Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
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
For journalism, the internet has been a blessing and a curse simultaneously. Our attention spans are steadily declining, and few find the time to sit down and read a long-form article when they could be surfing 10 other sites. On the other hand, it has provided so many means to make e-magazines glossier, prettier and … Continue reading Fight For the Farm: 'Narratively' Feature Articles
The celebrations surrounding today’s International Women’s Day have given rise to a number of great resources recognizing the importance of women in agriculture. Instead of writing my own contribution, I thought I’d give you a handy link roundup for your surfing and perusal pleasure – have fun! From Food Tank: 23 Women Changing Food. Is … Continue reading Happy International Women's Day! Let's Celebrate with a Women In Agriculture Link Roundup!
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
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
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 droughtâand 14.62% of … Continue reading Drought in California = Food Shortage in the USA?
… 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…
I was pretty perplexed when I realized that exactly one year ago I wrote my first post on this blog – has it already been so long? It doesn’t feel like it at all, which just comes to show that I like doing it, I guess. And it’s so exciting that one year later, people … Continue reading Happy Blogiversary! And Thanks for Reading!
I was looking through the photojournalist site VII (a great time suck if you ever feel like being unproductive in the most enjoyable of ways; and a superb array of photos of course) and stumbled upon this series on Farming in Gaza. I would highly encourage you to head on over to check out the … Continue reading Farming in Gaza – a Series of Challenges