Tom Vilsack speaks on December 11, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware after being nominated to be Agriculture Secretary by U.S. President Joe Biden. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday was the lone progressive to vote against Tom Vilsack reprising his role as secretary of agriculture, citing concerns that progressive advocacy groups have been raising since even before President Joe Biden officially nominated the former Obama administration appointee.
<p>The Senate <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00063" target="_blank">voted</a> 92-7 to confirm Vilsack, with Sanders (I-Vt.) and six Republicans opposing his appointment. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) was the only member who did not vote.</p><p>In a statement on his decision, Sanders first said that "I have known Tom Vilsack for many years and look forward to working with him as our new secretary of agriculture."</p><p>"I opposed his confirmation today because at a time when corporate consolidation of agriculture is rampant and family farms are being decimated, we need a secretary who is prepared to vigorously take on corporate power in the industry," Sanders explained. "I heard from many family farmers in Vermont and around the country who feel that is not what Tom did when he last served in this job."</p><p><em>The Hill</em> <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/540137-sanders-votes-against-biden-usda-nominee-vilsack" target="_blank">reports</a> Sanders made similar remarks about Vilsack to journalists after the vote, saying that "I think he'll be fine, but not as strong as I would like."</p><p>The progressive group RootsAction praised Sanders on Twitter for taking a stand against Biden's pick to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).</p>
<div id="a420d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5369c498a5855fe2143b86fa07e23dff"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1364300806988652548" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🚨🚨🚨 Bernie Sanders voted against Tom Vilsack's nomination. It's great to see the Senator stick to his principles a… https://t.co/u4XNU4viNC</div> — RootsAction (@RootsAction)<a href="https://twitter.com/Roots_Action/statuses/1364300806988652548">1614109634.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout also welcomed Sanders' move.</p><p>"This is the correct vote. Vilsack failed farmers, farmworkers, the land, and the public, and Shirley Sherrod," Teachout <a href="https://twitter.com/ZephyrTeachout/status/1364313747284705284" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, referencing the former Georgia state director of rural development at USDA who was ousted under Vilsack.</p><p>Sherrod, who is Black, recently <a href="https://19thnews.org/2020/12/shirley-sherrod-holds-no-ill-will-against-usda-nominee-who-ousted-her/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> <em>The 19th</em> that "I have no ill will towards him, none at all," but added that if Vilsack returned as USDA chief, "he should be ready to get on the ground to make real change this time around. And we need to hold him to it. Black people need to see some real change."</p><p>As <em>Common Dreams</em> previously <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/08/sustainable-farming-advocates-warn-biden-vilsack-very-bad-pick-ag-secretary" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>, Vilsack has faced criticism for the USDA's treatment of Black farmers when he headed the department during the Obama administration—among other critiques.</p>
<p>Center for Food Safety policy director Jaydee Hanson <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/08/sustainable-farming-advocates-warn-biden-vilsack-very-bad-pick-ag-secretary" target="_blank">said</a> in December that Biden's potential selection of Vilsack was "a huge step backwards in our urgent need to support agricultural systems that protect public health, the environment, and mitigate the ongoing climate crisis."</p><p>Early Tuesday, in anticipation of Vilsack's bipartisan confirmation, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter—whose group <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/08/sustainable-farming-advocates-warn-biden-vilsack-very-bad-pick-ag-secretary" target="_blank">has been raising alarm</a> about him for months now—<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/02/23/vilsacks-confirmation-usda-warning-sign-family-farmers-and-food-worker-safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a warning about what to expect going forward.</p><p>"We can confidently predict what Tom Vilsack's leadership of the Agriculture Department will look like, because he's led it before. And the prediction is grim," she said. "In his previous stint at USDA, Vilsack backed mass corporate consolidation of our food system at the expense of struggling family farmers. Similarly, he readily advanced industry-driven initiatives allowing companies to inspect their own poultry processing plants, dismantling federal oversight of food and worker safety."</p><p>"This administration needs to drastically shift course from the Trump era by supporting sustainable, independent farming, halting the toxic expansion of polluting factory farms, and ultimately, prioritizing consumer health and worker safety," Hauter added. "We have little hope that Tom Vilsack cares to undertake this effort, so we will be pressuring him doggedly to see the light."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/23/citing-concerns-about-corporate-power-bernie-sanders-votes-against-bidens-choice" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>
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Fresh cassava at a market in Bangkok, Thailand. Busakorn Pongparnit / Moment / Getty Images
By Sean Fleming
What thrives in poor soil, can tolerate rising temperatures and is brimming with calories?
The cassava – sometimes referred to as "the Rambo root." This plant could potentially help alleviate world hunger, provide economically viable agriculture and even put an end to soil erosion, according to research published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.
Also known as yuca (but distinct from the ornamental yucca plant) the root of the cassava is a staple of many Caribbean and South American meals – and it will thrive in conditions too difficult for many other plants.
A Gateway Crop
"Evidence suggests (cassava) could potentially revive degraded land and make it productive anew, generating numerous positive socioeconomic and environmental impacts with proper crop management," said Maria Eliza Villarino, the report's lead author and a researcher at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), in the science publication, PhysOrg.
An estimated 40% of land in Colombia suffers from degradation, according to the alliance. It, therefore, "serves as a good testing ground for exploring the different possibilities that farming cassava could lead to."
The cassava could become a gateway crop, helping farmers bring once unproductive land back into use. Soil that has been revived could then be used to grow commercial crops like coffee or chocolate, corn or soy.
But Cassava Mustn't Tread the Same Path as Soy
The global market for soy is estimated at around $150 billion, and around 80% of all soy production comes from the U.S., Brazil and Argentina. Making space for soy farms has resulted in significant deforestation in parts of the Amazon rainforest, with the WWF estimating that "an area roughly the size of California" was lost to deforestation around the world between 2004 and 2017.
"We acknowledge that scaling up production of any commodity risks an increase in deforestation and biodiversity loss, and we need to do more research," Augusto Castro Nunez, a land-use and climate specialist at the alliance, said in the PhysOrg article. "But what we know is that we need something new; what has been done to prevent deforestation is not working, and this is something new."
Reposted with permission from World Economic Forum.
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
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$60
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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and California businesses shutdown, the state's farmers continue to harvest, in this case, cilantro, as viewed along Santa Rosa Road in Santa Barbara County on June 13, 2020, near Lompoc, California. George Rose / Getty Images
By Iris Figueroa and Amy K. Liebman
COVID-19 is having disproportionate impacts on our nation's two million farmworkers, who as essential workers continue to toil in the fields despite numerous deadly outbreaks and no federal COVID-related workplace protections.
<p>COVID-19 has pulled back the veil on the strikingly poor workplace conditions of these essential workers, built by decades of insufficient farmworker health and safety policy, poor immigration policy, and limited health care access. As a consequence, <a href="https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">at least 86,900 food workers</a> have tested positive for COVID-19 – but with uneven data collection, exacerbated by businesses' lack of transparency over workplace outbreaks and workers' avoidance of testing due to fear of losing income, the figures we have are likely an underestimate.</p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7556498/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A new analysis</a> does note that each additional percentage point of farmworkers per overall population in a county was associated with 5.79 more deaths from COVID-19 – but did not contribute to more deaths per 100,000 residents. The researchers concluded, "farmworkers may face unique risks of COVID-19 beyond issues of language, insurance, or economics."</p><p>The Biden Administration must issue a federal standard to protect workers from COVID-19 that includes farmworkers. But beyond COVID-specific actions for farmworkers, the Biden Administration also needs to urgently address the underlying health and workplace conditions that pre-dated COVID.</p>
A Dangerous Regulatory Rollback
<p>One key way the Biden Administration can start to correct the course is by enforcing and safeguarding the Worker Protection Standard (WPS), the main federal regulation that protects workers from pesticide exposure. Pesticide exposure weakens the respiratory, immune, and nervous systems — exacerbating farmworkers' COVID-19 risks.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump Administration made various efforts to weaken or eliminate key provisions of the WPS, which had been revised and improved at the end of the Obama Administration. The WPS is an outlier in occupational health standards – because pesticides, although they are a workplace hazard, are regulated by the EPA, instead of by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which covers occupational health in every other industry. This is just one example of how farmworkers are exempted from basic protections afforded to other workers.</p><p><span></span>Many of the Trump Administration's efforts to weaken the WPS were thwarted by advocacy and litigation by environmental and farmworker groups. However, one of the Trump Administration's proposed rollbacks of the WPS remains: the gutting of the Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ), which required pesticide handlers to stop applying pesticides if someone is near the area being sprayed. If the final Trump AEZ rule goes into effect, farmworkers in neighboring fields, children in school playgrounds or in their backyards, and rural residents going about their day may be in close proximity to where pesticides are being sprayed, as long as they're not on the same property, without any requirement that the applicator suspend spraying. <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/centers/oki-water/science/pesticides?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects" target="_blank">More than 1 billion pounds</a> of pesticides, designed to kill insects, weeds, and other pests, are applied to U.S. agricultural fields every year. In addition to acute poisonings, pesticides are also associated with <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/pesticide-poisoning-handbook-section-v-chronic-effects" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long-term health harms</a> including various cancers, developmental and reproductive harm, and neurological damage, for both farmworkers and community members who are chronically exposed to pesticides.</p><p>In December 2020, Farmworker Justice and Earthjustice, acting on behalf of a coalition of groups including Migrant Clinicians Network, <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/groups-challenge-epas-move-to-gut-pesticide-spraying-safeguards?fbclid=IwAR3Od3YPk0BSdwxys27EQkc8PKOufVywlPX8g0i852iJ-PSBkqYPW4ZbB4g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sued the EPA to stop these changes</a>. An injunction is currently in place preventing the changes from being implemented as the case proceeds – but the Biden Administration has a responsibility to protect these workers, rather than rely on courts. And the issue of pesticide drift on nearby properties is just one of the many challenges that farmworkers face when it comes to pesticide exposure.</p>An Opportunity to Right Wrongs
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYyOTExMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjM2ODAzM30.szhrn2C7P9UtiBUNzlPOl4OPhcQdCAak_QA2ThsW0mQ/img.png?width=980" id="17a13" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="88f88bae616b22aae8238fa01dc075ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1250" data-height="732" />Pesticide spray in Utah. Pesticide exposure is associated with various cancers, developmental and reproductive harm, and neurological damage. Aqua Mechanical / Flickr
<p>These hard-working farmworkers, upon whom we all depend for the food we eat, deserve immediate and effective protections. The new Administration has a unique opportunity to take advantage of renewed public understanding of the exploitation of farmworkers, to provide long-overdue workplace protections to keep essential workers safe, and to transform our food systems to ensure healthy workplaces, neighborhoods, and the environment, by:</p><ul><li>Rejecting the Trump Administration's attempt to weaken the Application Exclusion Zone requirements;</li><li>Increasing the monitoring and enforcement of the WPS, including, but not limited to, provisions such as the minimum age of 18 for applying pesticides, adequate training for workers in a language that they understand, and worker access to information about pesticides being applied;</li><li>Requiring drift protections on pesticide labels for drift-prone pesticides, to better protect workers, bystanders, and communities;</li><li>Requiring that all pesticide label instructions be written in Spanish and/or other languages spoken by workers so they have the information they need to protect themselves and their families;</li><li>Banning highly toxic pesticides such as chlorpyrifos;</li><li>Using accurate scientific methods for determining pesticide risk, including taking into account farmworkers' potential long-term exposure, when making determinations about pesticide safety and the registration of pesticide products;</li><li>Including farmworkers and farmworker-serving organizations as key stakeholders at EPA, with a focus on environmental justice.</li></ul><p>These are just some of the essential steps the new administration can take to protect farmworkers from the extreme hazards of their workplaces. Much more needs to be done about the myriad factors that negatively impact farmworker health, like poverty, immigration status, language barriers, and fear of retaliation.</p><p>COVID-19 has shown that a strong public health system and a functional food system require basic health and human rights for all of our neighbors, especially those typically left out. The Biden Administration has a duty and an opportunity to improve our systems – and consequently improve our nation's health and well-being.</p><p><em>Amy K. Liebman is Director of Environmental and Occupational Health for </em><a href="http://www.migrantclinician.org/" target="_blank"><em>Migrant Clinicians Network</em></a><em>, a nonprofit focused on creating practical solutions at the intersection of vulnerability, migration, and health. </em></p><p><em>Iris Figueroa is the Director of Economic and Environmental Justice for </em><a href="http://www.farmworkerjustice.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Farmworker Justice</em></a><em>, a nonprofit that seeks to empower migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.ehn.org/farmworkers-deserve-pesticide-protections-2650404972/" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>. </em></p>
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Officers from the Sumatran Orangutan Foundation Lestari and the Orangutan Information Centre evacuate eight-year-old, female Sumatran orangutan trapped in the oil palm plantations on Sept. 1, 2015 in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. More than a third of large-scale oil palm expansion between 1990 and 2010 resulted in direct forest loss (about 3.5 million hectares in total) in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Clearing rain forests for oil palm plantations has destroyed critical habitat for endangered species like rhinos, elephants, tigers and Orangutan, which have all been pushed to the verge of extinction. Sijori Images / Barcroft India / Getty Images
By Ajit Niranjan
The way food is grown around the world threatens 24,000 of the 28,000 species that are at risk of extinction, according to a report published Wednesday that calls on world leaders to urgently reform the global food system.
<p>Plants and animals are dying out at a rate that is at least tens — if not hundreds — of times faster than the average over the past 10 million years, according to the report, which was published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), British think tank Chatham House, and animal welfare organization Compassion in World Farming. The decline has mostly been driven by people destroying natural ecosystems to make space for cropland and pastures.</p>
<p>But world leaders could slow the accelerating loss of the planet's <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-to-reverse-biodiversity-loss/a-55808803" target="_blank">wildlife</a> with simple steps: protecting more land, farming with fewer pesticides and monocultures, and shifting diets from meat towards plants. The scope of the first two solutions, the authors warned, depends on how much people change their diets and stop throwing food away.</p><p>"If our demand for food continues to increase, the more intensively we have to use the land that is left," said Tim Benton, an ecologist at the think tank Chatham House and co-author of the report. "It is about changing the way that we relate to food."</p>
Feeding the World
<p>The food system sits at the heart of four worsening global crises: climate, extinction, hunger and obesity. With more than a third of the world's land used for agriculture, experts are grappling with how to feed a growing population more food that is healthy — while at the same time killing less wildlife and emitting fewer <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-report-woefully-inadequate-climate-pledges-spell-32c-temperature-rise/a-55878680" target="_blank">greenhouse gases</a>.</p><p>For decades, environmental activists have held up organic farms, which avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, as a nature-friendly alternative to conventional agriculture. Some farmers have turned to regenerative practices that store carbon dioxide in soils and make crops more resilient to storms and droughts.</p><p>But ecologists say there is a catch.</p>The Organic Dilemma
<p>Because <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/organic-farming-certificate-africa/a-52352517" target="_blank">organic</a> and regenerative farms typically yield less food per hectare than industrial farms, sustainable farmers need to use more land if they are to grow the same amount of food.</p><p>A 2019 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12622-7" target="_blank">study</a> published in the journal Nature Communications found that adopting organic farming across the UK would, in fact, lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. Lower yields at home would be offset by imported food from croplands that would expand onto natural ecosystems.</p><p>In the US, a detailed lifecycle assessment of a regenerative farm found that its greenhouse gas emissions for each kilogram of meat were 66% lower than conventional alternatives, but took up 2.5 times more land, according to a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.544984/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> published in December in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.</p><p>Experts say there isn't enough land to feed the world and its growing appetite for meat through sustainable farms alone, even if they were built on marginal lands like degraded cropland.</p><p>The only thing that will allow us to farm in a sustainable way is changing our demand for food, said Benton. "That sounds horribly elitist, middle-class, 'let's all go vegan'," he said. But it could free up demand for land that could then be satisfied by sustainable farms. </p><p>Beef and a few other red meats, for instance, supply 1% of the world's calories but account for 25% of the emissions that come with changing how land is used, according to a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03138-y" target="_blank">study</a> published in the journal Nature in January. To produce the same amount of protein as tofu, beef uses up 75 more times land.</p><p>In countries like Brazil and Indonesia, foreign demand for commodities drives companies to raze rainforests to grow soy for cattle and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/indonesia-palmoil-deforestation-peatlands-fires-climate-change/a-53587027" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oil palm</a> for cooking and use in processed foods.</p><p>In many cases, the food is not even eaten. About a third of all food made is lost during production or wasted.</p>Cheap, Unhealthy Food
<p>The charge sheet ecologists have against industrial agriculture is long: destroying forest homes of endangered mammals like orangutans; killing bees that farmers rely on to pollinate crops; chopping trees that suck CO2 out of the atmosphere; and degrading soils that future generations will need to feed themselves.</p><p>But doctors, too, are worried.</p><p>Expanding farmlands raises the risk of zoonotic diseases crossing from animals to humans. Factory farms pump antibiotics into livestock that encourages the growth of bacteria that are resistant to treatment. And then there's nutrition.</p><p>Obesity rates have tripled in the last half century amid a rise in foods high in fat and sugars and a fall in physical activity, bringing greater risk of heart disease and some cancers. The World Health Organization has called on the food industry to reduce the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods, and make sure that healthy choices are affordable to everybody.</p><p>"Our current food system is a double-edged sword shaped by decades of the cheaper food paradigm," said Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP's Ecosystems Division. It aims to make more food, quickly and cheaply, without considering the costs to biodiversity and health, she said.</p><p>But at the same time, cheap food prices and productivity increases in agriculture have given more people access to food, said Irene Hoffman, Secretary of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), who was not involved in the report. "Otherwise, our current food insecurity index would be much, much higher."</p><p>The world population has doubled in the last 50 years to 7.8 billion people. While food production has kept up, 1 in 10 people today still go to bed hungry each night. By 2050, when the population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion people, the competition for land will be even greater because of efforts to grow plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.</p><p>A landmark <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140673618317884" target="_blank">study</a> published in the medical journal Lancet in 2019 found that world leaders could feed 10 billion people and still stay within a "safe operating space on Earth" by radically changing food production and shifting diets.</p><p>And doing so, the authors found, would make people healthier.</p><p>A move to healthy, sustainable diets would involve eating half as much red meat and sugar globally, and twice as many nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes. It would avoid more than 7 million premature deaths per year, as well as reducing pressure on <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/biodiversity-sixth-mass-extinction-animals-plants-kew-conservation-species-gerardo-ceballos/a-55099955" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nature</a>. </p><p>This, in turn, this would also make the farms more resilient to shocks like climate change, disease and soil erosion, safeguarding food supplies for the future.</p><p><span></span>"There's often a tendency to play nature against agriculture, which is absolutely not the case," said Hoffmann. "Agriculture depends on biodiversity, it is shaped by biodiversity [and] it manages biodiversity." </p><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/farming-food-biodiversity-extinction-food-waste-health-meat-plant-based/a-56416006" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>
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In the outskirts of Newark, New Jersey, tucked between a packaging manufacturer and an aquatics center lies a farm. Except, if you're driving down the nearby highway you probably wouldn't be able to tell that this particular farm is churning out thousands of pounds of greens each year. In fact, all you'll see is a bunch of buildings, because this is a vertical farming operation called AeroFarms, which grows all their food in a warehouse. Like the owners of AeroFarms, tech enthusiasts across the world have embraced the dream of vertical farming, exclaiming that their operations are the answer to feeding a growing global population, combating climate change, and eradicating food deserts.
<p>The many-shelved farming operation that is AeroFarms is just one of many companies that use vertical space to grow vegetables. What sets AeroFarms apart, however, is that it grows in a fine mist filled with nutrients instead of a typical growing environment like Rockwool and nutrient-rich water. But AeroFarms is an outlier in the vertical farming space. The typical vertical farm looks a lot more like that at Bowery, a company that uses a more traditional hydroponics system to grow their produce. Essentially, Bowery grows greens and other veggies in a nutrient-rich tray of water, which is consistently recycled in a closed-loop system. This system is then replicated en masse and expanded not horizontally, but vertically to maximize space. But because all these plants are stacked on top of each other, access to light becomes a big obstacle, which means that each shelf is equipped with LED lights to act as artificial sunlight. Some operations like Plenty go even further by shining only the beneficial colors in the light spectrum for growth. While some of these large-scale vertical farms can quickly become laden with advanced technologies like robotic arms and AI monitoring systems, at their most basic, vertical farms use a combination of artificial sunlight and vertical space to maximize the amount of yield per acre. These food factories seem promising, but they also seem like a lot of work. So why are people so excited about them? For that answer and a deeper behind-the-scenes look at vertical farming, make sure to check out the video above.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Changing Climate</a> is an environmental YouTube channel that explores the intersections of social, political, climatic, and food-based issues. The channel dives into topics like zero waste and nuclear energy in order to understand how to effectively tackle climate change and environmental destruction.</em></p><p><em>To receive all the latest videos produced by Charlie subscribe to his YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
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Farmers shout slogans along a blocked highway as they continue their protest against the central government's recent agricultural reforms at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border in Ghaziabad on February 2, 2021. PRAKASH SINGH / AFP / Getty Images
By Mahima Jain
Over recent months Raja, a farmer in India's Tamil Nadu state, has had a change of routine.
<p>Every few days, the 53-year-old leaves his 30-acre (12-hectare) farm in the Villupuram district — where he grows a patchwork of rice, sugarcane, coconut trees and vegetables — and joins a small group demonstrating outside government offices and main roads in his village. </p><p>Raja, who goes by one name only, is one of millions who have joined <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-farmers-mount-fresh-protests-in-new-delhi/av-56353165" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>sustained<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-farmers-mount-fresh-protests-in-new-delhi/av-56353165" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>protests<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-farmers-mount-fresh-protests-in-new-delhi/av-56353165" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a> across India's villages and cities in opposition to three farm laws introduced in September last year. </p><p>New Delhi, the focal point of the outcry, has witnessed striking scenes of tractor rallies and sit-ins on its outskirts, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-farmer-protesters-clash-with-police-on-republic-day/a-56342818" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-farmer-protesters-clash-with-police-on-republic-day/a-56342818" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">escalating last week to violence</a> and the storming of the Red Fort.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/indias-modi-lashes-out-at-protesting-farmers/a-56395824" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government</a> maintains that the legislation, which loosens regulation and invites private investment in the sector, will help encourage growth and increase farmers' incomes.</p><p>Yet farmers say the market-friendly reforms leave them open to exploitation from large corporate actors and endanger their livelihoods. </p><p>"We are against these anti-farmer, pro-corporate farm laws," said Raja. </p>
Farming in Crisis
<p>Farmers and activists fear the legislation will exacerbate existing stresses in the agricultural sector, which has experienced stagnant growth for six years and decades of rising debt. The pressures are believed to have <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-children-grapple-with-the-aftermath-of-farmer-suicides/a-51213478" target="_blank">pushed thousands to suicide</a>.</p><p>"There is so much uncertainty," said Raja, whose income hasn't increased for over a decade. "Before the software boom of the 1990s, I was earning as much as my engineer friends. Today, I am nowhere." He's been selling a 75 kg bag of paddy rice at around $13 (€10.70), less than the government's minimum price support, for over 15 years. </p><p>Raja worries that the new laws, which weaken price guarantees for certain crops, will leave farmers even more vulnerable. </p><p>The current laws push for contract farming, wherein farmers enter into legally binding agreements with large corporations and private players. Activists say this will place them in an unequal power relation, as a failure to deliver crops due to harvest loss could even mean loss of land. </p><p>A breakthrough in calming the months of protest initially appeared to come on January 12 when the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/india-supreme-court-puts-contentious-farms-laws-on-hold/a-56208301" target="_blank">Supreme Court decided to temporarily suspend the legislation</a>. But it was not the victory many hoped for. </p><p>"Farmers movements are against the Supreme Court order," said Ashlesha Khadse, activist and volunteer with Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch, a women farmers group. </p><p>The court has appointed a committee to hold further discussions between protesters and government officials to help resolve the ongoing dispute. Khadse says farmers believe the appointed members are supporters of the laws and will continue protesting until they are fully repealed. </p>Ecological Roots of Crisis
<p>She also argues the legislation fails to tackle the root causes of the sector's problems.</p><p>"The laws don't mention the environment," said Khadse. "But the farm crisis today has ecological roots." </p><p>She says that today's problems can be traced back to the 1960s Green Revolution, when the government supported industrial cultivation of specific crops and adopted modern technology to maximize output. India's food basket was homogenized as certain crops — mainly high-yield varieties of rice, wheat and pulses — were favored over others. </p><p>Land has been left depleted by monocultural cultivation of high-yield seed varieties, said Khadse. She believes the costs of inputs needed to keep producing has pushed farmers into a cycle of debt.</p><p>"The increase in agricultural productivity has come at a tremendous cost to the environment," said Thomson Jacob, a policy consultant at the Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law in Chennai. Jacob says these include loss of soil nutrients, excessive irrigation, water scarcity, indiscriminate application of some nutrients and pesticides and loss of agrobiodiversity. </p><p>Farmers today are dealing not only with the legacy of the Green Revolution but the added impacts of <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/indias-himalayan-apple-farmers-feel-the-heat/a-51607119" target="_blank">climate change</a>. Those working in the agricultural sector, which employs over 40% of India's labor force, grapple with drought and flooding. </p><p>Raja says a changing and unpredictable climate is affecting the yield on his farm. In late November last year, his crops were partially damaged as a result of Cyclone Nivar. Research shows that cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal, along which Tamil Nadu sits, has been rapidly intensifying due to rising temperatures.<a href="https://indiaclimatedialogue.net/2020/06/05/cyclones-rise-as-climate-change-heats-up-indian-ocean/#:~:text=Like%20Nisarga%20and%20Amphan%2C%20a,factors%20driving%20this%20rapid%20intensification.&text=%E2%80%9CThese%20are%20record%20temperatures%20driven%20by%20climate%20change." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a></p>Further Incentivizing Monoculture
<p>Although cultivation practices have been intensified since the Green Revolution, today 82% of Indian farmers still have lands of less than 5 acres (2 hectares).</p><p>Karthik Gunasekar, an activist with Chennai Climate Action Group, believes a further deregulated market will add pressure to increase output.</p><p>"These new laws will push monocultural farming and unsustainable practices," said Gunasekar. He argues the laws should be repealed and that price protection should instead be offered for a more diverse range of crops to incentivize their cultivation. <br> <br>Without the security of a base price and poor market linkage, India's indigenous crops — which are not high-yielding — have fallen out of favor over the years. </p><p>However, Jacob says that if farmers are given incentives to produce traditional seed varieties then the push for contract farming could be used to help reverse the decline engendered by the Green Revolution. </p><p>"If contract farming encourages organic products, it will <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/social-entrepreneurship-for-sustainable-farming-in-india/a-42147375" target="_blank">enhance agrobiodiversity</a>," said Jacob, adding this could be through export of traditional rice varieties and certified organic products. </p><p>Raja is less optimistic for the future. He feels disillusioned by the fact that instead of engaging with the farmers as equals, the government has left them at the mercy of courts and corporations. </p><p>"I don't want my children to enter this occupation, even though we've done it for generations," he says. "We farmers no longer trust the government."</p><p><span></span>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-ecological-roots-of-india-s-farming-crisis/a-56368937" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Black-Owned Farms in New Focus as Biden Looks for Solutions to Both Race and Climate Crises
01 February
Politics
Sedrick Kent Rowe Jr. from Albany, Georgia is the owner and operator of Rowe Organic Farms LLC. Black Farmers Network
Two of the four interconnected crises prioritized by the Biden administration — climate change and systemic racism — converge on Black farmers, The New York Times reports.
<p>Decades of racial violence and racist lending and land ownership policies have nearly eliminated Black farmers in the U.S. — 2% of U.S. farms are run by Black farmers, down from 14% in 1920. The Biden administration has pledged to address and work to undo the decades of discrimination against Black, and other POC farmers and to make agriculture a key part of its efforts to fight climate change.</p>
<p>"We've waited year after year after year. We've fought for changes," Shirley Sherrod, a former Georgia state director for rural development at the Department of Agriculture who was fired in 2010 over a <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVnRkf5zmBHdVMJsLM869WPmW4dVnpw4mx3B-N8yKgDh3p_9rV1-WJV7CgXmqW2-lltv1LRPMNW7cp7Hl7DDTqrW5s62xf4dpPy5W2q1S5G21dw7XW40pwQM5hdSWGW6r9pgg7z8_b9W8f2tdF83spfrW5BjtWW4_xrJxVvY90H6VN6zLW5Pfmm45M43kGTSXBf7LqvtqW8Z6DBZ2bscTdW4r4dGr3znSVhW1Dbzrv3dF7LdW7Cnpqz89V5M4W53K-lN5vXJb7W6WN0hd5MjFb3W4KYnt19lsTJ_TtK521Pfl3vW5SXLKX6N1c--W6LnTKs3Vdp1BW6tTs0X7Zsjh1N1lS0Dyj2wC0W2TmW1H2_kvLHW3Mb6F58Cnw_lW3NW-9B6Pdx_Y3dQl1" target="_blank">doctored and misleading video</a>. "Now [the USDA], and this country, really needs to figure out how to do the right thing by Black people."</p>
<p>Tom Vilsack, who headed USDA for the entire Obama Administration and is currently nominated to run it again, promised Black farmers "a seat at the table" during a meeting with civil rights groups last month. In 2015, less than 0.2% of the $5.7 billion of microloans issued by the USDA went to Black farmers.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/31/climate/black-farmers-discrimination-agriculture.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108970507&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9C8FFp3YbSFFWWaL_5Mq6INjD30iHheCvfGmeyOAysFfls7xnwTPt6oTNFavfxWqZF1RoBw99LumssF2F73wEdBsi-Rw&utm_content=108970507&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>:</p><blockquote>Sedrick Rowe was a running back for Georgia's Fort Valley State University when he stumbled on an unexpected oasis: an organic farm on the grounds of the historically Black school.</blockquote><blockquote>He now grows organic peanuts on two tiny plots in southwest Georgia, one of few African-American farmers in a state that has lost more than 98 percent of its Black farmers over the past century.</blockquote><blockquote>"It weighs on my mind," he said of the history of discrimination, and violence, that drove so many of his predecessors from their farms. "Growing our own food feels like the first step in getting more African-American people back into farming."</blockquote><blockquote>---</blockquote><blockquote>For Mr. Rowe, organic farming practices on his modest 30 acres are also an economic imperative: His crop fetches several times the price of standard peanuts on the market. That helps him compete in a business landscape dominated by predominantly white farmers taking advantage of huge economics of scale and subsidies.</blockquote><blockquote>"It's a good start," Mr. Rowe said of Mr. Biden's plan. "You take care of your soil, the soil takes care of you."</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/31/climate/black-farmers-discrimination-agriculture.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108970507&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9C8FFp3YbSFFWWaL_5Mq6INjD30iHheCvfGmeyOAysFfls7xnwTPt6oTNFavfxWqZF1RoBw99LumssF2F73wEdBsi-Rw&utm_content=108970507&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- How Can the Biden Administration Fix America's Broken Food ... ›
- Collective Ownership Offers a Solution to Black Americans' Loss of ... ›
- 8 Presidents Who Shaped the U.S. Food System (for Better and for ... ›
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Donald Pols (R), director of Dutch environmental organisation, Milieudefensie, and Channa Samkalden (L), lawyer for Milieudefensie react following the court ruling in the case that the organisation, along with four Nigerian farmers, filed against Shell over oil leaks that have allegedly polluted their villages, in The Hague, on January 29, 2021. REMKO DE WAAL / ANP / AFP / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Global environmental justice campaigners heralded a Dutch court's ruling Friday that Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary must pay punitive restitution to Nigerian villages for oil spill contamination that brought death, illness, and destruction to Nigerian farmers and communities.
<p>"After 13 years, justice!" <a href="https://twitter.com/foeeurope/status/1355111463912939524" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Friends of the Earth Europe.</p><p>The legal effort <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/18/landslide-victory-farmers-court-rules-against-shell" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="" target="_blank">seeking</a> accountability for the oil pollution in the Niger Delta, as Agence France-Presse <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210129-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-pay-nigerian-farmers-for-oil-spills" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="" target="_blank">noted</a>, was brought forth by the Netherlands branch of Friends of the Earth, and "has dragged on so long that two of the Nigerian farmers have died since it was first filed in 2008."</p>
<div id="10e8a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="26e1b3df87019c18af56013147d02734"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1355146661715210240" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Shell has today been defeated in court by Nigerian farmers.
This is a hopeful day for all victims of oil compani… https://t.co/TGWfuhJGDT</div> — Friends of the Earth Europe🌍 #BlackLivesMatter (@Friends of the Earth Europe🌍 #BlackLivesMatter)<a href="https://twitter.com/foeeurope/statuses/1355146661715210240">1611927116.0</a></blockquote></div><p>One of those farmers was the father of Eric Dooh.</p><p>"Finally, there is some justice for the Nigerian people suffering the consequences of Shell's oil," Dooh, who became a plaintiff in the case, <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.eu/press-release/nigerian-farmers-and-friends-of-the-earth-win-oil-pollution-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in a statement.</p><p>"It is a bittersweet victory," he continued, "since two of the plaintiffs, including my father, did not live to see the end of this trial. But this verdict brings hope for the future of the people in the Niger Delta."</p><p>As Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-shell-nigeria-court/environmentalists-farmers-win-dutch-court-case-over-shell-nigeria-spills-idUSKBN29Y1D2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>,</p><blockquote>Friday's decision went a step further than a 2013 ruling by a lower court, saying that Shell's Nigerian subsidiary was responsible for multiple cases of oil pollution.<br><br>The appeals judge sided with the farmers in four of six spills covered by the lawsuit and postponed a verdict in the remaining cases, where the lower court had previously found SPDC responsible.<br></blockquote><p>The appeals court "also held the Anglo-Dutch parent company Royal Dutch Shell liable for installing new pipeline equipment to prevent further devastating spills in the Niger Delta region," AFP added.</p><p>The devastation, as Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) has previously <a href="https://www.foei.org/news/oil-spills-ogoniland-nigeria-shell" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">described</a>, has been vast:</p><blockquote>Between 1976 and 1991, over two million barrels of oil polluted Ogoniland in 2,976 separate oil spills. While oil production has ceased, pipelines operated by Shell still traverse the land, creeks and waterways. Leakages—caused by corroded pipelines as well as bandits—mean that the area is still plagued by oil spills.<br></blockquote><blockquote>It is a painful example of corporate impunity that even when the tireless work of communities, individuals, and campaigners achieves some semblance of justice, it is rarely seen through. And nowhere is this more true than for the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta. As Michael Karikpo, from Environmental Rights Action explained to us: "The price for docility in our communities and country is the loss of liberty and sovereignty to rapacious and predatory multinational oil companies like Shell. Our communities must stand up and continuously demand accountability from Shell and the international system that nurtures it."<br></blockquote><p>Describing the scene in 2019 at a few of the sites affected by oil spills in the Niger Delta, FOEI added that the "horror of the vast stretch of black, lifeless landscape stretching out in front of us is something that has to be seen in order to be believed."</p><p>Nigerian environmental justice advocate Nnimmo Bassey, in a tweet welcoming the new ruling, drew attention to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who, along with other Ogoni rights activists, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/06/shell-complicit-arbitrary-executions-ogoni-nine-writ-dutch-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was</a> <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/1998/11/10/ken_saro_wiwas_final_testimony_b" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">executed</a> by the country's military in 1995 after leading an uprising against Shell's ecological damage in the region.</p>
<div id="7251f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d17fc3bdf03ed8d18c4089fe8c65042f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1355112842228363265" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Shell must pay, says the Dutch Court. Their day has come!
#RememberSaroWiwa https://t.co/PPz6zlKnwO</div> — Nnimmo (@Nnimmo)<a href="https://twitter.com/NnimmoB/statuses/1355112842228363265">1611919053.0</a></blockquote></div><p>According to Donald Pols, director of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands, Friday's ruling represents "fantastic news." He called it "enormous that Shell has to compensate for the damage."</p><p>"This is also a warning for all Dutch transnational corporations involved in injustice worldwide," Pols continued. "Victims of environmental pollution, land grabbing, or exploitation now have a better chance to win a legal battle against the companies involved. People in developing countries are no longer without rights in the face of transnational corporations."</p><p>Shell, for its part, said it was "disappointed" in the ruling and blamed "sabotage" for the oil spills in question.</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/29/after-13-years-justice-dutch-court-orders-shell-oil-pay-harm-done-nigerian-farmers" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Sustainably farmed seaweed could help meet growing demand for plant-based food and environmentally friendly packaging. Malorny / Getty Images
By Karen Scofield Seal
Demand for plant-based food and nutrition is growing. According to recent retail sales data, grocery sales of plant-based foods in place of animal products grew 29% in the U.S. to $5 billion between 2017 and 2019.
<p>Sustainably farmed seaweed could help meet this need, while also providing compostable, marine-safe packaging. UK-based biotech start-up <a href="https://www.oceanium.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oceanium</a> has developed innovative, "green and clean" biorefinery technology to make both these things possible.</p><p>With grant funding from Innovate UK and seed investment from Sky Ocean Ventures and Katapult Ocean (the latter two being ocean impact VCs), is focusing on scaling up their high-tech, innovative biorefinery and product development to find out more about the start-up's history, development and plans for the future. We spoke to Oceanium's Karen Scofield to find out more about the start-up's history, development and plans for the future.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTA0NjkxMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NTkyNDEwNX0.prYAa5RTPN9h65bZBqFavma6Q7U0kX78zw5kHzxN9Yc/img.png?width=980" id="4d8db" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cd7f42e6df46b7ebaebfcb3531469c3c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1702" data-height="820" />
How Oceanium's technology works. Oceanium
<h2>How Did Oceanium Come About?</h2><p>I met my Co-Founder and our CTO, Dr Charlie Bavington, PhD in May 2018. My background is in partnership and business development, brand-building and marketing. I've worked with (RED), Comic Relief and also run my own successful e-commerce business. After completing a postgraduate certificate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, I conducted extensive research on what type of business I could start that would have the most impact and that's when I discovered seaweed. Ever since then, I have been passionate about sharing its environmental and societal benefits.</p><p>Charlie is a brilliant biochemist who has been developing and commercializing marine-based products for the past 20 years. He was the Founder of the successful biotech company, GlycoMar, and has extensive experience developing marine-based products for commercial use. He currently has five patents to his name and is about to file two more for Oceanium bio-packaging. I shared my vision of making packaging from seaweed with Charlie, who confirmed that this was possible but that there was also an opportunity to capitalize on all the food and nutritional ingredients in seaweed too. Charlie and I co-founded Oceanium in June 2018, and have been moving forward swiftly ever since.</p><h2>How Is Oceanium Contributing to the Low-Carbon Economy?</h2><p>Oceanium's impact mission is to enable the emerging sustainable seaweed farming industry by creating demand for farmed seaweed. Sustainable seaweed farming helps to mitigate climate change via carbon and nitrogen absorption. According to the World Bank, seaweed can absorb 47kg of carbon per wet tonne which equates to approximately one tonne of carbon per hectare annually.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTA0NjkwNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjIwNTQyMH0.yq1pwGfSMACWwAo5yCwAV8Cn72NYdpTJVVR_c71Kwho/img.png?width=980" id="c301c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="704a4376a6633d40a91f33a3709a43e1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1706" data-height="1280" />
Seaweed farming in Oban, Scotland. Oceanium
<p>Of course, some of that carbon will go back into the system. So we are conducting life-cycle analysis on our process and products so we may improve efficiencies but also to measure and report our impact as we grow and go to market. We are liaising with organizations like Seaweed for Europe and the UN Global Compact Seaweed Manifesto to help quantify this carbon absorption and to ensure this exciting new industry grows in a sustainable and managed fashion.</p><p>Seaweed farms protect the seabed from commercial fishing and other harmful practices and create a marine sanctuary for sea life. Seaweed farming also has other immensely positive environmental impacts, as it does not require cleared land, freshwater, insecticide or fertilizer. Our seaweed-based materials can replace resource-intensive food and feedstocks which often contribute to deforestation. In addition, seaweed farms encourage responsible coastal management and create marine protected areas for sealife.</p><h2>What About the Economic and Societal Impact of Your Business?</h2><p>Seaweed as a food source will help ensure food security. It's incredibly nutritious and full of vitamins, minerals and protein-essential micronutrients, particularly antioxidants.</p><p><a href="http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf" target="_blank">The world will require 50–70% more food by 2050 and with increasing drought conditions and decreasing soil quality</a>, seaweed provides a sustainable solution to this challenge.</p><p>Seaweed can help close the "protein gap" in the more immediate term: <a href="https://www.europabio.org/sites/default/files/EU_protein_GAP_WCover.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Europe currently imports 70% of its protein</a> but Oceanium plans to process and sell its outputs on a regional basis to reduce transport miles of our products. We aim to contribute towards economic development and job creation in coastal communities by supporting small-scale farmers when purchasing seaweed, promoting best practice farming techniques and helping enable the nascent sustainable seaweed farming industry in the UK, EU and in the developing world.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTA0NjkxMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NDEyMjg3M30.VpXAdO3eWzCvGV4siC0LbArpKoTuQmtVLJEZ5JDJKfM/img.png?width=980" id="fc1d4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c058d2806f2795959cce4675f6c1bdf6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1696" data-height="1136" />
A pilot trial of Oceanium's proprietary biorefinery process. Oceanium
<h2>What Has Been the Impact of COVID-19 on Oceanium?</h2><p>Oceanium has continued to move forward despite the pandemic. At a start-up there is always plenty to do and we've been working on developing relationships across the value chain, researching and analyzing new opportunities, and conducting research. Interestingly, our nutraceutical product, Fucoidan, has proven to be an effective <a href="https://www.oceanium.co.uk/post/fucoidan-can-help-fight-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COVID-19 antiviral</a> in vitro and we are watching this research closely.</p><h2>What's Next on the Horizon?</h2><p>Oceanium continues to progress with research and development for our food ingredients (protein and fiber), nutraceuticals (Fucoidan, Beta glucan) and circular life-cycle bio packaging materials (film and board).</p><p>We have also begun work on two new Innovate UK grants. The first is focused on further development of the bio-packaging materials; the second looks at maximizing efficiencies across all aspects of the production process, from the seaweed farm to final product development.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTA0NjkyNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDkwNTQzMX0.W00nTcBP0c9GSB1mAsWnDeb4C1ASC2jQ7MW4G84712Q/img.png?width=980" id="c075c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92e7b8f7b111fd396f286d0a7730f165" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1698" data-height="1134" />
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/the-start-up-that-believes-seaweed-can-change-the-world/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum.</a></em></p>Oceanium research associate Andre Rastica at work. Oceanium
<p>We are scaling our innovative biorefinery process – we processed approximately 8 tonnes of wet seaweed in December and have plans for 45 tonnes in 2021.</p><p>Meanwhile, we are continuing to build relationships with seaweed farmers in the UK, EU and North America. We are also fundraising for further R&D, patent applications and undergoing regulatory processes as we prepare to launch products in 2021. We are well on our way to "Kelp the World"!</p><h2>What Resources or Assistance Do You Need to Achieve Your Ambitions That You Currently Don't Have? Is There Any Assistance That the Uplink Community Could Offer?</h2><p>Definitely. Our nutraceutical products will go to market next year and we are looking for commercial or business development experts in the nutrition and cosmetics space. Importantly, we are also fundraising so always keen to connect with funders and investors!</p>From Your Site Articles
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The Trump administration cites 161 vulnerable species that are already waiting in line ahead of monarch butterflies. Steve Satushek / Getty Images
The Trump administration said Tuesday that federal protection for monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act is still a few years away. The reason? The administration cited 161 vulnerable species that are already waiting in line ahead of monarchs.
<p>Monarchs will likely have to wait until 2023 to be added by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildlife-monarch/u-s-says-monarch-butterflies-deserve-protection-but-must-wait-in-line-idUSKBN28P2UB" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> reported. The federal agency oversees listing endangered species. </p><p>"Protection for monarchs is needed — and warranted — now," said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety, Reuters reported.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monarch-butterflies" target="_blank">Monarch butterfly</a> populations have exponentially decreased in the past decade, mostly due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. For example, North America's Eastern monarch butterflies traditionally migrate up to 3,000 miles every year from the eastern U.S. to Mexico to spend the winter, but <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monarch-butterfly-populations-2645571715.html" target="_blank">migration numbers are falling</a>. <br></p><p>Overall, the Western monarch population declined by more than 97 percent to fewer than 30,000 between 1997 and 2019, Reuters reported, while the Eastern U.S. population declined 84 percent during the same period.</p>
<p>"We conducted an intensive, thorough review using a rigorous, transparent science-based process and found that the monarch meets listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-delays-endangered-species-protection-threatened-monarch-butterfly/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>. "However, before we can propose listing, we must focus resources on our higher-priority listing actions." </p><p>Monarch butterflies may not have the time to wait.</p><p>"Forty-seven species have gone extinct waiting for their protection to be finalized," Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, told CBS News. "This decision continues the delay in implementing a national recovery plan which monarchs desperately need."</p><p>A decline in milkweed plants partly explains the falling monarch numbers. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed, but the plants are being killed off thanks to farmers spraying Roundup, a common herbicide, on their crops, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/climate/monarch-butterflies-endangered-species-list.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported. Milkweed generally grows in between crops and cannot survive <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsantos-roundup-ready-crop-system-puts-monarch-butterflies-at-brink--1882011134.html" target="_blank">Roundup</a>. It doesn't help that affected farmland is also prime monarch breeding ground. </p>
<p>In the meantime, there are numerous environmental groups and citizen efforts working to protect the species, including farmers paid by the federal government to maintain pollinator habitats. As adults, monarch butterflies pollinate many types of wild flowers. However, monarchs will have to wait for federal protection before herbicide use is regulated in their habitats. This is key to saving monarchs from extinction.</p><p>"One, we restore a lot of habitat," Chip Taylor, founder and director of <a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>, told the New York Times.</p><p>"And two, we try to convince our fellow citizens and particularly our politicians that we have to do something about greenhouse gases."</p>
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d3sign / Moment / Getty Images
By Amanda Fong
Food Tank is highlighting 26 books that help show young people that food can be a universal language. These stories illuminate the ways that food is used to show love, bring together communities, pass on traditions, and teach lessons. And their authors show that no matter a person's background and culture, nutritious food shared with loved ones can help bring anyone together.
<p>These 26 children's books celebrate food, diversity, the love of cooking, and community from seed to fork:</p>
<p><strong>1. <a href="http://tradewindbooks.com/books/a-day-with-yahah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>A Day with Yayah</em></a> by Nicola Campbell, illustrated by Julie Flett</strong></p><p>Set in the Nicola Valley in British Columbia, this book follows Yayah, a First Nations grandmother, passing down her knowledge of plant life to her grandchildren. As Nikki, Jamesie, and Lenny forage for wild potatoes, rhubarb, celery, and lightning mushrooms, Yayah teaches them words in Nlaka'pamux, the endangered language of the Indigenous people of the Nicola Valley. Readers can learn alongside the characters with a pronunciation guide and glossary.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="https://whyfarmit.org/agriman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AGRIman AGventures</em></a> by WHYFARM and Alpha Sennon</strong></p><p>AGRIman is the world's first food security and nutrition superhero. In this educational comic, AGRIman is joined by PhotosyntheSista to inspire future feeders and build capacity and knowledge in agriculture. The superhero was developed by Alpha Sennon, the founder of We Help You-th FARM (WHYFARM), a non-profit from Trinidad and Tobago fighting food insecurity. Readers can access the comic the United States as an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/AGRIMAN-AGVENTURES-Beginning-Grampas-Magic-ebook/dp/B08378MMDF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=agriman&qid=1606812696&s=books&sr=1-1&tag=techblast0f-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ebook</a> or watch it as a <a href="https://whyfarmit.org/agriman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">motion comic</a>.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Amy-Wu-and-the-Perfect-Bao/Kat-Zhang/Amy-Wu/9781534411333" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao</em></a> by Kat Zhang illustrated by Charlene Chua</strong></p><p>Little, fearless Amy Wu is learning to make traditional Chinese bao with her family. Making bao takes skill to fill the dough and pinch it together, but Amy's bao keep coming out all wrong! Follow Amy as she learns to use creativity to problem solve while cooking. Kat Zhang even includes Amy's perfect bao recipe at the end!</p><p><strong>4. <a href="https://www.terisloat.com/berry-magic.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Berry Magic</em></a> by Betty Huffmon, illustrated by Teri Sloat</strong></p><p>Yup'ik Eskimo elder, Betty Huffmon, brings this folktale about the origin of berries – traditionally told aloud to Yup'ik children – to life with author and illustrator, Teri Sloat. <em>Berry Magic</em> follows Anana as she uses magic songs to grow juicy blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, and raspberries for the Fall Festival and to make agutak (Eskimo cream). The book features illustrations depicting Indigenous culture, like dance fans made of reindeer hair and snowy owl feathers, and an agutak recipe at the end.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bilal-Cooks-Daal/Aisha-Saeed/9781534418103" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bilal Cooks Daal</em></a> by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by Anoosha Syed</strong></p><p>In this award-winning book, six-year-old Bilal wants to share his favorite dish, daal, with his friends. They have never tried daal before, and Bilal helps his dad cook while worrying if they will like it. Author Aisha Saeed showcases the value of patience, teamwork, community, and sharing in this picture book featuring the South Asian, slow-cooked lentil dish.</p><p><strong>6. <em></em><a href="https://www.leeandlow.com/books/cora-cooks-pancit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Cora Cooks Pancit</em></a> by By Dorina Lazo Gilmore, illustrated by Kristi Valiant</strong></p><p>In <em>Cora Cooks Pancit</em>, Dorina Lazo Gilmore celebrates the classic, Filipino noodle dish, pancit. Cora's favorite dish is pancit and gets her chance to be Mama's sous chef for the first time. Readers can follow along as Cora helps shred the chicken, soak the noodles, and stir the pot while sneaking some nibbles to taste test. This book highlights the love for a traditional family dish and the warmth between a mother and daughter cooking it.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/9781502705884/Dear-Tomato-International-Crop-Food-1502705885/plp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Dear Tomato: An International Crop of Food and Agriculture Poems</em></a> by Carol-Ann Hoyte</strong></p><p>Carol-Ann Hoyte brings together an anthology of poems by thirty-four different authors from seven different countries, telling the stories of food through haikus, free verse, and more. The fifty-one poem collection introduces children to a fresh view of where their food comes from on all parts of the "field to fork" journey.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/101808/dim-sum-for-everyone-by-grace-lin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Dim Sum for Everyone!</em></a> by Grace Lin</strong></p><p>In this book,<em> Dim Sum for Everyone!</em> celebrates the cultural custom of eating dim sum, which translates to "little hearts" in English. The story follows a young girl and her family as they visit a bustling dim sum restaurant. As they pick their favorite little dishes from the steaming trolleys filled with dumplings, cakes, buns, and tarts, the family makes sure to share each dish so everyone gets a little bite of everything in classic dim sum tradition.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://www.jamakimrattigan.com/dumpling_soup_8849.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Dumpling Soup</em></a> by Jama Kim Rattigan, illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders</strong></p><p>Seven-year-old Marisa, an Asian American girl, learns to make dumplings for her family's New Year's celebration with her grandmother. Jama Kim Rattigan based this book on her experiences growing up celebrating New Year's Day in Hawai'i, which she realized was much different from celebrations on the mainland. In Hawai'i, Rattigan shows that New Year's is a family-oriented holiday, a time for enjoying large quantities of food and basking in cultural tradition.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="https://www.csacoalition.org/store/From-Asparagus-to-Zucchini-Cookbook-p135983351" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>From Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbook</em></a> by Madison Area and the Community Supported Agriculture Coalition</strong></p><p>This guide is a nationally renowned resource for families who want to cook farm-fresh, seasonal produce. Filled with 420 recipes and information on more than 50 vegetables and herbs, this Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) designed resource promotes the consumption of fresh, local and sustainable foods.</p><p><strong>11. <a href="https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/food-fight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Food Fight! A Mouthwatering History of Who Ate What and Why Through the Ages</a> by Tanya Steel</strong></p><p>In <em>Food Fight</em>, Tanya Steel uses food to explore history in a fun and engaging way. Readers can learn the origin story of M&Ms, the delicacies found at feasts in the Middle Ages, and much more. The book also includes 30 recipes tested and approved by young eaters.</p><p><strong>12. <a href="https://artepublicopress.com/product/harvesting-friends-cosechando-amigos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Harvesting Friends / Cosechando Amigos</em></a> by Kathleen Contreras</strong></p><p>This bilingual book shows how a community garden can bring a community together and grow more than just fruits and vegetables. After making a deal, Lupe and Antonio tend a garden together, and bond over tomatoes, watermelon, squash, beans and corn. Over time, more and more neighbors become interested in gardening too. The book also includes easy recipes for young readers to try.</p><p><strong>13. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209357/how-did-that-get-in-my-lunchbox-by-chris-butterworth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?</em></a> by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti</strong></p><p>In Chris Butterworth's book, children can learn about the journey of different lunchbox items as they go from farm to fork. From planting wheat to mixing dough, climbing trees to machine-squeezing fruit, picking cocoa pods to stirring a vat of melted bliss, this book provides an accessible look into food production. It also includes health tips and a peek at basic food groups.</p>
<p><strong>14. <a href="https://www.sterlingpublishing.com/9781454925620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>How to Feed Your Parents</em></a> by Ryan Miller, illustrated by Hatem Aly</strong></p><p>In this funny twist, the tables are turned and the parents are the picky eaters in this bi-racial family. Adventurous Matilda Macaroni loves trying new foods, like her grandma's jambalaya and friend's sushi. But her parents will only eat pepperoni pizza, hamburgers, and takeout noodles. Matilda sets out to secretly learn to cook with new flavors and open her parents' minds to trying new foods.</p><p><strong>15. <a href="https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/in-the-garden-with-dr-carver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>In the Garden with Dr. Carver</em></a> by Susan Grigsby, illustrated by Nicole Tadsgell</strong></p><p>Susan Grigsby shares Dr. George Washington Carver's story by following a young school girl who meets and learns from him. Set in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, Sally and her community are struggling to grow food in soil depleted by cotton production. Dr. Carver, an African American agricultural scientist, arrives to teach them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature. He also prepares a delicious lunch made of plants to celebrate the food they can grow..</p><p><strong>16. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Its-Disgusting-and-We-Ate-It!/James-Solheim/9780689843938" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>It's Disgusting and We Ate It</em></a> by James Solheim, illustrated by Eric Brace</strong></p><p>This book is a funny collection of true facts of food dishes from around the world and throughout history. Solheim shares historical culinary creations, like roasted spiders and Garbage Stew, that were once eaten around the world or continue to be eaten today in a light-hearted and fascinating way. What is gross to one person may be a delicious treat to another, and this book teaches children to keep an open mind about different communities' dishes in this world food tour.</p><p><strong>17. <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/9781935579007/Cook-Fruits-Vegetables-Cocinar-Frutas-1935579002/plp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Let's Cook with Fruits & Vegetables / Vamos a Cocinar con Frutas y Verduras</em></a> by Gayle Schachne and Northeast Valley Health Corporation WIC Program</strong></p><p>This cookbook was created with families using the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) ingredients in mind. Many recipes are designed to encompass WIC ingredients, and all of the recipes are meant to be affordable, simple, and delicious. The first half of the book is in English, and the second half is in Spanish. Recipes were also written and tested by WIC participants and WIC dietitians.</p><p><strong>18. <a href="http://flashlightpress.com/maddis-fridge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Maddi's Fridge</em></a> by Lois Brandt, illustrated by Vin Vogel</strong></p><p>In this award-winning story, Lois Brandt shines a light on childhood hunger and food insecurity in an inspiring, child-friendly approach. Maddi and Sofia live in the same neighborhood and are best friends. But Sofia discovers that while her fridge is full of milk and vegetables, Maddi's only has one, small container of milk. Maddi explains that her fridge is always like this, and even though Sofia promises not to tell, she sets out to figure out a way to help her friend. This is a great resource to introduce younger readers to a serious issue, and also show children that they can do something about it.</p><p><strong>19. <a href="https://www.jeanetteweiland.com/red-beans-and-rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Red Beans & Rice</em></a> by Jeanette Weiland, illustrated by Roberta Van Zandt Loflin</strong></p><p><em>Red Beans & Rice</em> follows Magnolia Rose and her friends as they visit Grandma Bee and Grandpa Pepper's farm in rural Louisiana. Here, the children discover their outdoor playgrounds are the source of the flavorful ingredients used to make their favorite Louisiana dishes: Red Beans & Rice, Strawberry Shortcake, Seafood Po-Boys, Pecan Pralines, and more. Weiland weaves in New Orleans's food culture in this farm to table story.</p><p><strong>20. <a href="https://www.paulfleischman.net/newsletter.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Seedfolks</em></a> by Paul Fleischman</strong></p><p>In this critically acclaimed novella, Paul Fleischman uses thirteen narrators to tell the story of the founding and first year of a community garden in an immigrant neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. The characters come from a variety of ethnic groups and ages. From their point of view, each narrator shows how the empty lot becomes a vibrant community garden and shares the transformations they are each going through in life. Seedfolks has inspired countless school and community gardens and can also be performed as a play using Fleischman's school-friendly adaption.</p><p><strong>21. <a href="http://www.ogemora.com/books" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Thank You, Omu!</em></a> by Oge Mora</strong></p><p>Oge Mora was inspired by the strong women role models in her life for her story about a grandmother's love and community. Omu, the Igbo word for queen, has made a stew that smells so good the entire neighborhood comes knocking on her door to try some. She gives all of it away by dinnertime, but the community shows their gratitude in this story of using food as a means of sharing, diversity, and inclusion.</p><p><strong>22. <a href="https://www.kidscanpress.com/products/bagel-king" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Bagel King</em></a> by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Sandy Nichols</strong></p><p>In this book, Andrew Larsen features a special bond between a grandfather and his grandson, and their weekly tradition of eating bagels on Sunday. When his grandfather cannot bring bagels one weekend, Eli sets out to find a way to still share their favorite treat. <em>The Bagel King</em> highlights how a young child can take responsibility and, with a little initiative, help someone in need.</p><p><strong>23. <a href="https://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc_book/the-lunch-thief/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Lunch Thief</em></a> by Anne C. Bromley, illustrated by Robert Casilla</strong></p><p>When a new classmate steals Rafael's lunch, he initially feels angry. But inspired by his mother's advice, he decides to try to understand why it happened. Later, Rafael sees his classmate carrying a bundle of laundry into a motel room, and his mom explains that his family might be one of the families who lost their homes in the recent wildfires. The next day, Rafael invites his classmate to share his lunch in this lesson of empathy and understanding.</p><p><strong>24. <a href="https://katemessner.com/up-in-the-garden-and-down-in-the-dirt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt</em></a><em> </em>by Kate Messner</strong></p><p>In this book, Kate Messner vividly paints two different worlds in the garden. Up in the garden, there is an abundance of green in leaves, sprouts, vegetables, and fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world filled with all the animals that make a garden their home. This story will teach children about the different parts of an ecosystem, even the ones they might not be able to see.</p><p><strong>25. <a href="http://www.carolelindstrom.com/learn-more-about-we-are-water-protectors.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>We Are Water Protectors</em></a> by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade</strong></p><p>Inspired by Standing Rock and all Indigenous Peoples fighting for clean water, Carole Lindstrom, who is Ojibwe, issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption. In this book, a young girl stands to defend Earth's most precious resource from a black snake. Water connects everyone, and her courage teaches children that anyone can be a water protector.</p><p><strong>26. <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/yoko-by-rosemary-wells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Yoko</em></a> by Rosemary Wells</strong></p><p>Rosemary Wells shares a heartwarming story of open-mindedness when trying new foods from different cultures. Yoko the kitten is teased by her classmates when her mom packs her sushi for lunch. They think the fish and seaweed are "yucky." But Yoko's teacher has an idea. On "International Food Day" at school, Yoko brings sushi again and makes a friend who is willing to try it.In this funny twist, the tables are turned and the parents are the picky eaters in this bi-racial family. Adventurous Matilda Macaroni loves trying new foods, like her grandma's jambalaya and friend's sushi. But her parents will only eat pepperoni pizza, hamburgers, and takeout noodles. Matilda sets out to secretly learn to cook with new flavors and open her parents' minds to trying new foods.</p><p><em>Amanda is passionate about helping organizations drive social impact and health equity on local and international levels. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Willamette University, she taught English in Thailand at a primary school and saw up close how food moved from farms to local markets to plates. With a background working in multicultural settings in the U.S. and abroad, Amanda hopes to bring a global lens to her writing. She plans to pursue a Master's in Public Health with an emphasis in global health and sustainability to bring change directly to communities.</em></p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/12/childrens-books-to-nourish-growing-minds/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>. </em></p>
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Hopi blue corn is being affected by climate change. Abrahami / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
Climate change is making ancient Hopi farming nearly impossible, threatening not just the Tribe's staple food source, but a pillar of its culture and religion, the Arizona Republic reports.
<p>A two decades-long "megadrought" across the American West as severe as any in the last 1,200 years, has made Hopi lands even dryer than the arid environment in which they have lived for centuries, and heat waves made worse by climate change intensify evaporation, robbing the corn of even more precious water. </p>
<p>Beatrice Norton, 69, is a member of the matrilineal Young Corn Clan responsible for the tribe's food. </p><p>"This is our way of life. We are dependent on this corn for our ceremonies, our way of life, to be complete," she said. </p><p>"But eventually, if this is the way and the direction that this is going to go, our weather and then the environment, global heating and no rain, sooner or later we're going to be missing a big piece of what is a part of our life as Hopi."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/11/30/hopi-tribe-withering-corn-crops-show-impact-climate-change/5931561002/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9y8D3XTXSFwLwANv9QSBuZGtBI7yTIw4i6Bram56CIhxz9T1-yn3F4XNruO6STzdw3jToKLwOY392vKXbVTGPdfLEKHEz3tuJov4Aaoh9euz9HfEY&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Arizona Republic</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-change-drought?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9TbYuQOYNDvdnvSxALM83Y-zV5ts7wFnmf9CXh3vPEruqdfiipuGmwSklaBekdnFV8rDLYzYuZhZ3bOYfkUSUcEao5-SWkG7QyAcb7-gsi0KbTDj4&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Drought</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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