Still Wild Coast in Costa Rica (photo courtesy of La Cuisinga Lodge)
Red snapper was long one of my favorite meals. The unique flavor always brings a fond memory of dining on it within a couple of hours of seeing it caught from a beach in Costa Rica with a simple rod and reel. I regarded it as a delicacy, but for the local residents it was a naturally plentiful seafood.
I gave up red snapper well over a year ago after reading that it was being seriously overfished, hoping it would some day return to abundance. Unfortunately, I just learned from the nonprofit Care2 that “…government assessments from 2008 show that the species is being overfished at eight times the sustainable level.” The population has dwindled to just 3% of its historic levels.
The good news is that the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is working on new rules that should enable red snapper to make a big comeback. Our friends at Care2 write, “In less than 10 years, the population of red snapper would skyrocket -- and with it, so could catches of the species. Scientific projections suggest that it could be as high as a 25-fold increase, from 78,000 pounds of fish in 2006 to nearly 2 million pounds by 2036.”
Regretfully, “The red snapper's not the only species at risk; the speckled hind, warsaw grouper, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, black grouper, black sea bass, gag, red grouper and vermilion snapper are all at risk.”
The time for environmental action is now, so Care2 is asking for some grassroots help. They are collecting signatures in support of changes to fishing rules so populations have time to replenish themselves. They need thousands of signatures by November 22nd in order to hand-deliver them to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as part of a public comment period.
To learn more about the issue and add your signature in support of the rule changes go to: Save a Snapper
To view previous posts on the topic of Conservation scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Posts on Conservation
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Bored Toddler (photo by Slowfoot, courtesy of morguefile.com)
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16% of children ages 6 to 19 years old are overweight or obese, a number that has tripled to 9 million kids since 1980. Type 2 diabetes is an illness linked to obesity. It was once almost unknown in children, but for those born in the U.S. in 2000, the risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives is estimated to be about 30% for boys and 40% for girls.
The thought of so many of today’s kids in real danger of suffering from a future of poor health is grim enough, but the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences points out that there’s an economic cost as well: “Obesity-associated annual hospital costs for children and youth more than tripled over two decades, rising from $35 million in 1979-1981 to $127 million in 1997-1999.”
An analysis of television food advertisements appearing on Saturday morning and weekday afternoons aimed at kids in 2005-2006 has been published in the November issue of The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. The results:
One-fifth of commercials were for food. Food ads were especially prevalent on Saturday programs and children's networks. Seventy percent of food ads were for items high in sugar or fat. More than one fourth of food advertisements were for fast-food restaurants, which were especially common on MTV and Spanish-language networks. Ads for fruits and vegetables were rare (1.7%). One nutrition-related public service announcement was found for every 63 food ads.
The authors of the study concluded, “Until marketing of high calorie, low-nutrient food to children is restricted, education and media literacy remain the best strategies for mitigating advertising effects.”
To access the full text of the article cited above requires a subscription to The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, go to: Frequency and Types of Foods Advertised on Saturday Morning and Weekday Afternoon English- and Spanish-Language American Television Programs
To view previous posts on this topic go to:
1. Yale Study: TV Ads Contribute to Obesity in Children
2. Ads Make Junk Food Sound Healthy for Kids
3. Selling to Kids
4. Food Giants Still Marketing Junk Food to Kids
5. Kellogg to Limit Selling Junk Food to Kids
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Dairy Cows in Cabot, Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
There’s more good news for those who want healthier and more sustainable food. The huge numbers of parents who want their children to get the health benefits of milk without exposing them to the dangers of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and the antibiotics fed to cows in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), have contributed mightily to organic dairy farming enjoying quite a boom in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published a report stating, “Between 2000 and 2005, the number of certified organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 25%, from 38,000 to more than 86,000.”
According to the report, that makes organic milk one of “the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the United States in recent years.” And organic agriculture in itself is one of the fastest growing segments of all farming in the U.S., having enjoyed an annual growth rate of 20% for many years. It seems reasonable that consumer demand and the example of so many farmers having already successfully converted their dairy operations to organic, the trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
The report published by the USDA entitled, Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming, was authored by William D. McBride and Catherine Greene. They found the following when comparing organic and conventional dairies:
• Organic dairies are smaller than conventional dairies (82 cows compared with 156 cows).
• Organic dairies produce about 30 percent less milk per cow than conventional dairies (13,601 pounds per organic cow compared with 18,983 pounds per conventional cow).
• Organic dairies are more often located in the Northeast and Upper Midwest than are conventional dairies (86 percent compared with 65 percent).
• Organic dairies use more pasture-based feeding, where more than 50 percent of dairy forage fed is from pasture during grazing months, than conventional dairies (63 percent compared with 18 percent).
• Pasture-based organic dairies’ total economic costs were about $4 per cwt higher than conventional pasture-based dairies, much lower than the average price premium for organic milk in 2005.
Consumers appear to be comfortable paying a premium for organic milk in order to avoid the health risks of conventionally produced milk from factory farms. As our friend Sarah Alexander at Food & Water Watch wrote this past summer, “…the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH…necessitates increased use of antibiotics…and there are ongoing questions about links to cancer…most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned this hormone.”
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C. This past August the organization launched a campaign to get milk produced with artificial hormones out of schools once and for all, and delivered more than 25,000 petitions to members of Congress asking them to clarify that schools have the option to purchase rBGH-free milk or organic milk.
If you’d like to take action to get rBGH-free milk into your local school go to: Food & Water Watch
If you’d like to read the report published by the USDA and cited above in its entirety go to: Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming
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Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“Every year, millions of people in the United States suffer from foodborne illness, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die,” according to recent testimony given by Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Dr. Hamburg stated that “A precondition for health is having access to safe food.” She cited changes in consumer dietary patterns, industry practices, U.S. population demographics, evolving pathogens, and an increasingly globalized food supply as posing challenges and requiring current government strategies to adapt.
She told the Senate Committee that the Food Safety Working Group appointed by President Obama in March, “…recommends a new public-health focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response and recovery.”
Chief recommendations of the Working Group include providing the FDA with the tools needed to access basic food safety records at facilities and require mandatory recalls. In her testimony Dr. Hamburg noted that a coalition of consumer groups is fighting for improvements in the food safety system and major sectors in the food industry also support and are advocating for fundamental change. A food safety bill was recently passed by the House of Representatives, and a similar bill is under consideration in the Senate. She cited these factors as indicating broad support for legislative reform, “…so that more families do not have to suffer tragic consequences from foodborne disease.”
Dr. Hamburg added:
…even with the President’s support – even with the full efforts of HHS and USDA and other federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial food safety partners – and even with the backing of consumer groups and industry, our efforts will fall short unless Congress modernizes food safety laws to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
To read Dr. Hamburg full statement before the Senate Committee go to: Keeping America's Families Safe: Reforming the Food Safety System
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Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our environment. Food, Inc. reveals often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and who we have become as a nation.
The “powerful wake-up call for consumers,” (New York Times) Food, Inc., arrives on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on November 3rd. “Bracing, compassionate, witty and compelling,” (Time) Food, Inc. exposes the highly mechanized substructure that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the government’s regulatory agencies, the USDA and the FDA. Using animation and graphics, Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner reveals the shocking truth behind corporate ‘factory farms,’ which churn out genetically modified produce and meat from diseased animals, detrimentally impacting the lives of millions.
Profits Before People
Putting profit before the health and safety of Americans, companies have utilized scientific advancements to create bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop and insecticide-resistant soybean seeds. The unfortunate by-product of advancement results in the evolution of new, more resistant strains of the sometimes-deadly E. coli bacteria, which sickens over 73,000 Americans annually.
Featuring interviews with Stonyfield Farm’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, and investigative authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Food, Inc. is an eye-opening expose reminiscent of Super Size Me. Detailing how corporate food monopolies influence government regulations, the “smart and expertly shot” (Los Angeles Times) documentary also addresses the nation-wide epidemics of obesity and diabetes, which have drastically escalated over recent decades as a result of the lack of proper nutrition due to the consumption of poor quality food.
Ongoing Impact
Participant Media partnered with 20 nonprofit and social sector organizations to bring awareness to the film and the issues it addresses through a substantial cause marketing and social action campaign. The partnerships with groups including the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention will continue beyond the DVD’s release. Celebrities Kelly Preston, Alyssa Milano and Martin Sheen, among others created public service announcements on the issue and they will be included on the DVD.
Bonus Features
Additional bonus features include deleted scenes – 40 minutes of footage and segments not shown in theatres, “Nightline’s” interview with Chipotle’s CEO, and more. The film will be available for the suggested retail price of $26.98 and Blu-ray Disc for $34.98.
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. "King Corn" the Movie: We Are What We Eat
2. Fast Food Nation on DVD
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Soda Cans (photo by Jane M. Sawyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale School of Public Health has found. The study appears in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy.
Assistant professor Jason M. Fletcher of Yale analyzed the effectiveness of various forms of soda taxation on body mass index (BMI) over a 16-year period. With colleagues from Bates College and Emory University, Fletcher found that an individual’s weight only mildly responds to changes in taxation—a 1% tax increase resulted in less than a tenth of a pound for a man of average height.
“Our results suggest that the current low, hidden rates of soft drink taxation in most states are not effective in substantially changing adult consumption,” Fletcher said. “Our results leave open the possibility that large taxes that are communicated to consumers are still worthwhile to consider as policy options, but small tax changes will not work.”
The average current tax rate on soda is about 3%, though many states are contemplating further increases.
Soft drinks have come under increased scrutiny in recent years as a source of obesity in children as well as adults and as a contributor to a range of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart complications. As a result, many states are turning to a “sin” tax to combat steadily growing rates of consumption. Higher taxes than what are currently imposed on soda have been used—with generally effective results—on tobacco and alcohol.
Fletcher, along with David Frisvold of Emory and Nathan Tefft of Bates, analyzed the impact of soda taxation on BMI in various states from 1990 to 2006. Their results indicated that soda taxation has a greater BMI effect on those with lower incomes and that the result is more pronounced for females and middle-aged and older individuals. In all cases, though, the effects on obesity were very small.
The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
To view the full press release on which this item was based go to: Current Soda Taxes Not High Enough to Curb Obesity, Study Finds
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Diet Soda Linked to Obesity & Heart Disease
2. Colas Can Cause Kidney Problems
3. Diet Soft Drinks May Increase Risk of Heart Disease
4. Safety of Soft Drinks Under Scrutiny
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D & E Farms in Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly , courtesy of morguefile.com)
Earlier this month Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 13% from last year, a great illustration of just how many communities and consumers across the country are eagerly reaching out for fresh food and supporting their local farms. Farmers and consumers connected at 5,274 farmers markets this year, up from 4,685 in 2008.
“This growth in the number of farmers markets is a good indicator of just how important local farms and food are to people today,” says Julia Freedgood, managing director of American Farmland Trust’s Growing Local initiative.
As Julia Child once said, “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Ms. Freedgood went to say:
Farmers markets play a crucial role in bringing fresh food to areas where it’s not always available. And by getting to know the farmers who grow their food, people are able to better understand where their food comes from, something that is hard to do in most grocery stores. This relationship between farmer and consumer underscores the fact that food comes from farmland nearby, and how without that land there would be no food.”
American Farmland Trust launched a national online contest this summer so consumers could vote for their favorite farmers markets. The contest illustrated several key concepts including AFT’s “No Farms No Food” message and the importance of farmers markets to local economies, access to healthy food, farmland protection and the environment.
“Not only does this mean the number of farmers markets has increased,” adds Stacy Miller, Executive Secretary of the Farmers Market Coalition, “but it also represents growth in the number of people participating in nutrition and food assistance programs, and the degree to which communities are building partnerships and connections that support local food systems and access to local food.”
Ms. Freedgood concludes, "As AFT enters our 30th anniversary it is important to reflect on past successes but also to look ahead at how to engage a new generation in understanding the importance of protecting farmland. Farmers markets are a great way to accomplish this.”
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-331-7300. To visit the organization’s web site go to: American Farmland Trust
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Reefs in Galley Head (photo by Enzo Cositore, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all genetically modified (GM) crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food – including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.
The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between the two coalition partners, the center-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
The agreement specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants”. The official text also states, “To optimize Ireland’s competitive advantage as a GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-Free logo for use in all relevant product labeling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany.”
Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers:
The Irish Government plan to ban GM crops and to provide a voluntary GM-fee label for qualifying animal produce makes obvious business sense for our agri-food and eco-tourism sectors. Everyone knows that U.S. and E.U. consumers, food brands and retailers want safe GM-free food, and Ireland is ideally positioned to deliver the safest, most credible GM-free food band in Europe, if not the world.
This past February, American Feast and Organic Valley joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies and many doctors believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The measures taken by Germany and Ireland may will spread across the European Union and make GM-free food more competitive against the stiff competition from the giant agri-businesses that see genetically modified food as a means to greater profitability. In doing so, those governments have not only improved their countries’ economic prospects, they have taken a great step toward protecting the health of people and our planet.
To view the press release on which this item was based go to: Ireland Adopts GM-Free Zone Policy
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food
2. 70 Companies Vow Not to Sell Genetically Modified Sugar Beets
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Our friend Serena Ingre at the National Resources Defense Council has just let us know that the Natural Resources Defense Council is now accepting nominations for its second annual Growing Green Awards. New this year, in addition to the previous award categories, is a “Water Steward” category just for 2010. Applications are due December 4, 2009 and a $10,000 prize will go to the winning green “Food Producer.”
Through these national awards NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork. Author and sustainable food activist Michael Pollan will again be on the selection panel, along with Chair Susan Clark, the Executive Director of the Columbia Foundation, A.G. Kawamura, California’s Secretary of Agriculture, and Nora Pouillon, founder of the nation’s first certified organic restaurant.
A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories including “Food Producer,” “Business Leader,” “Thought Leader,” and “Water Steward.” All winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and NRDC’s networks.
Growing Green Awards Criteria
In selecting from nominees the awards selection panel will consider the following criteria:
• Innovation in promoting ecologically-integrated food systems. This may include minimizing inputs of energy water and chemicals; reducing pollution and global warming gas emissions; use of on-farm polyculture; increasing natural resilience; and stewardship of biodiversity pollinators open space and land resources.
• Potential to achieve wide scale adoption implementation or behavioral change.
• Advancement of health safety and economic viability for farmers farmworkers and rural communities.
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: National Resources Defense Council
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Portland, Oregon Skyline at Night (© Patricia Betts | Dreamstime.com)
Judging by the country’s burgeoning street food scene it seems that even in these challenging economic times America’s grassroots entrepreneurs remain undaunted. The food carts and trucks on the streets of New York City offer an impressive array of ethnic food choices at marvelous prices and the phenomena seems to be in full swing on America’s West Coast as well.
According to an article by Karen Brooks of the Oregonian, the ambitious vendors are pushing the city's curbside cuisine to the next level. Her report gives some insight as to why Portland is seeing such a healthy surge of quality food vendors on its streets:
Multnomah County has 450 carts, a 20 percent jump over last year, with another 32 carts under review. The surge comes with an ace in the hole: No other big city is friendlier to vendors, with affordable licenses (a mere $315) and unrivaled access to real estate (average rent $500 a month).
She writes that "the volume of experimenters, the variety, the pedigreed ingredients" make Portland the “new face of America's maverick food cart movement.” And, “Next Generation…food creatives are inventing their own model of modern restaurateuring.”
The volume of choices on Portland’s streets makes choosing a vendor difficult, but the article provides a listing of her Top Ten picks, with Addy’s Sandwich Bar on Southwest 10th Avenue between Alder and Washington streets topping the list. (I envy the tasty time she must have had during the research for this article!)
If you’d like to read Karen Brooks’ article as it was posted on OregonLive.com and see the rest of her Top Ten go to: Portland's top 10 food carts
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A Healthy Pig (photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Giant agribusinesses like to claim that industrial farming produces an abundance of food at affordable prices, but once the costs of government subsidies, environmental devastation, and the impact on human health are factored in, industrial food is expensive indeed! And those costs are born by ordinary people through taxes and medical bills, while top executives from the world of big agribusiness live splendid lives of luxury.
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming is working to protect human health by eliminating the misuse of antibiotics and related drugs in food animals, joining the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and countless others in an effort to improve public health.
At the Pew Charitable Trusts’ web site, the nonprofit organization explains:
To reform health care we need to reduce health care costs, and that includes reducing the drug-resistant diseases that cost our country billions. This means stopping the misuse of the antibiotics our families rely on. Many industrial farms routinely feed these drugs to chickens and livestock that aren't sick, which promotes the development of deadly antibiotic-resistant infections.
This past July, the New York Times published an article saying, “The Obama administration announced Monday that it would seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans.”
The Times article reported that Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, told the House Rules Committee that feeding antibiotics to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle should cease, because the practice leads to the development of bacteria that are immune to many treatments.
To visit the Pew organization's web site, get more information, and/or get active, go to: The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming
To read the New York Times article cited above go to: Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. We Want to Know What's in Our Children's Milk!
2. Highest Quality, Healthiest Meat is Sustainably Produced
3. What is Sustainable Food?
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Alice Waters (photo by David Liittschwager, courtesy of USF)
The University of San Francisco has just announced that legendary chef and restaurateur Alice Waters has been named the recipient of its 2009 California Prize for Service and the Common Good. The award recognizes significant service in pursuit of the common good for all members of society, and comes with a $10,000 purse and a handcrafted medal.
Alice Waters is a renowned chef and champion of food grown locally. She is credited with helping found the “slow food” movement that has revolutionized how we think about sustainable and organic agriculture. As owner of the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, her influence is felt across the country as she raises consciousness about how the food we choose affects our health and our planet.
The Edible Schoolyard & the School Lunch Initiative
Waters also created the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996 to support educational programs that use food to nurture, educate, and empower youth. Through The Edible Schoolyard and the School Lunch Initiative, the Foundation envisions a public school curriculum that includes hands-on experiences in school kitchens, gardens, and lunchrooms, and provides healthy, freshly prepared meals as part of each school day.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this year's California Prize for Service the Common Good from the University of San Francisco,” Alice Waters said upon learning of the honor. “This award recognizes the work of the Chez Panisse Foundation and shows that the university supports a school curriculum that gives students the knowledge and values to build a humane and sustainable future.”
“Alice has championed an understanding that raising and preparing what we eat is both an ethical exercise and an acknowledgement that we share the earth's resources and hold it in trust for future generations,” said Stephen A. Privett, S.J., University President. “She has worked tirelessly to introduce school children to responsible food production and healthy eating, especially those in underserved communities.”
Waters will be honored Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at a dinner hosted on the USF campus. Proceeds from the dinner will directly benefit USF student programs—including internships and service learning projects at home and abroad.
About the University of San Francisco
Established in 1855, USF is the city’s oldest university and is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country. The University of San Francisco is committed to being a premier Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective that educates leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world. With nearly 8,500 enrolled, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as persons and professionals, and the values and sensitivity necessary to be men and women for others.
For more information about USF’s California Prize for Service and the Common Good, or for details about the dinner event on November 5th, please visit: USF California Service Prize
To purchase a Bestseller by Alice Waters go to: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
To view a previous post on the topic go to:
1. Getting Their Hands Dirty at School (The Edible Schoolyard)
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Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
Our friends at the Food Alliance have sent us some great news for everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that Miles McEvoy has been hired to serve as Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program (NOP). McEvoy assumes his position on October 1st.
"Miles McEvoy has worked in the field of organic agriculture for more than two decades and has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the organic community," Vilsack said.
Organically grown and marketed agricultural products are of key interest to the Obama Administration, and the NOP will be receiving increased funding and staffing in the new fiscal year.
Vilsack also announced that the NOP will become an independent program area within AMS because of the increased visibility and emphasis on organic agriculture throughout the farming community, evolving consumer preferences, and the enhanced need for governmental oversight of this widely expanded program.
For more than 20 years, McEvoy led the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Organic Food Program, one of the nation's first state organic certification programs. In 2001, he helped establish the WSDA Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program. From 1993 until 1995, McEvoy was the founding Director of The Food Alliance, a program that blends sustainable farming practices and social welfare components into an eco-label program.
McEvoy helped establish the National Association of State Organic Programs in 1998 and currently serves as its President. He also assisted the Montana Department of Agriculture to develop the state's organic certification program and has been helping the Oregon Department of Agriculture in developing its own organic certification program.
According to the USDA, NOP is responsible for regulating the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, the organic industry. U.S. sales of organic foods have grown from $1 billion in 1990, when the Organic Foods Production Act established the NOP, to a projected $23.6 billion in 2009. Congress increased NOP funding to $2.6 million in FY08 and to $3.2 million in FY09, just a fraction of the billions in subsidies that go to giant agribusinesses.
To learn more about the efforts of the Food Alliance go to: Food Alliance
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Working to help kids make healthier food choices at school, the motto of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods is "Healthy Foods + Exercise = Better Health, Better Grades, Better Behavior.” On Wednesday, October 14th the group will present a special fundraising event, “Jam with Us, the Art of Healthy School Food” at the Peter Max Art Studio at West 65th Street in Manhattan. The event will run from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
Food for the fundraising event will be provided by some of Manhattan’s healhiest caterers and restaurants:
• Angelica Kitchen
• Ayurveda Cafe
• Candle 79
• Candle Cafe Counter
• 4 Course Vegan
• Chef Laura Dardi
• Franchia
• Fran Costigan,
• Luxurious Vegan Desserts
• Green Bean Cafe
• Payard Patisserie
• Rama Sushi
• Slice, the Perfect Food
• Stogo
• VSpot
Beverages will be provided by:
• Ayala's Herbal Water
• Lakewood Juices
• Marble Hill Cellars
There will be Gift Bags For All!
Proceeds from the event will support work that is of vital importance to today's kids and provides busy parents with a helping hand to keep their children healthy.
NYCHSF cites research indicating "...that with proper education, children will select healthy options at a much higher rate than those who do not have such education." With that in mind, the non-profit organization is improving the health and well-being of New York's students by advocating for healthy plant-based foods, including local and organic where possible, farm to school programs, school gardens, the elimination of junk foods from all areas of the school, comprehensive nutrition policy, and education to create food- and health-literate students.
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods.
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To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
The White House (photo by Dr. Steven L. Berg, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“We applaud the opening of the new White House farmers market and for the First Lady’s support of increasing opportunities for local farmers and community access to fresh, healthy, local food,” says Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust. The White House Farmers Market opened yesterday, just outside the White House grounds on nearby Vermont Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C.
“Farmers markets are a great way to bring local farms and communities together, and to help consumers understand that there’s no local food without local farmland,” added Scholl. “Our mission is to save America’s farm and ranch land, promote healthy farming practices, and support farms and farmers.”
“By opening this market, the White House has set the table if you will, for an important discussion. Protecting farmland for future agricultural use is of the utmost importance to every citizen in this country. And it is vital to maintaining the future viability of our farmers and rural communities,” added Scholl.
Julia Freedgood, managing director of AFT’s Growing Local initiative to promote strong local and regional food systems agrees. “In 1989, there were 1,890 farmers markets across the country. Today, there are about 4,900 markets, over a 250% increase in 20 years.”
Freedgood attributes the amazing rise of farmers markets to a number of factors. Among them, “…the public’s concern about how and where our food is raised. Today more than ever, consumers are demanding ‘food with a face’ that comes from a place – food choices that celebrate family farmers and special agricultural landscapes like the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
To encourage the support of farmers markets and the economic and social role they play in the community and draw attention to the fact that farmers markets and local food ingredients cannot exist without the requisite farmland, AFT just held its first national online contest for people to vote for America’s Favorite Farmers Markets. Over 30,000 unique votes were cast with markets in Collingswood, NJ, Williamsburg, VA, and Davis, CA, earning the titles in their market size categories.
“Farmers markets provide public health benefits and economic development opportunities,” Freedgood says. The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture reported that nearly $1.2 billion stayed in local communities from direct to consumer sales—up 49% since 2002. “There is no question that farmers markets and farmland are a positive part of communities.”
“We’re excited to see the White House draw attention to agriculture in this way,” Scholl adds. “Whether providing healthy food, renewable energy or environmental services, agriculture is at the heart of solutions to our nation’s most pressing issues.”
American Farmland Trust is a national nonprofit organization working with communities and individuals to protect the land, plan for agriculture and keep the land healthy. As pne of the nation’s leading advocates for farm and ranch land conservation, AFT has ensured that more than a million acres stay bountiful and productive.
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. The phone number is 202-331-7300. To visit the organization’s web site go to: American Farmland Trust
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. AFT Announces the Winners of its Favorite Farmers Market Contest
2. "Boston Bounty Bucks" to Increase Spending on Locally Grown Food
3. Manhattan Borough President Urges NYC to "Buy Local"
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friend Sarah Alexander at Food & Water Watch has sent us an important message about protecting schoolchildren from milk from cows injected with the artificial growth hormone called recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Sarah wrote:
Kids across the country will soon be heading back to school. While there are often mixed emotions about heading back to school, one thing is certain, we're upset that some of the milk they'll be drinking this fall will be from cows treated with artificial growth hormones. We're working to make it clear that schools can purchase milk that is free of artificial growth hormones, and we need your help.
She goes on to explain, “…the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH…necessitates increased use of antibiotics…and there are ongoing questions about links to cancer…most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned this hormone.”
Food & Water Watch launched a campaign this year to get milk produced with artificial hormones out of schools once and for all, and delivered more than 25,000 petitions to members of Congress asking them to clarify that schools have the option to purchase rBGH-free milk or organic milk. Congress takes up the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization this fall and FWW will continue its work on getting protective legislation passed.
It is possible that about one out of five pints of milk offered in school cafeterias nationwide each year comes from cows injected with rGBH. While waiting for Congress to get back in session, parents and all those concerned with the health of kids in school can contact their local school's Food Service Director and ask if rGBH-free milk will be purchased for the coming school year.
These are difficult times for the country’s economy and the temptation for schools to save money by serving the cheaper rBGH milk is bound to be strong, but the highest priority should always be the health of our children.
About Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C., works to ensure clean water and safe food in the United States and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
If you’d like to take action to get rBGH-free milk into your local school go to: Food & Water Watch
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
We've received more good news from our friends at American Farmland Trust. Wisconsin, one of America's great agricultural states, has joined a growing list of states that includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and Delaware, making major strides toward the preservation of farmland.
Wisconsin's new Working Lands Initiative will modernize the state's 30-year-old Farmland Preservation Program, develop a statewide Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements program, and create Agricultural Enterprise Areas to encourage agriculture in specific areas in each county. According to The New Berlin Land Conservancy, the state's agriculture officials believe the initiative "could go a long way toward ending the trend of 30,000 acres of working Wisconsin land being converted to other uses every year."
As our friend Bob Wagner at American Farmland Trust put it:
Approval for this initiative underscores the salient point that farms offer more than pastoral beauty—they are the backbone of regional economies and communities, provide food for our tables, and offer significant opportunity to protect our environment and natural resources.
Curbing sprawl and preserving more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo Wisconsin!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
(photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
An advocate for sustainable farming once said that when it comes to farming everything you're great-grandfather did was better. Today, a major challenge facing all of us who want to see a healthier and more sustainable food system is overcoming the predominance of factory farms across America.
Giant factory farms are the prime culprits when it comes to the unhealthy use of pesticides, herbicides, anitbiotics, and hormones. They foster inhumane conditions for animals and wreak environmental devastation. The government purchases their surplus production and much of that food ends up being served to children for school lunches.
The food they produce is making people sick and the vast majority of people find themselves on the hook for the medical costs that result. Enormous quantities of fossil fuels are burned to transport their products to population centers. Dealing with the pollution they cause incurs enomrmous costs for environmental cleanups. Who pays?
And if you love eating good food as much as we do, you already know that food from factory farms is quite bland when compared to food that is fresh and sustainably produced.
There's no quick and easy solution to the problem, but every small step forward takes us closer to a brighter future. We just received this message from our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and The Food Team at the nonprofit Food & Water Watch:
Small farmers across the country are struggling to make ends meet, yet the USDA is helping new factory farms come on line by encouraging banks to give them guaranteed loans. Family farm groups from across the country are calling on the USDA to stop backing new factory farms. Can you take action to stop new factory farms?
Factory farms have already forced out many small producers by lowering the price that farmers are paid for chickens and pigs. The tough economic times are hitting everyone hard and many farmers are losing their contracts. The USDA has bought up surplus pork, chicken and eggs for nutrition and school lunch programs to absorb some of the over-supply, but still, the agency continues to back loans for new factory farms.
To make matters worse, taxpayers pay for this bad policy twice - when the government buys up surplus production and again when low prices drive producers out of business and USDA pays for the defaulted loans.
Tell Secretary Vilsack it's time to cut off the factory farm industry. Sign a petition calling for USDA to impose a moratorium on guaranteed loans to build new factory farms.
To sign the petition go to: Food & Water Watch
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Kicking Back with Some Salsa (photo by Rick Tango)
Eating well is tough for teens. Hanging out with friends, late-night fast food binges, and snacking on junk can mean getting way too much fat, sugar and empty calories. That kind of eating causes spikes and crashes in energy levels, making it tough to keep fit. Teens need physical activity and nutritional meals as much as anyone, but they face a lot of temptation to make poor choices.
Weight and body image can be delicate issues for teens, especially girls who get bombarded with retouched images that can create incredibly unrealistic expectations. Up to a quarter of teen girls display eating disorders according to a study conducted by the Dietitians of Canada.
Seeing their kids at risk has many families fighting back. Across the U.S. there's a growing movement among parents to make the food choices in schools more nutritious through organizations like the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods. In Scotland, the Parliament unanimously passed a law to ban all junk food from schools. In Australia, a national group called the Parents Jury is targeting companies it says are using underhanded tactics to promote junk food to children. The group is backed by the Cancer Council and Diabetes Australia. In Spain, Madrid's regional government imposed the world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show.
Families who eat together reap benefits both physical and emotional. The Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota found that girls who ate 3 to 4 family meals per week were at about one-third the risk for extreme weight control practices and girls who ate 5 family meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk. The study showed that boys also benefit from family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.
Most sources agree that the best answer to getting teens to eat healthy is to support an overall healthy lifestyle. Setting a good example is a big help. Combining nutrition and fitness is the key. That means keeping fit in a way that's enjoyable enough to make it last as a regular activity. There are plenty of indications that regularly participating in physical activity can improve self-esteem and body image among teen girls.
Keeping it healthy doesn't mean deprivation, just a balanced approach to eating and burning calories. Even snacks can be healthy. Salsa and baked tortilla chips that are low in fat and low in cholesterol are a nutritious alternative to the empty calories of junk food. Chiles and the other fresh ingredients of salsa are high in vitamins, low in sodium and calories, and delicious to boot! Guacamole is a healthy treat. Some teens might go for hummus or fruit-filled low fat yogurt. Keeping fresh fruit such as bananas handy makes it easier to make a smart, healthy choice.
Like everybody else, teens want the approval of their peers. Making smart and healthy choices leads to feeling good about oneself and that can be very attractive to others. You don't have to be a teen to like that!
For more reading on this topic try the following sources:
Healthy Eating For Teens
Teen Health and Self-Esteem
Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits
If you’d like to view some of our favorite fruit salsas, made with freash local ingredients at Szarek Farms in Upstate New York go to:
Spike's Hot Fruit Salsa
Violet's Medium Fruit Salsa
Vinca's Sweet Fruit Salsa
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Boston Skyline (©andrebrilliant, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Boston has joined a growing list of cities taking steps to promote the purchase of locally grown food with Boston Bounty Bucks, a program providing vouchers that double the value of food stamps at 14 of the city's roughly 22 farmers markets.
Atlanta, San Diego and Providence already have similar programs benefiting low-income shoppers and local farmers who sell their products in urban neighborhoods. The city efforts complement new federal policies in the 2008 Farm Bill to improve access to farm-fresh fruits and vegetables for seniors, children and low-income residents.
Local farmers will get a much-needed boost in revenue from an eco-friendly program that reduces the need to ship and truck food over great distances. Shoppers who purchase fresh, locally grown produce will avail themselves of the most flavorful and most nutritious food, something that can be a real challenge for low-income urban residents, according to studies conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
According to the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology, “Our findings show that participants who live in neighborhoods with low healthy food availability are at an increased risk of consuming a lower quality diet.”
Some of the communities examined were found to have no supermarkets within easy traveling distance, but plenty of fast food outlets serving processed foods high in calories and saturated fats. Even in some communities with nearby supermarkets “the availability of items like fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk and whole wheat bread” in those stores was often found lacking.
"Place of residence plays a larger role in dietary health than previously estimated," said Manuel Franco, MD, PhD, lead author of the two studies.
If you’d like to read a Boston Globe article on the topic go to: Vouchers double value of food stamps at Boston farmers' markets
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Free Range Chickens at Feeding Time (photo by Digiology, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Organizing efforts and negotiations by the Humane Society of the United States have convinced Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a chain with more than 300 locations in 40 states, to switch to using only cage-free eggs. The company’s decision is being hailed as a major victory by activists working to end animal suffering on factory-farms.
The Humane Society began a campaign against battery cages in 2005, putting pressure on egg producers to cease raising chickens in stacks of small wire cages. Now there are universities, hotel chains, and some corporate cafeterias that have decided they must serve cage–free eggs.
World famous Chef Wolfgang Puck announced in 2007 that he will only use food products from animals raised under strict humane standards. The Whole Foods supermarket chain only sells cage-free eggs. It’s no surprise that Vermont ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s, with its reputation for being a socially conscious company, wants its eggs from chickens treated humanely, but Burger King has also decided it wants cage-free eggs.
From the recent Humane Society announcement:
According to Red Robin's new plan, the Greenwood Village, Colorado-based chain will exclusively use cage-free eggs in all U.S. company-owned stores by the end of 2010. Red Robin's phase-in will begin next month, and will be one-third complete by the end of 2009.
Red Robin is also in the process of working with pork suppliers to phase in gestation crate-free pork at company-owned locations.
Great news for everyone who wants to see improved conditions for animals raised on factory-farms!
To learn more about efforts to improve the treatment of animals in the U.S. go to: Humane Society of the United States
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1) The Search for Cage-Free Eggs Gets Competitive
2) Letting Them Roam with Mom
3) We Say Bravo Wolfgang!
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
Kids at the Beach (photo by korycheer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Food advertising on television increases automatic snacking on available foods in children and adults, according to a series of experimental studies conducted by researchers from Yale University. The research appears in the July issue of the journal Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.
In one experiment, seven- to 11-year-old children who watched a cartoon that included food commercials ate 45% more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.
From only a half hour of television viewing a day, the increase in snacking caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, unless mitigated by reduced consumption of other foods or increased physical activity.
In a second experiment, the researchers found that adult participants exposed to unhealthy food advertisements in TV programming also ate significantly more than those who saw ads with a nutrition or healthy food message. Additionally, these effects persisted after the television viewing. In the experiments with both children and adults, food advertising increased eating for all available foods, even foods that were not specifically presented in the advertisements.
“This research shows a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed by adults and children,” said lead author Jennifer Harris, PhD, Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. “Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Reducing unhealthy food advertising to children is critical.”
In addition to Harris, the Yale team of researchers included John A. Bargh and Kelly D. Brownell. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.
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Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farm, Crescent City, California (photo courtesy of Cornucopia Institute)
President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack are being urged to take immediate action to repair the USDA’s increasingly dysfunctional National Organic Program (NOP). Suspect imports of grains, nuts, and vegetables from China and other countries, questionable organic milk, beef, and eggs from giant factory farms, and a cozy relationship between USDA managers and corporate agribusiness lobbyists are said to be injuring the organic label's reputation.
Consumer demand for organic foods has skyrocketed in recent years, propelling organics into a $24 billion dollar a year business. That same hunger for organics has encouraged some large corporations, factory farms, and foreign producers to move into the U.S. organic business—but without allegedly upholding federal organic production standards.
The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers, has sent a formal letter and briefing paper to President Obama and Secretary Vilsack, specifically asking that they take “a very strong and proactive posture in turning around management at the National Organic Program (NOP),” which they described as being “Katrina-ed” by the Bush administration. Thousands of organic farmers and consumers have also contacted the President and USDA Secretary.
“The stewardship of the organic program at the USDA has been an absolute abomination,” said Mark A. Kastel, Cornucopia’s senior farm policy analyst. “It was not just management by neglect—it was an intentional monkeywrenching of the Department's oversight of the industry.”
In the last several years, audits prepared by the American National Standards Institute and the Inspector General's office have blasted the NOP for failing to ensure that independent certification agencies, which verify organic farming and production practices, are competent and properly performing their jobs.
Washington Post Reports on Investigation at USDA
According to a July 3rd Washington Post story, the USDA's Inspector General's office has widened an ongoing investigation and is looking at the Department's oversight of private certifiers. The Cornucopia Institute formally requested the Inspector General’s investigation after Bush administration officials failed to look into alleged improprieties by management at the organic program.
Among other grievances, the Department is accused of sidestepping protections and oversight implemented by Congress. According to the Post, 65 policy resolutions adopted by the National Organic Standards Board, the expert citizen advisory panel to the NOP, have never been reviewed or implemented since 2002.
“In addition to starving the National Organic Program for adequate funding, the political environment at the USDA has always been hostile to the organic industry,” said Kastel.
During the Bush administration, political appointees at the USDA had also significantly softened penalties for organic lawbreakers and overruled stiff enforcement actions recommended by career civil servants for factory farms that were found to be willfully violating federal organic standards. Other complaints detailing abuses on factory farms were quashed or went uninvestigated.
“If organic food production and eating had not caught on so well, we wouldn't see these scofflaws doing their thing,” observed Merrill Clark, a certified organic livestock farmer from Michigan and former member of the National Organic Standards Board. Clark added, “It’s time to change the culture at the USDA.”
The Cornucopia Institute launched a “Change@USDA” campaign earlier this year and is helping stakeholders in the organic community to unite for rehabilitation of the NOP. The farm group has helped coordinate many letters from industry stakeholders, letters to both Mr. Obama and Secretary Vilsack, from farmers, retailers, business executives and consumers, supporting a sweeping management shakeup at the National Organic Program.
Positive Change at USDA
One sign that the new administration at the USDA is taking the concerns of organic and sustainable farming interests to heart was the appointment by Secretary Vilsack of Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, a Tufts University assistant professor, as USDA Deputy Secretary. Merrigan helped write the original organic law adopted by Congress as an aide to its prime sponsor, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
“I cannot think of a more qualified public policy expert to take on this important role at what Abraham Lincoln referred to as the ‘people's department, ’” Kastel affirmed. The Cornucopia Institute, and many other farm organizations, lobbied hard for Merrigan's appointment. “I hope this is representative of President Obama and Secretary Vilsack subscribing to the old adage that ‘good government equals good politics,’” he added.
“The certified organic label belongs to the thousands of ethical organic family farmers, and their consumer allies and patrons, who have built the vibrant organic agricultural and food market,” said Peter Wiesner, General Manager at the Hungry Hollow Co-op in Chestnut Ridge, New York. “We need new management at the National Organic Program if we are to reclaim the organic label,” Wiesner said.
Family-Scale Organic Dairies Facing Crisis
As questions swirl around the handling of organics by the NOP, a true crisis is unfolding in the organic dairy sector. Ethical organic dairy farmers, and the co-ops and family-owned businesses they partner with for processing and marketing, are getting hammered by cheap, allegedly phony "organic" milk from giant factory farms and alleged predatory pricing by the $11 billion agribusiness behemoth, Dean Foods.
Dean Foods, owner of 50 different milk brands, including the nation’s leading organic dairy label, Horizon Organic, has heavily discounted their retail pricing, driving down market prices for all competitors. Dean/Horizon gets a large percentage of their milk from their Idaho industrial dairy, which has managed as many as 8,000 head of cattle, and from many other mega-farms they contract with. Just this week, it was announced that Dean Foods would come out with a "natural" version of Horizon milk products positioned as a new, lower-cost competitor to organic dairy.
"Natural milk is really conventional milk without bovine growth hormones, so Dean Foods’ introduction of Horizon “natural” dairy products is just plain profiteering at the expense of legitimate organic farmers,” said Will Fantle, research director at Cornucopia. “Unlike organics, there is no independent 3rd party verification of this claim, and “natural” fails to include other key organic practices, such as prohibitions against toxic agrichemicals, antibiotics and other drugs in livestock production, as well as unhealthy synthetic food additives in the final product,” added Fantle. Organic dairy production standards also require that the animals graze on pasture rather than being confined to feedlots on factory farms.
Meanwhile, the majority of the private-label, also called “store-brand,” milk (which is usually cheaper than branded organic milk) marketed by Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, Target, and other grocery chains comes from the controversial Aurora Dairy, operator of five giant factory farms in Texas and Colorado. The USDA found that Aurora had seriously violated the organic regulations but instead of decertifying the operation, as was recommended by career civil servants, the Bush Administration allowed them to continue in business.
In their research The Cornucopia Institute has stressed that although corporate marketers are large they are sad aberrations in the organic industry. "90% of all the namebrand organic dairy products reviewed in our survey were rated as excellent in terms of their adherence to both the letter and spirit of the organic law, stated the Cornucopia's Kastel. Their scorecard of 110 organic brands, for use by consumers or wholesale buyers, is available on their website.
Coverage of the slowdown in the organic dairy market was also poignantly featured in the pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 3rd, the same day the Post’s investigative report ran. The Dispatch’s story featured organic dairy farmers that were being squeezed out of business, allegedly, in part, because of a flood of milk from giant factory farms that had been allowed to operate illegally.
"I have invested my life in building this dairy farm,” said Kevin Poetker, a dairy producer from Waterloo, Missouri who has now lost his market for organic milk. "Now my entire livelihood and the financial future of my family is at risk."
Cornucopia Institute Calls for Action
"For many family-scale farmers, who face financial ruin, this is a legitimate emergency and we need the Obama administration to step in immediately,” appealed Cornucopia's Kastel.
Cornucopia is calling on the USDA to aggressively enforce federal organic regulations that would control abuses occurring in the organic dairy sector. Enforcement has been spotty, at best, at the USDA. A number of legal complaints filed by Cornucopia documenting alleged violations of organic law on industrial scale dairies, and other improprieties, were never investigated by the Department.
Farmers and other industry stakeholders can still make their personal appeal to president Obama and USDA secretary Vilsack by downloading a proxy-letter from the “action alerts” section of the Cornucopia Institute's website: www.cornucopia.org
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The campaign for Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally is a not-for-profit group seeking changes in public policy for the benefit of farmers and farm workers around the world. It is a collaboration of grassroots and civil society organizations. The campaign's web site explains:
U.S. agriculture and trade policy has become a lightning rod for criticism of broader U.S. economic policies worldwide, as well as a source of widespread concern among farmers, consumers, and taxpayers in the United States. We must change these existing policies in order to create a food system that supports, rather than undermines, family farmers and farmworkers, and that enables sustainable agriculture and food production to thrive, both in the United States and around the world.
To learn more about the campaign's efforts to bring changes in agricultural policies: Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally
Freshwater Catfish (photo by drrj, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Whether blackened with a Cajun spice mix or breaded and fried to a golden brown, America’s southern freshwater catfish is an indelible part of the country’s food heritage and culture.
There is a similar white fish that is imported from Asia that is not currently subject to the same food safety standards as American catfish. In the past such fish from China has been banned by the FDA because of widespread contamination and dangerous chemical residues. It is possible that the last time you had catfish at a restaurant you were served the Asian white fish, marketed under the name catfish.
Our friends at Food & Water Watch have informed us that:
Last summer, when Congress passed the Farm Bill, it included a measure that created a new inspection program specifically for catfish at USDA. The department under Secretary Vilsack is working right now to design that new inspection program, and we hear that they are under pressure from China, Vietnam, and seafood importers to let some imported catfish escape the reach of this new program.
There is an ongoing debate as to which fish can truly be called catfish, but we believe that any fidh marketed under the name catfish should be subjected to the same high standards as American catfish.
If you’d like to make your opinion on this issue known to Secretary Vilsack of the USDA you can go to: Food & Water Watch
If you’d like to see kids in school enjoying food that is both delicious and good for them there’s something you can do about it. Here’s what we’ve learned from our friends at Slow Food USA:
Dear Members and Supporters of Slow Food USA,
Remember this date: September 7, 2009. We’ll look back on that day as the moment when people across America took a stand about the food our children eat at school.
As you know, children who grow up enjoying food that is both delicious and good for them learn healthy eating habits that last throughout their lives. Those habits can start at school – but only if we give schools the resources to serve real food instead of the overly processed fast food that endangers their health.
To make that happen, our leaders in Congress need to hear that when it comes to our children, change can’t wait.
That’s why we’re organizing a National Eat-In for Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2009. On that day, people across America will gather with their neighbors for public potlucks that send our nation’s leaders a clear message: It’s time to provide our children with real food at school.
To get Congress’ attention, we’re going to need the help of all kinds of people: parents, teachers, community leaders, kids and people who’ve never done anything like this before. We’re going to need everyone to pitch in.
But the people we need most are Slow Food members and supporters. You’re the front line of the food movement, and we’re counting on you to tell your friends, to contact your legislators and to organize Eat-Ins for Sept. 7.
Our campaign web site will guide you through the process, and our campaign team is here to provide support. We’ll give you everything you need to get involved, starting today.
And we mean today—because with the President calling for health care reform and the First Lady teaching kids to grow food on the White House Lawn, we’ve got an opening to pass legislation that gives kids the opportunity to grow up healthy.
This fall, Congress will be debating whether to update the Child Nutrition Act, which is the law that determines what kind of food kids eat at school. By giving schools the resources to serve real food, we can make sure that the legacy we’re leaving our children is a future filled with opportunity, security and good health.
We can only do it if we act now. It’s time to get real food into schools.
For more information, and to join our campaign, go to: Time for Lunch
Best regards,
Josh, Brian, Jerusha, Gordon, Leah, Callie, Alex, Stephanie
The Time for Lunch campaign team
timeforlunch@slowfoodusa.org
Passing Freighter (photo by Kenn Kiser, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends Sarah, Alex, Noelle and the Food Team at Food & Water Watch have sent us the following message:
Dear Jeff,
We had a great victory last night as the Appropriations bill passed out of committee with the ban on Chinese chicken still in tact. Thanks to consumer activists like you who contacted your member of Congress, we've cleared the first hurdle in protecting American consumers from potentially contaminated chicken imports.
We know that big agriculture corporations like Smithfield, Tyson, and Cargill pulled out all the stops to pressure Congress to lift the ban, but thanks to continued consumer pressure on this issue, the committee kept the ban to prevent Chinese chicken from coming into the country.
We commend Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for taking the lead on protecting U.S. consumers from a potentially dangerous food product. This is a great victory, but the fight isn't over yet. We'll be in contact soon to urge the full House and Senate to put consumer safety first by keeping the ban on Chinese chicken products.
In the mean time, please take action to ask your member of Congress to pass strong food safety standards for our domestic food (by clicking on):
Food & Water Watch
Thanks for taking action!
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
Just recently Washington State University removed Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book, Omnivore’s Dilemma from the school’s Common Reading Program, which is required reading for all incoming freshman. It seems the University had come under pressure from corporate agribusinesses unhappy with the book’s central theme: The time has come for a healthier and more sustainable food system.
School officials claimed the book was removed due to tough financial times, but 4,000 copies had already been purchased. We’re guessing WSU’s administration didn’t realize just how many people agree with Michael Pollan’s message and didn’t anticipate the firestorm of protest that ensued from concerned citizens across the country.
Within hours of the University’s announcement Food Democracy Now! sent out an alert and the president's office was flooded with calls. One alum had a talk with the school’s President Floyd and offered to pay for Michael Pollan to visit the campus, as well as pay for the full cost to cover the Common Reading Program. Within days the book was restored to the Program’s required reading list.
Thanks to all those folks who made their voices heard. Nice to see democracy in action!
For more info on Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking book go to: Omnivore’s Dilemma
For more info on Michael Pollan’s most recent bestseller go to: In Defense of Food
To learn more about the efforts being made by a fine organization working for a more sustainable future go to: Food Democracy Now!
Among other great works the Family Farm Defenders hauled 5 dusty but working tractors from southwestern Wisconsin to donate to the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives, a coalition of independent farming cooperatives in 11 counties- many of whose members lost equipment and crops to Hurricane Katrina.
"They might be worth $4,000 or $5,000 to you, but to me they're worth a million bucks," said Donnie Pen-Travis, 53, who works a plot of land he said has been in his family for five generations. He beamed as fellow farmers from Wisconsin backed the red and orange vehicles off the back of an 18-wheeler before a crowd of about 50 farmers and pro-organic farming activists.
The mission of the Family Farm Defenders is to create a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food and fiber system, based upon democratically controlled institutions that empower farmers to speak for and respect themselves in their quest for social and economic justice.
FFD has worked to create opportunities for farmers to join together in new cooperative endeavors, form a mutual marketing agency, and forge alliances with consumers through providing high quality food products while returning a fair price to farmers.
If you’d like to learn more about the fine efforts of this not-for-profit organization go to: Family Farm Defenders
This just in from our friends at the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, grant funds are now available for New York State schools looking to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. (All other states have this program, too, however this application is for New York State schools only) :
We are passing along this wonderful opportunity from the New York State Department of Education and the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. This is a federally funded program. Elementary schools in New York State with 50% or more children eligible for free/reduced priced lunches are eligible. Applications must be postmarked May 29th.
The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food has been piloting a privately funded version of this program, and we can tell you that it has made a tremendous difference at the school in Ithaca, NY, where we are piloting it.
Teachers are telling us that children are concentrating better in class. Parents are thrilled that they no longer have to bring in snacks, and teachers and parents alike are relieved that children are no longer consuming cheese crackers, goldfish crackers, and other unhealthy snack items in the classroom. Children are reporting that they just don't feel right on weekends or on vacations when they don't have their two fruits in the morning and two vegetables in the afternoon that they have become accustomed to in school (we have increased most children's fruit and vegetable consumption by two servings per day.)
Our focus is on local and organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible. All fruits and vegetables are served raw. Some have been surprised that some of the children's favorites are beets, baby turnips, arugula and kale.
In our program, we do not allow any dressings or dips - because it is too easy to turn 40 calories of healthy food into 400 calories of unhealthy food when dips and dressings are used. Several teachers were convinced at first that children would not eat vegetables without dressing/dips - but were glad to report that kids are happy to eat veggies without dip.
If your school qualifies as per the first paragraph above, please don't pass up on this wonderful opportunity!
To get more info about applying for a grant go to: Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program
To visit the the Healthy School Lunches web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods
Drink GM-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Written By Jeffrey M. Smith
On May 19th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on "Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks."
They called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling. AAEM's position paper stated, "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
They conclude, "There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation," as defined by recognized scientific criteria. "The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies."
More and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist, and board member of AAEM says, "I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods." Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it."
Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM, says, "Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions." World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.
Pregnant Women & Babies at Great Risk
Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that "children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems" related to GM foods. He says without adequate studies, the children become "the experimental animals."
The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.
When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller than normal.
Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investigations in the state of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.
In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.
Food Designed to Produce Toxin
GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt—produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the plants do the killing.
The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.
Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room.
The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India, from handling Bt cotton. In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, "Victims of itching have increased massively this year . . . related to BT cotton farming."
GMOs Orovoke Immune Reactions
AAEM states, "Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation," including increase in cytokines, which are "associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation"—all on the rise in the US.
According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are "a consistent feature of all the studies." Even Monsanto's own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.
GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.
Animals Dying in Large Numbers
In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence "strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin." In a small follow-up feeding study by the Deccan Development Society, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.
In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.
Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.
In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto's own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist G. E. Seralini.
Worst Finding of All—GMOs Remain Inside of Us
The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.
When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.
Warnings by Government Scientists Ignored & Denied
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests. But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto's former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists' concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto's vice president.
Dangerously Few Studies, Untraceable Diseases
AAEM states, "GM foods have not been properly tested" and "pose a serious health risk." Not a single human clinical trial on GMOs has been published. A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the "potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants" revealed "that experimental data are very scarce." The author concludes his review by asking, "Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?"
Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, "The experiments simply haven't been done and we now have become the guinea pigs." He adds, "Anyone that says, 'Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,' I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying."
Dr. Schubert points out, "If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop." If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.
This is precisely what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.
If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the large scale introduction of GM crops in 1996, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.
To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their "members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health."
Citizens need not wait for the results before taking the doctors advice to avoid GM foods. People can stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless it says organic or "non-GMO." There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well as in natural food stores and in many doctors' offices.
If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food industry will likely respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM ingredients. Thus, AAEM's non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US food supply.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2009.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world. He is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.
To learn more about how to avoid GM foods go to: Institute for Responsible Technology
Farmers Market (© Photographer: Eyal Nahmias | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Wonderful news just in from our friends at American Farmland Trust:
Last spring, those with a stake in farms and local food waited with baited breath as the 2008 Farm Bill made its way through Congress. Under the bill, the Farmers Markets Promotion Program received an expanded allocation of $33 million for the next five years, and applicants have now applied to put that money to use. In the spirit of supporting America’s farmers and their local markets, American Farmland Trust is doing a promotion of our own. Farmers market managers are currently enrolling in our Vote for America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest, so this summer market customers from California to Maine will vote for their favorite!
This only happened because so many people cared & supported what they knew in their hearts to be right. Please, never underestimate what we ordinary people can accomplish. We don't win every day, but we do have our victories. Added up, all our little victories will change the World! Thank you so much to all of you!
To learn more about getting some well-deserved recognition for your local Farmers Market go to: America's Favorite Farmers Markets
Family with Children (© Photographer: Pavel Losevsky | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Food, fitness or family…which one is most to blame for childhood obesity? New research from Mintel shows today’s parents aren’t sure, and they’re feeling overwhelmed and worried as they try to prevent obesity in their own children.
In a consumer survey of American parents, Mintel found confusion over whether diet or exercise is most important for keeping kids at a healthy weight. Nearly three quarters of, while 69% feel that a lack of exercise is more to blame for obesity. In addition, two in five parents (40%) are concerned that their children might develop obesity.
“Parents aren’t sure where to focus first to ensure their children’s health—diet, exercise or both simultaneously,” states Marcia Mogelonsky, senior analyst at Mintel.
According to Mintel, parents need help when it comes to promoting healthy eating with their children. While 95% feel that this is very or somewhat important, only 82% believe they are somewhat or very successful at doing so. Similarly, while 93% consider it very or somewhat important to limit their children’s access to junk food, only 77% feel they have been very or somewhat successful at accomplishing this.
Many parents blame kids’ sedentary lifestyles for obesity. According to parents, less than half of kids are physically active five or more hours per week—less than an hour a day. These sedentary habits are not enough to offset the caloric intake of kids with poor eating habits.
“When it comes to placing the blame, most parents look to themselves,” states Marcia Mogelonsky. “Seventy-eight percent of parents believe the fault lies with them, yet most seek more information on nutrition so they can improve their children’s health.”
More than half of parents (57%) are worried that their children don't get enough information about healthy living at school, and 47% believe children should have ongoing diet and nutrition classes.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged two to 19 is significant at 12%. While there are hints that these rates are leveling, they have yet to decline. The federal government has set a goal of 5% incidence in obesity among children for 2010.
(photo by David Matlin)
My niece and her husband are some of the best informed people I know when it comes to food and nutrition. Once they were looking after a young child and took her on a day trip. Riding home in the car it was time to get a bite to eat. The child asked if they could go to McDonald's. Not wanting to feed the child unhealthy food they said there was no McDonald's in the area. Though still too young to read, the child spotted a pair of golden arches and exclaimed that there was one just ahead.
Once again, advertising made it happen.
In his ground-breaking bestseller, Fast Food Nation, author Eric Schlosser details how fast food companies practice marketing to children. We highly recommend Mr. Schlosser's book to anyone concerned about the nation's food system and how it has contributed to soaring rates of obesity and diabetes among Americans.
Many parents know first hand that the advertising from fast food corporations is reaching their children. Experience has taught them that what the corporations see as effective marketing is making it tougher to feed their kids nutritious meals.
A study carried out by Liverpool University researchers has reached the same conclusion as many parents,
Our research confirms food TV advertising has a profound effect on all children's eating habits doubling their consumption rate ... suggesting a strong connection between weight and susceptibility to overeating when exposed to food adverts on television.
To read an article about the study in Britain's Independent Online go to: Ditch the food ads if you want healthy kids
To purchase a copy of Eric Schlosser's bestseller go to: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
Wonderful news just in from our friends at American Farmland Trust, “New York State’s Farmland Protection Program awarded $23 million to permanently protect almost 9,000 acres on 27 farms, bringing the total number of acres protected by the program to 72,668 acres.”
“We like to say, ‘No Farms, No Food’,” says American Farmland Trust’s New York Director David Haight. “If farmland is developed, we lose the opportunity to grow fresh, healthy foods here in New York. Protecting these farms strengthens New York’s food security and food system.”
This development comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent announcement of $2.6 million in matching funding available from the federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program to protect farmland in New York.
Less sprawl and more land capable of producing healthy food for generations to come...Bravo!
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If last year’s Slow Food Nation in San Francisco was the Woodstock of the sustainable food movement, then last week’s Brooklyn Food Conference was a wonderfully successful local concert. The first-time event was expected to draw 2,000 participants, but approximately 3,000 showed up, according to spokesperson Alia Hanna.
A chief goal of the conference was to “Bring Brooklynites together to demand-and participate in creating-a vital, healthy, and just food system available to everyone,” according to the literature made available.
It wasn’t just Brooklynites who were there. Slow Food USA was one of more than 70 exhibitors, as was Sustainable Table, New York Farms, Equal Exchange, several environmental organizations, film makers, food artisans, and community organizers. There were dozens of workshops that seemed to cover every topic of interest to those who want a more sustainable food future for themselves and their children. All in all it was a terrific networking opportunity.
Keynote Speakers
Key-note speakers included well-known activist Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber.
300 Volunteers Made it Happen
The conference was entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fundraising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers planned the conference for seven months More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses were partners in this effort.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference included: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference was generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
The Conference was free to all, but we couldn’t help purchasing a copy of the Manhattan restaurant guide, Clean Plates N.Y.C. It was co-authored by nutritional consultant and wellness counselor Jared Koch, and restaurant reviewer Alex Van Buren. It’s the first time we’ve seen a guide that selected restaurants because they were among both the tastiest and the healthiest.
By increasing awareness and educating around food issues the organizers expected to establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. The Conference included a town hall event to give participants the opportunity to speak out on issues vital both locally and globally.
For more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
A Native American says a prayer & hands out tobacco as an offering of thanks to Nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Eat well with the "food that grows on the water." Native Harvest Wild Rice grows naturally in the lakes of Northern Minnesota and is hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities on the White Earth Indian Reservation using traditional methods.
Unlike the genetically manipulated "wild rice" grown in paddies, this authentic wild rice is an important American heirloom crop and a central part of Anishinaabeg culture and tradition. Anishinaabeg is a self-description often used by people belonging to the indigenous Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonkin peoples of North America, who share closely related Algonquian languages. Ojibwe communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada, harvest and process wild rice in the tradition of their ancestors.
Manoomin, as the wild rice is known, is part of the Anishinaabeg migration stories and prophecies. It continues to define what it means to be Anishinaabeg. One definition of Anishnaabeg is Original-People. Another refers to ideas about the good people that are on the right path given to them by the Creator.
The campaign to protect the integrity of this authentic wild rice is an important aspect of the White Earth Land Recovery Project in Ponsford, Minnesota. The Project’s mission is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and the spiritual and cultural heritage of the people of White Earth.
Winona LaDuke is the organization’s Founder and Director. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, Ms. LaDuke received the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1989, with which, in part, she began the White Earth Land Recovery Project. The Project’s wild rice campaign is working to prevent the taking of the essence of the wild rice by the paddy rice industry, which would leave the Native Americans who have been the stewards of this resource for many centuries with nothing.
The campaign began in 2002, with the historic gathering that brought together traditional rice harvesters from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to meet with members from the academic, scientific and non-profit communities. That meeting set the foundation for the ongoing struggle to protect the sacred wild rice from issues of bio-piracy, further genetic manipulation, patent struggles and labeling issues.
The four main components of the wild rice campaign are:
1) Protecting the intellectual property rights of the Anishinaabeg.
2) Opposing genetic modification and contamination of wild rice.
3) Promoting a fair trade for traditionally hand-harvested, natural lake wild rice.
4) Educating on the tradition and culture surrounding wild rice.
Manoomin
To purchase this authentic heirloom wild rice, hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
To view a wonderful recipe employing Sacred Manoomin go to: American Black Walnut & Wild Rice Pilaf
Amish Farm (photo by Marianne Venegoni, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Since the mid-1990s the biotech industry has claimed that genetic engineering (GE) would improve crop yields and help feed the world’s growing population, but a recently released report concludes “…that GE has done little to increase overall crop yields.”
The report, “Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops," was authored by Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Food and Environment Program.
In a press release accompanying the report Gurian-Sherman stated,
The biotech industry has spent billions on research and public relations hype, but genetically engineered food and feed crops haven't enabled American farmers to grow significantly more crops per acre of land. In comparison, traditional breeding continues to deliver better results.
Recommendations
In light of the report, the Union of Concerned Scientists recommends government agencies and universities should redirect substantial funding, research, and incentives toward proven approaches that show more promise than genetic engineering. “These approaches include modern methods of conventional plant breeding as well as organic and other sophisticated low-input farming practices,” according to UCS.
UCS urges food-aid organizations to work with farmers in developing countries, where increasing local food production is urgent, and make “these more promising and affordable methods available.”
Scientists at UCS also assert, “Relevant regulatory agencies should develop and implement techniques to better identify and evaluate potentially harmful side effects of the newer and more complex genetically engineered crops. These effects are likely to become more prevalent, and current regulations are too weak to detect them reliably and prevent them from occurring.”
"If we are going to make headway in combating hunger due to overpopulation and climate change, we will need to increase crop yields," said Gurian-Sherman. "Traditional breeding outperforms genetic engineering hands down."
Funders
Funding for the report was provided by C.S. Fund, CornerStone Campaign, Deer Creek Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, The David B. Gold Foundation, The John Merck Fund, Newman’s Own Foundation, Next Door Fund of the Boston Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and UCS members.
If you’d like to read the UCS report cited above go to: Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Study: Genetic Modification Reduces Crop Yields
Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Despite strong opposition from the public and farmers alike, the Kansas State Legislature has passed a bill limiting a farmer’s right to tell customers that the farm’s milk is free of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).
Here’s what our friends at the Organic Valley farmers cooperative have to say about it:
Kansas House Bill 2121 specifies that dairy products promoted as being produced by cows that don't receive injections of Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) include a potentially misleading disclaimer stating there are no significant differences between milk from cows that are injected with rBGH and cows that are rBGH-free. The "no differences" statement is based on an 18-year-old FDA review of rBGH; however, FDA’s own publications, as well as subsequent scientific studies have shown that there are significant differences, some of which may affect human health.
Just a short time ago, our friend Liana of Care2 told us:
RBGH causes increased risk for birth defects, potentially dangerous pus to form in milk and clinical lameness in cows. Cows treated with rBGH have an increased rate of mastitis, a bacterial infection on the udder, by 25 percent. Often given antibiotics to counter mastitis, rBGH-treated cows grow antibiotic-resistant bacteria that put humans at risk.
Canada, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the use of rBGH in milk production, and U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for milk produced without it. Now, companies may be looking to school lunch programs as an outlet for milk consumers don't want.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius could sign the bill as soon as April 16th.
If you’d like to send a message to Governor Sebelius go to: The Center for Food Safety
If you’d like to sign a petition opposing passage of the bill described above go to: Food & Water Watch
Brooklyn Bridge (photo by Seemann, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Food activists, local farmers, health advocates, academics, union leaders, elected officials, restaurateurs, and concerned citizens will gather on Saturday, May 2nd to discuss the changes and challenges in our global food economy and how it impacts our communities. Workshops and speeches will provide education and networking opportunities for individuals to get involved for improving our diet, health and environment.
Keynote Speakers
The Brooklyn Food Conference will have dozens of community groups and hundred of volunteers participating. Key-note speakers include well-known activists Dan Barber, executive chef and owner of Blue Hill Restaurant, and a leader of fair trade development and healthy food; Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel of the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; as well as LaDonna Redmond, head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.
“Never before have there been such compelling reasons to rethink our energy policy, our environmental policy, and our health care system – and we cannot make headway on any of these without addressing food,” said Dan Barber, who will speak at the opening plenary session.
The Brooklyn Food Conference aims to increase awareness and education around food issues and establish a Brooklyn Food Coalition that will develop a Legislative Food Agenda. A town hall event will give participants the opportunity to testify in front of the elected officials expected to attend.
300 Volunteers Make it Happen
The conference is entirely volunteer driven – from event planning to fund raising and community outreach. A team of over 300 volunteers has been planning the conference for 7 months, and 2,000 participants are expected to attend. More than 75 organizations, including non-profit and community organizations, schools, elected officials and local businesses are partners in this effort. There will be a full program of workshops and
activities for children.
“We hope to change our food system on local, state and federal levels so that all people have access to healthy food, and to ensure consumers and workers are treated with fairness and justice,” said Nancy Romer, the conference’s General Coordinator. “This conference is the official beginning of our collective efforts.”
Co-Sponsors
Co-Sponsors for the conference include: The Park Slope Food Coop; Caribbean Women’s Health Association; World Hunger Year; Brooklyn Rescue Mission; and Brooklyn’s Bounty. The conference is generously hosted by the administrators, teachers, students, and parents of John Jay High School and P.S. 321.
Who: The Brooklyn Food Conference is a project of the Brooklyn Food Coalition.
What: The Conference is a grassroots event for a just, secure, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system.
Where: P.S. 321 and at John Jay High School, 7th Avenue in Park Slope
The Conference is FREE and open to all!
To register and for more information, visit the official web site: Brooklyn Food Conference
Drink GM-Free Milk! (© Hallgerd | Dreamstime.com)
Written By Jeffrey M. Smith
If President Obama's new Food Safety Working Group dedicates all their time and credentials to prevent future food recalls, they will have saved thousands of people--but forsaken millions.
Over the last decade, our radically changing diet has ushered in the explosive growth of food-related ailments, such as allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, autism, infertility, gastro-intestinal disorders, and learning disabilities. Of all the changes in our food, the most dangerous transformation was the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops.
When these gene-spliced concoctions, such as GM soy, corn, canola, and cottonseed, came on the scene in 1996, the proportion of Americans suffering from three or more chronic ailments. After just 9 years, that nearly doubled to 13%. GM foods are the prime suspect.
Government Policy at Odds with Science
Until now, the government has sidestepped the controversy by hiding behind FDA policy, which asserts that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are "substantially equivalent" to natural foods and therefore don't require any safety studies. But as Obama acknowledged, "many of the laws and regulations governing food safety in America" are outdated.
In truth, the FDA's GMO policy was not even up-to-date when it was implemented in May 1992. FDA documents made public from a lawsuit revealed that virtually all the agency scientists asked to comment voiced strong warnings that GMOs may cause serious health problems. But the FDA was under orders from the White House to fast track GM foods, and the person in charge of FDA policy was the former attorney of biotech giant Monsanto--and later become their vice president. The scientists and the science were ignored.
Now that animals fed GMOs--in labs and farms around the world--have exhibited symptoms related to the growing list of diseases in the US population, the President's Food Safety team, including Dr. Margaret Hamburg as FDA Commissioner, must update GMO regulation. A scientifically sound regulation would translate into an immediate ban of current GM crops, and the implementation of rigorous safety testing requirements before any GMO was put back into the food supply. And certainly mandatory labeling, as promised by President Obama during his campaign, must accompany any GM food approval.
Presidents and Industry Insiders Avoid GMOs
The Obama family has wisely opted out of exposing themselves to GM foods by requiring organic--and therefore non-GMO--foods served at the White House. They are even planting an organic garden on the south lawn of the White House, to feature 55 types of vegetables.
The Bush family also had an organic kitchen policy. Laura Bush was "adamant" about it, but kept it all quiet.
Even at Monsanto, many in-the-know employees won't consume the company's own GM creations. Back in 1999, the management of the cafeteria at Monsanto's UK headquarters in High Wycombe, England wrote:
In response to concern raised by our customers . . . we have decided to remove, as far as possible, genetically modified soy and maize (corn) from all food products served in our restaurant. . . . We have taken the above steps to ensure that you, the customer, can feel confident in the food we serve.
And one former Monsanto scientist told me that his colleagues, who were safety testing milk from cows injected with the company's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, decided to stop drinking milk--unless it was organic.
It's now time to let us all opt out of this dangerous and failed GM experiment. If Obama's team is serious about food safety and public health, they must take GMOs off our plates and put them back into the laboratory.
© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2009.
Author Jeffrey M. Smith
Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world. He is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.
To learn more about how to avoid GM foods go to: Institute for Responsible Technology
Midtown Manhattan (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends at American Farmland Trust tell us, “Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer and a coalition of food activists recently recommended that the City of New York adopt a wide-ranging plan for making healthy food available to its residents.”
Entitled Food in the Public Interest, the report notes, “There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods.”
It recommends designating a New York City “foodshed” with a radius of 200 miles that would give farmers increased access and incentives to sell at city markets. The Borough President and his allies also believe the city should encourage new development projects to include gardening in neighborhood development plans.
The number of Americans who are obese continues rising and now represents 30% of the population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 100% increase from 25 years ago. American adults are now more likely to be obese than to be cigarette smokers. Studies have linked obesity to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, poor bone health, periodontal disease, and other health conditions. Some believe that obesity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.
The Manhattan Borough President’s report says, “New York City is outpacing the nation in obesity and its related health issues. Both obesity and diabetes rates rose by 17% between 2002 and 2004 among city residents.”
The report goes on to explain,
The causes for this trend are generally oversimplified, often described as the result of changing lifestyles or overeating. The scope of the problem, however, is a great deal more complicated. Highly processed, fatty, and sugary foods are easily accessible, both by proximity and price, whereas fresh produce is not. This is particularly true in many low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
There is currently a dearth of stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in many of the city’s poor neighborhoods. The Department of City Planning recently found that three-quarters of a million New Yorkers live in areas with limited access to fresh produce. Many of these same neighborhoods have an overabundance of fast food options: one in six restaurants in East and Central Harlem serves fast food compared to one in 25 on the more affluent Upper East Side. These unhealthy options often cost less calorie-to-calorie.
The report offers an extensive number of recommendations. Included in those recommendations are steps to alleviate hunger, improve upstate farmers’ access to the New York City food market, protect the environment, expand nutrition education campaigns, and stimulate job creation through small-scale food producers.
If you’d like to read the full report with all of its recommendations go to: Food in the Public Interest
Losing family farms not only means losing an important part of our heritage; it means losing our finest source of food. The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) provides a voice for grassroots groups on farm, food, and trade issues to ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities here and around the world.
According to the nonprofit organization's web site:
The National Family Farm Coalition represents family farm and rural groups whose members face the challenge of the deepening economic recession in rural communities. The NFFC was founded in 1986.
The combination of our member groups' grassroots strength and NFFC's experience working on the national level enables us to play a unique role in securing a sustainable, economically just, healthy, safe and secure food and farm system. Additional power comes from collaborative work with a carefully built network of domestic and international organizations that share similar goals.
NFFC chooses its projects based on the potential to empower family farmers by reducing the corporate control of agriculture and promoting a more socially just farm and food policy.
Learn more about the efforts of the NFFC by clicking here: National Family Farm Coalition
Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
This week we received messages from two organizations urging folks to take steps to keep milk for schoolchildren hormone-free. “Studies found that in the 2005-2006 school year, about one in every five pints of milk offered in cafeterias came from cows injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH),” according to Care2, a nonprofit, consumer watchdog organization.
The message from our friend Liana of Care2 tells us:
RBGH causes increased risk for birth defects, potentially dangerous pus to form in milk and clinical lameness in cows. Cows treated with rBGH have an increased rate of mastitis, a bacterial infection on the udder, by 25 percent. Often given antibiotics to counter mastitis, rBGH-treated cows grow antibiotic-resistant bacteria that put humans at risk.
Canada, the European Union and several other countries have already banned the use of rBGH in milk production, and U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for milk produced without it. Now, companies may be looking to school lunch programs as an outlet for milk consumers don't want.
The second message we received was from Sarah Alexander of Food & Water Watch, another nonprofit concerned with keeping milk in schools hormone-free. The organization’s message:
Over the last month we've gotten more than 10,000 petition signatures and over 100 groups supporting our campaign for better milk in schools. This is great news, but now it's time to turn up the heat on Congress. That's why we're having the first annual National "Know Your Milk" Day next Wednesday, March 11, 2009.
We're having a call-in day to Congress to ask our Representatives to support artificial hormone-free milk in schools. We need your help to make it a success. Can you host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day to get at least 10 people to make a call to Congress? This could be as simple as organizing a call-in coffee break at work or an rBGH-free milk and cookies party.
We'll give you everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day, sign up now. The more calls we can get in to Congress, the better chance we'll have to get healthy milk for schools.
If you’d like to sign the petition from Care2 destined for the U.S. Congress go to: Expel the Hormones from School Milk!
To get everything you need to host an event for National "Know Your Milk" Day go to: Food & Water Watch
Seattle Cheese Festival (photo courtesy of Seattle Cheese Festival)
While America’s big manufacturers have been having a tough time of late, the country’s food artisans continue to emerge as a growing new wave of entrepreneurs. Margot Lederer Prado, industrial specialist for the City of Oakland, recently told the Oakland Tribune, "These are sustainable, growing, sectors of our economy."
The Slow Food movement has made tremendous strides in the U.S. in recent years and many parts of the country can now enjoy foods that are both produced locally and rank among the world’s best. America’s artisanal cheesemakers have been winning international awards for some time now, just as American winemakers began winning such awards a generation before them.
Hand-crafted olive oils the have also gained recognition abroad. L'Autunno Blend from Stella Cadente in northern California has been recognized by the Italian Branch of the International Olive Oil Council as "equal to or better than" the best Italian extra virgin olive oil.
L'Autunno Blend EVOO
Large canning companies such as Del Monte once provided numerous jobs on Oakland’s waterfront, but have since moved away. According to the Oakland Tribune, the city now sees “sustainable, local food production as a viable growth area for Oakland's economy” and is taking steps to support those entrepreneurs in the Jack London warehouse district. Ensuring “a sufficient supply of light industrial space for the companies” is considered a key ingredient and regulatory issues are being addressed.
The Jack London Market will be completed later this year, and will include “educational components to promote local, healthy food.” The new market promises to be a real delight for epicureans, “The striking, airy building's first two floors will be devoted to food markets and restaurants featuring local produce and products.”
If you’d like to read the Oakland Tribune article cited above go to: Oakland artisan food industry a bright spot in economic doldrums
To order a world class, hand-picked olive oil from California's Stella Cadente, and our favorite, go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods is a non-profit organization that works to promote nutrition education and help kids make healthier food choices at school. It's work of vital importance to today's kids and provides busy parents with a helping hand to keep their children healthy. There are plenty of resources at their site to help you get a program started at your child's school.
The group's motto is "Healthy Foods + Exercise = Better Health, Better Grades, Better Behavior." According to the organization's web site:
New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods works to promote optional plant-based entrees, healthy snack foods, farm to school programs, and nutrition education to encourage healthier choices. Plant-based entrees contain no cholesterol, are low in saturated and total fat, and contain fiber. This helps schools to better meet their requirement for meals to meet the US Dietary Guidelines. We encourage schools to apply nutrition standards to meals, snack foods, vending machine items, school stores, snack bars at school events, fund-raisers, and not to use unhealthy food as rewards nor exercise for punishment.
The organization promotes a plant-based diet and cites research indicating "... that with proper education, children will select healthy options at a much higher rate than those who do not have such education."
To visit the organization's web site & get more information go to: New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods.
Colorado Farmer with Non-GM Sugar Beet (photo by Arthur Rothstein, ca. 1939, courtesy of Library of Congress)
American Feast and Organic Valley have joined more than 70 companies in pledging not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar. The companies believe there has been insufficient study of the long term effects of genetically modified crops on human health and the environment.
The companies have signed a registry sponsored by a dozen food safety and environmental organizations. One reason for establishing the registry is the absence of mandatory labeling for genetically modified foods. The sponsoring organizations believe consumers should be given a choice as to whether or not they want to eat genetically modified food.
Food Navigator has quoted Jeffrey Smith, director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, “We need to avoid the all-too-common situation of finding out a product is harmful after it has been approved and widely distributed. Requiring that GM foods be labeled is the only protection consumers have if they want to avoid eating GM foods.”
The sugar beets were genetically modified to be resistant to a herbicide, making it easier to kill weeds without destroying the sugar beet plants. Opponents fear the genetically modified plants will cross-pollinate with related crops such as chard and table beets, needlessly affecting non-GM foods and food ingredients.
Tom Stearns, president of High Mowing Organic Seeds, told Food Navigator, “Overseas markets have already rejected other GM products, so the economic future of many of our nation’s farmers is being needlessly risked.”
To see a list of the companies that have signed the registry go to: Non-GM Beet Sugar Registry
If you’d like to read the Food Navigator article cited above go to: Food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar
To view previous posts on the topic go to any of the following:
1. Study: Genetic Modification Reduces Crop Yields
2. Global Debate Over Genetically Modified Food
3. Judge Halts Planting of a Genetically Modified Crop
Brown Eggs (photo by Clara Natoli, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Lovers of omelettes, soufflés, custards and cakes take heart, BBC News has reported that, "A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health."
There is a popular misconception that eating more than three eggs a week increased the risk of heart disease. But the Surrey team of scientists wrote in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin that, "eating saturated fats was far more likely to cause health problems."
The BBC News report quoites Researcher and Professor Bruce Griffin, "The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat - indeed they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritionally dense foods."
If you’d like to read the BBC article cited above go to: Regular eggs 'no harm to health'
Children Playing on the Beach (© Chris Johnson | Dreamstime.com)
Gourmet Retailer has reported that, "Approximately 76 million Americans -- one in four -- are sickened by food-borne diseases each year, according to Trust for America's Health (TFAH). Of these, an estimated 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die, costing the United States $44 billion annually."
The unprecedented recall of peanut products and the sometimes fatal consequences for those who were victims of the Salmonella-tainted food have made it clearer than ever that the U.S. needs to develop a healthier and more sustainable food system. Yesterday, President Barack Obama called for a "complete review" of the operations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the wake of the ongoing outbreak.
"The disruption of moving to a government-wide single food safety agency, in a very short period of time, may actually weaken things for a while rather than strengthen them," Dr. Jeffrey Levi, executive director of TFAH, said in an interview. "So our hope is that the first step in the process is creating a separate food safety agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to strengthen systems that are already in place."
Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at the greatest risk from tainted food. TFAH released a comprehensive report identifying major gaps in the country's food safety system, including obsolete laws, misallocation of resources, and inconsistencies among major food safety agencies.
The full report can be found at: Fixing Food Safety: Protecting America's Food Supply from Farm-to-Fork in 2008
Pacific Sunset (photo by Lisa Welbourn)
Making an eco-friendly investment in your home can save money on taxes, reduce utility bills over the long term, and increase the value of your home. Those are the benefits to the homeowner, but since that investment also makes for a cleaner, safer and more secure environment for every citizen, we wanted to provide some information for interested homeowners.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy web site:
Consumers who install solar electric systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap of $2,000 no longer applies. In addition, consumers who install small wind systems can receive a tax credit up to $4,000. Geothermal heat pumps also qualify for tax credits up to $2,000.
For more detail on tax incentives on federal tax incentives go to: U.S. Department of Energy Tax Breaks
The California Solar Energy Industries Association is a non-profit business association supporting the widespread adoption of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems by educating consumers and supporting solar legislation.
The State of California has put in place a range of financial incentives that substantially reduce the costs of solar energy systems. For CAL SEIA's info on the incentives click here: California Energy Rebates
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have sent us the following message:
According to policy experts, the Obama transition team is finalizing decisions about top posts overseeing the environment. The Secretary of the Interior pick is expected to come out within the next few days. With the fulfillment of this post, which oversees the management of huge swaths of key land across the nation, now is the time to act and tell the transition team about the importance of supporting good stewardship practices on our farm and ranch land. While the environment is top of mind, vote for your 2009 priorities if you haven't already, or invite your friends and family to join us in putting together our farm and food priorities for the Obama administration. 2,600 people have already voted, providing over 10,000 votes for top priorities in 2009.
If you'd like to voice opinion on some vital farm & food issues go to: Priorities for the Environment 2009
Free-Roaming Livestock (photo by Andrea Church, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Organic Family Farms Threatened by Giant Factory Farms
Many media outlets, including the New York Times, have tracked what has been dubbed the "corporate takeover" of organic farming. One of the hottest controversies in the growing $20 billion industry has been giant factory farms milking thousands of cows each in feedlots and masquerading as organic. Some of these industrial dairies are controlled by the country's largest agribusinesses.
Since the organic community first appealed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for better clarification and enforcement of regulations requiring organic dairy producers to graze their cattle, nearly 9 years ago, the number of giant industrial dairy operations, with as many as 10,000 cows, has grown from two to approximately 15. After years of delay, the USDA has finally responded with a new proposed rule that they said would crack down on abuses.
"The birds have come home to roost,” said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for The Cornucopia Institute. The Wisconsin-based farm policy research group estimates there are 35,000 to 45,000 cows on giant CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) operating in the United States producing as much as 40% of the nation's organic milk supply.
"These CAFOs are producing so much milk that they have depressed pricing and profit margins for organic family farmers, and now some are being forced out of business by this distressing situation," Kastel said. "Organics was supposed to be the antidote to family farmers being forced off the land."
Legal Complaints Filed
The Cornucopia Institute has filed formal legal complaints with the USDA aimed at compelling the agency to enforce organic livestock and management rules. These actions have led to the shut down or penalizing of some of what they call "organic scofflaws." But many in the industry criticized the agency for failing to fully investigate many other alleged violations on giant farms, including several that supply milk to the nation's largest dairy processor, Dallas-based Dean Foods.
Some farm advocates believe that the new rules, if enacted, would put out of business the majority of organic livestock farmers—including hundreds who are operating ethically.
"At first we were delighted that the USDA had stopped their delaying tactics and finally published a rule cracking down on the large factory farms that have been ‘scamming’ organic consumers and placing ethical family farmers at a competitive disadvantage,” stated Bill Welch, former member of the National Organic Standards Board and an Iowa livestock producer. "Many in the industry have spent the past weeks carefully examining this dense document, and it has become painfully clear that it would not only crack down on certain factory farm abuses, but it’s also so restrictive that it would likely put the majority of family farmers producing organic milk and meat out of business."
“It's inexcusable,” noted Ronnie Cummins, Director of the Organic Consumers Association, “that the USDA would allow, as part of this rule, that conventional cattle can be brought onto organic farms, and milked, on a continuous basis."
Alternative Rule Proposed
In response to the USDA’s sweeping livestock/pasture proposal, a consortium of organizations representing organic family farmers has crafted an "alternative" rule proposal. Led by FOOD Farmers, with support from The Cornucopia Institute, organic certifiers, and other policy experts, the revisions they have drafted would carry out what is said to be the will of the organic community, farmers and consumers.
"You don't have to take the word of The Cornucopia Institute alone that the Department has ‘Katrina-ed’ the organic industry,” Kastel stated. “The USDA rule proposal is just the latest salvo in this fight,” added Kastel. He noted that audits by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and the Inspector General's office were both highly critical of the USDA's execution of its Congressional mandate to oversee the organic industry.
The community’s alternative proposal, which is now being circulated among organic farmers and consumer groups, would require that all organic dairy, sheep, goat, and beef producers graze their animals for the entire grazing season and sets a minimum percentage of feed from pasture.
Organic Milk is the Nutritional Choice
A growing body of scientific literature illustrates the nutritional superiority of milk and meat from organic animals that are grazed on fresh grass, including higher levels of antioxidants and beneficial fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, that protect against cancer and heart disease.
"The good news continues to be that the vast majority of all organic dairy brands available in the marketplace use milk produced by family farmers,” observed Cummins.
"Out of 1800 organic dairy farms in this country, the very few factory farms are a bad aberration, although they are producing huge quantities of milk,” explained Cornucopia's Kastel.
Because of the broad scope of the USDA's proposed rule making, Cornucopia, the Organic Consumers Association, and some the largest organic certifiers and other groups representing farmers and consumers are formally asking the USDA to extend the public comment period for an additional 30 days to January 23, 2009.
For more info from some of the organizations involved in the struggle to maintain organic integrity try the following links:
Cornucopia Institute
Organic Consumers Association
Catfish Filet (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The National Organic Standards Board has voted to allow fish to be labeled as organic when up to 25% of the feed is non-organic. The Board advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The vote marks a sharp contrast with the labeling standard for all organic meats. The feed for meat must be 100% organic in order to be legally labeled as organic.
An article in USA Today says there are three main objections from environmentalists and organic food advocates to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board:
• Fish labeled as organic could be fed food up to 25% non organic food, even though all other livestock labeled as organic can only eat organic feed.
• Fishmeal used to feed farmed fish labeled as organic could be made from wild-caught fish, some of which can have high levels of mercury and PCBs.
• Open net cages could be used to raise fish labeled as organic. Critics say such cages can flush drugs, disease and parasites directly into the ocean, which can harm wild fish and other marine life.
Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst at Consumers Union is quoted in a press release as stating,
It’s a disservice to the organic program and to consumers that the NOSB is ready to undermine the organic marketplace which relies on a higher bar for environmental health practices being met. Fish labeled as ‘organic’ that are not fed 100 percent organic feed, come from polluting open net cage systems, or that are contaminated with mercury or PCBs any measurable level, fall significantly short of consumer expectations.
The controversial decision will now go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has the authority to issue a final ruling.
If you’d like to read the USA Today article cited above go to: Organic fish decision is controversial
To sign a petition objecting to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board go to:
Organic Consumers Association Petition
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
For years the U.S. has enjoyed the world’s cheapest food and borne the world's the highest medical costs. Now, rising prices for food and fuel, along with environmental concerns, are making America's need for a healthier and more sustainable food system ever more urgent
This past weekend the New York Times devoted its Sunday magazine section to the subject of food. It included an excellent piece from author Michael Pollan. Here’s part of what he wrote about the current state of affairs:
Whenever farmers clear land for crops and till the soil, large quantities of carbon are released into the air. But the 20th-century industrialization of agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern food processing and packaging and transportation have together transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.
Mr. Pollan points out that the situation is all the more absurd since “...every calorie we eat is ultimately the product of photosynthesis — a process based on making food energy from sunshine. There is hope and possibility in that simple fact.”
The article is a call to action for the next President of the United States. The days of cheap food in America may have come to an end as fuel prices have soared and made industrial farming far less cost efficient. Regardless of whether the industrial system can bring back inexpensive food, its intensive use of fossil fuels pose a threat to the health of people and the planet. Pollan also writes that food is a national security issue. A country that must import much of its food is “…not only at the mercy of global commodity markets but of other governments as well.”
Mr.Pollan lays out some long term policy goals for bringing about much needed change, including “…a transition to a new solar-food economy” and “well-designed polyculture systems” explained in some detail.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Farmer in Chief
If you'd like to purchase one of Michael Pollan's excellent books exploring the American food system go to:
1. "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan
2. "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan
Glass of Milk (photo by Carlos Paes, courtesy of morguefile.com)
After an industrial chemical used in baby formula sickened tens of thousands of children in China, the Chinese government is taking steps to improve the safety of dairy products. An article in the Wall Street Journal says, “China is posting inspectors to monitor dairy companies and imposing rules to improve accountability among milk suppliers, as it moves to restore consumer confidence in the industry.” But, " It's unclear how long this intense supervision will last."
Many American consumers are already wary of food products imported from China and elsewhere after scares about honey, seafood, food additives, and pet food made headlines. As the U.S. Federal Drug Administration points out, "Countries that export to the U.S. do not currently provide FDA with assurance that foods coming to this country are safe."
Fortunately, there are good options for the health-conscious when it comes to purchasing dairy products. American producers, such as the cooperative of farmers at Organic Valley, offer organic milk and other natural dairy products. The proliferation of artisanal cheesemakers over recent years has made many fine cheeses available that are safely crafted outside the industrial food system.
If you’d like to read the Wall Street Journal article cited above go to: China Bolsters Dairy-Supply Oversight In Effort to Rebound From Scandal (WSJ subscription required)
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
Our friend Annie Carmichael of the Vote Solar Initiative is in celebratory spirits and the message she’s just sent has got us ready to uncork the bubbly. She wrote to tell us the U.S. Congress has just passed a long-term extension of the solar investment tax credit and the President has signed the bill into law.
We’re thrilled because we believe clean, renewable energy is the key to a more secure, prosperous and healthier future for ourselves and generations to come. In her message Annie wrote:
It's been a long road and we want to thank each of you for adding your voice to this campaign; the consistent public pressure saved this credit. We also want to give props to the hard working folks at the Solar Energy Industry Association who walked the halls of Congress day in and day out for two years rallying support for this vital tax credit. Thanks to all of you over 440,000 jobs will be created in the solar field in the next 8 years, and over $232 billion of investment will be pumped into our economy. Now that's economic stimulus.
To visit the web site of Annie’s hardworking organization go to: The Vote Solar Initiative
To view previous posts on the topic of solar energy go to:
1. Going Solar & Getting Credit
2. Inspiring Sustainable Living
3. California Is Leading the Way on Solar Power
4. Congress Approves Taxing Big Oil to Support Alternative Energy
Free-Range & Healthy Cow (photo by Michael Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Surveys have shown that most Americans do not want food made from cloned animals and food companies have taken notice. An article in the Wall Street Journal reports that 20 companies, including Smithfield Foods, Ben & Jerry’s and “Kraft, the U.S.'s largest food company by revenue,” have pledged that they will not use cloned livestock.
The companies were responding to a survey by the Center for Food Safety, a nonprofit consumer group opposed to animal cloning. CFS surveyed the industry after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that products from cloned cattle, swine, goats and their offspring "are as safe to eat as the food we eat every day."
The Wall Street Journal says, “…products from the offspring of cloned animals are trickling into the food supply. Currently, the best way for consumers to avoid such foods is to eat organic food.”
If you’d like to read the Wall Street Journal article (WSJ subscription required) cited above go to: Food Companies Pledge Not to Use Clones
To learn more about the work of CFS & how you might help go to: The Center for Food Safety
If you'd like to purchase the finest organic Red Angus steaks we've been able to find go to:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
Supermarket Aisle (photo by Ronnie Bergeron, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Associated Press has reported that American families shouldn’t expect relief from high food prices anytime soon. In fact, the AP article as published by Yahoo! states, “Food inflation is here to stay -- and will probably get worse for some things.”
This is despite that fact that major commodity prices have fallen somewhat. Still, there is generally some lag time between drops in commodity prices and the cost of food at the supermarket. As the AP report puts it:
That's bad news for Americans still struggling with high costs for fuel and household goods, and worse for people in impoverished countries like Haiti and Senegal, where violent food riots broke out earlier this year as world food prices peaked.
American families deserve a healthier and more sustainable food system, a system that lets family-scale farms earn a decent living without subjecting consumers to budget-busting prices for nutritious food. Such a system is attainable and elected officials should be held accountable for making progress on this vital issue.
If you’d like to read the AP article cited above go to: Commodities slump won't mean lower food prices
Freshwater Catfish (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
American consumers have been getting a lot of reports recommending the consumption of seafood on a regular basis to improve cardiovascular health and protect against dementia. There’s a great variety of fish on the global market these days. Some of it is familiar, but much of it is not so easily recognized by the average shopper.
According to a report in the New York Times, some merchants are wrongly labeling the fish. Doing so can fetch higher prices and sell endangered species to unsuspecting customers. The article noted that discovery of the mislabeling in the shops of New York City was made by some surprisingly sophisticated researchers:
In a tale of teenagers, sushi and science, Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss, who graduated this year from the Trinity School in Manhattan, took on a freelance science project in which they checked 60 samples of seafood using a simplified genetic fingerprinting technique to see whether the fish New Yorkers buy is what they think they are getting.
They found that one-fourth of the fish samples with identifiable DNA were mislabeled. A piece of sushi sold as the luxury treat white tuna turned out to be Mozambique tilapia, a much cheaper fish that is often raised by farming. Roe supposedly from flying fish was actually from smelt. Seven of nine samples that were called red snapper were mislabeled, and they turned out to be anything from Atlantic cod to Acadian redfish, an endangered species.
The incorrect labels strongly suggest deceptive preactices that may well be taking place beyond the confines of New York City. It’s good to know that an efficient method is now available for checking up on those businesses suspected of putting profits before integrity.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Fish Tale Has DNA Hook: Students Find Bad Labels
Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Our friends Filmona and Sarah at Food & Water Watch have sent us the following good news:
We’re pleased to share that Monsanto, the maker of rBGH, announced yesterday that it will sell off its dairy hormone business! After years of trying to stifle consumer rejection of its artificial hormone, even Monsanto has now gotten the message: Consumers don't want rBGH in their milk.
Thank you for all your efforts in advocating against the use of this harmful hormone! In the last year, you've helped stop rBGH-free labeling bans in seven states and encouraged Starbucks to go artificial hormone-free. Here's yet another victory for you to celebrate!
To learn more about Food & Water Watch and how you can ensure kids get rBGH-free milk in school lunches go to: Food & Water Watch: Take Action
Sign in California (photo by Lysandra Nelson, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Is eating heavily processed fast food a matter of personal choice? Or is an unhealthy diet linked to obesity a matter of public concern?
With a third of American schoolchildren overweight or obese several local governments have decided that fast food is a threat to public health. Some cities have banned trans fats and New York City now requires that calorie counts be posted on menus. Now the City of Los Angeles has placed a one-year moratorium on the opening of new fast food restaurants in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
An article in the New York Times explains,
The councilwoman behind the moratorium, Jan Perry, says its intent is not to crush food choices, but to encourage variety and give residents more nutritious options. Making healthy decisions about food is difficult when people have small incomes, the grocery store is five miles away and a $1 cheeseburger is right around the corner, she and supporters of the ban say.
There are those that worry about how fast food is defined under the ban on new openings. They fear that healthy food that can be served quickly will be shut out along with the food laden with unhealthy fats and comprised of empty calories.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Los Angeles Stages a Fast Food Intervention
Soil-Saving Farming in Pennsylvania (photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA)
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have alerted us that elected leaders in Washington are looking to “cut conservation funding for the upcoming year through the appropriations process—undermining important gains achieved in the 2008 Farm Bill.”
According to the message we received from AFT:
Cuts are proposed for several conservation programs including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Farmland Protection Program and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program. These programs provide important funds for the environment to assist farmers and ranchers in applying conservation measures on their land. In addition, cuts are proposed to funds that supply fresh fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs and assistance to fruit and vegetable growers.
The folks at AFT are asking Americans to tell Congress to help farmers keep our water clean and provide fresh, local foods.
To send that message to your elected officials go to: Take Action Now!
Sugary Cereal (photo by Darren Hester, courtesy of morguefile.com)
A few months back we wrote that the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that an overwhelming majority of Saturday morning television ads aimed at American children were pitching unhealthy foods.
According to a report on the study by CBS News, “Ninety-one percent (91%) of food advertisements were for foods or beverages high in fat, sodium, or added sugars or were low in nutrients.”
We live in a global age and the shameless marketing of junk food to children is not limited to the United States. The Sidney Morning Herald of Australia reports:
More than half the television advertisements that contain nutrition claims for food promote junk food, research by the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity has found after studying 714 hours of Sydney TV broadcasts.
The unhealthy foods most advertised for nutritional value were high-sugar, low-fibre breakfast cereals, battered meat, high-fat frozen meals, cakes, muffins, biscuits, pies and snacks such as chips, popcorn and sugar-coated nuts.
Sugary breakfast cereals that offer loads of empty calories but little nutritional benefit particularly stand out because marketers are targeting children with their misleading ads.
If you’d like to read the article in The Sidney Morning Herald cited above go to: Ads turn junk into health food
Nature Walk (photo by Gracey, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“That great big sucking sound you hear is the sound of partially hydrogenated oil leaving the American food supply,” so begins a statement from Michael F. Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The statement refers to the signing of legislation making California the first state in the nation to require its restaurant foods to be free of artificial trans fat. Those fats are widely seen as culprits in America’s obesity epidemic and the country's high rate of deadly heart disease. One million Americans die of heart disease every year.
According to CSPI, “New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other local governments have passed trans fat bans in the past two years.”
The statement from Mr. Jacobson makes it clear that much more needs to be done:
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proven to be impervious to embarrassment, perhaps California’s move today will at long last shame the agency into getting rid of artificial trans fat nationwide. It has the authority to do, but has been stalling on taking action on a regulatory petition we filed with the agency four years ago.
Maybe it’s time to do your body a favor and begin eating less unhealthy fats, while getting more physically active. You’ll get healthier, feel better, look better, and set a great example for the people you love. Remember, if you need to get more physically active you don’t have to rush out and sign up for punishing workouts at a fitness club. A nice walk in the woods under the shade of the trees will do you a world of good.
If you’d like to read the full statement from CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson go to: California Terminates Artificial Trans Fat!
Slow Food Nation, the largest celebration of American food in history, will take place in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend (August 29 to September 1, 2008). An unprecedented event, Slow Food Nation will bring together tens of thousands to experience an extraordinary range of activities highlighting the connection between plate and planet. The majority of Slow Food Nation’s events will be free and open to the public with certain events ticketed.
At the peak of harvest season, and on the eve of a Presidential election, Slow Food Nation will bring together local citizens and visitors, farmers and food artisans, political leaders, environmental advocates and health-care experts, community educators and artists. Participants will savor food from across the U.S. at Taste, a 50,000 square foot pavilion; meet farmers and producers at a marketplace surrounding a 10,000 square foot newly-planted urban garden in the heart of the City; learn from visionary speakers; and engage in political discourse to shape a more sustainable food system. Slow Food Nation will also feature a music festival, workshops, films, dinners, hikes and journeys.
“Slow Food Nation will catalyze a huge shift in how Americans perceive and prioritize food. Through the four-day event, we hope to build momentum and demand for an American food system that is safer, healthier and more socially just,” said Anya Fernald, Executive Director of Slow Food Nation.
“Our founder Alice Waters has set the stage for a delicious revolution through decades of leadership and advocacy and our parent organization, Slow Food U.S.A., has built a wide membership base across America. By creating a framework for a deeper environmental and community-based connection to our food and farmers, Slow Food Nation will help participants learn how everyday choices affect our well-being, our culture and the health of the planet.”
In collaboration with Victory Gardens 2008+, Slow Food Nation will herald the era of self-sufficiency through the creation of an ornamental edible garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center. Planted on the same site as 60 years ago during World War II, the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden demonstrates the potential of a truly local agriculture practice and brings together and promotes Bay Area urban gardening organizations, while producing high quality food for those in need. The Slow Food Nation Victory Garden will be introduced to the public on Saturday, July 12 in a ceremony with Mayor Gavin Newsom and Slow Food Nation Founder Alice Waters.
If you’d like to purchase tickets and get further info on events and scheduling go to: Slow Food Nation ‘08
Basket of Heirloom Tomatoes at Love Apple Farm, Ben Lomond, California (photo by Tana Butler, courtesy of morguefile.com)
One of the founding principles of American Feast was our company’s call for a healthier and more sustainable food system. In the short time since we launched our business there’s been a relentless repetition of food safety problems that have only deepened our commitment to be advocates for a more sustainable system.
It seems the most recent scare associating tomatoes with more than 1,000 cases of salmonella, with government officials unable to track the contaminated food to its source, has many Americans agreeing with us that major changes in food policy are in order.
According to a poll jointly conducted by the Associated Press and Ipsos, nearly half of Americans are concerned they may get sick from eating contaminated food and are avoiding items they normally would buy. People have good reason to be avoiding food whose safety they don’t trust, but that should not be the long term solution to a deeply systemic problem.
Even though the poll found that three in four Americans remain confident about the overall safety of foods, the Associated Press reports, “The poll found that 80% of Americans said they would support new federal standards for fresh produce. Meat and poultry have long been subject to enforceable federal safeguards, but fruits and vegetables are not, although produce increasingly is being implicated in outbreaks.”
We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised organically, by the standards already practiced on family scale farms across the country. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
If you’d like to read the AP article posted by Yahoo! & cited above go to: Food safety worries change buying habits
Grocery Market (photo by Ronnie Bergeron, courtesy of morguefile.com)
By large margins, consumers responding to a new survey by Deloitte want their foods to clearly display key information, including country of origin, so they can make more informed buying decisions. More than two out of five consumers feel they currently don't have enough information about the food they eat in general.
Consumers are very aware, the study shows, that this request for further transparency may cost them more at the register, with 73% indicating they would still want country of origin labeling even if it caused the prices of foods to increase slightly.
Overall, consumers' top three concerns about the food they eat were found to be:
1. Healthiness of ingredients (61%)
2. Possible use of chemical ingredients that are detrimental to my health (49%)
3. Safety of the ingredients (49%)
"Today, consumers have more access to food information than ever before," observed Pat Conroy, Deloitte LLP's vice chairman and US Consumer Products group leader. "Still, it's clear that what they are getting is not enough. Consumers are spending more time checking labels and are often overwhelmed by a flood of contradictory nutrition 'facts.' They seek clear, straightforward information they can understand so they can make more
informed choices and better protect themselves and their families."
Responding to a key issue now being debated, nearly eight of 10 Americans surveyed (79%) believe that meat from cloned animals should be labeled as such in food stores. And, half of consumers surveyed (50%) say meat from cloned animals should not be sold in the United States.
In the final hours of the legislative session, the New York State Senate and the Assembly passed a bill making land trusts eligible for annual funding. The American Farmland Trust worked with a broad coalition of allies including Assemblyman Magee, Senator Young, Governor Paterson’s office, farm groups and land trusts to advance this legislation that makes New York land trusts eligible for annual funding of up to $50,000 per organization for farmland protection projects. This increased capacity for local farmland protection efforts will help projects funded by the state’s Farmland Protection Program to be completed more quickly
$106,000 Goes to Promote Farmers’ Markets
Commissioner Patrick Hooker recently announced 30 grants awarded to farmers’ markets across New York state to assist in promotion and marketing. The grants will help community markets develop advertising and marketing tools, an essential part of raising public awareness about local food and farmland. There are currently more than 400 community farmers’ markets in New York State.
To read more about outcomes of key state farmland protection & learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
To visit the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to see a list of the grant awards or to find a market in your area go to: NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets News
Garden Fresh Tomatoes (photo by Robb Kiser, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“The FDA continues to try to figure out where the contaminated produce came from, while more people get sick. FedEx can track every package. But we can't track tainted food, so everyone in America has to worry about summer tomatoes.”
The message above came from Minerva Novoa of the Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. Her message urges everyone who wants a healthier and more sustainable food system to, “Tell Congress to pass real food safety reform now! “
The folks at Consumer Union pose a good question:"Americans have suffered and died from tainted spinach, hamburger and peanut butter. Now, salmonella-laced tomatoes are sending others to the hospital. How did grocery shopping become a game of Russian roulette?"
To tell your representatives in Congress that you want food safety reform go to: Not in My Food!
Corn Field & Sign (photo by Eugenia Beecher, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Millions of American families are reeling from increased gas and food prices and the Associated Press has reported that the Midwest’s recent floods are likely to drive food prices even higher.
According to the AP article:
In the latest bout of food inflation, beef, pork, poultry and even eggs, cheese and milk are expected to get more expensive as livestock owners go out of business or are forced to slaughter more cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens to cope with rocketing costs for corn-based animal feed.
The report goes on to say, “The floods engulfed an estimated 2 million or more acres of corn and soybean fields in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and other key growing states, sending world grain prices skyward on fears of a substantially smaller corn crop.”
To get a better understanding of how American food production has become so heavily reliant on corn we suggest your rent or buy the DVD “King Corn.” It’s a wonderfully entertaining documentary that will make you laugh while giving you an excellent primer on corn-based food production in the American Midwest.
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article as posted by Yahoo! go to: Record corn prices mean more expensive meat, dairy
Pollinating Bee (Photo by © P.Winberg)
Many people may be unaware that about 30% of all food crops grown in the U.S. are dependent on bee pollination and for a couple of years there have been alarming reports on the strange disappearance of huge numbers of bees.
The implications for American agriculture and the diets of American families are frightening enough, but making matters worse is the fact that no one has been able to pinpoint the cause or causes of the fate of the bees. Now the Washington Post has reported on a study conducted at the University of Virginia suggesting that “emissions from power plants and automobiles may play a part” in the demise of honeybees and bumblebees.
The research was undertaken by Environmental Sciences Professor Jose D. Fuentes at the University of Virginia -- working with graduate students Quinn S. McFrederick and James C. Kathilankal. The results of their work were published in the March issue of the journal Atmospheric Environment.
According to the article in the Post:
In the prevailing conditions before the 1800s, the researchers calculated that a flower's scent could travel between 3,280 feet and 4,000 feet, Fuentes said in an interview, but today, that scent might travel 650 feet to 1,000 feet in highly polluted areas such as the District of Columbia, Los Angeles or Houston.
Timothy H. Tear, a senior scientist at the advocacy group the Nature Conservancy, who studies the impact of air pollution on ecosystems, is quoted as saying, "We know that ozone levels continue to be high and go well beyond EPA standards for public health. What's been pretty consistent is the more we look at air pollution's impacts on natural resources, the more we find those impacts to be."
If you’d like to read the article in the Washington Post cited above go to: Air Pollution Impedes Bees' Ability to Find Flowers
Soya Field (© Fernandomoz | Dreamstime.com)
Contrary to repeated claims that turning to genetically modified crops will be necessary to solve the world’s growing food crisis, a major study conducted at the University of Kansas has found that the controversial technology actually reduces crop yields.
Though the study has received little attention in the U.S. media, The Independent of London reports that University's researchers found that genetically modified soya produces about 10% less food than its conventional equivalent.
According to The Independent:
Professor Barney Gordon, of the University's Department of Agronomy, said he started the research – reported in the journal Better Crops – because many farmers who had changed over to the GM crop had "noticed that yields are not as high as expected even under optimal conditions". He added: "People were asking the question 'how come I don't get as high a yield as I used to?'"
The results of the University of Kansas study supports previous findings. Earlier research at the University of Nebraska found that a GM soya produced 6% less than its closest conventional relative, and 11% less than the best non-GM soya available. The total U.S. cotton crop declined even as GM technology took over.
When asked if GM could solve world hunger, Professor Bob Watson, the Director of the University of Kansas study said: "The simple answer is no."
If you’d like to read the article in The Independent cited above go to: Exposed: the great GM crops myth
Organic Lemon Crop (© photo by Lisa Solonynko, courtesy of morguefile.com)
By our count there have now been at least 6 studies establishing a link between pesticides and Parkinson disease. We just read about the latest study from an article published by BBC News. Scientists from Duke University, Miami University and the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence “found those exposed to pesticides had a 1.6 times higher risk” of suffering from the debilitating disease.
Providing American families with the option of enjoying food raised without pesticides has been one the great achievements of the organic farmers movement. The great demand for organic foods by consumers is a wonderfully promising trend for the American food system. Along with quests for more flavor and better nutritional value, the desire to avoid pesticides has been a key driver of the demand for organics.
Still, there’s a long way to go to overcome decades of unhealthy practices driven by the industrial food system. We can all play a part in creating a healthier and more sustainable food system by demanding that our food be raised without toxic pesticides. Our bodies, our planet, and our children will be the beneficiaries.
If you’d like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Pesticide Parkinson's link strong
Alamo Square, San Francisco (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Mayor of San Francisco is asking the city’s restaurants to stop serving bottled water and serve tap water instead. Once a restaurateur himself, Mayor Gavin Newsom is only requesting that restaurants make the change, rather then proposing legislation to ban bottled water.
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle points out that, “The mayor made international headlines last year when he banned city government from spending tax dollars on bottled water for its employees, saying the containers clog landfills and pollute the environment.”
Recent testing by the American Waterworks Association Research Foundation found San Francisco’s watersupply to be one of the few tested that were free of contaminants. Blind taste tests revealed that San Francisco’s tap water was preferred over some bottled waters.
Food and Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group, is leading a national campaign to get restaurants to stop selling bottled water. The group’s executive director says that bottled water is a “con job and a scam.” He says customers who decline bottled water and request tap water can feel virtuous, not cheap.
If you’d like to read the San Francisco Chronicle article cited above go to: Restaurants urged to eschew bottles in favor of tap water
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. A Victory for Tap Water!
2. Tap Water as the Sustainable Choice
Sarah Alexander of Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit organization, has sent us the following message:
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would let factory farms get out of reporting their releases of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic air pollutants caused by the breakdown of animal manure in massive lagoons. We have a right to know what toxic chemicals we're being exposed to.
In her message Sarah included this quote from a recent article in the Washington Post:
Under pressure from agriculture industry lobbyists and lawmakers from agricultural states, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to drop requirements that factory farms report their emissions of toxic gases, despite findings by the agency's scientists that the gases pose a health threat.
She also included the following to illustrate the folly of the EPA’s proposal:
One giant dairy in Oregon, home to more than 50,000 cows, reported that it releases more than 15,000 pounds of toxic ammonia into the air every day. Often these reports offer the only information neighbors of these facilities get about what they are being exposed to.
Food & Water Watch is urging concerned citizens to tell the EPA that factory farms shouldn't be above the law. If you’d like to make your voice heard at the EPA go to: Food & Water Watch: Take Action
If you’d like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: Farms May Be Exempted From Emission Rules
Healthy Roaming Cows (photo by Alex, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The president of the meat packing company responsible for the largest recall in U.S. history admitted before Congress that sick cows were slaughtered and entered the meat supply as hamburger. The hamburger meat subsequently made its way to the tables of American families and the meals of schoolchildren.
Steve Mendell, CEO of California’s Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, first denied that sick cows were slaughtered at his company’s facility. Then he was shown a video of a "downer" cow being “shocked and abused by workers trying to move it to the ‘kill box,’ then finally shot with a bolt gun and dragged by a chain to the processing area,” according to an article in the New York Times.
A downer cow is one that is unable to stand. It is forbidden to process such cows for food unless a government veterinarian determines that the animal is fit for human consumption. This is due to the risk that they might be infected with the brain sickness commonly referred to as mad cow disease. No such determination was made by a veterinarian at the Westland/Hallmark facility.
To view the New York Times article cited above go to: Meat Packer Admits Slaughter of Sick Cows
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Best to Stick to Organic Beef
If you’d like to purchase the safest & finest Red Angus Organic Beef we’ve been able to find click on any of the following:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
Harbor in Wales (photo by King of Coleslaw, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Sustainable Development Commission has found that too many supermarket practices are “unhealthy, unjust and unsustainable” according to an article published by icWales. The Commission is the independent watchdog on sustainable development for the Government of the United Kingdom.
The article says the Commission has declared that the Welsh Assembly Government “must harness the supermarkets’ power if it is to tackle obesity, climate change and the nation’s growing rubbish mountain.”
Professor Tim Lang of the Sustainable Development Commission is quoted as saying, "Today in the era of climate change, oil dependency, looming global water shortage, fish-stock crises, biodiversity and public health challenges, to aim purely for quantity of supply or cheapness at all costs is hopelessly inadequate."
The icWales article says the Commission “calls on the Government to develop an enforceable definition of 'local' food, to promote fair trade standard systems and to work with industry to develop a system of universal sustainability standards.”
If you’d like to read the icWales article cited above go to: Supermarkets must tackle obesity and waste - report
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would eliminate two tax breaks for the oil and gas industry that would amount to $18 billion over the next ten years. Under the legislation the money collected would provide tax breaks for wind power, solar power, other alternative energy sources, and energy conservation.
According to an Associated Press article posted by the Kansas City Star, the oil industry has lobbied strongly against the bill. The bill will face stiff opposition from Republican Senators and President Bush is expected to veto the bill if it is passed by the U.S. Senate.
The AP reports that during debate, Representative Jim McDermott of Washington urged lawmakers to "stop the madness of subsidizing oil companies" when just the five largest oil companies earned net profits of more than $120 billion last year.
Republicans said the measure unfairly punishes the oil and gas industry and pointed to statistics indicating that oil companies pay more taxes than many other industries.
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: House OKs new taxes on big oil companies
Free Roaming Red Angus (© Photographer: Caroline Klapper | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
If you needed another reason to only eat organically raised beef, a California meat company has issued the largest beef recall in history, 143 million pounds. Much of the suspect meat has already made its way into school lunch programs and been consumed by children.
Reports indicate that cows at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company were so sick they could not walk, which can be an indicator of mad cow disease. The Humane Society of the United States has distributed undercover footage of workers at the factory farm kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk. Federal law bans cows that can’t walk from the food supply.
Government officials have said this is an isolated incident and mad cow disease is extremely rare, but there were 21 recalls of beef related to potentially deadly E. coli last year, compared with 8 in 2006 and 5 in 2005. The recall on Sunday by Westland/Hallmark was more than four times bigger than the previous record.
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, has stated:
Long term, however, the federal government must step up and meet its responsibility for assuring both the integrity of food and the humane treatment of animals at all slaughter plants. A recall of this staggering scale proves that it's past time for Congress and the USDA to strengthen our laws for the sake of people and animals.
To read an article from Bloomberg.com on the recall go to: Westland/Hallmark Recalls Record Amount of U.S. Beef (Update4)
If you’d like to purchase the safest & finest Red Angus Organic Beef we’ve been able to find click on any of the following:
Organic Red Angus New York Strip Steaks
Organic Red Angus Rib Eye Steaks
Organic Red Angus Tenderloin Steaks
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. USDA Bans Cloned Animals from Organic Livestock
2. Paying More to Eat Well & Stay Safe
3. Organic Dairy & Meat Improves Mothers' Breast Milk
4. Damar Farms: Raising Red Angus Organically
New Hampshire Corn Harvest (photo by Paul Anderson, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Diverting corn and other grains from the food supply to the production of biofuels has received some of the blame for rising food prices. Is there an environmental benefit to biofuels that justifies a price increase that hits hardest at those who can least afford it? Two new studies indicate that the answer is no.
According to an article in the Washington Post:
One study -- written by a group of researchers from Princeton University, Woods Hole Research Center and Iowa State University along with an agriculture consultant -- concluded that over 30 years, use of traditional corn-based ethanol would produce twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as regular gasoline. Another analysis, written by a Nature Conservancy scientist along with University of Minnesota researchers, found that converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas or grasslands in Southeast Asia and Latin America to produce biofuels will increase global warming pollution for decades, if not centuries.
A number of senior scientists who work on climate change have written to President Bush and congressional leaders urging them to change their energy policies in light of the new studies.
If you'd like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: Studies Say Clearing Land for Biofuels Will Aid Warming
Dairy Cows in Vermont (photo by Tara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The scoially conscious Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. first labeled its ice cream as free of recombinant bovine gowth hormone (rBGH) more than a decade ago. The Monsanto Co., which markets rBGH, is sponsoring efforts to ban hormone-free labeling in several states.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of voluntary labels more than 12 years ago in response to consumer concerns over the use of the genetically engineered hormone. Ben & Jerry's is fighting to keep those rBGH labels on their products, asserting the right of people to know what is their food..
On the Ben & Jerry's web site the company states,
We believe rBGH, a genetically engineered hormone given to dairy cows to increase their milk production, is a step in the wrong direction toward a synthetic, chemically-intensive, factory-produced food supply. It also raises the risk of serious health problems in cows.
Approximately one of three American dairy cows are injected with rBGH, which boosts milk production by about 10%. Monsanto claims that rBGH is safe for humans and labeling products as free of the synthetic hormone falsely implies that those products are safer. The FDA has ruled that rBGH is safe, but the European Union and Japan have not approved its use, citing health concerns for animals. The nonprofit Center for Food Safety says, "...this genetically engineered growth hormone is known to cause harm to cows and may pose health risks to humans."
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility feels the synthetic hormone was approved by the FDA without adequate testing and says there is concern that it may be linked to cancer in humans. The organization has set a goal to "discontinue the production of any dairy products in Oregon from cows treated with rBGH."
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Indiana have backed away from prohibiting hormone-free labeling after hearing from thousands of citizens, farmers, dairy processors, consumers, and activists who want rBGH labeling. Several other states, including Ohio and Missouri, are apparently considering prohibitions of hormone-free labeling.
To watch a video of Dr. Jenny Pompilio of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility describing the harmful effects of rBGH go to: Know Your Milk: Does it Have Artificial Hormones?
Pennsylvania Farm (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The reasonably well-informed have good reason to prefer organic foods. Many are willing to pay more for them to avoid the health risks of processed foods produced on factory farms, and do something positive for the health of the environment.
Pesticides have been linked to Parkinson’s by multiple studies. Besides pesticides, parents would also like to avoid feeding their children growth hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, and chemical ingredients they cannot recognize or pronounce. People who live near massive factory farms and those who have visited them are understandably upset by the environmental degradation and the treatment of livestock.
We’re convinced that a more sustainable food system would greatly improve the general health and the overall quality of life. We’re not alone. Farmers in the United States and the United Kingdom have been unable to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for organics. For many small, eco-friendly farmers the cost and process of obtaining certifications is itself an obstacle.
Consumers would like to purchase organic foods that are locally grown, but find they must often make a choice. With demand outstripping supply, organic food prices have soared. Many families must consider whether the best foods for their children’s health are within their means.
Alternatives to reliance on a food system that is not serving the best interests of the community are being pursued. Farmers markets are proliferating at an impressive rate. Community gardens are offering a wonderful alternative to a diet of highly processed and unhealthy food. Educational programs are teaching children about growing and cooking healthy foods. Every individual has an opportunity to help these positive trends to flourish with their choices and actions. It doesn’t get more hopeful than that.
If you’d like to read an Associated Press article on the topic go to: Organic Food Industry in a Supply Crunch
To read an article in Food Production Daily on the topic go to: UK organic market stifled by supply problems
Electric Truck Via Solar Panels (photo by Daniel T. Yara, courtesy of morguefile.com)
For those concerned about a weakening job market there’s some positive news. It isn’t good news just for jobseekers, environmentalists will be glad to hear that the solar power industry is creating jobs, and attracting “billions of dollars in investment and mountains of enthusiasm,” according to an article in the New York Times.
Long known as a state of innovation, California is leading the way. Here is some of what the Times article has to say,
In recent months, the industry has added several thousand jobs in the production of solar energy cells and installation of solar panels on roofs. A spate of investment has also aimed at making solar power more efficient and less costly than natural gas and coal.
Bravo!
One company executive in California is quoted in the article as saying, “It is hard to find installers…We’re at the stage where if we continue to grow at this pace, we won’t be able to sustain the growth.”
Innovative technologies, private sector investors, government incentives, environmental concerns, and the nationwide interest in alternative energy sources are all playing roles in the emergence of the solar industry.
Three quarters of the demand for solar power is currently in California and solar power accounts for only a tiny fraction of the world’s $3 trillion energy market. Still, it's good to hear that a lot of smart people are working hard to change those numbers and make the world we live in a cleaner place for generations to come.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: A Green Energy Industry Takes Root in California
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Going Solar & Getting Credit
2. Inspiring Sustainable Living
Stir-Fried Vegetables (photo by Anita Patterson Peppers, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Here's a trend we'd like to see make its way across the pond to America: England is making cooking classes mandatory for secondary school children as part of a strategy to combat obesiity and improve people's health . Apparently, some children cannot identify common vegetables.
Under the new Englsh program students will cook for one hour per week for one term. Students without sufficient financial means will have their ingredients subsidized. A report from BBC News quotes Schools Secretary Ed Balls as saying, "I think it is important to act now and maybe we should have acted earlier."
Secretary Balls went on to say, "It's not going to be just the technology of food, it will be how you can use simple ingredients, simple recipes, so that children and young people can be prepared for adult life."
Despite some fine native chefs, English cooking has been the target of many a bon mot over the years. But whatever your opnion of British cuisine, you've got to applaud what they've cooked up this time.
If you’d like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Cookery classes to be compulsory in England
The English government is inviting people to send suggested recipes to: getcooking.consultation@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
To view earlier posts on the topic go to:
1. Young Chefs' Academy
2. Getting Their Hands Dirty at School
3. Getting Kids to Enjoy Eating Fruits & Veggies
Free Roaming Sheep (photo by Bianca Meyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It seems U.S. government agencies have unsettled differences when it comes to the safety of cloned animlas in the American food supply. Even though the USDA strictly bans the use of cloned animals and their offspring from the production of organic food, the FDA insists, "...meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones are as safe as food we eat every day."
In light of the numerous health warnings and recalls of foods sold to American consumers, we don't find the assurances of the FDA to be at all reassuring.
The Center for Food Safety, a non-profit public interest organization, has stated, “Given the lack of data regarding human health impacts, CFS believes the FDA was premature in pronouncing food from cloned animals to be safe to eat."
An article in the Washington Post by Rick Weiss offers the following troublesome news:
Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded yesterday that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.
At least one Kansas cattle producer also disclosed yesterday that he has openly sold semen from prize-winning clones to many U.S. meat producers in the past few years, and that he is certain he is not alone.
According to the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit farm policy research group, the realities of cloning include some disturbing phenomena:
• 64% of cattle, 40% of sheep, and 93% of cloned mice exhibit some form of abnormality, with a large percentage of the animals dying during gestation or shortly after birth
• High rates of late abortion and early prenatal death, with failure rates of 95% to 97% in most mammal cloning attempts
• Defects such as grossly oversized calves, enlarged tongues, squashed faces, intestinal blockages, immune deficiencies, and diabetes
• When cloning does not produce a normal animal, many of the difficult pregnancies cause physical suffering or death to the surrogate mothers
Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute says:
Regardless of what the proponents claim this is all about bottom-line profit and producing more and more of our food from giant industrial-scale farming operations. We are getting so, so far away from farmer Jones and the intimate connection between the land, animals, and the people who care for them in a sustainable and regenerative system. I wish I could say this was science fiction.
If you'd like to read the Washington Post article cited above go to: USDA Recommends That Food From Clones Stay Off the Market
To learn more about this & other food safety issues click on the following organizations:
The Cornucopia Institute
Center for Food Safety
Organic Consumers Association
Consumers Union
USDA’s National Organic Program
U.S. Currency (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Most American families are probably well aware that food prices have been rising. A report in The Toledo Blade confirms what they’ve been experiencing on the checkout line: food prices increased by 5.4% between November 2006 and November 2007, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Some staples of the American diet have seen very steep increases since 2000, according to the article. The price of a dozen eggs has gone from 97 cents in 2000, to $2.49. The cost of a gallon of milk has risen from $2.78 in January of 2000 to about $3.95 today, and the price of a fresh whole chicken has climbed from $1.05 to $1.49 a pound during that time. A rise in the cost of imported produce is largely attributed to the decline in the value of the dollar. Produce rose 1.7% in just one month, the largest increase in 14 years.
The Toledo Blade article quotes J. DiNuzzo, president of DiNuzzo Investment Advisors Inc., as saying, "The weaker currency is having an effect all across the board, all the way to food prices."
Sharply rising demand for biofuels and record-setting oil prices are also blamed as culprits making food more expensive. In Mexico, citizens have taken to the streets in protest of rising corn prices as that diet staple has been diverted from food to biofuel production.
The article indicates that food prices will continue to rise as the dollar grows weaker.
If you’d like to read The Toledo Blade article cited above go to: Food prices increase by 5.4%
Our friends at American Farmland Trust have sent us some wonderful news about the preservation of family-scale farming in New York State:
Nearly 13,300 acres of active farmland across New York will be protected—on 35 farms in 22 counties—thanks to $35 million in funding from the state’s Farmland Protection Program. The funding is the largest amount ever dedicated to farmland protection in the state, and will go to protect the largest single amount of acreage in the program’s 11-year history.
"This announcement marks a great victory for farmland conservation in New York," said David Haight, AFT’s New York Director. "AFT applauds the governor and New York legislature for their commitment to this critical program."
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Here’s some great news we received from our friends at American Farmland Trust:
After several days of intense debate, the Senate passed a farm bill by a vote of 79-14.
In a victory for subsidy reform, the optional Average Crop Revenue (ACR) program passed. By adjusting with market prices, ACR is less production and trade distorting and represents a good step toward changing the way subsidies operate now and in the future. Your support helped this program get into the Senate package.
The Senate bill increases funding for conservation programs including wetland and grassland protection, stewardship of working lands and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. It also expands funding for nutrition, healthy diets programs for school children, and a number of local programs supporting farmers’ markets and expanded access for low income individuals. Other areas receiving additional funding include programs to save energy and help farmers and ranchers supply renewable energy to the nation, and programs to strengthen organic producers.
There is still work to be done. We were very disappointed that Senators did not find the political will to support amendments that more significantly reform commodity subsidies, or adequately fund programs to protect farm and ranch land (FRPP) and water quality (EQIP).
Now we shift our focus to the Conference Committee where the House and Senate bills must be reconciled. There are key differences between the two bills and we’re working to take the best from both for a bill that includes reform and keeps the increased funding for our key priorities—farmland protection and conservation, healthy, local foods, environmentally responsible renewable energy production and nutrition programs. We have a lot of work to do, but with your help it is possible.
If you’d like to learn more about the efforts of AFT go to: American Farmland Trust: Saving the Land that Sustains Us
Real Free-Roaming Cows (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In a scandal now ensnaring some of the nations leading retailers, a series of lawsuits have been filed accusing Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats of consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk.
The legal filings in federal courts come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.
“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s investigation in 2005, first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” Kastel added.
Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for many of the nation’s biggest chains. In addition to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, and Wild Oats, Aurora serves as supplier to 15 other national and regional chains.
The stores sell Aurora's milk under their own in-house brand names, such as Costco's Kirkland and Target's Archer Farms, in cartons marked "USDA organic," typically with pictures of pastures or other bucolic scenes.
"That's not even close to the reality of where this milk was coming from," said Steve Berman, a Seattle lawyer whose firm is among those suing. "These cows are all penned in factory-confinement conditions."
Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations.
Cornucopia points out that Aurora is a "horrible aberration," and that the vast majority of all organic dairy products are produced with high integrity. In a scorecard published last year, and available on their web site, Cornucopia rates over 90% of organic name-brand dairy products as truly subscribing to the letter and spirit of the law.
"We have learned that Wild Oats and the Publix supermarket chain in Florida are no longer buying milk from Aurora,” stated Kastel. "In addition, the nation's largest distributor of natural and organic products, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has also secured an alternative source for their Woodstock Farms brand."
“Aurora’s actions have injured the reputation of the more than 1500 legitimate organic dairy farmers who are faithfully following federal organic rules and regulations,” noted Kastel. “We cannot allow these families to be placed at a competitive disadvantage.”
Mark Pepperzak, Aurora CEO, said, "The allegations in this smear campaign against AOD are based on false information and, therefore, completely unfounded."
"It is unconscionable that the USDA allowed Aurora to continue, after making millions of dollars, in this ‘ethics-based’ industry, when they had concluded that Aurora willfully violated the law," Kastel added. "However, there is a higher authority in terms of organic integrity than the USDA—that's the organic consumer. And they are about to make their voices heard through the courts."
If you'd like to learn more about the excellent work of the Institute & how you might help go to: Cornucopia Institute
 
(Images courtesy of American Farmland Trust)
We join our friends at the American Farmland Trust in urging everyone to make their voices heard on the 2007 Farm Bill. Farm bill progress in the Senate is completely stalled. It's imperative a farm bill is passed this year. America's farmers and ranchers deserve a better farm bill, and the progress they've made should not be erased.
The Senate Agriculture Committee needs to hear from you.
Please call both your Senators as soon as you can and tell them to support Dorgan-Grassley. The Dorgan-Grassley amendment will provide more equitable farm aid to small- and medium-scale family farmers. In addition, money saved can be used for important programs to conserve healthy soil and fresh water, fund beginning farmer programs, and undertake organic research.
You can get more information and find your Senators' phone numbers at: American Farmland Trust
Thanks for supporting family farmers and doing your part to create a sustainable future!
Salt Shaker (photo by Michael Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In an effort to save lives and reduce disability from stroke and heart disease, 17 of Canada’s leading health groups and professional associations have urged comprehensive action to reduce sodium levels in food.
“Increased blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death, causing most of the strokes and much of the heart disease our country faces,” says Dr. Norm Campbell of Blood Pressure Canada. “It is estimated that almost one in three Canadians who have hypertension would have normal blood pressure if there was less sodium in our food.”
To read the full press release on which this item was based go to: Reductions needed in the sodium added to foods
To view previous posts on this topc go to:
1. Cutting the Salt in Food Doesn't Increase Spoilage
2. Too Much Salt!
The Last Sod School House in Kansas (photo courtesy of Library of Congress, circa 1908)
School nutrition programs are making real progress in introducing healthier food items in school meals, according to the results of the 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS). The findings included in the study are consistent with trends seen in the 2007 School Nutrition Operations Report and the 2007 SNA School Trends Report.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is encouraged by the overall findings from SHPPS 2006. The Report echoes what school nutrition professionals see everyday in the school dining room - that school nutrition programs are offering more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains and more low fat dairy than ever before, and less high fat foods.
Some of the highlights from the survey include:
• 18.8% of schools offer deep-fried potatoes, down dramatically from 40.0% in 2000.
• Among the 62.4% of schools in which staff at the school level had responsibility for deciding what food to order, in a typical week, over 55% was 1% or skim milk and only 9.3% was whole milk.
• Among the 96.8% of elementary schools that provided recess, recess was regularly scheduled immediately before lunch for all classes in 10.4% of these schools, and immediately after lunch in 49.6%.
• School districts required 87.9% of high schools, 85.1% of middle schools and 77.4% of elementary schools to teach nutrition education.
If you'd like to read the full SNA press release on which the above was based go to: CDC Releases 2006 SHPPS Report
Pitcher of Milk (photo by Lisa Rowell, courtesy of morguefile.com)
“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group.
Acting on behalf of organic food consumers in 27 states, class action lawsuits are being filed in U.S. federal courts, in St. Louis and Denver, against the nation’s largest organic dairy. The suits charge Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado, with allegations of consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk by the company. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.
Cornucopia’s 2005 formal legal complaint first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” says Kastel.
Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for some of the nation’s biggest chains, including Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, Wild Oats, and about 20 others.
Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora—with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows—had 14 “willful” violations of federal organic regulations. One of the most egregious of the findings was that from December 5, 2003, to April 16, 2007, the Aurora Dairy “labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced
“We believe that there are tens of thousands of consumers across the United States who have been directly impacted by Aurora’s practices,” said Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association. “We are pleased to see this legal action. We will do what we can to ensure that organic continues to mean organic and that consumers get exactly that when they are paying premium prices for organic food,” Cummins added.
To learn more about this topic go to: Cornucopia Institute
Children with Dog (© Photographer: Marzanna Syncerz | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
According to a statement released by U.S. Congressman Edward Markey, “Dannon, Nestlé, and Yum! Brands are unwilling to restrict marketing to kids.”
They were three of five companies that had received letters from the Congressman asking each to voluntarily implement restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods to children.
In July, 11 major food, beverage and restaurant companies pledged to the Council of Better Business Bureaus that they would eliminate the use of licensed characters to market unhealthy food and beverage products and limit marketing to children 12 and younger to foods that meet specific nutritional guidelines, or eliminate marketing to children altogether. Chuck E. Cheese, and ConAgra, were among the five giant food companies to receive letters from Congressman Markey and the two have agreed to join the initiative.
The responses from Dannon, Nestlé, and Yum! Brands declining to voluntarily limit marketing unhealthy foods to children could lead to legislation and government regulation of companies targeting children with their marketing campaigns.
“At a time when our country is facing a serious childhood obesity crisis, the responses from these companies raises the question of whether voluntary industry action will be sufficient to combat this important public health issue,” said Representative Markey.
The Congressman went on to say,
Two years ago the Institute of Medicine linked the current unhealthy trend toward poor nutrition and childhood obesity to the prevalence of television advertisements for fast food, junk food, sugared cereals, and other foods wholly lacking in nutritional value. These top food and beverage companies have an opportunity to play an important role in helping our children make healthier choices.
To read the press release on the topic from the Office of Congressman Markey go to: Nestlé, Others Slow to Join Movement to Limit Marketing Unhealthy Food to Kids
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Kellogg to Limit Selling Junk Food to Kids
2. Selling to Kids
Ian & Curt (photo courtesy of Mosaic Films Incorporated)
King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. The Boston Globe says it is “Enormously Entertaining.”
In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.
Following the trail of high fructose corn syrup, Ian and Curt attempt to make a home-cooked batch of the sweetener in their kitchen. But their investigation of America’s most ubiquitous ingredient turns serious when they follow soda to its consumption in Brooklyn. Here, Type II diabetes is ravaging the community, and America’s addiction to corny sweets is to blame.
The breadth of the problem is now clear: the American food system is built on the abundance of corn, an abundance perpetuated by a subsidy system that pays farmers to maximize production.
The Austin Chronicle says, “King Corn is as relevant as Super Size Me and as important as An Inconvenient Truth.”
To visit the documentary’s official web site & see where it’s playing go to: King Corn
Thanks Sue!
Colorado Farm in Winter (photo by Jany Lee, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Ellen Mahoney of Boulder Weekly has penned a terrific article on the upcoming Farm Bill in Washington, D.C. She’s done a beautiful job of writing about a complex piece of legislation, citing its historic roots and explaining its impact on all of us, especially the community farmers who produce the freshest and most healthful foods available.
Ms. Mahoney writes, “Everyone is affected by the bill in terms of the nutrition, cost and availability of what we eat, how food is farmed, produced and distributed, the conservation of land and waterways, as well as clothing, fuel and fuel costs.”
More Americans than ever seem concerned about U.S. food policy and its impact on our health, our environment, our communi |
