Can X Feed the World? Wrong Question.

by: Brad Wilson

Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 06:49:15 AM PST

It's easy to want to compete on these questions when small farms produce more per acre, (as Andrew Kimbell argued in Fresh) and organic farms produce more bushels (as the Rodale Institute has found in their long term studies).

Surely though, this is the wrong question.

I'm posting this as a separate diary, (rather than on Jill's diary here http://www.lavidalocavore.org/... since it is fundamental, a change of paradigm, and longer than most comments.  I make other specific comments over there on Jill's article.

Woman In Labor Won't Leave Food Line

by: JayinPortland

Fri Nov 27, 2009 at 16:03:54 PM PST

Anchorage -  On a day when hundreds of people flocked to Central Lutheran Church in Anchorage for all the Thanksgiving fixings, one woman in line stood out: She was pregnant, in labor and wasn't leaving without her turkey.

[...]

Budahl told him to bring the pregnant woman inside. She was breathing through contractions, he said.

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Budahl asked.

"She said, 'I need this Thanksgiving basket. I do. I do. I do. If you don't get it today, you don't get it.'"

There's really nothing else to add, is there?

The State of Hunger in America

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 11:52:43 AM PST

The report also tells how many children are going hungry. Children are often shielded from hunger as they are provided with WIC or school breakfast and lunch, and their parents are eager to give them food even if it means the parent goes hungry. Even still, 506,000 households had children going hungry. That's an increase from 323,000 households in 2007.

As you might expect, households with incomes near or below the poverty line, single parent households, and black or Hispanic households were the most likely to be food insecure. Also, inner city and rural families are more likely to be food insecure than those in the suburbs. The most food insecure region is the South, while the least food insecure region is the Northeast.

Last, many of the food insecure households surveyed used government programs or other charitable programs to help meet their food needs. In the previous month, 55% said they used one or more of the the National School Lunch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children programs in the previous month.  Also, in the past year, 20% used food pantries and 2.6% ate one or more meals at a community emergency kitchen.

I've pasted the Community Food Security Coalition's response to the report below.

Sampler Platter 10.30.09

by: JayinPortland

Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:36:06 AM PDT

• A new Oregon State University study looks at the obstacles faced by rural Oregonians, many of whom are newly poor, in accessing better food.  Quite a few interesting points in the study re: the social stigma considerations affecting families who are no longer actually middle class, but continue to feel they must put up appearances (reluctance to accept government assistance, new computers and cars over good food, etc...).  The findings obviously apply to many American families these days, not just those in Benton County.

• Willamette Week takes us for a look around Salt, Fire and Time, our city's first Community Supported Kitchen, here in Southeast Portland.

• An infamous migrant farmworkers' camp in Washington County, Oregon, now under new ownership, will soon be reformed into a community for impoverished farmers to be able to live off of their own plots via sales of their produce through an on-site farm store.

• As Jill would say, file this one under "duh": the state of Indiana's "ambitious welfare privatization efforts" are failing, this time regarding massive delays in decisions on food stamp applications by the private vendor contracted to do same.  Gee, you mean private companies whose only concerns are profit aren't better equipped to handle public services than government?  Who'da thunk it!

• In case you missed it, check out RiaD's diary from yesterday on the new FDA oyster guidelines, which are causing a stir in Louisiana.

• The New York Times brings us a piece on fresh hop ales, which are still in season for a few more weeks and can be found mostly in the Pacific Northwest and in the Northeast.  I had a Victory (Downington, PA) fresh hop ale when I was back in NJ the other week, but I forgot to take notes on it.  Crap!  Not to worry though, I'm gonna bring back my old Drinking Oregon series for a spin next week sometime, to do a round-up on the Portland-area wet hops I've had here over the past month or so.  Here's another couple of pieces on this year's Hop Harvest.

• Here's a piece on the algal bloom which is stripping sea birds of their waterproofing, and washing up thousands of them, dead or just barely alive, on Oregon and Washington beaches.

Sampler Platter 08.31.09

by: JayinPortland

Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 11:12:31 AM PDT

• Here's an excellent High Country News piece on the dangers faced by immigrant workers in the West's dairy industry.

• I really like this idea, and wonder how widespread it is?  The city of Orange, New Jersey replaces cash with cards for everybody in the school lunch line.

• This one's another great idea - Neighborhood University, neighbors coming together, sharing knowledge and building stronger communities.

• A Vancouver, B.C. journalist and urban farm consultant visits Havana, and asks what we can learn from their post-Soviet-collapse urban farming transformation.

• This piece on a Somerset County, NJ garden for the hungry reminds us again of the sad fact that hunger is everywhere, even in the fourth wealthiest county in the United States.

• Hoping fresh produce stands in stadiums catch on everywhere... but as Michael Hurwitz, director of the Greenmarkets in NYC mentions in the article, it's disappointing that right now during their season, the peaches for sale at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx come from a Los Angeles-based international produce importer and distributor.

• A Dutch engineer has developed a water footprint equation.

• From Youffraita:  Here's how some Lancaster County, PA Plain Sect farmers are coming together to form their own co-ops.

Wednesday Morning Sampler Platter, 07.22.09

by: JayinPortland

Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 06:03:29 AM PDT

Carrying on, here we go...

• Jamming for the Hungry!  This piece makes me believe again...

• In Richland, Washington, WIC is working with local farmers' markets to ensure access to better nutrition for local citizens.

• Why can they not understand this?  Another local piece claims we "can't feed ourselves locally".  OMG, panic!!!  Ummm, btw - did the author of that piece ever stop and ask herself why nothing but commodity cranberries are currently grown in Coos County; and if those are the only things that can ever be grown there, in what could (and should) be one of the most productive and diverse agricultural regions in America?  Hello, McFly?

• US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation yesterday to improve school lunches.  Sadly, it sounds like some "same ole, same ole" to me... but if anybody knows better can you let us know?  I'd love to be proven wrong here...

• Even though those in positions of power in Pennsylvania seem to be helpless in feeding those who work for them, food banks are extending their hours for these people (for as long as they can).  Pardon me, but - wtf, y'all?  Pass a budget, Pennsylvania politicians...

• Bikes are not cars, and they don't produce the same waste as dogs (not to mention cars!).  And even though I, an Inner SE Portland pedestrian, get quite pissed off at certain asswipes on bikes who think they're above car and pedestrian laws... bikers certainly aren't the problem in our region, and should not be taxed extra.  Look at your own backyard first, Vancouver "City" Commissioner Stuart, and maybe consider designing a city of your own that doesn't require new taxpayer-subsidized (by Oregonians, of course) 20-lane bridges (considering on-and-off ramps in North Portland neighborhoods) into Portland, mmmmkay?

• Good magazine brings us a list of the the biggest groundwater contamination cover-ups in U.S. history.  I actually worked on one of these sites back in my environmental remediation days, the Newtown Creek spill (on the Queens side), which is considered the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Sampler Platter 07.16.09

by: JayinPortland

Thu Jul 16, 2009 at 17:22:04 PM PDT

• Boo!  California's Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee, the board charged under that state's Proposition 65 with identifying and listing substances that can cause birth defects, developmental or reproductive harm, quivered and kneeled down before NAMPA and their other BPA industry chronies, voting 7-0 against listing BPA as a chemical believed to cause reproductive harm.  The difference between the US and the EU's approach to the public health was clearly on display here - the board members "voiced concerns over the growing scientific research", yet ignored their own concerns because human lives have always taken a back seat to corporate profits in America.

• Beware of stealth Starbucks stores posing as local independent coffee shops, coming soon to a neighborhood near you...

• A massive, jellyfish-entangling mystery blob has been found floating off the Alaskan Coast.  The US Coast Guard has ruled out any manmade explanations (i.e. - oil spill); although it may be an algae bloom, none of the researchers have ever before seen anything quite like this.

• A second breeding pair of wolves have now taken up residence in Eastern Washington.

• A Bush Administration-era bull trout protection plan was just tossed by a judge in Montana, now giving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service six months to come up with a new plan to protect the endangered fish's habitat.  Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Julie MacDonald was found in December 2008 to have taken "actions that potentially jeopardized the Endangered Species Act decisional process in 13 of the 20" decisions investigated by the Office of the Inspector General, and this (bull trout habitat protection) plan was deemed "too illogical to withstand legal review" by the court.

• From the Christian Science Monitor, another article on urban beekeeping.

• Homeless advocacy groups, after reviewing policy and practices in 273 US cities, have released a report this week naming Los Angeles as the American city which most criminalizes homelessness; other cities on the "Top 10 Meanest" list include Orlando, Atlanta, Honolulu, San Francisco and Berkeley, CA.

Breaking: Gates Foundation Does Something Good

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 12:50:45 PM PDT

Worldwatch Institute will assess the impacts of a range of farming techniques on the environment and agricultural productivity. The project will provide stakeholders, including policymakers, farmer and community networks, and international donors, with research on practical solutions for creating sustainable food security.

In other words, they are going to try some sustainable agriculture and see what happens. Nice. Here are the specific things they say they will try:

• Adding nitrogen-fixing plants into crop rotations as a low-cost solution for enriching soils and breaking weed and pest cycles;

• Overcoming freshwater shortages with rain harvesting, efficient irrigation, micro dams, and cover cropping;

• Strengthening local breeding capacity, including the use of farmer-run seed banks and genetic markers of important crop traits;

• Tapping international carbon-credit markets to reward farmers for enriching their soils and planting carbon-sequestering tree crops;

• Involving women farmers in decision-making at all levels.

Better yet? They are partnering with groups like World Neighbors, Ecoagriculture Partners, Heifer International, Rodale Institute, Slow Food International, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Global Water Policy Project. Very exciting! The end result of the project will be the Institute's 2011 annual report "World 2011: Nourishing the Planet," which will share the project's findings.

"Hunger can be a positive motivator"

by: desmoinesdem

Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 08:53:41 AM PDT

   Why have meals at home with your loved ones if you can go to the government soup kitchen and get one for free? This could have the effect of breaking apart more families.

   Anyone under 18 can be eligible? Can't they get a job during the summer by the time they are 16? Hunger can be a positive motivator. What is wrong with the idea of getting a job so you can get better meals?

   Tip: If you work for McDonald's, they will feed you for free during your break.

   Families may economize by choosing to not waste hard earned dollars on potato chips, ice cream, or Twinkies. Perhaps some families will buy more beans and chicken and less sweets.

   They are using a "crisis" to create an expansion of a government program. Parents naturally love their children and enjoy caring for their children just as much as ever during an economic downturn...Laid off parents could adapt by preparing more home cooked meals rather than going out to eat.

Yeah, nothing says fake "crisis" like rising child hunger during an economic recession. Come on, kids, get a job!

Sampler Platter 06.17.09

by: JayinPortland

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 10:53:29 AM PDT

• At the Ethicurean, Janet takes us on a tour of Missouri's Heartland Harvest Garden, 12 acres of edible landscaping which officials claim is the biggest such garden in the country.

• A couple of years ago, New Jersey attempted to eliminate its State Department of Agriculture in a shortsighted cost-cutting move.  Terrible idea, and fortunately protests and public opposition ensured that it never happened.  Although New Jersey did eventually lose a great advocate in the process.  Now, California is considering eliminating their Department of Food and Agriculture.  Rose Hayden-Smith believes it's a bad idea.

• A federal prosecutor in Brazil is seeking to ban fast-food toy promotions in the country.

• Since taking office in 2006, Governor Jon Corzine's (D-NJ) Hunger Initiative has meant millions of dollars for state food banks, and fresh healthy local produce for New Jersey's poor.  The program requires food banks receiving funds to prioritize local growers and producers.  The governor was at the Food Bank of South Jersey yesterday, continuing to promote partnerships between food banks and local farmers.

• Despite being sued by two coal companies over municipal ordinances banning coal mining and requiring corporations to disclose their activities to local officials, a tiny Pennsylvania town is refusing to back down.  Its lawyer is predicting this case will eventually make it up to the US Supreme Court in a challenge to corporate "personhood".  In 2006 the town passed an ordinance that reads, in part: "This illegitimate bestowal of civil and political rights upon corporations prevents the administration of laws within Blaine Township and usurps basic human and constitutional rights guaranteed to the people of Blaine Township".  Go Blaine!  (h/t to Anonymous Bosch)

• Here's another great piece on the growing trend of bringing better food to hospitals.  The article goes on to mention that one hospital cafeteria in Burlington, Vermont, which focuses on local seasonal organic produce, has even become a destination for downtown lunch crowds!

• As the old saying goes, denial ain't just a river in Egypt.  Hard to deny these days, though, the drastic changes occurring in the Pacific, much sooner than researchers had expected.

Update: Check this out - seed industry structure charts and graphics

Kenyans Speak Out About World Hunger

by: Jill Richardson

Mon May 11, 2009 at 13:00:00 PM PDT

Producers of genetically modified foods talk a great deal about feeding the world. However, cumulatively, food shortages don't exist in the world. For example, has anybody ever heard the UN World Food Programme complaining about food shortages? It complains about lack of money to buy it. That goes for the hungry. They've got no money.

For Monsanto et al to proclaim from mountains tops about feeding the world, is rubbish. Growing food for sale yes! Creators of the 3-Vitamins maize say their operation is humanitarian.

Presumably, someone somewhere will dish out free seeds to farmers in sub-Sahara Africa. More rubbish.

From an economic point of view, the hungry will remain hungry, with or without genetically modified food. It's up to governments to rid their countries of causes of poverty and to fight monopolies like Monsanto.

Sampler Platter 05.08.09

by: JayinPortland

Fri May 08, 2009 at 17:07:34 PM PDT

• Tomorrow, May 9 is the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, the largest annual single-day food drive in the US.  I don't have much myself these days, but I'm going to leave out my little bag with a couple cans of Eden Organic kidney beans by my mailbox for tomorrow morning.  You can find out how to help here; and as always, Feeding America can use your donations or help you find a local volunteer opportunity here.

• Over at Civil Eats, Kerry Trueman interviews James Howard Kunstler.

• Deborah Lehmann takes a look at the school food bills currently in the US House and Senate.

• The Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project, a local foods project here in Oregon started up in 2008 by Harry MacCormack, a long-time Corvallis organic farmer and co-founder of Oregon Tilth, is working towards convincing conventional large-scale grass-seed growers to transition towards growing beans and grains organically for local markets.

• Not quite sure what to make of this, but Oprah's KFC promotion didn't quite seem to work out well for anybody involved...

• Wow - the Texas State Legislature has joined New York and California in banning the use of trans fats by restaurants.  Also, Minnesota today officially banned the use of BPA in plastic baby bottles and cups.

• Cognitive dissonance reigns in Ken Salazar's Interior Department, at least regarding the now-officially-listed-as-threatened polar bear.  The American Petroleum Institute is cheered by today's ruling, however...

First Lady Leads Food Bank Effort on 100th Day

by: JayinPortland

Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 15:00:29 PM PDT

The first lady said she hoped the bipartisan effort - which is expected to help feed 1,000 school children - would inspire Americans to volunteer and support the needy during these difficult economic times.

"It's important for America to see you all here doing this,'' said Mrs. Obama, who was joined by Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.

[...]

The volunteers - most of them wives, but some of them husbands - said they had never gotten together on such a massive scale. Shuttle buses carried them to the food bank, which sits in a predominantly black neighborhood of Washington that rarely receives celebrity visitors.

Of course, hungry people in America need much more than just a one day feelgood photo-op.  Let's hope these efforts translate into long-term policy.

In a country that insists on breaking its arms to constantly pat its back about its wealth and 'leadership', it's truly disgusting just how many people go to bed hungry each night in America.  It's long past time to change that, and government needs to play the leading role there.  Private charity certainly helps, but it can't handle the massive need that currently exists.  Keep writing, and keep fighting.

Feeding America has a great tool on their website to help you find a local volunteer opportunity no matter where you are, and the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest annual single-day food drive in the nation, is on May 9th and can use your help now.

Tuesday Afternoon Sampler Platter

by: JayinPortland

Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:00:00 PM PDT

• An op-ed in today's San Francisco Chronicle takes on the way our government develops dietary guidelines.  Ouch -

  Here is a daily diet that meets [current] nutrition guidelines: Breakfast: 1 cup Fruit Loops; 1 cup skim milk; 1 package M&M milk chocolate candies; fiber and vitamin supplements. Lunch: Grilled cheddar cheeseburger. Dinner: 3 slices pepperoni pizza, with a 16-ounce soda and 1 serving Archway sugar cookies.

  This helps explain why 12-year-old schoolchildren develop thickening of their carotid arteries to the brain, and 80 percent of 20-year-old soldiers, dying in combat, are found to have coronary artery heart disease.

• Idaho may become the next state to change assets tests in order to allow more people to become eligible for food stamps.

• The Nature Conservancy purchased the 4,136-acre Shasta Big Springs Ranch in California, including the entire 2.2-mile length of Big Springs Creek, in an effort to restore salmon in the Klamath River system.

• A group of medical and fisheries experts in Canada are making a health and environmental argument to reduce fish consumption in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

• Is the Grocery Manufacturers Association part of a frightful (boo!) "socialist experiment", too?  Or are they just hypocrites?

  Although a spokesperson for the Grocery Manufacturers Association broadly welcomed the news that the legislation had been put forward, he criticized the proposal that industry should pay for plant inspections. He told FoodNavigator-USA.com: "We believe that food safety is a right that all Americans have...and that it should be paid for by Congress appropriating general funds."

  How about paying some taxes then, guys?

Seven Beaten To Death For 'Raiding' Garden

by: JayinPortland

Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 17:00:00 PM PST

An excellent piece in The Sunday (UK) Times touches upon the current food situation in Zimbabwe, as Robert Mugabe and his disgusting little minions feast at a luxury hotel as part of a week long birthday celebration for the man who turned Africa's breadbasket into Africa's basketcase...

A crowd of 2,000 was expected to feast on beef in sauce or roast chicken, rice and vegetables last night, with serenades from a variety of musical acts at the Rainbow Towers in Harare.

...here's a glimpse at how bad the situation is for the rest of the people of Zimbabwe -

So desperate is Zimbabwe's food crisis that seven thieves were recently beaten to death for raiding neighbours' vegetable patches, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

More below the fold...