Good Food is Everybody's Business
Located in the “hinge” of sub-Saharan West Africa, Cameroon is home to about 19 million people. Because the country’s natural resources are suited to agriculture, an estimated 70% of the population farms. External forces of globalization are now putting pressure on African countries such as Cameroon to shift agricultural production from subsistence-scale local production to large-scale commercial production.
Written with urban charm and a knife-sharp sense of humor, Uncle Dave’s Cow is a friendly and accessible guide to sourcing and eating local meat for parents, foodies, and everyone who wants to learn how to be a well-prepared consumer and cook through to the bone.
At GoodFood World, we’ve introduced you to fishermen and farmers who are working hard to do the right thing. This documentary visits Newfoundland and Alberta to profile families trying to do the right thing too.
Modern supermarkets are as sterile as hospitals, the produce is mostly hard as tennis balls and practically odorless and tasteless, and the staff is less than helpful when you have a question. They have very little connection to the food they put on the shelves. In contrast, the farmers you meet at your local farmers market are directly connected to the food they raise and the land on which it is grown.
In her last installment, our Minnesotan shepherdess, Lea McEvilly, with no idea how to build a fence and shorter than most of the posts, simply did it! This time we learn what winters in Minnesota mean for farmers; a good root cellar makes all the difference!
Farmers and consumer groups filed a lawsuit against the USDA arguing the recent unrestricted approval of GE “Roundup Ready” alfalfa was unlawful. The suit charges that GE alfalfa threatens the rights of farmers and consumers, as well as significant harm to the environment.
Organic Valley, one of the largest marketing co-operatives in the world, continues to demonstrate that the co-operative model can be extremely successful. In the face of a challenging economy, the co-op exceeded its annual sales growth goal for 2010 and distributed a bonus payment to the farmer-owners.
Conventional wisdom – that only Big Ag can feed the world – is wrong, or at least much or contested than its champions let on. The latest UN report – Agriculture: Investing in Natural Capital – concludes that green agriculture, characterized by low-tech, highly-skilled methods like restoring and enhancing soil fertility through the increased use of naturally and sustainably produced nutrient inputs; diversified crop rotations; and livestock and crop integration, can indeed feed the world.
