustainable transportation patterns – instead of pumping fuel out of the ground, why not grow it? The subsequent ethanol craze is one of the best examples of how policy decisions can have very real – one could even say, dramatic … Continue reading The Ethanol Saga – A Tale of Politics, Interest Groups, and Scientific Head-Butting
Have you heard of Joseph Stiglitz? The former World Bank economist that turned into one of the major critics of big international organizations such as the IMF and WB, penning books such as “Globalization and Its Discontents“? He was one of the first people I started reading when I got into international economics, and he … Continue reading Stiglitz Does It Again – Great Piece on the Insanity of US Food Policy
A lot? A little? Nothing at all? The World Food Programme (WFP) challenges you to test your hunger IQ and help feed a child in the process! For every submitted quiz, a child will receive a warm meal thanks to an anonymous donor. The WFP website also has a ton of additional resources, such as … Continue reading How Much Do You Really Know About Hunger? (+ Help The WFP Provide Relief in the Philippines!)
(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?
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
When the line between business and policy-makers blurs so much, can we still trust politicians to make decisions purely motivated by the public good?
… 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!
I love information that is being visualized, and this is a particularly interesting assembly of stats on corn production in the US, including its use in ethanol. Also the “ethanol supply” curve shows the huge impact that policies (such as mandatory renewable fuel use) can have on food systems. All the more important to get … Continue reading Fields of Gold: Changes in the US Corn Industry
Breaking news – the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) just issued a public health alert for chicken produced on a Californian farm that has caused 278 outbreaks of salmonella in 18 states. According to their website, the outbreak is continuing. While their announcement also refers to an investigation done by the Center for Disease … Continue reading Salmonella Outbreak During US Government Shutdown Shows Importance of … Government.