The FDA is about to debate whether to approve a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal Atlantic Salmon. Good idea or bad? Weigh in here in the Eco Bites conversation …
Category Archives: Noteworthy News
How Do You Define “Locavore”?
Last week, historian and author Stephen Budiansky raised quite a ruckus with his controversial New York Times op-ed piece, “Math Lessons for Locavores.” He took issue with the argument that buying local fare saves “food miles” (i.e., energy) and scolded local-food advocates for tossing around misleading and selective numbers to support their side.
Citing numbers from the University of Michigan Centers for Sustainable Systems, Budiansky noted that the big energy hog in our food system is the American household, which accounts for almost 32% of food-related energy use (from procuring food to storing, preparing and cleaning up after it). Transportation–the actual miles it takes to bring food to your table–uses less than 14% of food “energy.”
The piece unleashed an avalanche of responses. In her Huffington Post rebuttal, Kerry Trueman, co-founder of EatingLiberally.org, dismissed Budiansky’s “deeply unserious” piece as “another flimsy, flammable straw man [made] out of boilerplate anti-locavore rhetoric.” She notes, quite rightly, that consumer-related food-energy expenses have nothing to do with whether we buy our food locally or not.
On the other side, “Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert (who is sponsored by ConAgra, by the way), praised Budiansky’s “terrific” piece and declared, “One thing is clear to me: It is the beginning of the end of local.” He accuses locavore advocates of often distorting facts, which has confused consumers and eroded their confidence in the local-food movement.
Clearly, it’s not a black-or-white issue. “Local” often depends on where you live. If you’re in Southern California, like me, it’s pretty easy to get most, if not all, your food within a 100-mile radius year-round. If you live in Montana, where the growing season is fleeting, you may need a seasonal approach to local fare, as well as a broader definition of what’s “local.” In his blog, Politics of the Plate, Barry Estabrook suggests a regional approach to food may be a more realistic solution for many Americans.
As with so many food-related issues, we believe this takes a nuanced approach based on your needs and values. Lia is going to address this issue in more depth next week.
In the meantime, let us know what local food means to you.
NN at NABJ Conference!
We’re so excited! NOURISH Evolution will be on the panel for the “Food for Thought” workshop on Thursday at the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in San Diego. Catch our editorial director Alison Ashton as she and other journalism pros discuss the many ways in which food and health issues make front-page news, and the need for journalists of color to report on the food stories in the African-American community.
“Thumbs up” for NN!
Minneapolis Food Examiner, R.C. Johnson, poses the question “is NOURISH Evolution founder Lia Huber fulfilling her mission … of ‘nourishing body, soul and planet with every bite’?” The answer is a “thumbs-up” yes! Click here for the full article.
Catch Lia on TV!
Lia was on San Francisco’s View from the Bay on ABC today talking about sustainable seafood (and cooking up our delish curried mussels). Check out the segment below … the very last live segment ever for View from the Bay! “It was both an honor and a ‘waaah’ for me–I’ve absolutely loved working with the team on the show. Hopefully, our paths will cross again soon.”
A Brand New Look!
Yippee! NOURISH Evolution has a brand new look! And a ton of fun new features too. We’re still working out the kinks (just went live in the wee hours of Wednesday morning), so bear with us while we sweep up the dust. I promise an official welcome tour next week!