Food and Agriculture

Factory Farming: Bad for People, Planet and Economy

Factory Farming: Bad for People, Planet and Economy

Factory farms, where large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost, affect all of us. Huge meat companies have steadily driven down the prices farmers receive for the livestock they raise, forcing farmers to get big or get out. Small farms have been replaced by factory farms that […]

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    Stand Up for Local Food and Farms

    Stand Up for Local Food and Farms

    The deadline is approaching to comment on new rules proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These rules will impact how fresh fruit and vegetables are grown and processed in the U.S. The FDA is accepting comments on the rules, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, through Nov. 15. The rules, as […]

    Do You Know Who Owns Your Food?

    Do You Know Who Owns Your Food?

    Corporate giants who were anonymously opposing the Washington state measure to mandate labeling of genetically modified ingredients through the Grocery Manufacturers Association were outed recently after the state attorney general filed a suit claiming violation of election disclosure laws.  Funneling money through a lobbying group is not the only way that Big Food can hide […]

    How Eating Healthy Improves Farming Communities and the Environment

    How Eating Healthy Improves Farming Communities and the Environment

    Eating fresher, healthier food would not only be good for our bodies—it would improve the health of our farmland, environment and rural communities. The Healthy Farmland Diet, a new report from Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), uses economic modeling techniques to estimate the effects of changing food consumption on agricultural land use. This Michigan farm uses […]

    Conservation and Science Leaders Demand Protection of Wild Bumblebees

    Conservation and Science Leaders Demand Protection of Wild Bumblebees

    Conservation and science leaders renewed their call today demanding the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture protect bumblebees in light of numerous threats contributing to population declines.   The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Defenders of Wildlife and entomology professor Dr. Robbin Thorp asked agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to take action on a petition to regulate the movement […]

    Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics

    Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics

    Most people think their food choices have nothing to do with politics. But Marion Nestle, a public-health nutritionist and professor at New York University, says food choices have everything to do with politics. In her new book, Eat, Drink,Vote, Nestle collaborated with The Cartoonist Group syndicate to present more than 250 of her favorite cartoons on issues ranging […]

    5 Reasons You Should Buy Fair Trade

    5 Reasons You Should Buy Fair Trade

    Purchasing products that are fair trade certified can reduce poverty, encourage environmentally friendly production methods and safeguard humane working conditions. Simply look for the fair trade label on products such as coffee, chocolate or clothing. The fair trade label means an organization such as Fair Trade USA has certified that farmers and other producers adhere to fair trade […]

    Food Education Inspires Kids to Eat Healthy and Support Sustainable Farming

    Food Education Inspires Kids to Eat Healthy and Support Sustainable Farming

    Food education is not mandatory in U.S. schools, but many great programs exist, including those sponsored by Nourish, Farm to School, The Food Trust, The Edible Schoolyard Project and Common Threads. Research from organizations such as the Children’s Food Trust shows that improving our children’s diet now—and for the rest of their lives—means teaching them about food and giving […]

    Thousands of College Students Call for Just and Sustainable Food Economy

    Thousands of College Students Call for Just and Sustainable Food Economy

    Students at 350 of the nation’s college campuses are taking an active part in today’s Food Day observance—and have helped enact better food buying practices at their schools as a result. Nearly 140,000 students in 46 states are participating in more than 450 campus-based Food Day events, which include lectures, documentary screenings and petition drives. Some of these events […]