Hunger and Obesity - Two Sides of the Same Broken Food System
Ellen Gustafson’s TED talk about hunger, obesity and how they're connected, and how the 30 Project will work on both.
GRACE Communications Foundation
food access and food security
Mapping Food Access
Assuming you're not an out-of-touch 18th century monarch, you probably realize that not everyone has access to fresh, healthful food. At the most basic level, lack of access can be attributed to three factors: financial resources, the cost of food and food availability.
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Food Hub
Secretary Vilsack has been known to speak metaphorically about two forms of agriculture - small scale and industrial as two sons, both of whom he loves equally, often to the outrage of proponents of both models. And if the USDA’s recent history seems evidence that he loves his industrial son more, the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program introduced in 2009 speaks to what the Secretary rarely admits in person: that his small-scale son needs his love, too.
Gardens Across America
With gardening season under way in all but the coldest of zones, we have gathered a gaggle of gardeners from around the country and asked them to share some tips with us. The slide show is a peek into the beginnings of their space for this 2011 growing season.
Food Ark
Industrial agriculture and monocropping has caused the extinction of thousands of breeds of fruits, vegetables and livestock. The July issue of National Geographic highlights the hopeful work of seed preservation in this article, Food Ark.
Slow Food USA’s $5 Challenge: Eating Sustainably on a Budget
Perhaps the most common criticism of sustainable agriculture is that the food it produces is a luxury only accessible to wealthy elitists. Our friends at Slow Food are out to disprove this contention - on September 17, the organization is inviting eaters to participate in the $5 Challenge.
Our Hero: Marianne Cufone, Executive Director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition
Marianne Cufone, Executive Director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition, talks about hurricanes, tilapia and how recirculating aquaculture systems can be produce seafood sustainably.
Our Office Potluck: Slow Food $5 Challenge
Slow Food’s $5 Challenge is this Saturday, September 17th! Can you take back the "value meal?" We decided to give it a try in advance to let you know what our challenges were and give you, dear Ecocentric reader, some ideas for cheap dishes. The $5 per/person guidelines were a little intimidating to some of us, though others said, "no sweat!" Since this was a potluck, our plan was for each person to create a dish that would feed a small portion to at least 5 people for $5 or less.
After Irene: Impacted Northeast Farms and How You Can Help
Hurricane Irene caused the worst flooding eastern upstate New York and Vermont have seen in centuries, devastating farms and dairies throughout the Northeast. We've mapped as many as we could find, as well as local events organized to support them.
Our Hero: Doug DeCandia of the Food Bank for Westchester
As Food Growing Project Coordinator at the Food Bank for Westchester, Doug DeCandia manages a joint production-vocational program to grow fresh produce for those who experience food insecurity in Westchester. [Podcast length: 27 min.]
Our Hero: James Whitlow Delano, Photographer, Environmentalist, World Traveler
James Whitlow Delano leads one of those lives you read about in NatGeo, spending his days traveling to exotic places, getting lost in the jungle with only his camera for company. Thankfully, he finds his way out and shares his photos with the world.
Our Hero: Gary Oppenheimer of AmpleHarvest.org
In 2009, Gary Oppenheimer had an idea to reduce food waste and help feed the hungry in his community by connecting those with extra produce to food pantries. Three years later, AmpleHarvest.org has registered nearly 5,000 food pantries nationwide.
Our Heroes: What Are They Up To? IATP Food and Community Fellows
When the 2011 - 2013 class of IATP Food and Community Fellows was chosen, we ran an "Our Heroes" post about them with high hopes that would be stirring up the food justice movement during their two-year stint. In case you missed it, the Fellows are a diverse group of 14 good food advocates, chosen from a pool of almost 600 applicants, working all around the country for a better food future. In this new video project from IATP, Food Justice From The Ground Up, we hear from each of them.
Film Review - The Real Dirt on Farmer John
This documentary tells the story of one farm in Illinois and the man who was responsible for its evolution from a failing single-family farm into a lively and successful community farm.
Fracking and the Food System
The expansion of modern drilling and fracking across the country has caused widespread environmental and public health problems and created serious long-term risks to underground water resources, all of which affect farming and our food.
Food Economics
The production, consumption, and distribution of food is closely tied to economic forces. Learn how subsidies, externalities, and agribusiness' market control affect what we eat.
