Food First's blog

Behind the Kitchen Door - New research finds discrimination and poor working conditions pervasive in food service

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:04:05 -0400

Jobs in the restaurant industry have grown significantly faster than jobs in other industries in the past decade, but the benefits of those jobs do not always make it to workers. Some 18% of all jobs in the US are in the food sector, and these are the lowest paid jobs in all industries on the nation.

Behind the Kitchen Door - New research finds discrimination and poor working conditions pervasive in food service

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:04:05 -0400

The UN Recognizes the Rights of Peasants, and Malian farmers fight for their seeds

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:33:56 -0400

By Rick Jonasse and Tanya Kerssen (Cliquez ici pour lire en français)

Les Nations Unis reconnaissent les Droits des Paysans

kerssen — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:58:02 -0400

Par Rick Jonasse et Tanya Kerssen

Farmers speak on food monopolies

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:45:31 -0400

Outspoken farmers from around the country spoke out against agribusiness concentration Thursday night in Ankeny, Iowa. Watch to find out what big business means to small farmers.

http://bustthetrust.org/blog

Bust the Trust! – The Department of Justice Takes on Agribusiness

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:52:03 -0400

By Annie Shattuck

Agribusiness has become the new class of robber barons, but these monopolists have suddenly found themselves under some uncomfortable public scrutiny.

La politique énergétique américaine alimente l’expansion des agrocarburants en Afrique

kerssen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:11:34 -0500

Par Rick Jonasse et Tanya Kerssen

U.S. energy policy fuels the “Brazilian-ization” of African agriculture

rjonasse — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:48:17 -0500

Tanya Kerssen and Rick Jonasse (Cliquez ici pour lire en français)

Hard lobbying by U.S. corn ethanol and soy biodiesel corporations paid off earlier this month when the Obama administration announced its plan to boost the country's production and consumption of biofuels. The strategy offers little in the way of "change". Rather, it recommits the country to the goal mandated by Congress in 2007 to implement a 36 billion gallon renewable fuel mandate by 2022-more than three times what the U.S. currently produces.

The Employee Free Choice Act: 2010 Update

Zoe Brent — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:01:56 -0500

Farmers in India say No! to the first GM vegetable

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:58:49 -0500

by Krista Beckley

While farmers in India have been growing eggplant for thousands of years, suddenly their staple isn’t quite sufficient to satiate Monsanto. Considering that if approved Bt bringal (a variety of eggplant) will be the first GM vegetable ever grown for large-scale human consumption in the world, Monsanto has a lot to loose if enough people say no.

The Biofuels Bailout: (M)ethadone for our Fuel Addiction?

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:03:25 -0500

By Eric Holt-Gimenez
Originally published on the Huffington Post

The recent announcement by the Obama Administration of renewed support to the bloated biofuels industry has the Brazilians jumping for joy.

The Brazilians? Wait a minute... Yep, here are the latest headlines from UNICA, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association:

Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Welcomes U.S. EPA's Renewable Fuels Rules

“EcoFarm is Thirty…and Still Dirty” - Unofficial theme of the 30th annual EcoFarm Conference, Jan 20-24, 2010

Zoe Brent — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:58:28 -0500

By Zoe Brent

With the sky falling and the ocean rising along central California's
beautifully rugged coastline, the Asilomar Conference Grounds hosted
farmers, retailers, processors, consumers, advocates and sustainable
agriculture enthusiasts this past weekend. The event was sold out and
despite flooded roads and fallen trees, more than 1600 attendees
flocked to the Ecological Farming Association's annual conference in
Pacific Grove, Ca.

Haiti: Roots of Liberty, Roots of Disaster

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:45:03 -0500

By Eric Holt-Gimenez
First published on the Huffington Post

In overthrowing me, you have cut down in Saint-Domingue only the tree of liberty. It will spring up again by the roots for they are numerous and deep.
-Toussaint L'Ouverture

The Science Simplified: How genetic material from GMO corn finds its way to our gut

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:04:42 -0500

By Krista Beckley

There have been several reports recently about genetic material from GMO corn making its way into soil, animals and insects. (The study these reports refer to appeared in the Journal of Chemical Ecology in July - Hart et. al 2009) The concept of how these genes enter into other organisms and food systems is often convoluted, and worth laying out again for readers who may have questions.

Should patenting of barnyard pigs be legal? What were they thinking?

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:25:53 -0500

View this video clip to learn more about Monsanto's patenting of life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-ouf_gmA5o&feature=related