Archive for January, 2009

Meatless January in Chicago: Urban Outreach, Food, and Politics on the South Side

Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has a message for Chicagoans who enjoy devouring meat in all its fat-dripping, artery-clogging glory: Don’t do it.
As part of his campaign to slim down waists and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol citywide, Mason is encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for January.

Chicago Tribune
Dr. Mason [...]

January 15, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics  One Comment

U.S. Lifts Ban on Peru’s Avocados, Californian Growers Remain Concerned

Did you know that the US had a ban on avocados from Peru?  Me neither.  Nonetheless, after 8 years of protests, the ban is finally being lifted.  The U.S. Agriculture Department has formally proposed admitting Hass Avocados from Peru upon the condition that they meet new inspection and oversight standards (similar to those imposed on [...]

January 13, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Politics  No Comments

School Lunch Reform Takes Two Steps Forward, and Several Steps Back

Public schools in Portland, Oregon wanted to make an effort to source their lunch products from local, sustainable farmers. But they wanted to know if the more costly local beef was worth it.  They asked if would it make a difference to the kids.  To find out, they had Oregon State University conduct a scientific [...]

January 10, 2009  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics  4 Comments

You Voted for Change, Now Vote for What Kind

At Change.org you can vote on what you think are the most pressing issues Obama’s administration should focus on, including agricultural policy, with Ideas for Change in America.  Here is how the website describes the project:
What is Ideas for Change in America?
Ideas for Change in America is a citizen-driven project that aims to identify and [...]

January 8, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics  Comments Closed

Pepsi Sues Distributor for Selling Mexican Pepsi in America

No Cane Sugar for You, No Cane Sugar for US
Pepsi is really serious about not letting people in the US taste the cane sugar version of their soda, except in very explicit conditions.    Pepsi is suing Clayton Distributing, a distributor in Atlanta, Georgia, for selling Mexican Pepsi.  PepsiCo alleges that Clayton Distributing, “violated trademark laws, committed [...]

January 7, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics  One Comment

School Lunch Reform, From Vending Machines Toward a “Slow Food, Slow Schools” Revolution

Kids are fat.  Are schools at fault?  The waist size of the average ten-year-old boy has increased by 16% (link) since 1965.  Many blame a lack of healthy school lunch programs and unfettered access to vending machine junk food.  However, parents and educators have been arguing for school lunch reform long before vending machines and soda cans.  Since before [...]

January 6, 2009  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics, Science & Technology  One Comment

Waste Not, Want Not, Continued: Food Taboos in American Culture

Jonathan Bloom cares a lot about the food that we leave on our plates, but what about the food that never makes it there in the first place?  The taboo on eating animal organs keeps a lot of very nutritious foodstuffs off the dinner table.  When regular cuts of meat were routinely being shipped overseas [...]

January 3, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Politics  No Comments

Waste Not, Want Not: Donating Food in America

According to Jonathan Bloom at wastedfood.com, Americans waste more than 40% of the food we grow for consumption.  Adding it up, this can cost us over $100 billion annually. Think about it.  Do you ever wonder where that extra bread goes to at the restaurant?  How often do you end up with brown mush in [...]

January 1, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Politics, Uncategorized  5 Comments