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С Лора Рейнолдс Департаментът на ООН по икономически и социални въпроси (UNDESA) пусна доклад, озаглавен "Храни и земеделие: Бъдещето на устойчивото развитие" Докладът ще даде своя принос за UNDESA устойчиво развитие през 21 век (SD21) Доклад за Рио +20, която ще служи като пътна карта, по време на Конференцията на ООН за устойчиво развитие през юни тази година. Нов доклад на ООН призовава за значителна инвестиция в дребните селскостопански производители. (Снимка на кредит: UNDESA) В доклада се иска вноски от четири основни групи, работещи в глобалната система на храните и селското стопанство: политика и търговска група, група за бизнес специалисти, селския поминък и бедността експертна група, и селскостопанската продукция и устойчивостта на околната среда група. Подхранващ Planet директор Даниел Nierenberg координирани селския поминък и бедността експертна група. Основната идея на доклада е, че през този век, земеделските производители ще трябва да произвеждат повече храна за единица на земя, вода, и агрохимикали, за да се хранят бързо нарастващото световно население. Но те ще трябва да се направи това, докато изправени пред изменението на климата, пазара и социалната волатилност, променящи се нужди на хранене, и все по-голям недостиг на повечето от факторите, участващи в производството на храни, включително и плодородна почва, изкопаеми горива, и дори фермерите сами. Сътрудници на доклада са съгласни, че един от най-проблемните тенденции в системата за прехрана и земеделие е неподравнени акцент върху максималното производство и добив. "Ориентация Сегашната" производство "е толкова остаряла и не се влияе от нашите текущи нужди, че се причинява собствените си проблеми, особено за нашата околна среда и природните ресурси", се казва в доклада. Отчасти като следствие от този фокус върху производството, 1 млрд. души са с наднормено тегло или затлъстяване в света, докато друг милиарда са недохранени. Вместо да се фокусира върху производството, политици и реформатори трябва да се работи за разширяване на достъпа до хранителни продукти и подобряване на разнообразието и храненето на храни. "По-скоро, отколкото просто" повече производство, ние също трябва да обмисли какво би било "по-добро" производство и по-добри системи на храните. Докладът предупреждава, че нарастващото участие на частните корпорации, в реформиране на системата за прехрана и земеделие потенциално могат да създадат конфликти на интереси между интереса на обществеността и на долния ред корпорация. Той също така предсказва, че бързо разширяване на животните и биогориво промишленост вероятно ще създаде и допринасят за сериозни кризи, свързани с храни, поради неефективно използване на природните ресурси. Всички тези предизвикателства изискват силни правителствени и международни лидери, както и увеличаване на научни изследвания и инвестиции в екологично и социално устойчиви земеделски практики. В доклада се настоява, че инвестициите трябва да се фокусира върху малките и средни земеделски производители, включително жени фермери. Той също така признава, че прозрачно и интелигентно измерване на резултатите от научните изследвания ще помогне на политиците да насочат усилията си към най-ефективните области на реформата. За да прочетете пълния доклад, кликнете тук . Лаура Рейнолдс е изследователска стажант за Подхранващ проект на планетата. За да закупите членка на Световната 2011: иновации, които подхранват Planet моля, кликнете тук . И за да гледате едно ремарке книга минути, натиснете ТУК .
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Cleveland has been thrust into the national spotlight because of high levels of food insecurity among residents. The city lacks grocery stores and is burdened by chronic diseases, including ...]]> Cleveland has been thrust into the national spotlight because of high levels of food insecurity among residents. The city lacks grocery stores and is burdened by chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. But just south on Interstate 77, Akron is producing food within city limits, with urban farms and local markets providing access to fresh, locally grown produce. Click here to read the full article. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> The African Development Bank recently approved US$63.24 million for a multi-CGIAR Center project titled “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa” (SARD-SC). The program, sponsored by CGIAR, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, is a five-year program expected to run until 2016. It will be coordinated by three specific ...]]> The African Development Bank recently approved US$63.24 million for a multi-CGIAR Center project titled “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa” (SARD-SC). The program, sponsored by CGIAR, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, is a five-year program expected to run until 2016. It will be coordinated by three specific CGIAR centers based in Africa, the Africa Rice Center, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, which is also acting as the Executive Agency. Specialized technical support will be provided by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The project focuses on research, science, and technology development in order to raise the productivity levels of and income derived from cassava, maize, rice and wheat. These are four of the six commodity crops the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme has determined are strategically essential to the future of African agriculture. The project comes at a time when the Regional Member Countries (RMCs) involved with the African Development Bank are especially concerned about the issues of food security and nutrition. In the face of rising food prices, creating a stable and adequate food supply is at the top many countries’ agendas. It is also the first time a single project has attempted to address food security in Africa on a continental scale. The main goals of the project are to enhance food and nutrition security, and to reduce poverty levels. It will target individual farmers; consumers; farmers’ groups, primarily those composed of women and children; policy makers; private sector actors; marketers and traders; transporters; small-scale agriculture technology manufacturers; and other institutions. By examining food systems across the full value chain of each crop, the project aims to address both costs and employment opportunities. This approach also contributes to crop-livestock integration through the use of the commodities’ by-products. The research-for-development approach being advocated by IITA has been tested in the past. The technologies, models, manpower, and knowledge necessary to implement its solutions are also already available through CGIAR Centers and national partners. Are there specific examples of instances where research-for-development programs have been particularly successful? Comment below! Jameson Spivack is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project. To read more about CGIAR see: Bridging the Gap in Climate Change Strategies: CGIAR Announces the Launch of the Adaptation and Mitigation Knowledge Network, Commission Aims to Produce Clear Course of Action on Sustainable Food System, and New International Commission to Respond to the Current Food Price Crisis. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has released a report entitled “Food and Agriculture: The future of sustainability.” The report will provide input for UNDESA’s Sustainable Development in the 21st century (SD21) Report for Rio+20, which will serve as a roadmap during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development this June. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has released a report entitled “Food and Agriculture: The future of sustainability.” The report will provide input for UNDESA’s Sustainable Development in the 21st century (SD21) Report for Rio+20, which will serve as a roadmap during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development this June. The report sought contributions from four major groups working in the global food and agriculture system: a policy and trade group, a business specialists group, a rural livelihoods and poverty expert group, and an agricultural production and environmental sustainability group. Nourishing the Planet director Danielle Nierenberg coordinated the rural livelihoods and poverty expert group. The central idea of the report is that during this century, farmers will need to produce more food per unit of land, water, and agrochemicals to feed the rapidly growing world population. But they will have to do this while facing climate change, market and social volatility, shifting nutrition needs, and an increasing scarcity of most of the factors involved in food production, including fertile soil, fossil fuels, and even farmers themselves. The report’s contributors agree that one of the most problematic trends in the food and agriculture system is the misaligned focus on maximum production and yield. “The current ‘more production’ orientation is so outdated and unresponsive to our current needs that it is causing its own problems, particularly for our environment and natural resources,” states the report. Partly as a consequence of this focus on production, 1 billion people are overweight or obese in the world while another billion are undernourished. Instead of focusing on production, policymakers and reformers must work to broaden access to food and improve the variety and nutrition of foods. “Rather than simply ‘more’ production, we must also consider what would be ‘better’ production and better food systems.” The report warns that the growing involvement of private corporations in reforming the food and agriculture system could potentially create conflicts of interest between the public’s interest and a corporation’s bottom line. It also predicts that the rapidly expanding livestock and biofuel industries will likely create and contribute to serious food related crises, because of their inefficient use of natural resources. All of these challenges call for strong governmental and international leadership, as well as increased research and investment into environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural practices. The report urges that investment should focus on small and medium farmers, including women farmers. It also recognizes that transparent and intelligent measurement of research results will help policymakers direct their efforts to the most effective areas of reform. To read the full report, click here. Laura Reynolds is a research intern for the Nourishing the Planet project. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> Will Allen is best known as the founder and mastermind of Growing Power, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, WI working to support community food systems through training, outreach, and technical assistance. The son of a sharecropper and former professional basketball player, Allen started Growing Power in 1993 after driving past a derelict ...]]> Will Allen is best known as the founder and mastermind of Growing Power, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, WI working to support community food systems through training, outreach, and technical assistance. The son of a sharecropper and former professional basketball player, Allen started Growing Power in 1993 after driving past a derelict plant nursery in northern Milwaukee. He decided to buy the nursery and start an urban farm to provide locally grown food for the community and a place to work for local teens. Since then, Growing Power has flourished as a center of agricultural innovation, making Allen the recipient of multiple awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship. Allen recently co-authored, with Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser, an afterword for The Prince’s Speech: On the Future of Food, the published text of Prince Charles’ speech on the importance of a sustainable food system. Allen recently spoke at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health as a guest of the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. “We have a serious problem with our food system. Not just in the US, but around the world,” according to Allen. He cites issues like the low quality of food available to youth at school, food-related illnesses, and the negative impact that food production has had on our environment. “Our food system should be good medicine for us,” he claims, “Some of us eat good medicine, and some of us eat bad medicine.” To achieve healthy communities, Allen asserts, we must have a food supply that is safe, healthy, and affordable. Growing Power has projects primarily in Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago. These operations include year-round fruit and vegetable production, aquaponics, livestock, and bees. One of their most ambitious projects is Growing Power’s construction of a multilevel greenhouse in Milwaukee for vertical farming. Growing Power is also supporting training, outreach, and technical assistance for local food projects across the United States and abroad. And the organization stresses multicultural and multigenerational diversity. Allen strongly believes that people from both urban and rural settings and of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities must be involved in creating a better food system. Allen says there is a need for corporate partnerships, which is a particularly controversial subject. Last year, Growing Power accepted a US$1 million donation from Walmart, drawing criticism from many of the organization’s supporters. But Allen believes such partnerships will be necessary to increase the capacity of local food systems, which often have limited funding and markets. “Ten years ago,” he explains, “we wouldn’t want those people [corporations] at the table. But for us to solve this problem [of an unhealthy food system], we need everybody at the table.” Allen believes it is up to the good food movement to educate the corporate world about the importance of a sustainable and healthy food system, and to lead the way toward making it a reality. And for Allen, the key to a healthy food system is soil. “When it comes to food, it’s all about the soil,” according to Allen. “If you can grow good soil, you can grow good food.” Much of our soil, he points out, is contaminated and lacks nutrients. Growing food in an urban environment can lead to exposure to hidden environmental contaminants, while food produced in the industrial system is often grown in depleted soil enhanced with chemical fertilizers. “A local food system is the only way to guarantee you’re eating food with its full nutrient impact,” says Allen. To meet this need for good soil, all of Growing Power’s projects, from community gardens to urban farms, depend on the production of compost. Allen explains that making enough compost relies on creating relationships within the community to effectively divert waste from the landfill. Every year, Growing Power processes more than 22 million pounds of food waste collected from community partners, including expired foods from grocery stores and waste from the nearby Miller Brewery. This food waste is converted to compost by the roughly 7,000 pounds of worms at their Milwaukee headquarters. Allen highlighted the need for such compost operations in every city, to make every available square foot a source of safe, nutritious food. Allen has also identified several technical challenges to improving the capacity of local food systems and urban agriculture. They include: incorporating renewable energy into food production; safely growing food on asphalt; increasing the output from vertical farming; and determining the maximum amount of food that can be grown organically in a square foot. These challenges represent the next steps to turning cities into hubs of food production—next steps that Allen and Growing Power are already working hard to take. Marlena White is a research intern for the Nourishing the Planet Project. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> The Foundation’s 2012 Innovation Challenges seek submissions of innovations that focus on three major areas of global agricultural development: Farming Now, Irrigating Efficiency, and Decoding Data. A Twitter Conference is an extended ...]]> The Foundation’s 2012 Innovation Challenges seek submissions of innovations that focus on three major areas of global agricultural development: Farming Now, Irrigating Efficiency, and Decoding Data. A Twitter Conference is an extended Twitter chat that allows real-time discussion focused on a specific theme. The Rockefeller Foundation invites “all innovators, practitioners, students, experts, journalists, activists, content creators, communicators, and any tweeps interested in these issues” to participate. Click here to learn more about the Twitter Conference. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> The United Nations has declared 2012 as the “International Year of Cooperatives.” Co-operatives are business enterprises that are owned and controlled by the members they serve. The UN declaration aims to direct attention to the potential for co-operatives to contribute to socio-economic development. This is particularly significant for farmers because agricultural co-operatives are ...]]> The United Nations has declared 2012 as the “International Year of Cooperatives.” Co-operatives are business enterprises that are owned and controlled by the members they serve. The UN declaration aims to direct attention to the potential for co-operatives to contribute to socio-economic development. This is particularly significant for farmers because agricultural co-operatives are among the most common around the world. According to a recent report for Worldwatch’s Vital Signs Online on co-operatives, 29 percent of the largest 300 co-operatives in the world are agricultural. Co-operatives are also important for the world’s poor because they can enhance food production and lower prices for consumers. High food prices and food price volatility are likely to continue over the long term and will likely have critical negative implications for both poor consumers and smallholder farmers because food is such a large share of their budgets and incomes. Food price volatility can exacerbate food security problems in the long term as well, because small-scale farmers are less likely to invest in ways to try to increase their productivity if food prices, which determine their incomes, are unpredictable. But co-operatives can help minimize these risks. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) explains that agricultural co-operatives are important because they enable small-scale producers to take better advantage of opportunities offered in the market place and to make better use of natural resources. By improving access to technology and training, co-operatives can create new opportunities for individual farmers. IFAD points out that co-operatives can help farmers in developing countries to be more competitive in the global market. In countries where agriculture makes up most of the economy, such as Ethiopia, agricultural co-operatives can be especially beneficial. Eighty to 90 percent of Ethiopians farm for a living. But the country will require US$122.3 million in the first half of 2012 for food aid alone. By creating and strengthening co-operatives, food production can be increased and farmers can improve their annual incomes. Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., launched the Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia (ACE) project alongside USAID in 1999. The ACE project trained members from 285 co-operatives in Ethiopia to strengthen their operations. Market linkages were a key improvement from the ACE program, helping farmers both find a market for their products while getting higher prices. The program facilitated co-operatives to obtain lower input prices and access to loans, which resulted in farmers who were members of ACE-assisted co-operatives earning higher incomes than non-members. Support for co-operatives goes hand-in-hand with current goals in the international development community. IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze recently announced a commitment to pull 90 million people out of poverty. He said that farmers need to be recognized as “small entrepreneurs,” who are important for our future, particularly as the world population is expected to exceed 9 billion by the middle of the century. Nwanze pledged to strengthen smallholder farmers’ business capabilities and to promote partnerships with the private sector. Agricultural co-operatives can play an integral role in pursuing these accomplishments. By connecting farmers at a local level and giving them access to tools and bargaining rights, co-operatives can greatly enhance food production and poverty alleviation around the world. Marissa Dwyer is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project. Do you know of any co-opeartives that are helping farmers improve their livelihoods? Let us know in the comments section! To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> In this post we examine a new report from the International Food Policy Research ...]]> In this post we examine a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute which analyzes 2011’s food policy progress made and setbacks encountered at the global, regional, national, and local levels. And in this post, we look at Green Economy in a Blue World, a joint report put out by the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, International Maritime Organization, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, WorldFish Center, and GRID-Arendal, which suggests that by promoting practices such as renewable energy generation, ecotourism, and sustainable fishing, we can improve the health of the world’s marine ecosystems while also boosting their potential to contribute to economic growth. We received some exciting media coverage this past week. Our research on food security was featured in the Inter Press Service and El Nuevo Herald. Our 15 sustainable agricultural innovations were featured in Reuters and the release of Eating Planet, a new book produced in collaboration with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, was featured in La Repubblica. Highlight from this past week: In this interview, “Whale Wars’” Peter Hammerstedt discusses Animal Planet’s new series “Whale Wars: Viking Shores,” which premiered on Friday. The series will focus on Operation Ferocious Isles, the Sea Shepherd’s campaign against whaling in the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic. According to Hammerstedt, ““Viking Shores” is different from past seasons of “Whale Wars” because the whalers themselves participated in the show. We were in a unique position to have an open dialogue with the local Faroese population.” Ninety million tons of food is wasted each year in the European Union, and food waste is expected to grow by 40 percent by 2020. The European Union (EU) has declared 2014 the European year against food waste and in the lead up, is examining the effects on food waste from food packaging. In the EU, new innovations in packaging are being developed to ensure that foods reach the store shelf long before the expiration date, which will prevent food being thrown away before consumers have a chance to purchase it. And in this week’s Nourishing the Planet TV episode, we discuss the Better Cotton Initiative—an international membership association made up of cotton retailers, producers, and non-profit groups—that is working in Pakistan, India, Brazil, and West and Central Africa (Benin, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso) to promote sustainable cotton cultivation that is less damaging to the health of farmers and the environment. Now it’s your turn: What were your favorite posts from the week? What do you hope we’ll write about next week? Let us know in the comments! To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> For thousands of years, natural fibres have been at the core of the textile industry. From cloth, to paper and building materials, natural fibres were always the base material. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, natural fibres are substances produced by plants and animals that can be spun into filaments ...]]> For thousands of years, natural fibres have been at the core of the textile industry. From cloth, to paper and building materials, natural fibres were always the base material. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, natural fibres are substances produced by plants and animals that can be spun into filaments or thread. Natural fibres originate from either plant fibres, such as coir, cotton and flax, or animal fibres such as camel hair, alpaca wool, and cashmere. As a completely renewable resource, natural fibres provide many benefits both to the environment and to those involved in the market that they create. Over the last 50 years, natural fibres have started to become displaced by synthetic, man-made materials such as polyester, acrylic and nylon. These materials are much cheaper and easier to manufacture in bulk, and easily create uniform colors, lengths and strengths of materials that can be adjusted according to specific requirements. The production of synthetic materials, however, is a strong contributor to carbon emissions and waste. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, it is estimated that every person in the world is responsible for 19.8 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in their lifetime, simply because of the clothes on their back that include synthetic fibres. Unlike synthetic fibres, natural fibres not only come from the environment, but also benefit it. These fibres are renewable, carbon neutral, biodegradable and also produce waste that is either organic or can be used to generate electricity or make ecological housing material. The onset of synthetic materials has not only been destructive towards the environment, it has also had a negative economic impact on those whose livelihoods depend on the production and processing of natural fibres. In an effort to raise global awareness of the “importance of natural fibres not only to producers and industry, but also to consumers and the environment,” the United Nations designated 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibres. The year brought global attention to the important role that natural fibres play in alleviating food insecurity and poverty by allowing small-scale farmers a place in the international textile market. According to the UN, natural fibres provide a multitude of human and environmental health as well as economic benefits. Each fibre has its own purpose in manufacturing, and provides better quality and more sustainable textiles than synthetic materials. Natural fibres in clothing allow fabric to breathe, reducing the risk of skin rashes and allergic reactions, and also insulate the wearer against hot and cold temperatures. These fibres can also replace synthetics in industrial materials, for example, in home insulation panels. Insulation made from wool or hemp rather than fiberglass draw moisture away from walls and timber, and are safer because wool is naturally fire resistant. According to the Australian Aid Global Education program, roughly 30 million tons of natural fibres are produced annually worldwide. Many small-scale farmers rely on this production process for their livelihoods and food security. Because synthetic fibres are taking over the textile industry, these farmers are suffering. Approximately 25 million tons of cotton is produced each year, but for the past 50 years the price of cotton has been driven down due to technological change and competition from artificial materials. Inexpensive synthetic materials drive small-scale farmers out of the textile market, because they cannot compete with the low prices. Synthetic materials, while inexpensive to produce, can cause more harm to the environment and economy than they do good. In order to improve food security, the livelihoods of impoverished people, and the health of the global community, the shift back to natural fibres must be made. To read more about natural fibres, please see: Where Would You Like to See More Agricultural Funding?, International Year of Natural Fibres, and 15 Natural Fibres. Leah Baines is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project. To purchase your own copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet, please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> The U. S. Grains Council has released a report highlighting predicted changes in food and agriculture in East Asia over the next three decades. The report, Food 2040: The Future of Food and Agriculture in East Asia comes amid a growing number of reports on the future of the world’s food supply. The report ...]]> The U. S. Grains Council has released a report highlighting predicted changes in food and agriculture in East Asia over the next three decades. The report, Food 2040: The Future of Food and Agriculture in East Asia comes amid a growing number of reports on the future of the world’s food supply. The report is a based on five main areas of research: consumer trends, competitive and regulatory landscape, food technology, agriculture and food distribution and packaging, and the environment and resources. The result is a forward-looking approach at how the interacting forces of the globe will drive the food system in the coming decades. It seeks to discover how ingenuity, technology, and resilience could create positive outcomes for East Asia. The research considers trends like a predicted era of hyper-nichification in which specialty and value-added foods dominate the East Asian market, and the projected increase in demand for food as a result of a growing middle class throughout East Asia. Click here for the full report. Arielle Golden is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project. To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]> Name: Peter Hammerstedt Affiliation: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Bio: Peter Hammerstedt is a regular cast member of Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars,” which covers the anti-whaling efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He will also appear on “Whale Wars: Viking Shores,” premiering Friday, April 27, at 9:00 PM (ET). The series will focus on Operation ...]]> Name: Peter Hammerstedt Affiliation: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Bio: Peter Hammerstedt is a regular cast member of Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars,” which covers the anti-whaling efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He will also appear on “Whale Wars: Viking Shores,” premiering Friday, April 27, at 9:00 PM (ET). The series will focus on Operation Ferocious Isles, the Sea Shepherd’s campaign against whaling in the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic. Peter is passionate about animal rights and has often put himself in harm’s way to protect them. When he is not working on Sea Shepherd campaigns, he is pursuing a degree in Media and Communications at Stockholm University and actively campaigning with the Swedish Animal Rights Alliance. How did the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society become involved with whaling in the Faroe Islands? Sea Shepherd has a long history of both bringing attention to and intervening in the pilot whale slaughter on the Faroe Islands, known as “The Grind.” Captain Paul Watson launched two ship-based campaigns to oppose the hunt in 1985 and 1986 and again in 2000. On all three occasions, no pilot whales were killed while Sea Shepherd patrolled the islands. In 1986, Sea Shepherd brought a film team from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) to the Faroe Islands in order to capture the cruelty of the hunt, resulting in the award-winning documentary Black Harvest. The film captures a dramatic confrontation of when a Faroese gunboat pursues the Sea Shepherd’s vessel and attacks them with tear gas, in an unsuccessful attempt to seize the ship and arrest the crew. Whale Wars until now has focused on illegal whaling in the Antarctic by Japanese fishermen. Whale Wars: Viking Shores, however, focuses on a form of whaling that is both legal and part of a long tradition and cultural identity. What were some of the unique challenges of this mission? I would argue that whaling in the Faroe Islands is not legal. The long-finned pilot whale is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species because there is no information on global trends in population. Additionally, the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats classifies the long-finned pilot whale as “strictly protected” under Appendix II. The Faroe Islands are not a member of the European Union; however, Denmark is and the Faroe Islands are a Danish Protectorate, which means that although the Faroe Islands are self-governing, Denmark still controls police, defense, foreign policy, and currency. Denmark is a signatory to a convention that makes the slaughter of any cetacean illegal within the European Union—therefore the Faroe Islands should have to abide by it. Regarding tradition, I don’t think that tradition can ever be used as a justification for cruelty, or for not abiding by international conservation law. Since the Faroese have been slaughtering pilot whales for hundreds of years, dating back to the 1500s, opposition to the hunt always raises a very emotional reaction from them. From having visited the Faroe Islands, I know that there is a lot more to Faroese culture than the pilot whale slaughter and I would much rather that they be known internationally for their music, poetry, and beautiful landscapes. What do you think was the biggest achievement of Operation Ferocious Isles? I think that the biggest achievement of Operation Ferocious Isles was that no pilot whales were killed while Sea Shepherd patrolled the islands. We heard through unofficial sources that the hunt leaders had all agreed not to hunt while we were present during July and August. These are traditionally the bloodiest months of the season. We estimate that our intervention saved the lives of at least 500 pilot whales. The show aimed to give more of a face to your opposition, who are local villagers participating in a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Did the interaction with the locals and the more extensive coverage of their side of the story challenge any of the crew’s preconceptions or make them look at the issue in a new light? Do you think it will challenge the show’s viewers in any way? “Viking Shores” is different from past seasons of “Whale Wars” because the whalers themselves participated in the show. For many years now, Animal Planet has approached the Japanese about putting a film crew aboard one of their whaling ships; the Japanese have always refused. Whaling in the Antarctic is strictly commercial, differentiating itself from “The Grind” in the Faroe Islands, where the pilot whale meat is shared among the community. Regardless, this does not excuse the killings and I would still argue that both hunts are a violation of international conservation law. We were in a unique position to have an open dialogue with the local Faroese population, an opportunity that we’re not afforded with the poachers in Antarctica. Those interactions proved to me that there is a growing body of younger Faroese who have no interest in the pilot whale hunt. Unfortunately, those voices are not always heard. How effective do you think the Sea Shepherds’ efforts were in changing the mindset of the local whalers? What do you think the most effective strategies are in changing hearts and minds in regards to whaling, especially among those actively involved in it? Faroese children grow up hearing stories of Captain Paul Watson’s previous campaigns in the Faroe Islands, almost painting him as some kind of boogie-man! So when Captain Paul Watson wandered around the capital, Torshavn, it must have been pretty mind-boggling for these whalers to actually see him in person. By meeting him and his crew, I think that a lot of the Faroese realized that we’re not that much different from them. I hope that they also realized that we’re not anti-Faroese, we’re only anti-whaling. I also thought of our campaign strategy as one where we would speak softly, but carry a big stick. In other words, as long as a hunt was not underway, then we could easily engage in discussion and debate about the issue of the pilot whale slaughter. However, the minute anybody showed an inkling of movement towards hunting, then we were ready to mobilize our two ships, our helicopter, our small boat, jet skis and even our lightweight aircraft (purchased specifically for this campaign and shown for the first time in “Whale Wars”) to intervene and shutdown any effort to hunt. How would you like to see others getting involved to stop whaling? I would love to see the Faroese who oppose the hunt, not to fear for their own personal safety if voicing opposition to the hunt. There is this idea that there is a dichotomy between us and them, between the Faroese and so-called outsiders who want the hunt to end. In reality, this separation is misleading because there is a growing group of Faroese people that are opposed to the pilot whale slaughter. Sadly, because the Faroe Islands are so small, opposing voices are quickly quashed and many are fearful of stating their true opinions. Outside of the Faroe Islands, I would encourage people to support groups like Sea Shepherd, which are on the frontlines, year after year, defending and protecting whales and dolphins. Sea Shepherd is entirely dependent on donations from the public and we are very good at translating that money directly into whales saved. Marlena White is a research intern with Nourishing the Planet. To purchase your own copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet, please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.]]>