Musings on sustainable food systems, agriculture vs. agroecology, and more!
When talking about technological innovations that could revolutionize agricultural value chains, one term comes up time and again: the blockchain. However, the term also creates a lot of confusion and questions in people’s minds: What is it? How is it different from Bitcoin? What can it be used for? And how far we are in … Continue reading Using Blockchain for Supply Chain Transparency: Fad or Future?
Thesis update: 13,000 words and counting! It’ll be a long slog… BUT nevertheless I recently read a couple of non-coffee related articles and videos that were fun as well as thought-provoking and that I thought I would share. The Secret Life of the City Banana [New York Times] Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash This piece is so … Continue reading What Food Can Tell Us – Three Inquiries
The other day, I was researching health externalities of our current food system and came across a shocking statistic: In many countries in the world, farmers are more than twice as likely as the general population to commit suicide. They are frequently cited as the occupational group most likely to have suicidal thoughts and follow through … Continue reading When Is Hug A Farmer Day? Of Farmers’ Mental Health and Suicide
I just came back from a work trip to Colombia which had taken up all my available time and resources for weeks on end. However, in Colombia I also found inspiration and motivation for more posts, more stories, more writing. Yay for creative breaks and continuations! Colombia is a fascinating place with so many layers of … Continue reading Food Forests in Colombia
It’s been quiet around here. Though I’ve been writing for other outlets, and in my day job, not much of that work has found its way on this page. And that’s too bad, because of course it all goes into the same direction. So today I’m happy to share one result very close to my … Continue reading Home-Grown Hunger in the Canadian North
The Protests Smoke billows up between the sleek high-rises of the European Quarter in Brussels. The European milk farmers are angry, very angry. Many of them fear for their survival. After 31 years, the European Commission decided to end milk production quotas, to the dismay of many small and mid-scale producers. What with the Russian … Continue reading Quo Vadis, Quota? The EU Milk Protests
If human rights abuses take place where neither laws nor media exist, do they provoke an outcry? Thanks to some intrepid reporting by Ian Urbina for the New York Times, yes, they do. His piece “Sea Slaves: The Human Misery that Feeds Pets and Livestock“, part of his series “The Outlaw Ocean” on crime on the … Continue reading Fishing Slaves: Hidden Ordeals on the High Sea
Who has the hardest job in the coffee value chain? Is it the farmer, who has to create just the right growing conditions for each single coffee plant, countering unpredictable climate, droughts and deluges, pests and diseases and an uncertain economic future year after year? The processor, who has to balance the orders he gets from … Continue reading The Hardest Job Of All
“You know the greatest paradox? All the certification organizations have offices in Costa Rica – and yet, the country has the smallest share of certified coffee in Central America.” I stare, taken aback by the passion of the speaker. I am in a conference room with the specialists in Costa Rican coffee production, about to discuss … Continue reading Is Costa Rica Breaking Out Of The Certification Box?
… as you may have guessed if you clicked through here, I´m celebrating Food Day on Friday, Oct 24, with you despite sitting in Brussels at the moment. Why? Well, first of all, because I love any reason to celebrate with Belgian chocolate (check out this post to learn more about how it’s made and … Continue reading Happy US Food Day (Week) from the Land of Chocolate and Fries!
