March 20 Updates

March 21, 2013


Environmental Justice/Food Justice/Food Sovereignty

·      Brooksville becomes the ninth Maine town to defy state on sales of local foods http://bit.ly/X7qxYD
o   And here is some background on the food sovereignty movement on the Blue Hill Peninsula, Hancock County, Maine (4/18/11) http://bit.ly/fAgz0j
o   State Sues Blue Hill Farmer, Challenges Food Sovereignty Ordinance (11/17/11) http://bit.ly/vpQURK
o   Raw deal: Maine residents’ fight for unregulated food draws crackdown (6/29/12) http://bit.ly/KRkl55
 
·      Farmers Markets Are Actually Cheap – So Where Are the Low-Income Shoppers? http://bit.ly/10DSn1e
A new study suggests lack of information – not price – is what keeps low-income individuals away.
 
·      Panera Bread Feeds the Hungry, and Markets Their Values http://bit.ly/YcLKQW
o   Panera Cares café is now officially open in Boston (1/23/13) http://bo.st/1455gEF
Pay what you can cafés… 
 
·      The Feminization of Farming http://nyti.ms/Y2P6ZQ
o   Women’s rights and right to food, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutterhttp://bit.ly/13A1tR2
 
·      $48 Million and Rising: Student Campaigns Transform (College) Cafeteria Food Service http://bit.ly/14MulBO
 
·      Sharks at risk of extinction from overfishing, say scientists http://bit.ly/YSuAvi
Almost 100 million sharks are killed each year and many species need better protection, according to researchers.
 
·      Uprooting Racism in the Food System, African Americans Organize http://bit.ly/Y3Ux7X
 
·      Cheap Eats: How America Spends Money on Food http://bit.ly/Y0ksNQ
Food is cheap and getting cheaper in America, unless you’re poor…
o   America’s Shrinking Grocery Bill http://buswk.co/Y3x8ql
In 1984, the average US household spent 16.8% of its annual post-tax income on food. By 2011, Americans spent only 11.2%...
 
·      How Factory Farming Contributes to Global Warming http://bit.ly/XsDdZm
 
·      Everyone to Asia: We don’t want your stinkin’ unsustainable palm oil http://bit.ly/WcDmUc
 
·      OCA Creates ORCA to Attack ‘Natural’ Products Labeling Fraud http://bit.ly/10ckt3m
 
·      Ending Senior Hunger Must Begin Today http://bit.ly/Y67VZ8
… hidden faces of America’s hunger crisis.
 
·      ‘Story Of An Egg’ Film Explains What ‘Cage-Free,’ ‘Free-Range’ Actually Mean http://huff.to/12N7ryS
 
·      Solar Water Distiller Enables Desalination Anywhere There’s sunlight and Saltwater http://bit.ly/V2oyH6
 
·      Corn free: Cutting back on our dominant crop is easier said than done http://bit.ly/10Ctgfa
The monolithic nature of corn production presents a systemic risk to America’s agriculture, with impacts ranging form food prices to feed prices and energy prices. It also present a potential threat to our economy and to the tax payer…
 
·      Fairness for Small Farmers: A Missing Ingredient in the US Farm Bill http://bit.ly/YdlFn3
 
·      Olive oil prices to rocket as Spanish drought cuts harvest by 62% http://bit.ly/ZUjk1Q
 
·      Food for Thought: Evaluating the Impact of Indian’s Midday Meal Meal Program on Educational Attainmenthttp://bit.ly/Z3r25n
 
·      Back to the Land: Reaction to Greece’s Recession: Greek Farm Resurgence http://bit.ly/WMHBTr
 
·      Fresno Public Market Would Give the San Joaquin Valley Its “Local” Food Back http://bit.ly/WrYwh2
 
 
Labor/Coops/Economics

·      Campaign Begins for $10.10 Minimum Wage http://bit.ly/Wfilbf
o   Costco’s Profit Soars to %537 Million Just Days After CEO Endorses Minimum Wage Increasehttp://huff.to/Y8biii
o   Socialism, Anyone? Profits Soar for Costco Days After CEO Endorses Minimum Wage Hikehttp://bit.ly/X8kWkJ
Cosctco’s CEO Explains how they make record profits: “We pay workers $45K/Year, provide health insurance, and let them unionize – the opposite of what Walmart does.”
 
·      Portland (OR) City Council votes unanimously to approve sick leave policy http://bit.ly/XuikDD

·      Paid sick leave passed by Philadelphia City Council http://bit.ly/12U1Wye

·      Worker Owned Businesses Point to New Forms of Ownership http://bit.ly/ZrDHjk
Can co-ops come out of the margins of the economy and be part of a larger political project to transform things are owned?
            Unions are on the decline, and worker owned cooperatives are on the rise…
 
·      New Yorkers consider worker cooperatives as part of long-term recovery from Superstorm Sandyhttp://bit.ly/12aGRPU
 
·      Six Operational Advantages of Worker Cooperatives http://bit.ly/Z5eZLu
 
·      The Green Collar Community http://bit.ly/16sUpFA 
     Advancing green jobs and resilient communities through cooperative enterprise. 

·      Norwegian (investment) fund pulls out of ‘unsustainable’ palm oil companies http://bit.ly/WsoVvd

·      DuPont Investments Hindered as Congress Delays Farm Bill http://bloom.bg/ZG03RA
 
 
Gleaning, Food Waste & Reuse

·      5 Stores Tackling Waste by Selling ‘Expired’ Food http://bit.ly/16hvVPD
 
·      A Third of Americans Are Perfectly Fin With (Poor) People Eating Horsemeat http://bit.ly/YQaNbA How do we feel about having horse for dinner? A new poll offers answers.

·      Production, Distribution & Waste – Challenging Industrial Agriculture http://bit.ly/13hltYL
1/3 of global food production is wasted…

·      How One Activist Diverts Food Waste to Soup Kitchens (UK) http://bit.ly/VOCohR
 
 
Government/Regulation/Policy/Farm Bill

·      USDA extends use of broad-spectrum antibiotic for organic apple, pear growers only http://bit.ly/Z41PaO
Nearly 80% of Washington growers said without tetracycline they’d cut production or exit the industry…
 
·      USDA, NOP Fraudulent Organic Certificates http://1.usa.gov/rvlZm9
This includes a list of the Fraudulent Certifications Reported to NOP
 
·      All Federal Meat Inspectors To Be Furloughed on 11 Scheduled Days http://bit.ly/ZCBvFM
 
·      Census: Record 1 In 3 Counties Now Dying Off, Hit By Aging Popultaion, Weakened Local Economieshttp://huff.to/12TeLJ8
 
·      USDA Weights Sugar Bailout That May Boost Candy Prices: Report http://huff.to/ZmoCRC
 
·      Drakes Bay Oyster Farm Flap Reaches Far Beyond Northern California http://huff.to/WHtioE
 
 
GMOs/Cloning/Food Technology/Poisons

·      PA Lawmaker Pushes For Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods http://cbsloc.al/XFWCdB
 
·      Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin Still Bullied by Monsanto http://bit.ly/YiwRyU
 
·      Eye on Augusta (Maine): GMO Labeling Bill Returns to the Legislature http://bit.ly/16vT6FP
It’s very seldom that a bill gets as many as 123 cosponsors in the Maine Legislature…
 
·      GMO fail: Monsanto foiled by feds, Supreme Court, and science http://bit.ly/YcSg9e
 
·      Researchers: GM Crops Are Killing Monarch Butterflies, After All http://bit.ly/Mr69Qu
Once again, no surprise…
o   Study Abstract: Milkweed loss in agricultural fields because of herbicede use: effect on the monarch butterfly population http://bit.ly/wAtFrr
 
·      Conflicts of interest at European Food Safety Authority  (EFSA) erode public confidence http://bit.ly/10uSz6K
o   Monsanto threatens to sue EFSA over publication of maize GM data http://bit.ly/15BRI3h
o   GMOs: Monsanto wants to attack EFSA justice http://bit.ly/Y1edvo
Note: this will need to be translated from French to English…
 
·      EU relaxes tolerances on glyphosate residue in lentils http://bit.ly/YuI3bK
The European Union, effective June 14, has revised its limit on glyphosate residue in lentil imports to 10 parts per million (ppm), up from its much tighter residue limit of 0.1ppm…
 
·      Operation Maple: Seeds of Deception http://bit.ly/16gkPdx
None of us called for genetic manipulation of seeds. Not one of us said, yes, this new technology will benefit me, my family, and my community.
 
·      Monsanto continues expansion in Argentina http://bit.ly/XXiD7p
Community opposes the construction of transgenic seed factory
o   Historic Ruling Convicts Two of Three Defendants for Poisoning Neighborhood with Pesticides (glyphosate) http://bit.ly/X6xKIk
o   Argentina’s Bad Seed http://aje.me/YqEvHt
 
·      Vandana Shiva on Bowman v. Monsanto: This Case Is About Every Farm… http://bit.ly/Z5y8Zh
 
·      Bt Cotton is Failing; Blame the Farmers (India) http://bit.ly/Y1lKc0
 
·      Rice farming in India: ‘Now I produce enough food for my family’ http://bit.ly/13DRWbX
More on the SRI growing method…
 
·      Mark Lynas: truth, treachery and GM food http://bit.ly/10nzTSB
This is new article,… This guy has no idea where he is coming from, he doesn’t seem to understand the science.
 
·      Ben & Jerry’s switching to non-GMO ingredients http://bit.ly/Zej9vV
 
·      Five Ways the FDA Has Failed Consumers on Genetically Engineered Foods http://bit.ly/XV88Bj
 
 
Healthy/Humane/Safe Food & Water

·      Antibiotic Resistance Poses ‘Catastrophic Threat’ To Medicine Says Britain’s Top Health Officialhttp://huff.to/15GW4WT
 
·      Minority Groups and Bottlers Team Up in Battles Over Soda http://nyti.ms/Wm1yU4
 
·      Food security debate needs to include stronger focus on food safety (in the developing world) http://bit.ly/YtMzId
Progress across the developing world is being undermined by contaminated foods (aflatoxin,) more campaigns need to all for food safety
 
·      Is the Dairy Industry Getting Sneaky With Sweeteners? http://bit.ly/ZjvZru
A petition pending with the FDA would make it legal to sweeten milk with aspartame without labeling it on the front.
 
·      Processed meat scare: a bacon sandwich won’t kill you… will it? http://bit.ly/ZhYMjB
As a new scare over salami and sausages emerges, is it time to ditch processed meat products from our diet?
o   Study: Meat consumption and mortality – results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition http://bit.ly/XUv4kf 
 
·      Safety of the National School Lunch Program’s Frozen Ground Beef Products http://bit.ly/XzvyyY
 
·      Forget Money Laundering – These Guys Were Running Dirty Honey http://bit.ly/XyOSdk
Criminal charges have been filed against groups who allegedly imported Chinese honey without paying anti – dumping duties.
 
·      Congressional Bill Introduced to Combat Seafood Fraud http://bit.ly/Y5amuT
o   How to avoid doctored food http://trib.in/Xzslj0
Keeping it real: Prescriptions for avoiding doctored food
 
·      Dead Pigs In China Floating By The Hundreds In Shanghi River (3/11/13) http://huff.to/XduQHj
Chinese officials say they have fished out 900 dead pigs from a Shanghai river that is a water source for city residents.
o   Dead Pigs In Shanghai River Raise Concern As Number Of Carcasses Grows http://huff.to/YTGUKS
Count at 2,800…
o   Dead Pigs In China’s Shanghai River Worry Residents http://huff.to/Wnl2rn
Authorities recovered hundreds more dead pigs from a river that provides drinking water to Shanghai, China’s financial hub, bringing the total to more than 6,600 since last Friday (3/8/13)
o    
 
·      Livestock Falling Ill in Fracking Regions, Raising Concerns About Food http://bit.ly/VYdyvZ
This is from 12/12, but worth the read…
 
·      Fracking Moratorium in New York Gets Extended http://bit.ly/Y5ar1U
 
 
Events

·      Oakland Soil Workshop: Are Your Soils Health? Understanding and Evaluating Your Soils Workshop
Thursday, March 28, 2013, 9am – 12noon
Phat Beets Urban Farm, 59th St. between Market St. & Adeline St., Oakland, CA
            For more information, or to register, contact Rex Dufour 530-792-7338 or
 
·      Graze The Roof: Spring Workshops, Glide Foundation San Francisco http://bit.ly/YubTdd
o   March 31st, Designing your Spring Garden
o   April 7th, Designing Sustainable Habitats and Visionary Place Making
 
·      Detroit Food 2013: What’s on Your Plate? April 4-6, 2013, Focus: HOPE Conference Center http://bit.ly/XzAvYB
 
 
Other/Actions
·      Urgent: Get Antibiotics Out of Organic Apple and Pear Production http://bit.ly/Xq3spU