Welfare certification is a small but growing section of the marketplace; ASPCA’s Farm Animal Welfare Certification Guide covers three certifications that s represent a spectrum of higher-welfare ways to raise farm animals, from indoor-enriched systems to outdoor, pasture-based systems.
Farmers
Trump Signs Executive Order to Revitalize Rural America
Trump’s new executive order “Revitalize Agriculture and Promote Rural Prosperity” aims to increase economic viability of farmers and widen scope of exports.
International Day of Peasants’ Struggles 2017
Food sovereignty movement, La Via Campesina, honors small food producers with 21st annual International Day of Peasants’ Struggles on April 17, 2017.
Crete Cook Cultivates Sustainable Sanctuaries
Interview with Nikki Rose, Founder and Director of Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries, about the influences of history and traditions on nutrition, sustainability, and biodiversity.
Applications for 3rd Organic Farming Innovation Awards Are Open
Organic agriculture needs innovation and creativity to bring itself into mainstream agriculture sector and improve the overall sustainability of agriculture sector.
Lindsey Shute: “Agriculture is the wealth of the nation”
Lindsey Lusher Shute, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition, is speaking at the inaugural Boston Food Tank Summit, “Investing in Discovery,” on April 1, 2017.
Boston Globe’s Janelle Nanos: “Journalism is more important than ever”
Janelle Nanos talks with Food Tank about how she uses her passion for journalism to positively impact our wasteful food system, the simple changes we can make daily to reduce waste, and what gives her hope that we are approaching a turning point in our food system.
Leftover Plant Material Reduces Food Waste and Limits Pesticide Usage
Apeel Sciences uses what might otherwise be trash from agricultural processes to make a second skin that protects and preserves fruits and vegetables. Because of their Invisipeel and Edipeel products, more people can enjoy fresher, more nutritious produce.
Paul Willis, Niman Ranch: “Every person can ask and inquire about their food”
Paul Willis, Farmer and Founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company, is speaking at the inaugural Boston Food Tank Summit, “Investing in Discovery,” which will be held in collaboration with Tufts University and Oxfam America on April 1, 2017.
United Nations Report Rejects Pesticide Myth
A new United Nations report has rejected the myth that pesticides are necessary in feeding the world, highlighting the catastrophic damage they have caused to people and the environment.
Food Tank’s Reading List: 17 Books to Dig into this Spring
Mussels, cheeses, and biofuels. Permaculture and mini farms. Presidential chefs and scientists. Food Tank’s Spring reading list is a feast for the mind and stomach.
Under Contract: Documentary Exposes Hardships of Contract Farming
Under Contract: Farmers and the Fine Print gives a voice to farmers who are trapped in merciless production contracts. The documentary allows farmers and industry experts to describe how production contracts—the new face of modern agriculture—is reshaping rural America
Alfrea Plants Garden Spaces into the Sharing Economy
Food Tank had the opportunity to interview David Wagstaff. He founded Alfrea, the company with an online marketplace for landowners, garden helpers, and farmers who want to sell produce.
17 Food Heroes to Inspire Us in 2017
Check out how these 11 people and organizations are alleviating hunger, forging new attitudes about food, and partaking in vital research to better our relationship with food.
Financial Conflicts of Interest Revealed in a Federally Backed Report
Some committee members that collaborated on a federally funded National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report were found to have financial conflicts of interest (COIs). The 2016 report assessed the adverse effects of genetically engineered crops and their accompanying technologies.
Letters to a Young Farmer: Stone Barns Center Releases Its First Book
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture released Letters to a Young Farmer, a book which compiles insight from some of the most influential farmers, writers, and leaders in the food system in an anthology of essays and letters.
Inaugural Boston Food Tank Summit to Focus on Investing in Discovery
Food Tank presents “Investing in Discovery,” its first Boston Summit and its second one of 2017 on April 1. This event will bring together food experts and industry professionals for a day of unprecedented discussion.
ALUS Canada: Supporting Ecosystem Services in Farming
ALUS Canada believes in the power of farmers and ranchers to produce healthy ecosystems. This charitable organization transfers funds to farming communities, who work with landowners to develop projects that produce clean air, clean water, and increased biodiversity.
New Indoor Farming Company Is Growing “Post-Organic” Produce
Bowery’s technology-based farming breaks from traditional agricultural practices by growing plants indoors in vertical rows without any pesticides.
Applications Open for 2017 Growing New Farmers Program
The Growing New Farmers Program uses a mix of hands-on training in a USDA-Certified Organic Farm and classroom experience to prepare the next generation of farmers and food system leaders. Applications are now open for this eight-month program offered by Lowcountry Local First.
