British government, aghast at food waste that contributes nearly 20 percent to landfills and is a potent source of methane, a greenhouse gas, begins national "Love Food Hate Waste campaign;" effort aimed at raising consumer awareness, and food industry is asked to participate.
By Rebecca Smithers
The Guardian (UK) 2007-11-02 (entry)
Though armed and hungry guerrillas with a taste for wild meat often spell doom for mountain gorillas, it's Africa's demand for charcoal - cooking fuel -- that truly is endangering them, leveling forests and spoiling water for drinking and habitats, paleontologist says.
By Richard Leakey
BBC News 2007-09-10 (entry)
Ethanol craze looms dangerously large for fish and crabs in Chesapeake, since larger acreage planted in nitrogen-needy corn means more fertilizer runoff into water, which spawns growth of oxygen-depriving algae, study reports.
The Associated Press; Business Week 2007-08-27 (entry)
Salmonella outbreak suspected in salsa ingredients shows it's time to put existing technology to work, tracing foods from the fields to the dinner table. Congress must protect our food supply by linking traceability with mandatory recall authority in current globalization bill under consideration.
The editors
The Washington Post 2008-07-08 (entry)
Ancient food safety system endangers U.S., new report finds. Gaps include old laws, poor use of resources, and inconsistencies among agencies, leaving 76 million sick each year. Report recommends one food safety agency which would inspect foods throughout the entire food chain, update inspections as needed; establish standard practices for recall and penalties, and improve inspection of imported foods.
By Steven Reinberg
U.S. News & World Report 2008-04-30 (entry)
Bill requiring labels for cloned meats and milk is a small step in the right direction; FDA's movement toward no-label approval based on part, from biotech company data, is a slippery slope toward other questionable biotech products including human genes.
By Osagie K. Obasogie and Pete Shanks
San Francisco Chronicle 2007-10-05 (entry)
"And soon it was lunchtime/
Mom said I should ask about how poor kids could get fed/
So I got a book of tickets and a schedule and it read/
Monday - Hot Dog, Tuesday - Taco/
Wednesday - Hamburgers and Chocolate Milk/
Thursday - Sloppy Joes and doritos in a bag/
Friday was Pizza Day, the best day of the week/...
As time went on we figured out/
It was totally uncool/
To eat the welfare lunch/
Provided by the school/
So in poser-punker fashion/
We just mooched off all the kids/
And lived off eating candy bars/
And bags of nacho chips/
Monday - Hot Dog, Tuesday - Taco/
Wednesday - Hamburgers and Chocolate Milk/
Thursday - Sloppy Joes and doritos in a bag/
Friday was Pizza Day, the best day of the week/
It always came with salad and a side of cold green beans/
Hooray for Pizza Day/
Hooray for Pizza Day/
I miss Pizza Day./ "
— The Aquabats, "Pizza Day" lyrics
From our efficient, automated food stamp program, we have learned that current benefits run out the third week of every month. Price tag of hunger to American society is about $90 billion a year; ending hunger in U.S. would cost $10-12 billion a year. What added moral hazard could a full month of eating create?
By Michael Gerson
The Washington Post 2008-07-09 (entry)
Secret report says EU, U.S. drive for biofuels pushed food prices up 75 percent, contradicting U.S. assertion that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3 percent to food-price rises. Biofuels affected prices by diverting grain from food, encouraging farmers to set land aside for biofuel production and by sparking financial speculation in grains.
By Aditya Chakrabortty
The Guardian (UK) 2008-07-04 (entry)
Food price crisis joins drought, high fuel and fertilizer costs, dying livestock, civil war, displacement and imperiled aid operations to kill hundreds from hunger and thirst and to tip Somalia toward famine. Complicating matters are U.S. airstrikes against suspected terrorists in drought zone. In Ogaden, government uses food as weapon in attempt to starve out rebels. For information on how to help, click '(entry)' below.
By Jeffrey Gettleman
The New York Times 2008-05-17 (entry)
Collapse of trade talks indicates revolution in way we see economics of agriculture, and it should be reflected in freer trade. It's time for U.S. to let markets and need determine what farmers grow and how they farm - and lead by example. And: Doha failed after U.S., India and China couldn't agree on farmer protections in developing countries (click 'See also').
By Victor Davis Hanson
The New York Times 2008-08-01 (entry)
See also
Barack Obama's Berlin speech vague on trade, a concern for Europe considering earlier vow to renegotiate NAFTA, opposition to Colombian trade deal. Europeans dislike $289 billion farm/food bill that maintains U.S. farm subsidies; Americans say they're losing $200 million yearly because Europe won't buy their chickens disinfected by chlorine bath. Click 'See also' for youtube video.
By Steven Erlanger
The New York Times 2008-07-25 (entry)
See also
EU debates produce grading - cucumber's maximum arc, refractive ability of a peach, 29 pages on quality standards for onions. Some favor stringency since shoppers aren't allowed to touch merchandise, but agriculture commissioner wants regulations pared, citing waste, food prices and bureaucracy.
By John Ward Anderson
The Washington Post 2008-07-08 (entry)
See also
Collapse of trade talks indicates revolution in way we see economics of agriculture, and it should be reflected in freer trade. It's time for U.S. to let markets and need determine what farmers grow and how they farm - and lead by example. And: Doha failed after U.S., India and China couldn't agree on farmer protections in developing countries (click 'See also').
By Victor Davis Hanson
The New York Times 2008-08-01 (entry)
See also
Barack Obama's Berlin speech vague on trade, a concern for Europe considering earlier vow to renegotiate NAFTA, opposition to Colombian trade deal. Europeans dislike $289 billion farm/food bill that maintains U.S. farm subsidies; Americans say they're losing $200 million yearly because Europe won't buy their chickens disinfected by chlorine bath. Click 'See also' for youtube video.
By Steven Erlanger
The New York Times 2008-07-25 (entry)
See also
EU debates produce grading - cucumber's maximum arc, refractive ability of a peach, 29 pages on quality standards for onions. Some favor stringency since shoppers aren't allowed to touch merchandise, but agriculture commissioner wants regulations pared, citing waste, food prices and bureaucracy.
By John Ward Anderson
The Washington Post 2008-07-08 (entry)
See also
Some Kellogg's Eggo products advertised for sale a pirate bandana 'like the one worn by Jack Sparrow' in a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie.
Pitches for sodas, restaurant items, boxed cereals led $1.6 billion in spending to sell processed food items to children in 2006, FTC report says. Beyond that 63 percent, $860 million aimed for children 12 and younger; $1 billion was directed at adolescents. And: In 1999, candy and snack ad spending was $1 billion; USDA spent $333 million on nutrition education, evaluation, and demonstrations (click 'See also').
By Bob Dart
Cox News Service/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2008-07-29 (entry)
See also
As their profits soar, agribusiness giants form group to protect ethanol subsidies and to push for genetically modified crops so renewable fuels won't cut into global food supplies.
In the opposing corner: food producers in U.S. lobbying to get ethanol subsidies scrapped or reduced.
By Doug Cameron
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2008-07-25 (entry)
Ann Veneman, former agriculture secretary to George Bush, floated as possible Obama running mate. Veneman was seen as experienced leader but often clashed with Democrats on regulation and over expanding subsidies for small farmers. She led administration's mad cow response; light U.S. testing has led to continuing barriers for American beef exports.
By Amie Parnes and Ben Smith
Politico 2008-07-25 (entry)
