Organic Connection - Organic Food Issues & More

A Tribute to Gandhi

Ian Diamond — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:53:33 +0000

January 30th 2008 was the 60th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. In this 7 minute video Resurgence editor and ecologist Satish Kumar emphasises the importance and relevance of Gandhi’s message of non-violence in the 21st Century.

watch video

Biggest and best tuna tend to have the most mercury, experts say

Ian Diamond — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:52:21 +0000

By Elisabeth Rosenthal, International Herald Tribune, January 25.

Higher priced foods usually mean healthier options – but that may not be the case with tuna, new studies suggest. The large wild tuna fish that are favored by high end sushi brokers for their unique taste are probably the most likely to contain high levels of mercury, experts say.

In a survey conducted by New Jersey researchers for The New York Times that was published this week, laboratory tests found high concentrations of mercury in a sampling of tuna used in sushi in New York City restaurants, some so high that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could legally remove them from the market because mercury concentrations exceeded 1 part per million.

Why Ethanol Production Will Drive World Food Prices Even Higher

Ian Diamond — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:43:46 +0000

By Lester R. Brown, Environment News Service, Jan 25.

We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. The United States, in a misguided effort to reduce its oil insecurity by converting grain into fuel for cars, is generating global food insecurity on a scale never seen before.The world is facing the most severe food price inflation in history as grain and soybean prices climb to all-time highs. Prices are double those of a year or two ago. ……Whereas previous dramatic rises in world grain prices were weather-induced, this one is policy-induced and can be dealt with by policy adjustments. The crop fuels program that currently satisfies scarcely 3 percent of U.S. gasoline needs is simply not worth the human suffering and political chaos it is causing. If the entire U.S. grain harvest were converted into ethanol, it would satisfy scarcely 18 percent of our automotive fuel needs.The irony is that U.S. taxpayers, by subsidizing the conversion of grain into ethanol, are in effect financing a rise in their own food prices. It is time to end the subsidy for converting food into fuel and to do it quickly before the deteriorating world food situation spirals out of control

read full article (Environment News Service)

Video Reveals Abuse of Cows at Slaughterhouse

Ian Diamond — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:46:51 +0000

By Rick Weiss, Washington Post, January 30.

Video footage being released today shows workers at a California slaughterhouse delivering repeated electric shocks to cows too sick or weak to stand on their own; drivers using forklifts to roll the “downer” cows on the ground in efforts to get them to stand up for inspection; and even a veterinary version of waterboarding in which high-intensity water sprays are shot up animals’ noses — all violations of state and federal laws designed to prevent animal cruelty and to keep unhealthy animals, such as those with mad cow disease, out of the food supply.

The footage was taken by an undercover investigator for an animal welfare group, who wore a customized video camera under his clothes while working at the facility last year. It is evidence that anti-cruelty and food safety rules are inadequate, and that Agriculture Department inspection and enforcement need to be enhanced, said officials with the Humane Society of the United States, which coordinated the project.

View the video on the Humane Society website (Warning – Graphic Video)

Eating Green: Locavore vs. Life Cycle

Ian Diamond — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:48:50 +0000

by Colin Dunn, TreeHugger.com, Jan 22.

NPR’s Here & Now program on January 21st, hosted author James McWilliams, talked about “locavores” (it’s the 2007 Word of the Year, after all) and some of the ins and outs of food miles vs. life cycle as a way to measure the impact of your eating choices. The gist: sometimes, it takes more energy to grow and harvest local food than it does to grow it far away and have it shipped in, e.g. if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint, local food isn’t always the best choice.Though this isn’t the first time we’ve discussed this idea, the whole segment is worth a listen. If you’re looking for one takeaway, it should probably be this: there is no silver bullet, no one right way to consume food, all the time. Food miles, seasonality and energy inputs (was that chicken raised on grass pasture or fed engineered slop in a cage?) are all important considerations when sourcing your food; eating green is not about putting the blinders on to “eat local” at all costs, or “eat organic,” or any other eating buzzword. Eating green is a lifestyle, a mindful way to approach how you fuel yourself without requiring too much fuel from the planet

Bees: Steep population loss hits agriculture hard

Ian Diamond — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:37:30 +0000

By Ngoc Nguyen, Sacramento Bee, Jan 10.

Colony collapse disorder continues to vex researchers and decimate beehives. At stake is the routine pollination of many farm crops by honeybees. More than half of the nation’s 2.4 million bee colonies each year pollinate California’s almond crop.

Many adult bees have mysteriously disappeared – leaving only the queen and the young brood bees – and researchers don’t yet know exactly why. But Koehnen hopes they figure it out soon.

Of the 2.4 million bee colonies in the United States, the almond crop in California alone requires more than half, according to federal farm officials. Amid this need, what’s called CCD – colony collapse disorder – has resulted in a loss of 50 percent to 90 percent of beehives in the United States.

At the forefront of everyone’s mind this week is the “health of bees,” said Jackie Park-Burris, a queen bee breeder from Palo Cedro and president of the California State Beekeepers Association.

The evidence today is pointing to the effects of a complex chain of factors: pesticides, viruses and fungi and parasites such as mites.

Bringing Whole Grains Back

Ian Diamond — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:33:22 +0000

By Yvona Fast, E Magazine

Although things are slowly changing, 42 percent of Americans still eat no whole grains at all-and only seven percent of us get the recommended three servings per day. But when I serve millet or quinoa as a side dish or incorporated into a casserole, my friends quip, “You’re feeding us bird seed again!” Birds, it seems, know what’s good for them. Most Americans are familiar with millet only as an ingredient in birdseed, but this was one of the earliest cultivated grains. Today, it sustains one third of the world’s population, and is widely used in Asian, African and Eastern European cuisine. Soothing and easily digested, it is one of the least allergenic, non-glutinous grains available.

Another ancient grain, buckwheat, is not a true grain or grass, but a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. This hardy plant grows well on poor, acidic soils, is tough enough to push out most competitors, and is one of the few commercially grown crops that don’t require chemicals in the field or in the processing plant. Although a rarity in the U.S., buckwheat is common in many parts of the world. French galettes, Japanese soba noodles, Russian bliny and Ukrainian hrechanyky are all made with buckwheat. Kasha, or roasted buckwheat groats, is a common side dish among Eastern Europeans.

Film: What’s Organic About Organic?

Ian Diamond — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:29:11 +0000

Told through the voices of farmers, “What’s Organic About ‘Organic’?” delves into the issues that arise when a grassroots agricultural movement evolves into a booming international market. As the film moves from farm fields to government meetings to industry trade shows, we meet four farmers who are involved in different aspects of the organic world. Because, when you stop to think about it – from the farmers on the ground to the citizens at the grocery store, from government bureaucracy to the global economy – how do we really understand what’s organic about “organic”?

From the filmmaker:

I am pleased to present to you a teaser/trailer for the documentary film that I have been working on for the past two years, “What’s Organic About ‘Organic’?” The film will not only offer viewers a glimpse into the lives of the farmers/characters who breathe life into the organic movement, but also will help foster an awareness of the issues at the heart of conscientious consumption and responsible citizenship.

View the trailer

Eucalyptus Video

Ian Diamond — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:23:09 +0000

Aromatherapist Tim Blakley has made a video on eucalyptus essential oil that is well worth watching if you sometimes get a little under the weather. Tim provides recipes for creating remedies for cold and flu season and illustrates how they are made and used.

watch the video

recipes

No Jazzy Sundays this month

Ian Diamond — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:20:55 +0000

Please note: the Diamond Jubilators will not be performing at Organic Connection in January.