Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
This Sunday, if you have an hour, I have a thoroughly interesting report for you to read. The NGO Food and Water Watch just published a document called “Biotech Ambassadors“, in which they analysed the 250,000 U.S. State Department cables that were publicized through Wikileaks (which represented around one tenth of all State Department cables … Continue reading Sunday Read: Biotech Diplomacy
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VObLitSe3K0&feature=player_embedded] Listen to Fred Kirschenmann explain how soil is actually a community of life that is vital for all our food. As he quotes Wes Jackson, since we are so dependent on soil for our life and eventually return to soil, we are simply stop-overs between soil and soil. I can only recommend this really … Continue reading Soil Is Not Dirt!
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
Staying on the topic of the US Farm Bill being currently discussed, here is some uplifting news: The Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act which Congresswoman Chellie Pingress introduced (originally in 2011!) has found widespread bipartisan support in both House and Senate Agricultural Committees, and many ideas from the act have been adopted into the … Continue reading Boosting Local Food in Congress
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2K4pfiYK2IQ] Remember the so-called Monsanto Protection Act? Here is a little more light-hearted analysis of the legislative process that got it passed. This popping up in my newsfeed is quite timely, though, since the US Congress is set to finally debate the Farm Bill that had failed to pass last year. The Agricultural Committees of … Continue reading You Put What in Where?! Congress and the Farm Bill
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odI7pQFyjso] I think we have all heard of the problem of palm oil production and its impact on rain forests in South East Asia. Campaigns such as this one by Greenpeace have brought the effect of the increasing use of palm oil in industrial (food) products, namely the widespread deforestation of Indonesian rain forests, to … Continue reading Palm Oil, Orangutans and the Complications of Conservation in Indonesia
The decision that has been eagerly awaited by a great number of people might disappoint just as many. I covered the Bowman vs. Monsanto case earlier when the oral hearings were made, and commented that it didn’t seem to look too good for Mr. Bowman’s case. This impression has turned out to be true: in … Continue reading Bowman vs. Monsanto: Upheld.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has come out with a helpful infographic to bring the idea of agroecological production methods closer to interested citizens. Through a model farm that you can explore via a mouseclick, you can learn about the benefits of: Cover crops Crop diversity and rotation Landscaping approaches The integration of crops and livestock … Continue reading Visions for a Healthy Farm
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G0pNrX_95Ok] “We prefer to work with nature. And you can taste that.” That’s the motto of Swiss organic farmers, and the reason they are hosting a cow marathon as of May 27th. Its purpose: to show that cows from organic farms in Switzerland get to walk around in nature a ton. Thus, 10 contenders will … Continue reading Switzerland Hosts a Cow Marathon – and other Fun Facts about Swiss Agriculture
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gAYCSRdS0Aw] When I first saw this link in my newsfeed this morning (via Butter Believer), I knew I had to share it. The video is a response to a Time Magazine article by famed TV- personality Dr. Oz, somebody many Americans would consider an expert on health issues. In that article, he advocated for the … Continue reading The Benefits of Organics, According to an 8-Year-Old