Sustainable Agriculture & Food Policy

They could hardly have been more different, the nomadic Masai tribesmen from East Africa and the college professor from New Hampshire. Yet, as they sat around a campfire on a remote African savanna, it soon became clear that they all spoke the same timeless language: cattle.

For 2011 Switzer Fellow Jeannette Laramee, it all started with designing a school in Zambia, Africa. That led to building systems that make biogas, which can save up to 10,000 pounds of firewood a year for a family in Africa.

Those rules were developed with public health in mind and aimed to limit the risks of transmitting animal-borne diseases to people, said Ruth Steiner, a professor of planning at the University of Florida. Cities need to keep that in mind as they hear from advocates of local agriculture, many of whom are worried about the quality and safety of their food, she said.

In his research on food deserts in Oakland, Portland State University professor Nathan McClintock provides a historical explanation of how the rise of large-scale grocery retailers also resulted in a lack of food options in the country’s inner-city neighborhoods. At one point in our nation’s history, the corner market was ubiquitous, offering the ability to purchase fresh food for dinner on the way home from work.

On this Switzer Network News report, we learn about the intersection between global climate change and agriculture, why current "solutions" are inadequate and where we need to go next globally.

During his talk, Dara pointed out the growing number of consumer-facing apps that help individuals connect directly with producers. Some allow you to map local farmers markets or identify retailers that only sell locally-produced goods. Others allow you to scan QR codes to literally find out what farm your meat came from.

Nearly 200 agro-enthusiasts gathered in South Royalton Sunday for a conference on direct marketing to consumers.

This is a really nice piece with Ellen Mallory, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, about the resurgence of growing grains locally in New England. She covers grains that can be used for stock feed as well as those fit for human consumption. She explains that the movement started with organic dairy farmers, whose cost for organic grains is about two-thirds of their budget, and expanded to satisfy the growing demand by consumers looking for locally-produced food.

Although 10 years have passed since the first regulatory approval of genetically engineered, herbicide-tolerant rice, no transgenic rice is grown commercially, either in California or nationwide. In contrast, genetically modified crops such as soy, corn and cotton have received widespread adoption by U.S. farmers. Debate continues over whether genetically modified rice would be a plus or minus for the environment. While herbicide-tolerant varieties could reduce herbicide applications overall — they could also contribute to herbicide resistance in weedy rice.