In his new book, Tomatoland, food writer Barry Estabrook details the life of the mass-produced tomato â and the environmental and human costs of the tomato industry. Today’s tomatoes, he says, are bred for shipping and not for taste.
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137371975/how-industrial-farming-destroyed-the-tasty-tomato
Tagged with agriculture
From http://skeptoid.com/
Skeptoid takes a second look at organic agriculture. Supporters claim that modern agriculture is neither safer nor more productive; and that virtually the entire world population has been poisoned by the "toxic chemicals" it requires. What are these toxic chemicals? What effect have they had on consumers? And, more importantly, are modern organics any different at all?
Tagged with organic agriculture skepticism brian dunning
CBC’s long-form/big think radio program Ideas recently featured a lecture called "Feeding Ten Billion" from Raj Patel, an Africa development scholar formerly with the World Bank, and author of The Value of Nothing. Patel’s perspective on global agriculture and social justice is incisive and contrarian. I’ve never heard anyone talk about the demerits of the "Green Revolution" in agriculture like this, and it was an eye-opener. A perfect hour-long listen for the weekend’s chores.
Tagged with green agriculture cbc
Has food been replaced by nutrients; and common sense by confusion? Once upon a time we ate food. Now we eat nutrients, embedded in food-like substances, like yoghurt fortified with omega-3 or bread rolls infused with anti-oxidants. Are foods like carrots, broccoli and chicken better for you before or after they take a trip to the food processing plant? Do we need more nutrients in our diet or is it all getting out of hand? And are scientists to blame for all this confusion? ABC´s Paul Willis hosts this lively public forum with: Michael Pollan, a food writer and professor of journalism at the University of California Berkeley and author of In Defence of Food; Professor Mark Adams, dean of agriculture, University of Sydney, an expert in sustainable agriculture; Dr Ingrid Appelqvist, team leader for the CSIRO´s designed food research program.