There are plenty of reasons to boycott factory farms, including your health, animal welfare and the environment. It can be challenging to avoid foods produced from animals raised on factory farms, given how dominant factory farming has become. But it’s possible. Here are some suggestions from the Organic Consumers Association: Photo credit: Shutterstock 1. Buy direct […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the comment period to Nov. 22 for its proposed produce and preventive-control rules that are part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The agency decided to extend the deadline because the web page where comments were being collected had bouts of being offline, out-of-service or not accepting […]
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification program for livestock producers would permit them to market their products with a special label saying the meat contains no drugs called beta agonists—which some estimates say are fed to up to nearly 80 percent of U.S.-raised livestock. Beta agonists are feed additives used to increase muscle mass and […]
Small-scale farmers, such as those who sell at the local farmers market or through a community-supported agriculture (CSA) say the supply of organic, local produce will be greatly reduced and many small farms will go out of business if the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) goes into effect as currently written. FSMA was signed into law in […]
By Piper Hoffman “Adam,” a poor 19-year-old Indonesian, found a job driving trucks for a palm oil plantation that paid $6 a day. The foreman picked him up for a three-week, two-thousand mile journey to the worksite in Borneo. Along the way the terms of employment changed: Adam wouldn’t be paid for two years, and […]
Who would think that one of the world’s largest cities, New York City, would be a major hub for urban agriculture? Well, it is. Food Tank has compiled a list of 10 urban farming projects providing New Yorkers fresh, local produce. 1. Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, 44 Eagle St., New York, NY A 6,000-square-foot organic vegetable […]
An increasing number of U.S. school districts are participating in Farm to School programs, reflecting the growing popularity of local foods. Farm to School participants implement healthy, nutritious school meals incorporating local food products and school gardens as well as lessons in health, nutrition, food and agriculture. Activities can include school gardens, student field trips to […]
The mayor of the Hawaiian island of Kauai this week vetoed a groundbreaking bill that would have mandated farms to disclose pesticide use and the presence of genetically modified crops. The veto can be overridden by the Kauai County Council with a minimum of five votes. The council approved the bill Oct. 16 in a 6 to […]
The deadline is approaching to comment on new rules proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These rules will impact how fresh fruit and vegetables are grown and processed in the U.S. The FDA is accepting comments on the rules, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, through Nov. 15. The rules, as […]