The Washington Post by Becky Krystal Source: Sheila A report published this week by the Associated Press has brought renewed scrutiny to the Thai seafood industry. An extensive investigation confirmed that much of the peeled shrimp that makes its way into the American, European and Asian markets is being processed in horrendous conditions by people who… Read more »
Are You Eating Frankenfish?
The New York Times by Tom Colicchio Source: Danielle Helm This month, Congress may decide whether consumers are smart enough to be trusted with their own food choices. Some lawmakers are trying to insert language into must-pass spending legislation that would block states from giving consumers the right to know whether their food contains genetically… Read more »
Major U.S. Food Stores Sell Shrimp Peeled By Slaves: Report
The World Post Burmese migrant workers in a Thai shrimp peeling plant. Source: ILO in Asia & the Pacific An AP investigation has found shrimp peeled by modern-day slaves in Thailand is reaching the U.S., Europe and Asia. SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand (AP) — Every morning at 2 a.m., they heard a kick on the door and… Read more »
Democratizing Food
Pesticide Action Network – North America Image courtesy of Fair Share Farm “The greatest deficit in the food economy is the democratic one.” — Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Over the last half a century, democracy has been squeezed out of food production. The industrialization of farming has left… Read more »
Fish Stocks Are Declining Worldwide, and Climate Change Is on the Hook
NPR – The Salt by Clare Leschin-Hoar Source: Philippe Basset For anyone paying attention, it’s no secret there’s a lot of weird stuff going on in the oceans right now. We’ve got a monster El Nino looming in the Pacific. Ocean acidification is prompting hand wringing among oyster lovers. Migrating fish populations have caused tensions… Read more »
How The Food Industry Engineers The Need To Eat
WBUR – Here & Now by Jeremy Hobson Source: Esther Perez It is no secret that the rise in obesity in America has something to do with food. But how much? And what role does the food industry as a whole play? As part of Here & Now’s series this week on obesity, America On… Read more »
Grocery Store Wars
Vimeo by Free Range Studios Grocery Store Wars from Free Range Studios on Vimeo. Not long ago in a supermarket not so far away… Playing on the archetypal narrative of Star Wars, Grocery Store Wars is a cult classic, viral hit that uses food and vegetable puppets to spoof the legendary film. The piece has… Read more »
How To Keep Your Favorite Seeds + Grow Them Again
Rodale’s Organic Life by Doug Hall Source: Susy Morris Plan to plant more tomatoes, basil, onions in the spring by saving this free resource right now. Saving and storing seeds from your own vegetable and herb crops is a thrifty way to perpetuate your favorite varieties from year to year. Open-pollinated varieties, including heirlooms, are the… Read more »
Earth Has Lost a Third of Arable Land in Past 40 Years, Scientists Say
The Guardian by Oliver Milman Source: CIFOR Experts point to damage caused by erosion and pollution, raising major concerns about degraded soil amid surging global demand for food The world has lost a third of its arable land due to erosion or pollution in the past 40 years, with potentially disastrous consequences as global demand… Read more »
Singing the Song of a Start-up
[This article was previously published in the winter issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] by Rachel Zegerius, Communications and Development Associate at The Cornucopia Institute Source: Frog Song Organics Nestled in the forests of North Central Florida, just 15 miles east of Gainesville, Amy Van Scoik and John Bitter are part of a burgeoning national network… Read more »
