Sustainable Growing
To be sustainable, agriculture needs to take a holistic, ecological approach that builds healthy soil, eliminates the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics. Not only do organic farming practices reduce pollution, the resulting food supports the health of those who eat it.
Industrial farming practices, on the other hand, create a variety of environmental health problems in and near the communities where it is grown—and the resulting food can actually undermine the health of those who eat it. [See Healthy Food for Healthy Communities.]
Big Changes in Fair Trade! [UPDATED]
As of December 31, 2011, Fair Trade USA (formerly TransfairUSA) has dropped out of the World FairTrade Organization and lowered their standards to the point where it will hurt small growers—as well as many small, independent shops here in the … more
Fair Trade links & resources
Reliable sources for information on authentic Fair Trade Reports & News Stories: Why Your Morning Coffee Could Be the Product of Child Labor (Faster Times, November 2011) Combating Slavery in Coffee and Chocolate Production, by Jeff Nall (Toward Freedom, January … more
Chocolate: The Bitter Truth
Fair Trade isn’t just about coffee. Many commodities are subject to abuse by large trading corporations and large growers. Coffee is perhaps the largest volume, but tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas, and many others are also important. Chocolate is subject not … more
Using Television and other Business Models to Protect the Environment
Environmental degradation caused by human activity is rapidly rendering the planet uninhabitable. For thousands of generations the planet’s resources were sufficiently plentiful and resilient to withstand our destructive activities. No longer. When Jefferson was president there were less people in … more
Youth Food Bill of Rights
Declaration of Youth Food Bill of Rights July 30, 2011 We demand respect for mother earth, for the Food Justice and Food Sovereignty culture, and for the indigenous cultures that are working to establish their own autonomous food systems. All … more
Sustainability for Events
Like most other areas of our lives, events are usually organized without a commitment to minimize their impact on our ecosystems, health, and sustainability. [Coming soon: Resources to help plan events that have minimal impact on global warming and sustainability, … more
Do campus food services contribute to sustainability and health?
Campus dining services, like other institutional food-service operations, prepare large volumes of food every day, most of it the product of the industrialized agriculture system, not grown sustainably. It is often served in ways that produce large volumes of waste, … more
Religious Groups Support Fair Trade
Most religions and charitable relief organizations support Fair Trade—here’s a list of organizations where we found published statements on Fair Trade: American Jewish World Services Catholic Relief Services Church of the Brethren Episcopal Relief and Development Fair Trade Judaica Islamic … more
Organic Is the Answer for Healthy Food, Healthy People, and a Healthy Planet
by Maya Rodale — The idea that our health is connected to the food we eat isn’t really a shocking concept. It just makes sense: you are what you eat. What matters to our health just as much—if not more—is how our … more