USDA
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Four things you can do to defend organic against the GMO alfalfa threat
Members of the sustainable food movement are furious and, frankly, we have a right to be. Last month’s decision by the USDA to fully deregulate GE alfalfa isn’t just a minor skirmish in a long and exhausting battle. It threatens the existence of organic farming and organic food, and flies in the face of USDA’s […]
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USDA ‘partially deregulates’ GM sugar beets, defying court order
Big Ag — can’t beet ’em.A week ago, the USDA shocked the organic-farming community by “fully deregulating” genetically modified alfalfa, after acknowledging that organic farmers had legitimate concerns about the move and hinting they’d be taken into account. On Friday, the agency didn’t simply skulk away from its own words in an apparent attempt to […]
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Why new dietary guidelines can’t solve the obesity crisis
Ahh, breakfast.Photo: Elana’s PantryThe USDA released a new set of dietary guidelines this week and the updated guidelines were enough to put nutritionist Marion Nestle in “shock”: I never would have believed they could pull this off. The new guidelines recognize that obesity is the number one public health nutrition problem in America and actually […]
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How the next farm bill could plant a new crop of farmers
Microloans could encourage young people to become farmers.Photo: Chewonki Semester SchoolUSDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently called for 100,000 new farmers — a recognition that the U.S. farm population is aging rapidly. To create a revitalized, sustainable, and socially just food system, we need to cultivate a new generation of farmers — and quickly. But starting […]
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How to prevent your airplane from hitting a goose
I recently wrote a big-think piece for The Atlantic about how the federal government’s and New York City’s gassing of Canada geese in a misguided attempt to reduce the risk of bird-plane collisions actually represents the beginning of a new and disturbing era in Man’s relationship to the creatures of the sky. Particularly if you’re […]
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'Bio-based': organic’s sketchy new cousin
Will the USDA's new "bio-based" label, for products made with renewable ingredients, actually just enable greenwashing?
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Taco Bell says, 'Thank you for suing us'
The fast food chain, victim of a class-action lawsuit claiming that its taco beef is only 35 percent actual beef, has released a very polite new ad.
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In a stunning reversal, USDA chief Vilsack greenlights Monsanto’s alfalfa
After weeks of hinting that the USDA would restrict planting of GMO alfalfa to protect organic growers, the USDA chief jarringly reversed course, giving Monsanto's latest seed a full green light. I guess it's all part of Obama's push to prove he's business-friendly.
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Is Taco Bell's beef 'filler' the healthiest thing it sells?
As Grist's Tom Laskawy reported earlier today, an Alabama law firm is suing Taco Bell in order to force the company to stop labeling the contents of its Crunchy Tacos as "beef." The firm says their own tests revealed the tacos are only 35 percent beef -- the rest is filler! Not surprisingly, Taco Bell has called the firm a pack of lying liars, sort of. Here's the official response.