Will Monsanto Ties Influence Nutritionists' Stance on GMOs?

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/04/gmo-dieticians-monsanto-california

Plant some S#*t!

Michael Pollan's Food Rules, animated

Source

Occupy the Food System

In December, Willie Nelson, President of Farm Aid, wrote an amazing piece for the Huffington Post. In it, he points out how concentrated the agricultural market is- a very small number of firms control the majority of the market, threatening competition and resulting in market abuses:

93% of soybeans and 80% of corn grown in the United States are under the control of Monsanto; four companies control up to 90% of the global trade in grain; 3 companies process more than 70% of beef in the U.S.; 4 companies dominate close to 60 % of the pork and chicken markets.

Nelson gives example of the power these large corporations have, overturning GIPSA in the US - proposed fair market contract rules under Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration that would have made it illegal for packers and slaughter houses to unfairly discriminate against independent farmers - and using $5.6 million in lobbying costs to overturn US Department of Agriculture rules that would have changed the standards for school lunches to reduce the amounts of starch and sodium and increase the amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables.

He ends:
Despite all they're up against, family farmers persevere. Each and every day they work to sustain a better alternative -- an agricultural system that guarantees farmers a fair living, strengthens our communities, protects our natural resources and delivers good food for all. Nothing is more important than the food we eat and the family farmers who grow it. Corporate control of our food system has led to the loss of millions of family farmers, destruction of our soil, pollution of our water and health epidemics of obesity and diabetes.

We simply can't afford it. Our food system belongs in the hands of many family farmers, not under the control of a handful of corporations.

"We are farmers, we grow food for the people"

In March 2011, the Public Patent Foundation filed the landmark lawsuit, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto on behalf of family farmers, seed businesses and farming organizations to challenge Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified (GMO) seeds and protect farmers from the biotech seed and chemical giant’s abusive patent infringement lawsuits.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the threat that farmers face due to genetic trespass as a result of Monsanto’s GMO seed and the aggressive enforcement of their alleged patent rights.




I stand with Farmers vs. Monsanto



After hearing the arguments, Judge Naomi Buckwald stated that on March 31st she will hand down her decision on whether the lawsuit will move forward to trial.

For more information and how to get involved, visit Food Democracy Now!

"Back to the Start"

Willie Nelson teamed up with Chipotle to release this ad against factory farming and for sustainable agriculture. Download the song from itunes- proceeds go to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

What are the Dirty Dozen?

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization in Washington D.C., just came out with their new "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables- the fruits and vegetables that have highest, and lowest, levels of pesticides.

Organic farming doesn't use pesticides and fertilizers, so it's the better choice for the environment, and for our heath. However, buying organic can be more expensive.

If you can only buy a few organic fruits and vegetables, choose from the dirty dozen list- according to EWG, this can help reduce pesticide exposure by up to 80%.

The Dirty Dozen (starting with the worst)

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Grapes (imported)

Clean 15 (the lowest in pesticides- starting with the best)

1. Onion

2. Avocado

3. Sweet corn

4. Pineapple

5. Mango

6. Sweet peas

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Cantaloupe

12. Watermelon

13. Grapefruit

14. Sweet Potato

15. Honeydew Melon

The list isn't much different from last year's.

Click here for a PDF version of the shopping list.

To minimize consumption of pesticides, EWG reminds you to eat a varied diet, rinse all your produce and buy organic as much as possible.

*It should be noted that the group only refers to pesticides on the produce (and therefore ingested) and not the total quantity of pesticides used in agriculture. For example, corn falls in the "clean" list but non-organic corn farming may use a large amount of pesticides... Something that is important to consider from an environmental standpoint.

What are the Best Nutrition and Food Books?

Well... the best according to me anyways!
Would love to know what you favourite nutrition, food and cook books are!

Books That Changed What I Eat




















Best Books for Nutrition Information (my go-to books)


















Best Sport Nutrition Resource Book



















Best Vegetarian/Vegan Nutrition Resource Books


















Best Food Writer
Ruth Reichl





















Book That I Use Most in my Practice


















Best Books About the Restaurant World
(from the perspective of a chef (left) and server (right))





















Best Books About Learning To Cook


















Best Book About Food Celebrities





















My Favourite Cookbook
















The Two Last Books I Read and Really Enjoyed






















Books on my Nightstand

Eat your views!

"The way I see it, you've got 3 opportunities every day to act on your values and have an immediate effect on something you're concerned about."

-Christine Lemon, Food & Wine.

What are the Dirty Dozen?

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization in Washington D.C., developed a list of the "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables that carry higher levels of pesticides than others, even after washing. The group has just recently updated their list (see below).

EWG used data collected by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration between 2002 and 2007 from nearly 87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce to create their list.

Eating organic is more expensive, but worth it. However, if you're prioritizing your organic shopping list, choosing organic for the produce in the "dirty dozen" list can help reduce pesticide exposure by up to 80%, according to the group.

To minimize consumption of pesticides, EWG reminds you to eat a varied diet, rinse all your produce and buy organic as much as possible.

*It should be noted that the group only refers to pesticides on the produce (and therefore ingested) and not the total quantity of pesticides used in agriculture. For example, corn falls in the "clean" list but non-organic corn farming may use a large amount of pesticides... Something that is important to consider from an environmental standpoint.

The Dirty Dozen (starting with the worst-Buy Organic!)

1. Peach

2. Apple

3. Bell Pepper

4. Celery

5. Nectarine

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Kale

9. Lettuce

10. Grapes (imported)

11. Carrot

12. Pear

Clean 15 (the lowest in pesticides- starting with the best)

1. Onion

2. Avocado

3. Sweet corn

4. Pineapple

5. Mango

6. Asparagus

7. Sweet peas

8. Kiwi

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Papaya

12. Watermelon

13. Broccoli

14. Tomato

15. Sweet Potato

Click here for PDF version of list (shopper's guide).

All things Obama-Food-Related

The 44th American Presidential Inauguration is tomorrow so I thought I'd discuss the fact that Barack Obama seems to attract a lot of food-related attention. In fact, there's a blog that follows all things Obama-food-related: obamafoodorama.blogspot.com! The creator, Eddie Gehman Kohan, states that "Barack attracts so much attention about food because he's skinny- and always seems to be eating". She thinks the the interest began with some food comments Obama made on the campaign trail that resulted in political attacks. For example, in April 2008, when asked about Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas, Obama answered: "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" He was then criticized for "waffling" on the issues.
Here are some other food-related-Obama things take from this great blog:

"Eat the View" is a campaign to urge the Obamas to turn the useless pesticide-laden White House Lawn into an organic garden, providing fresh seasonal ingredients for White House events, local food banks and schools. Click Here to sign the petition.

Cake artist Zilly Rosen or Zillycakes created an ambitious 1200 mini-cupcake mosaic (pictured) of Obama right before election day.

Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl and influential chef and long-time champion of locally-grown food Alice Waters sent an open letter urging the Obamas to choose a White House chef who emphasizes local and organic food (they didn't and stuck with Bush's chef, Cristeta Comerford).

Following Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's conversation with Obama, he told a reporter that he was impressed with his fondness for local foods. According to Yudhoyono, when he invited the President-Elect to come to Jakarta, Obama replied that "besides forging greater cooperation between the two nations, a visit would give him a chance to try local food again, including meatball soup, nasi goreng and rambutan." Obama lived in Indonesia for 4 years as a child.

Obama's favourite meal is his wife's shrimp linguini. His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea. His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars. He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol. He worked a Baskin-Robbins as a teenager and now doesn't like ice cream.

Barack Obama eating: