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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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If you’re from the Southern United States, you’ve probably been served collard greens at some point in your life. Collards are so synonymous with Southern cuisine that legislators in South Carolina voted in 2011 to make it their official state vegetable, and collard green festivals are held annually in cities like Atlanta and ...]]> If you’re from the Southern United States, you’ve probably been served collard greens at some point in your life. Collards are so synonymous with Southern cuisine that legislators in South Carolina voted in 2011 to make it their official state vegetable, and collard green festivals are held annually in cities like Atlanta and Savannah. But this vegetable’s history and range extend far beyond North America. Collard greens are a broad-leafed vegetable of the Brassica oleracea species, which also includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Researchers at Texas A&M and The George Mateljan Foundation write that like most Brassica vegetables, collard greens probably descended from wild cabbages found in Asia before recorded history. They eventually spread through Europe, and the Greeks and Romans grew kale and collards in domestic gardens over 2,000 years ago. Collard greens traveled to the Americas by ship and have become the staple noted above. Collard greens are grown and eaten regularly in many countries across the world. In Brazil, the side dish couve a mineira is prepared by sautéing collard greens in olive oil and butter; in the Kashmiri region of India, haak, or hakh, is a collard dish that can be incorporated into a traditional and elaborate multi-course course feast called a wazwan; Portuguese families use collards or kale in a soup known as caldo verde, or “green broth.” Collard greens are a cool season vegetable that can be harvested into early winter. Collards are also more resistant to frost than any other cabbage variety, which make them an attractive vegetable in temperate regions of the world that experience mild winters. Collards are easily domesticated, growing in backyard or home gardens. Collard greens are also known to pack a nutritional punch. Dense with vitamins and nutrients, the dark, leafy greens contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, folate, and fiber. Collards are rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene which helps cells defend themselves against the damage caused by free radicals. According to the National Cancer Institute, beta-carotene may play an important role in warding off certain cancers. It’s important to remember, however, that improperly or overcooking collards – as with other nutrient-rich vegetables – can leach the vitamins and minerals from the leaf. Reducing the cooking time or simmering the greens rather than boiling can help professional and amateur gourmets alike preserve both the nutritional value and bold taste of these greens. Whether you eat them for luck on New Year’s Day, for their taste, or for the abundant nutritional benefits, collard greens can be grown around the world and are an excellent addition to any balanced diet. Have you ever eaten collard greens for good luck? What other countries have incorporated collards into their cuisine? Joseph Zaleski is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project. To read more about indigenous vegetables, see: Star Apple: Prized Fruit and Timber, Shalakh Apricot: Protecting a Species’ Diversity, and a Local Culture, and African rock fig: A fruit with historical significance and potential for the future. 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.]]> And in this post, we highlight a new computer game, called Game Change Rio, that aims to educate players ...]]> And in this post, we highlight a new computer game, called Game Change Rio, that aims to educate players about sustainability issues and help shape new policy options in anticipation of Rio+20 in June. Will Allen, the founder and mastermind of Growing Power, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, WI, recently spoke about the importance of a sustainable food system at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health as a guest of the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Growing Power works to support community food systems through training, outreach, and technical assistance. “We have a serious problem with our food system. Not just in the U.S., but around the world,” said Allen, citing 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. In this post, in honor of 2012 being the “International Year of Cooperatives,” we discuss the potential of agricultural cooperatives to contribute to socio-economic advancement. Co-operatives are business enterprises that are owned and controlled by the members they serve; this collective ownership often translates to enhanced food production, lower risks for farmers, and lower prices for consumers, all of which enhance food security and self-sufficiency. We received some exciting news coverage this past week. Our article on urban agriculture projects in Cleveland, Ohio was published in the Akron Beacon Journal. Our list of 15 Sustainable Agricultural Practices for Earth Day was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, and our article showcasing an unusual way to reduce food waste was published in the LA Daily News. Highlights from this past week: 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.]]> The report suggests that although organic agriculture can protect soils by retaining water and can result in large yields ...]]> The report suggests that although organic agriculture can protect soils by retaining water and can result in large yields of certain crops, such as alfalfa or beans, when it comes to major cereal crops, such as corn or wheat, and vegetables, such as broccoli, conventional methods delivered more than 25 percent more yield. But high yields are not the only important quality of an effective agricultural system. Rather than depending on synthetic fertilizers that can be damaging to the environment, organic agriculture relies on ecological processes that promote biodiversity, healthier soils, and reduced groundwater pollution, among other benefits, all of which contribute to a healthier and more sustainable agricultural system overall. As with all major environmental problems, there is no simple solution as to how to address our growing food needs. Report author Verena Seufert argues that “Given the current precarious situation of agriculture, we should assess many alternative management systems, including conventional, organic, other agroecological and possibly hybrid systems to identify the best options to improve the way we produce our food.” And we also need to make the most of the food that we already produce: According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about a third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, amounting to over 1.3 billion tons annually. Click here to read the full article and here to read the full study.]]> The Millennium Institute, the Biovision Foundation, and the game company, CodeSustainable, have collaborated to develop a computer game called Game Change Rio. In preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20 in June, this game hopes to educate players about sustainability issues and help shape new policy options for sustainable and ...]]> The Millennium Institute, the Biovision Foundation, and the game company, CodeSustainable, have collaborated to develop a computer game called Game Change Rio. In preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20 in June, this game hopes to educate players about sustainability issues and help shape new policy options for sustainable and equitable development. Game Change Rio is built on the Millennium Institute’s Green Economy Model, which analyzes data and key indicators from the energy, manufacturing, transport, buildings, waste, agriculture, fisheries, water, and forest sectors. The game’s data bank has over 5,000 economic and natural-resource indicators, and 125 policy options that players can choose. There are over 100 million possible outcomes that vary from destroying the environment to saving the planet. “The target group of the game is not necessarily hardcore gamers, but rather senior high school students, college and university students with some political awareness and an interest the issues discussed at Rio,” writes Hans Herren, president of the Millennium Institute and member of the Nourishing the Planet Advisory Group. “This could include teachers, tutors and lecturers of relevant subjects.” The best players will be brought to Rio for a final game. To check out the game, click here. What other creative ways can people become involved or engaged in Rio+20? Laura Reynolds 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.]]> 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.]]>