Seeds of Change

They say every cloud has a silver lining and with this long downturn it seems like the clouds have been here forever. But,even in these difficult times, there is some good news. Rising food and healthcare costs are forcing people to rethink the way they live. Farmer’s markets are thriving and people are trying to grow their own produce. The next step is the revival of (almost) lost skills like canning, pickling and preserving produce. That is how people used to live in the past: enjoy produce when it is fresh and also prepare for the rest of the year. But grocery stores continue to be a source of produce for many and I wonder if this trend will impact what we pay in the store for fruits and vegetables?

Note: the link above is to the New York Times article on the changes in produce growing in rural Kentucky. There is some issue with the link that I am trying to fix at the moment, you could go straight to the new York Times site to read it in full.

Can conventional and GM based crops coexist?

USDA seeks method to compensate farmers for GM contamination.

It would seem from Marion Nestle’s post on her blog (link above) that the government is trying to find ways to ensure that both forms of agriculture can coexist. The effort to discuss compensation methods would also include a discussion of contamination prevention in the first place.  This is where any discussion on the adoption of biotechnology in agriculture should start, with a consideration for environmental and health concerns. These concerns can then be addressed by setting up  suitable biosafety standards. In this way, we can ensure that the best use is made of the gains of biotechnology without undermining traditional /organic agriculture.

How To Cook…

….. like Mark Bittman. He talked about his new book in an interview with NPR. I particularly enjoyed the fact that he was so practical in his approach. Yes, cooking a large batch at one go means we have enough leftover for another meal, which may not seem so exciting tomorrow but at least it is a better alternative than eating out. And I can’t wait to try out all the recipes with whole grains that he talks about. Bring on the Meatless Mondays!

School Lunch Program: some good news

It is nice to read a positive piece on a usually dismal topic: school lunches, specially when it comes from the West Virginia school district that was the subject of Jamie Oliver’s TV program. The school district is now making most of its food instead of simply heating up packaged and frozen foods and the children are loving it.

Children, at home and underfoot during the long summer break, have contributed to a quieter than usual time on this page. Earthquakes and hurricanes also proved to be major distractions. But we are back to the routine now and I will be posting regularly, only occasionally taking off to pack very healthy lunches!

Chipotle’s Short Film on Farming

on the need to change farming and animal raising practices, please share it with your children too.

Video: Seeds of progress: How urban farming is changing Detroit’s future | Need to Know

Video: Seeds of progress: How urban farming is changing Detroit’s future | Need to Know.

Gardening the Community: Lessons From Youth Leaders | Simple, Good and Tasty

Gardening the Community: Lessons From Youth Leaders | Simple, Good and Tasty.

Where Have All the Nutrients Gone?

So, a new study shows that today’s fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients and are also less flavorful than those that grew a generation ago. Could the market’s emphasis on size and unnaturally perfect appearance have something to do with it?

How to Feed the World

Jason Clay of WWF identifies 8 steps to “freeze the footprint of food” in his article in Nature. While he examines the issue particularly with regard to Africa, these points are relevent in a global context as well. For instance, recent discussion in food and foreign policy areas have focused on the practice of “land grabbing”; Clay points out the need to restore degraded, underperforming or abandoned land instead of looking for fresh land to cultivate.

But what makes the top of the list of options is genetics: it cannot be said often enough, we are facing a huge problem here and time is not on our side. Using a technology which allows us to catalyse the process of selection of existing desirable traits and also prepare to combat climate change by including traits such as drought or disease resistance; should be an integral part of any solution (accompanied, of course, by a robust biosafety framework). Organic methods can yield good results but time is short and the technology for genetic modification is already available.

Online Tool Gives Sustainable Farmers Competitive Advantage

MarketMaker is a free online tool designed to link agricultural supply chain players. The tool gives small and midsize producers access to geographic and demographic information that allows them to connect with buyers and find new markets for goods. Sustainable farmers have a “competitive advantage” on MarketMaker because buyers can single out growers based on specific agricultural practices.

via Online Tool Gives Sustainable Farmers Competitive Advantage.