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A recent article in The Gothernburg Times caught my eye, Animal welfare activists threaten nation's agriculture. Excuse me? Drawing largely on the platform of the industry-supported Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN), the author presents us with…
Food Inc., a new movie by Robert Kenner featuring Michael Pollan, debuts in select theaters this weekend and opens next week nationwide. The LA Times says it is "one movie that truly provides food for thought" while the New York…
Farmers of Israel, Palestine and Jordan are utilizing an alternative method of pest control: birds of prey. Owls and kestrels are now being courted with nests and plentiful hunting grounds, that they may serve as a "natural" means to keep the rodent population in check. Previously, rodenticides had been sprayed on crops to deter the pests. This proved fatal to hundreds of birds of prey - including many endangered species - that died after eating the poisoned animals. Quests for an alternative method ultimately led to a government-funded program encouraging the erection of nesting boxes for owls and kestrels - birds whose complementary hunting patterns result in 24-hour rodent control. A kibbutz, or farming village, in the Bet-She'an Valley was one of the first to employ this method in 1983. The practice has now blossomed into a partnership between three countries, multiple charities, scientists and farmers, in an effort to reduce the amount of chemical pesticides used on middle eastern farms.
Following our recent Alfred State Summit, this past Monday and Tuesday we attended a similar summit on sustainable food in North Carolina. This "Farm to Fork" summit was hosted by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and North Carolina's two…
Rumors swirled that 1,200 people were expected at the Brooklyn Food Conference (BFC) on Saturday, May 2 at John Jay High School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We were certainly surprised to find a projected 3,000 people in attendance and we even ran out of most of our materials! It was an honor to be invited to speak on the panel, "Our industrial meat complex: Hazardous to our health and our habitat" moderated by Kerry Trueman (co-founder of EatingLiberally.org) and to present testimony at the Public Hearing on Food Policy and Implementation with State and City Elected Officials. Animal Welfare Approved staffer Brigid Sweeney presented on behalf of independent pasture-based and high welfare farmers before State Senator Eric Adams, State Assembly member Jim Brennan, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and City Council Member Leticia James. The public hearing was moderated by David Buckel, civil rights attorney and BFC volunteer organizer, who is determined to make Animal Welfare Approved's voice heard for New York's legislative agenda.
I spent many years talking to the press saying H5N1 was a disease of chickens. This morning I spoke with my son's pig and explained H1N1 was a disease of humans. I hesitate to make light of the situation but…
Release No. 0137.09 Contact: Office of Communications (202) 720-4623 April 28, 2009 "I want to reiterate that U.S. pork is safe. While we in the U.S. are continuing to monitor for new cases of H1N1 flu, the American food supply…
We invite you all to participate in today's conference: "Reaching the New York City Market: A Summit on Linking the Supply Chain between Western New York Farmers and the New York City Market." A partnership between Animal Welfare Approved and…
We are excited about our three day trip to Alfred, NY where we are sponsoring, along with our partners at Alfred State College, a Summit to develop a supply chain from Western New York to New York City. An impressive…
Food Democracy Now's Dave Murphy has brought to our attention today's deadline for closing a loophole that allows subsidy payments for large corporations. Murphy says of these subsidies, "As part of his 2010 budget, the President proposed phasing-out direct payments in an attempt to save $9.8 billion over 10 years. Currently direct payments, which total $5.2 billion a year, are paid regardless of crop prices and are not tied to need. This means: Even in times of high commodity prices, corporate farmers still get a paycheck from the government...Today's current subsidy system allows large corporate farms to take advantage of subsidy loopholes that place independent family farmers at a serious competitive disadvantage."
