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Global News
Global Organic Supply Grows to Match Demand
The study called: "The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2009' showed that by geographical region, growth was strongest in Latin America and Africa."
Massive Effort to Save Endangered Seeds
"The rescuers hope to preserve seed samples that might provide genetic traits needed to fight disease or address climate change."
UN Seeks Green Revolution
in Food
Beyond Scarcity: Reinventing Wealth in a Progressive World
"Wealth is seen as the well-being of individuals, society and the earth. Wealth is already present in nature; it is not "created." Clean air and water, strong communities and fertile soils are inherently valuable because our well-being depends on them - independent of markets."
National News
USDA Throws Organics Under the Bus
Ending a month-long charade begun over the Christmas holidays, USDA completely caved to the demands of the biotech industry, first deregulating Genetically Engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa and then sugar beets - turning them loose for widespread planting this spring. Read more
In a stunning reversal, USDA chief Vilsack greenlights Monsanto’s alfalfa at Grist
"Thursday's announcement marks a complete USDA cave-in to the biotech industry's demands, and yet more evidence that Obama wants to be seen as a friend to powerful business interests -- at the expense of smaller, less powerful interests like organic alfalfa and dairy growers, and, in this case, of the public interest."
GM Crops Facing Meltdown in the USA
"Major crops genetically modified for just two traits - herbicide tolerance and insect resistance – are ravaged by super weeds and secondary pests in the heartland of GMOs as farmers fight a losing battle with more of the same; a fundamental shift to organic farming practices may be the only salvation" -- Dr. Mae-Wan Ho.
School Lunch Program Blossoms in Baltimore
"We now provide fresh fruit with every lunch we serve. All over Baltimore, students are learning what an actual, locally grown peach tastes like instead of some synthesized peach flavoring. And as of this school year all of the peaches, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers—all of our fruits and vegetables—come from Maryland farms." -- Tony Geraci, Baltimore City Public Schools’ food services program
Hard Hit Community Learns to Grow Food, at Mother Earth News
Wilmington College provided the 20 plots and the guidance in this southwestern Ohio town after DHL Express decided last year to close its operation here, putting most of 8,000 Wilmington Air Park employees out of work. Local unemployment has soared to 15 percent.
USDA Releases Report Summarizing Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Ecosystems
"Climate change poses significant threats and challenges for farmers, ranchers, and those who make a living off the land, which will have a serious impact on our ability to feed the people of the United States and the world," said Vilsack.
Biotech Crops Cause Big Jump in Pesticide Use: Report
The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods...
AMA Adopts Endocrine Society Resolution Calling for New Policies to Decrease Public Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
“The science demonstrates that there is cause for concern regarding the health effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals,” said Robert Vigersky, MD, president of The Endocrine Society.
Food Allergy Prevalence Rises Dramatically
Reported food allergies -- along with related visits to doctors and hospitals -- have risen dramatically among children in the U.S. over the past decade, but the underlying causes are unclear, a new study found.
Victory movement: Patriotic gardening strategy takes root again
In 1943, Americans planted more than 20 million victory gardens, and their harvest accounted for nearly a third of all the vegetables eaten in the U.S. that year.
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Photo of Peeling Paint on Brick by Darren Hester, used under the Creative Commons License for noncommercial purposes.
Articles
The Organic Elite Surrenders to Monsanto at CounterPunch
"In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto's Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America's organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it's time to surrender to Monsanto."
Whole Foods a Rare Sight on School Lunch Tray
Fed, state & local policies work together to keep the fats & salt coming
And You Know Where Your Next Meal Is Coming From...Really
?
With a popular cable channel featuring more than 80 programs dedicated to food and cooking; with America anxiously awaiting Gordon Ramsey’s next kitchen nightmare; it’s still just like your mother used to say when you wouldn’t eat your peas: People are starving...Read More
Our Worst Enemies Aren't Terrorists: Rethinking National Security on a Sinking Planet by Chip Ward, Tomdispatch.com
"It's not just about increasing the local food supply, of course. Community gardens provide a safe place for neighbors to cooperate, socialize, bond, share, celebrate, and learn from one another. The self-reliant networks that are created when citizens engage in such projects can be activated in an emergency. The capacity of a community to self-organize can be critically important when a crisis is confronted. Such collective efforts have been called "community greening" or "civic ecology," but the traditional name "grassroots democracy" fits no less well."
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