Month: October 2010

Cornucopia Institute: Scrambled Eggs

The recall in August of more than half a billion eggs tainted with salmonella threw a sudden spotlight on the egg supply chain. The resulting investigation of the causes pointed to the food supply and the condition of the barns and surrounding grounds where the laying hens were housed as potential sources of infection. The resulting media attention caused consumers to begin to question the industrialized system in which their food is produced; more and more the are asking for the story behind their food.

Appetite for Change by Warren Belasco

In this engaging inquiry, originally published in 1989 and now fully updated for the twenty-first century, Warren J. Belasco considers the rise of the “counter cuisine” in the 1960s, the subsequent success of mainstream businesses in turning granola, herbal tea, and other “revolutionary” foodstuffs into profitable products; the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets; and the increasing availability of organic foods.

The Next Job Generator

With the pressure on to create employment in a faltering economy, local food systems are drawing interest as a possible source of green jobs. But just how many is still a guess. A recent study for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture by a University of Iowa economist takes a stab at estimating the economic value and employment impact of increasing fruit and vegetable production to satisfy local demand in the six Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.