Old Beef-Wars Die Hard

Copyright Disclaimer: photo not my own

The US has recently decided to punish french producers of Roquefort cheese in retaliation for the EU´s continuing (13 year old) objection to importing American beef treated with certain “unsafe hormones.” As a US citizen I am OUTRAGED by my government’s  attempts to force-feed hormone-jacked-up-beef to consumers who don´t want it. Sure the EU’s objection to certain hormones used in the US might not be driven by entirely benevolent health-related concerns (protectionism?!), but if farms in Europe can meet higher standards, why can’t farms in the US?

“What good is an organic carrot with a giant carbon footprint?”

Take a seat Whole Foods and “organic” superstores of your ilk. You are NOT the silver bullet to our 21st century food complex. As Michael Pollan warned in his June 2006 letter to John Mackey, the C.E.O. of Whole Foods Market, local production is a vital component to the food consciousness movement.

Honeybee is Canary in Coal Mine

MEPs of the European Parliament are calling declining European bee populations a “bee emergency,” and pressing for EU action. More important than the honey that they produce, bees pollinate the fruits and vegetables that humans consume. Although through selective breeding some vegetables no longer need cross pollination to bear fruit, for many this is not the case.