it s much faster and less frustrating than trying to identify a plant through an old fashioned field guide.
either become new oak trees or food for other animals. Energy and nutrients are moved through the ecosystem this way,
and the interspecies relationships evolve and adapt to variations in the climate. On the other hand, the relationship between a yucca plant and a yucca moth is both efficient and highly vulnerable.
For example, bees, birds and some bats might all visit the same flower for nectar, but at different times of the day and year.
when they talk about the food system is who is working, says Rachel Bailin, Farmscape's marketing manager.
Dunkin'Donuts: not the best coffee in America Will coffee soon be a thing of the past?
Veolia offer twist on smart water management The philosophy behind Molson Coors beerprint Tech giant LG extends into water treatment Pepsico,
management tips from Intel Pepsico grant supports clean water in rural China Many businesses blind to water risks
and corn-based sugar. Some of these specific programs date from the Great depression. Because current market incentives, imposed by the government
encourage factory production of protein and mass production of high fructose corn syrup, we have (surprise) super-cheap, mass-produced chicken, pork, beef,
and sweet treats. Changing those policies won't be easy, because there's a vast industry--much of it now geared to export--that has grown fat on those policies.
Companies like Tyson foods, Smithfield foods and Archer daniels midland have grown fat on our current system of subsidies. So have our fast food chains.
So have our food manufacturers. These companies, and others, will argue that any move to bring food production closer to home,
to encourage truck farming and vegetables, or to reduce their subsidies in any way threatens mass starvation, here and around the world.
The opposite is the case. Because we subsidize exports of grain, sugar and protein, African,
Asian and South american markets can't develop. And because we subsidize for export, we can't either.
and feed, give them to small local truck farms and sustainable production methods. Then export expertise,
which is more valuable than corn syrup anyway. But what do I know? I'm fat
Mcdonalds can win the fast food health fightwho is the most popular object of ridicule on Youtube today?
No, it's Mcdonald's. The video above, a 20-year old Happy Meal commercial, is from happier times.
Today you're more likely to see Ronald Mcdonald portrayed as a zombie, a demon,
a growing public backlash against Mcdonald's, driven in part by health advocates, and culminating last week in the Center for Science in the Public interest threatening to sue the company over its Happy Meals.
This follows by less than a month a decision by Santa clara County in California to ban Happy Meals.
The ordinance sets calorie (460) and salt (600 mg) limits for meals that can be promoted with toys as premiums.
The effort has drawn instant pushback both from local reporters and conservatives angry over a big company being pushed around.
But regular readers of this blog know the issue goes beyond Mcdonald's, to the idea of cartoons being used to sell unhealthy choices,
and to the unhealthiness of fast food diets. Mcdonald's tried to dodge all this by making apple slices an option, next to french fries, in its meals.
Its opponents are calling that a dodge. The answer here does not likely sit with legislators or law courts.
It lies with Mcdonald's taking up the carrot being offeredâ in Santa clara and seizing an opportunity.
It would not be hard to get Happy Meals inside the Santa clara law. Make low fat milk the standard drink,
cut back a bit on salting the fries, and you're done. Mcdonald's might make up for any loss by adding premiums (for teens
or adults) to larger meals geared to bigger bodies. If you think it's crazy to imagine a 40 year old buying the equivalent of a Happy Meal,
you haven't been to a ballgame and watched some dad dig around a box of Cracker Jack looking for the prize.
Mcdonald's actually has tried to be a good corporate citizen in the past. It added salads to its menu.
It complied with labeling laws. Look at its international operations and you'll see it following a host of dietary and marketing rules set by culture and government around the world In other words,
this doesn't have to become a conflict. It's a challenge for food science to mass produce healthier meals in ways that can be loaded on trucks
and delivered by teenagers. But it's not an impossible challenge. My guess is that, at some point this summer,
Mcdonald's will take that up. The pressure will remain, but this is not going to turn into a war between fast food and health.
The company that can deliver a healthy fast food meal is going to make a lot of money and earn a lot of goodwill.
Mcdonald's puts more money into research than any company in its industry. I think they can do it
Meet'Ardi,'the hottest fossil on the international scenepodcast Your browser does not support the audio element.
Scientists in the U s. and Ethiopia have unveiled fossils from a 4. 4 million year old human ancestor.
Her name: Ardi. The revelation: The early ancestors to humans were more modern than today's apes and chimps.
Melbourne debates eating animalsmelbourne--At the Melbourne Town hall, two teams were asked recently to argue for or against the sharply formed motion:
Citing a recent Harvard paper on red meat, he argued that even the smallest amount of red meat could increase your chances of dying a variety of causes including cardiovascular disease and cancer...
People who do have animals off their menu are likely to live healthier and longer life than those who have animals on their menu,
In contrast, Adrian Richardson, chef of La Luna Bistro and author of Meat (2009), said eating meat was a natural thing,
healthy life if you follow a balanced diet that includes eating meat responsibly. You know what kills you?
Eating too much meat, too many chips, donuts, hotdogs, pies, and all of the processed stuff that s offered today,
Can you name one disease caused by a vegetarian diet? Impact on the environment We re increasingly aware that animal production is a major factor in climate change, Singer stated.
there is no way of having ecologically sustainable beef, and despite being the more humane option,
Per kilo of beef produced, cattle on grass produce at least 50%more methane than cattle fed grain
If everyone ate a Western diet, we would need two planet Earths to feed us,
Food security Peter Singer argued that we waste most of the food value of the grains and soybeans we feed to animals.
the animals may return to us somewhere between one-tenth and one-third of the food value of the grains
In contrast Bruce Mcgregor, the third member of the negative team, said that removing animals off the menu threatens our food security and the livelihood of at least two billion people.
If all markets were to remove meat â Â food production would decline, food prices would increase
and two million people would head to starvation. Fiona Chambers also agreed that taking animals off the menu would pose an ecological and food security disaster.
She argued that animal welfare isn t the center of this debate, ecology is, and that animals are a fundamental part of cultural biodiversity Firstly,
as such, are linked inextricably to the environment and the future of our food. Secondly, because they serve many important social
Ethics of eating Not surprisingly, the discussion on ethics generated the most passionate responses. Philip Wollen, second speaker on the affirmative team, delivered this strong statement:
Meat today is the new asbestos, more murderous than tobacco, he said. Singer also argued,
If you don t eat meat, good. If you do eat meat, which is most of the world s population,
it s how you choose that meat that s important, and that s what the debate should be about.
Chef Adrian Richardson As good as the'real'thing? Richardson made no secret of his love for eating meat,
saying it was a natural thing to do. I love meat, I love cooking meat, I like eating meat,
and I love serving meat to other people, he declared. If it has a pulse
I can cook it. On the affirmative team, ex-food writer and journalist Veronica Ridge validated her argument with mouth-watering descriptions of vegetarian and vegan recipes.
She contended that taking animals off the menu encouraged innovation and creativity. At the world s top restaurant today, you can have a wonderfully entertaining
inventive and delicious meal made for you without slaughter, she said. There has been a revolution in vegetarian
and vegan cooking and eating in the past decade, Ridge declared. A new generation of cooks are using vegetable, spices, nuts, seeds herbs in incredible ways.
Gone are the mung beans and bland wholemeal pies that accompanied the whiff of 1970s hippydom.
Using Yotam Ottlenghi as an example, Ridge claimed that much of the pleasures of eating today can be attributed, in part,
to the new wave of vegan and vegetarian chefs who have been inspired by an ingredient-and locavore-led agenda.
She also said that meat substitutes can be just as good as the real thing and used New york columnist Mark Bittman s blind chicken taste test to support her point that,
you can eat brilliantly without slaughtering animals. Join the debate According to the Wheeler Centre, 65%of the Melbourne audience supported the proposition,
while 22.5%were against and 12.5%were undecided. To our Smartplanet readers: Do you have a view on the debate?
Are you for? against? or undecided on the proposition: Animals should be off the menu.
Photo: thskyt, Flickr; Wheeler Centre
Melbourne designer's vision for a water-smart citymelbourne--Rapid climate change and an increasing need for water conservation has compelled a Melbourne designer to create'Equilibrium,
'a progressive landscape project focused on water reuse, biomimicry and community. It's about working with nature to create innovative and clever waterways throughout Melbourne--in our backyards and in public spaces.
We like to call it a community approach to water management, Equilibrium's creator Phillip Johnson said.
making it less dependent on drinking water. In this second design the stormwater is harvested into a billabong reservoir and streams into the single backyard.
and to ensure no reliance on precious drinking water to maintain our green cities--while still encouraging biodiversity,
prompting the government to respond with its food policy framework. On the ground, the city's do-it-yourself mindset and history of grassroots action has seen a popular resurgence of foodcentric groups in the past few years,
Open Food Foundation, Growstuff and 3000acres, who have adopted all a digital approach to food supply
Currently there are a lot of barriers to people accessing fresh, quality food at an affordable price, Serenity Hill,
a cofounder of the Open Food Foundation, says. We want to see more people eating good food
and we think technology can play a role. Open Food Foundation, along with Growstuff and 3000acres, represent a new wave of food innovators who work with a collaborative and open mindset,
across business, diverse communities and demographics. Their inclusive approach illustrates that the solution is not the responsibility of just one group.
However, these new enterprises are facing two key local challenges: the country's increase in foreign food imports and the continued supermarket duopoly and dominance of big food manufacturers in the supply chain.
This unhealthy competitive industrial food model privileges quantity and price over local communities and good health,
and preferences big factories and supermarkets over family farms and local markets. To level this playing field, Hill and Kirsten Larsen, both 36,
of Open Food Foundation have launched recently their flagship project, Open Food Network, an online marketplace connecting consumers to local producers and food hubs.
Hill describes the platform as an Amazon for food where endless possible scenarios could occur.
groups of friends in a neighborhood can set up a food co-op to buy bulk from farmers directly;
or a fruit and vegetable business can establish an online shop to sell food online
As a nonprofit organization, Open Food Foundation supports free software for community-focused small businesses working in the food industry.
Hill and Larsen hope their digital platform will offer a viable alternative to the current food supply chain.
Hill explains that the idea for the organization came from the concept of'open food'systems.
Open food is about bringing transparent information to growers, eaters and everyone in between so that they can make better decisions,
she says. There is a global movement underway to rebuild locally controlled food economies support fair prices to farmers and consumers,
and regenerate agriculture. And while Open Food Foundation endeavors to rethink food distribution chains, a new social enterprise is focusing its attention on city's home growers.
Launched last July, Growstuff uses open source software to help Melburnians track what they are planting and harvesting,
while providing them with a practical local guide to growing their own food. Founder Alex Bayley, 38, a software engineer, came up with the concept
The technology entrepreneur believes she is typical of an increasing number of people turning to their own backyards for food.
I like to know where my food comes from, and because it gets me better quality produce for less money,
is currently working alongside the startup to produce a series of education-based initiatives aimed at encouraging home food production.
and assessing Melbourne's food production capabilities, by tracking the productivity of backyard harvests year after year.
such as legal agreements and a gardening checklist, to help them reclaim underutilized city spaces as food gardens. 3000acres will join the ranks of existing initiatives,
including New york s 596 Acres, Los angeles L a. Open Acres and Vancouver s Sole Food street farms.
increases the distance food is transported, disengages people from food production processes, and makes fresh food expensive.
Renkin claims 3000acres, through changing the urban landscape, will help to alleviate the pandemic of inactivity and obesity in the city.
A recent Victorian Health Report shows poor nutrition accounts for around one-sixth of the total burden of ill health in the state
costing the government between AUD$1. 25 to $4. 15 (USD$1. 19 to $3. 94) billion every year.
Meanwhile, Shawn Ashkanasy of Urban Commons, a design supplier of urban food products, believes there are other economic benefits associated with this transition to a more inclusive system.
and support local food production and networks. Emily Ballantyne-Brodie, a Phd candidate focused on design-led food communities
shares Ashkanasy's views that these technologies will help establish a more egalitarian food network.
In the future, our food system will consist of a diverse array of food co-ops, businesses and social enterprises that develop models for local food growing,
delivering, sharing and purchasing. Photos: Toni-anne/Flickr (main), Lyre/Flickr, Urban Commons
Milkmaid replaces the milk sniff test with technologyit takes a village to raise a child,
and it takes an excited, participatory online community to raise a new milk jug. A month ago, the crowdsourcing invention incubator Quirky teamed with GE Garages
because it wanted assurances that the drugs did not contain allergenic plant sugars or pesticides.
the U s. Supreme court has lifted a ban on genetically modified alfalfa seeds. The move will likely affect the regulation of other biotech crops,
Monsanto engineered the alfalfa seeds to be resistant to the weed killing herbicide Roundup Ready,
Today, GM alfalfa seeds make up 1 percent of the market. Some 95 percent of beets grown in the U s. carry the Monsanto bacterial gene that resists the herbicide glyphosate, present in Roundup Ready.
it is the first time the Supreme court made a decision about genetically modified foods. Now familiar with the war over GM food?
Here's a quick primer: 2005: The U s. Department of agriculture (USDA) approves the sale of GM alfalfa seeds. 2005 onward:
More than 5, 500 farmers plant the GM alfalfa seeds. 2006: The Center for Food safety sues the USDA for not investigating the impact of GM seeds on the environment. 2007:
Awaiting a verdict on the environmental impact of the seeds, the U s. District court for the Northern District of California bans the sale of GM alfalfa seeds on the grounds that the USDA violated federal law by not reviewing the seeds'environmental risk.
Monsanto appeals the ruling, sending the case to the Supreme court. 2010: Monsanto wins. The Supreme court rules 7 to 1. The decision means that farmers,
growers and seed producers can have a hearing before an injunction is put in place. In other words:
New york University nutrition professor Marion Nestle shows how a lack of regulation could ripple through the food chain:
According to the USDA's preliminary assessment of the impact, Roundup Ready alfalfa will not adversely affect the environment.
A significant letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack points out that alfalfa is a major source of forage for dairy cows.
If USDA allows GM alfalfa to be grown, it will contaminate conventional alfalfa grown organically (through pollen drift).
If organic dairy producers cannot get uncontaminated organic alfalfa to feed their cows, they will not be able to get their milk certified as organic.
Nestle also questioned the ability for regulators to prevent pollen from GM CROPS to contaminate organic crops nearby.
There are also questions about sustainability. For example, 92 percent of soybeans and 85 percent of corn uses Monsanto technology, leaving them helpless when Mother Nature strikes back.
Toymaker turns to bamboo for material and inspiration In Mexico city,'bamboocycles'make two-wheeled transport trendy California company offers sustainable packaging for meat,
Mr. Peanut goes to Africa to train cashew farmersplanters, the century-old nut company best known for its dry roasted peanuts,
is teaching sustainable farming to cashew farmers in Africa. I talked recently with Steve Dumas, Planters senior associate brand manager and sustainability lead.
Tell me about Planters history of sustainability. Sustainability has always been embedded in the brand. It s the reason our name is Planters in the first place:
I understand you re working with African cashew farmers. We re a founding member of the African Cashew Initiative,
and we also work with the African Cashew Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
We ve all come together to improve the livelihood of African farmers. Africa is the largest producer of cashews in the world.
They employ 2. 5million farmers. Does Planters have a market there? We don t sell cashews there.
Do you sell any nuts in Africa? Not that I m aware of. We re looking to support the farmers.
and thanks to cashews, he s able to send all his kids to school. We visited the school, of 900 students in two sessions.
Do any of you have parents who are cashew farmers, and about half of them rose their hands.
create cashew nurseries, implement better agricultural practices. What percentage of your cashews come from Africa?
I don t have the exact number. In prior years we weren t able to procure any.
like for animal feed or fertilizer, so we re not wasting them. Our Suffolk, Va.,plant achieved zero waste to landfill status this year.
Peanuts grown In virginia have different moisture content than peanuts grown in Texas . What are some health trends in nuts?
One of the Planters lines is NUTRITION, which is focused health. There s an omega three mix,
Our straight dry roasted peanuts from the jar--we added a heart health logo on it.
Macadamia nuts aren t that great for you, right? I wouldn t put it that way.
peanuts are getting their turn in the spotlights, pistachios are good for you, walnuts are good for you, they all have their own nutrition profile.
We re trying to do a better job sharing this. Mr. Peanut has his own Facebook page.
You can friend him. He s up to 150,000 fans. When the cashew documentary goes live,
that will be updated on Facebook. has changed Mr. Peanut at all through the years? He started in 1916,
so he s been around a while himself. He s evolved. I wouldn't say he s really changed.
What s really important is that he reflects our brand values. Sustainability is important to us,
so it s important to Mr. Peanut. Mozambique cashew photos: Steve Dumas
Much ado about breast-milkit takes a village...About a decade ago, the World health organization (WHO) advised mothers to exclusively breastfeed â oe that is, nothing but human milk â oe their infants for the first 6 months of their lives.
They reissued that recommendation in a statement earlier this month â oe citing optimal growth, development and health.
The latest review of this evidence, they say, comes from a 2009 study in the Cochrane Library â oe
motor and psychosocial problems more food allergies and a higher risk of developing celiac disease But it also notes that babies in western countries who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months were apparently less likely to succumb to infections, such as pneumonia,
But breast-milk-sharing isn't encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA. The use of donor milk, especially off the internet, according to the agency this past December, poses risk for the baby.
the development of so-called next-gen biofuels made from non-food crops (or cellulosic ethanol) has fallen flat.
and converting it into fermentable sugars so it can be refined into fuel is too expensive to be commercially viable.
The Energy department has several research projects aimed at finding heat tolerant enzymes from fungi and microbes such as cellulases that break down plant cell walls and convert biomass into fermentable sugars.
New battleground in beverage wars: sustainable packagingnot to be outdone by its arch-rival, The Coca-cola Co,
. beverage giant Pepsico has developed a green bottle that is designed to be recyclable AND that is made from plant-sourced materials including switch grass, orange peels and potato peels.
Actually, the agricultural materials that will go into these bottles are byproducts from its foods business,
which is added an bonus. The bottle will hit store shelves in a pilot phase in 2012.
and Pepsico. The new bottle will use the bio-based materials to reproduce the molecular structure that is used in petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate (aka PET),
which is used commonly for beverage containers. This isn't the first innovative thing that Pepsico has done with packaging.
Several of its product lines, including Aquafina and Naked Juice, have already transitioned into packaging that is more environmentally sensitive the straight PET.
Naked Juice products for example, are transitioning to bottles that are made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
And you've doubtless heard the flap over the Sunchips packaging, which is now a fully compostable bag.
The real target of the new Pepsico bottle, of course, is the Coca-cola Plantbottle, which was licensed recently by Heinz to replace its classic ketchup bottle.
After Pepsico gets the bottle on shelves with its own products, I wouldn't be surprise to see it move to license the technology to other consumer products companies.
Packaging definitely is a big deal for the major consumer products companies, but there is still much to be done along the lines of consumer education.
The new plastic is made from mushrooms Coca-cola packaging: Goal is all new beverages in Plantbottles by 2020 Despite Sunchips flap,
green packaging ideas make progress The ebay box: Recyclable packaging for your reusable stuff Procter & gamble s new packaging is pretty sweet.
New irrigation system helps farmers conserve waterthe world is getting undeniably thirstier. Recent studies project that water demand in many countries will exceed supply by 40 percent by the year 2030.
However, about 90 percent of the world's water consumption is being tapped to produce food and energy,
water demand will exceed supply by 40 percent Why we're running out of water A bicycle that produces drinking water may help thirsty villages
Such a product allows grocers to keep track of their food and sell it before it spoils.
 If it could reduce the amount of produce wasted from grocery stores as a result of spoiling, it would certainly be a small price to pay. via MIT, MSNBC,
Entrepreneurs deliver healthy food to Indianapolis food deserts Shopping cart helps consumers make smarter food choices
New school designs learn from zoos, museums, wine and naturearchitects working in the education sector may be the zaniest innovators around.
It's driven in part by what schools and universities are doing to attract students
And design firms are stepping up to the plate, incorporating novel layouts, materials and products into this next generation of teaching places.
and tons of research--Victoria Bergsagel from Architects of Achievement covered them last week at the What Matters and What Counts in Education breakfast at the Denver Botanic Gardens:
reclaimed, non-potable water to irrigate landscape, and automatic lighting controls that dim electric lights when there is enough daylight, according to Aaron Jobson, AIA, principal of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
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