Civil Eats

In Oakland, California last week, the political momentum seemed to clearly and perhaps irrevocably shift to formation of a sustainable food system for the nation. Hailing from three western states and Washington DC, 120 leading activists (from farms, ranches, philanthropy, businesses and NGOs), 15 USDA officials, and two important northern California mayors focused on the issues of food security, foodsheds, and public-private partnerships to accelerate change. The take home message from this groundbreaking summit is that an essential set of sustainable food concepts has pierced the intellectual membrane that shapes the American political scene. Perhaps it is only a matter of time until this welcome and healthy infection takes over the body politic. Read More

With a new year now here, and new season in the White House on the verge, featuring a President who successfully harnessed a burgeoning movement (one that I like to call the Transparency Movement or the We’re Not Going to Take it Anymore Movement) now is the time to put our potential into action. Read More

For more than a year now, I have been a subscriber to an excellent food listserv called Comfood, sponsored by the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). According to its web site, Comfood is an electronic mail list created to link individuals and organizations involved with or interested in community food security. Co-founded and managed by Hugh Joseph, an adjunct assistant professor at Tufts University, the listserv is administered through the university’s School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Read More

One of our own Slow Food Nation bloggers (and chef extraordinaire), Aaron French, wrote a piece for northern California’s public radio station, KQED. His piece, which was written for KQED’s Perspectives series, aired this morning and can be heard here.

The transcript is below:

Over lunch, during a break in the Slow Food Nation festival in San Francisco, I experienced one of those moments of clarity. I started up a conversation with the owners of a vineyard in Santa Barbara County. In passing, they mentioned the endangered California Condors that are increasingly seen soaring above the ridge-line. Read More

The future of our food system is at a critical juncture, says Arty Mangan, Food and Farming Program Director for Bioneers. “The industrial agriculture industry says that they want to feed the world, but at what cost?” Read More