The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof Source: UUSC PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Merry Christmas! Yet in this season of hope and holiday cheer, Haiti might not seem the obvious place to celebrate. Almost five years after the catastrophic earthquake here, this country symbolizes poverty and hopelessness to many Americans. That despair and disdain are misguided…. Read more »
Food Wastage
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The full economic, environmental and social costs of food loss and waste.
Tribally Supported Agriculture
By Melody Morrell It is likely you have heard of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), but how about Tribally Supported Agriculture (TSA)? The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) in Minnesota started planting their Wozupi (“garden” in Dakotah) in 2010, providing certified organic, locally grown whole foods to the surrounding community using fair labor practices and environmentally… Read more »
Kale and Hearty: The Salad Bowl of America Turns Toxic
As nitrates seep into aquifers in California’s Salinas Valley, local scientists are working to improve water quality AlJazeera America by Sara Rubin Source: Julie Falk MOSS LANDING, Calif. — It has just rained, welcome respite from California’s ongoing drought, and puddles have turned a fallow farm field to squelchy mud. Artichokes will be planted here… Read more »
10 Common Myths About Neonicotinoids and Bees
Soil Association Source: USDA December 1 was the first anniversary of the two-year EU-wide restrictions on certain neonicotinoid pesticides. The restrictions were an important first step, but further action is urgently needed to protect UK pollinators. One year on, we, as part of the Bee Coalition, are calling for a blanket ban on all neonicotinoid pesticides…. Read more »
Burgundy Winemaker Cheers a ‘Victory for People Power’ After Conviction for Refusing to Spray Vines With Pesticides Is Overturned
Emmanuel Giboulot refused to comply on the grounds that the flavescence dorée disease is not an immediate threat in his region The Independent by John Lichfield Source: Paul Tridon Few wine drinkers consider pesticides a required ingredient but a vineyard owner in Burgundy had to resort to the courts to uphold his right to keep… Read more »
Eggs Not Always What They’re Cracked Up to Be
MPR News by Anders Kelto Source: Nick Wheeler You’re in the supermarket gathering ingredients for eggnog and a Christmas Bundt cake, and you’re staring at a wall of egg cartons. They’re plastered with terms that all sound pretty wonderful: All-Natural, Cage-Free, Free-Range, Farm Fresh, Organic, No Hormones, Omega-3. And so on. And yet the longer… Read more »
Revealed: Asian Slave Labour Producing Prawns for Supermarkets in US, UK
Thai ‘ghost ships’ that enslave and even kill workers are linked to global shrimp supply chain, Guardian investigation discovers The Guardian by Kate Hodal, Chris Kelly in Songkhla and Felicity Lawrence Source: Dennis Wright Slaves forced to work for no pay for years at a time under threat of extreme violence are being used in… Read more »
Actually, Raising Beef Is Good for the Planet
Despite environmentalists’ worries, cattle don’t guzzle water or cause hunger—and can help fight climate change Wall Street Journal by Nicolette Hahn Niman Source: AgriLife Today People who advocate eating less beef often argue that producing it hurts the environment. Cattle, we are told, have an outsize ecological footprint: They guzzle water, trample plants and soils,… Read more »
Millennials’ Hunger for Fresh Foods Eats Into Food Giants’ Profits
Food giants’ sales slide as millennials lead shift toward niche brands. Star Tribune by Mike Hughlett Source: 406604 Breann Tierschel has expelled Lucky Charms from her family’s table in favor of oatmeal. The 30-year-old accountant, who lives on St. Paul’s East Side with her husband and young daughter, has reconstructed her family’s eating plan over… Read more »
