In our latest investigative series, Chemical Capture, we examine how the agrichemical industry is shaping public information about the toxicity of pesticides, how they’re being used, and the policies that impact the health of all Americans.
The Indigenous Seed Growers Network sprouted from the pandemic, and is quickly evolving to help communities secure their own food systems for generations to come.
BREAKING: In a groundbreaking case against Monsanto, a jury has awarded $250 million in punitive damages and nearly $40 million in compensatory damages to a former school groundskeeper who said he got terminal cancer from the weedkiller Roundup.
Many Native American communities are plagued by long drives to grocery stores and high rates of diet-related illnesses, A new generation is trying to change that through celebration, health and social media.
The University of Colorado School of Medicine returned a $1 million gift from Coca-Cola once it was revealed that the money was used to fund an advocacy group devoted to dismissing links between soda and obesity.
A decade after writing a book about agriculture's connection to climate change, Anna Lappé interviews the author of a new study that confirms we can’t bring down emissions without addressing the food system.
.
@twyspy
spoke with
@JortsTheCat
recently via Twitter DM about his hope for farmworkers in California, the under-estimated power of a soft paw, and the way all cats can benefit from just workplaces.
Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan argues that instead of compensating soybean farmers for losses, we should pay them to plant native perennials to protect bees and butterflies.
"Growing food is one small thing we can do to regain control and help ourselves — a way to improve our mental and physical health during an optimum time for starting a vegetable garden.”
In Alabama’s Black Belt, where COVID rates are high and hospitals are understaffed, Dr. Marlo Paul and her plant biologist husband, Anthony, are making house calls and providing free herbal remedies from their own farm.
Food justice is racial justice. As the nation rises up to protest atrocities against Black people, here are some organizations working to advance Black food sovereignty.
The CEO of
@WCKitchen
,
@natemook
spoke to
@lisaelaineh
from Lviv, one of several cities where the organization is feeding Ukrainians during the invasion.
From rain-soaked fields in the Corn Belt to drowned livestock, food shocks—abrupt disruptions to food production—are becoming more common as a result of extreme weather.
“In 1903, seed catalogs offered American farmers a choice of 307 varieties of sweet corn. Today, just 12 of those varieties are still commercially available. ”
Update: The Washington state Supreme Court today ruled that farmworkers are entitled to overtime pay, in response to the lawsuit against DeRuyters Brothers Dairy by dairy workers.
Residents of a Sacremento suburb are putting aside their own Thanksgiving Day plans to serve meals to those who’ve been displaced by the widespread destruction.
More than half of Arizona's farms are run by Native Americans, and they’re now poised to scale up centuries-old sustainable practices to tap into global trade.
“As a Black woman, I just want to yell into the heavens about how accessible this information should be and how accessible so many of these foods are." -
@blackforager
80 investor groups representing more than $6.5 trillion in assets are calling on six of the largest fast food companies, including McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut, to set targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from their meat and dairy supply chains.
Using the contents of people's refrigerators as code for bad politics just reinforces ‘white trash’ stereotypes. It’s time to stop treating the exploitation of the rural poor as a joke.
@taintofartistry
in an
@oped
on that
@NYTimes
fridge quiz.
“To secure the nation’s food supply, the federal government should cover all the workers who help feed us, starting in the fields with farmworkers and moving along the supply chain to slaughterhouse and warehouse workers.”
#oped
Tyson Foods Inc., the biggest U.S. meat processor, will return to its pre-Covid-19 absentee policy, which includes punishing workers for missing work due to illness, the company confirmed in a statement to
@business
"The food system is not broken; it’s working exactly the way it’s supposed to as a caste system based on demographics, economics, and race. If we’re going to transform this food system, we have to look at power and who has power." ~ Karen Washington
Workers in California are taking to the streets to support the FAST Recovery Act, which they believe will give them a voice on the job and force corporations to take responsibility for maintaining safe and healthy workplaces.
Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan argues that instead of compensating soybean farmers for losses, we should pay them to plant native perennials to protect bees and butterflies.
After 113 years of fighting the U.S. government and systemic racism, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are once again managing 18,800 acres of wildlands, and its resident bison herd.
On his 7,000-acre property, Rick Clark uses non-GMO seeds, no-till farming, crop rotation, and cover crop diversity to regenerate soils and turn a profit.
"Instead of simply compensating farmers for their losses, let’s pay them to plant native perennials on land taken out of soy production. We can help restore lifesaving habitat, save critical species from extinction, and protect the future of American ag. "
On his 7,000-acre property, Rick Clark uses non-GMO seeds, no-till farming, crop rotation, and cover crop diversity to regenerate soils and turn a profit.
"This bill is fundamentally different than what any other president has ever done in emancipating farm workers so they can escape pervasive fear and behave like free men and women,"
@UFWupdates
@UFWPresident
Teresa Romero
After 113 years of fighting the U.S. government and systemic racism, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are once again managing 18,800 acres of wildlands, and its resident bison herd.
@annavtoriasmith
for
@highcountrynews
California lawmakers have proposed a Covid-19 relief package for farmworkers who continue to work amid the global pandemic that would expand paid sick leave, child care and health care pay.
As Washington and Oregon move to implement historic overtime laws, ag industry leaders are pushing for exemptions that are leaving them at odds with farmworkers and their advocates. Senior Reporter
@greylmoran
with more.
More than half of Arizona's farms are run by Native Americans, and they’re now poised to scale up centuries-old sustainable practices to tap into global trade.
Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan argues that instead of compensating soybean farmers for losses, we should pay them to plant native perennials to protect bees and butterflies.
#WorldBeeDay2019
The Indigenous Seed Growers Network sprouted from the pandemic, and is quickly evolving to help communities secure their own food systems for generations to come.
CSA farms around the country took a massive hit with the 2008 recession—and for the most part, haven’t bounced back. Now people are signing up for CSAs in record numbers. Could the once-struggling model sustain small farms through these hard times?
The chef and culinary historian
@KosherSoul
's book explains how the story of Southern food is the story of the African American experience, starting with slavery, and on our required reading booklist.
The Experimental Farm Network is working to rescue old, obscure varietals from extinction and breed them: a pink-fleshed sweet potato shot through with purple and orange streaks; a mild, wild-growing leaf turnip that sprouts up in abundance.
Two Brazilian firms owned by a top donor to Trump & Mitch McConnell are significantly responsible for the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest, all to facilitate the cultivation and export of grain and soybeans.
@theintercept
“It is incumbent on California to prioritize farmworkers in vaccine distribution and to have a specific plan for reaching agricultural workers and their families...”
@MyDesert
The coronavirus pandemic has set off a global gardening boom to satisfy our hunger for physical contact, hope for nature’s resilience, and a longing to engage in meaningful work.
Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan argues that instead of compensating soybean farmers for losses, we should pay them to plant native perennials to protect bees and butterflies.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture missed a USDA grant deadline to allow food banks to buy from local farmers. Now, the state is looking for ways to make up the funds.
We're looking for pitches about all things food & ag. We're especially interested in hearing from writers w/ experience focusing on: policy, climate, school meals, race, and science. Rates start at $500 for reported features & $400 for shorter interviews.
When Dewayne “Lee” Johnson was awarded $289 million for damages related to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he didn’t just triumph over Monsanto. He also may have created a path forward for thousands of similar plaintiffs.
@annalappe
.
@KamalaHarris
' worker advocacy landed her the coveted endorsement from
@UFWupdates
. Here's more on her efforts to support food and farmworkers.
#LaborDay
Maine joins California in passing a state budget that will provide all students with free school breakfasts and lunches, regardless of family income. h/t
@thelunchtray