1. FOIE GRAS BAN THREATENED
Chicago’s ban on the sale of
foie gras, approved by the City Council five months
ago and implemented just last month, is now at risk.
Two council members, both of whom had voted for the
ban, have filed an ordinance with the city clerk to
repeal it. While Bernard Stone still agrees that "in
principle [the ordinance] is probably correct,"
he now blames it for making Chicago a national laughingstock.
Burton Natarus has different reasoning for his action:
“People have to be able to exercise choices.”
Gene Bauston, president of Farm Sanctuary,
which pushed for the ban, counters that "Chicago
has set a humane example, and it should be proud,"
and that "animal cruelty should not be a choice."
Bauston vows to “[monitor] the situation closely
and vigorously oppose efforts to undo [it].”
He recently had a letter published in the Chicago
Sun-Times admonishing chefs who “are still griping
and trying to undo this humane ordinance,” and
explaining why “it is time for this good law
to be observed and enforced” (see: http://tinyurl.com/q459r
).
The Natarus-Stone proposal will get
a hearing in the Council's Health Committee. If it
wins a majority of votes there, it goes to the full
council. Repeal would require a simple majority of
votes at a council meeting. Alderman Joe Moore, who
proposed the ban, says he does not believe the ordinance
will get enough votes, noting that the ban passed
the Council by a nearly unanimous vote.
LOVERS OF LIVER MAY TASTE VICTORY AFTER
ALL
The Chicago Tribune, Gary Washburn and Mark Caro,
September 12, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/n5c4r
2. ERNESTO STORMS AG OPERATIONS
Tropical Storm Ernesto’s pass
across eastern North Carolina on August 31st dumped
over a foot of rain in some areas. In Duplin County,
44,000 chickens and turkeys drowned. Additionally,
dozens of pig farm lagoons were left full of wastewater
– the state Division of Water Quality said that
at least 70 of the 2,350 lagoons it monitors were
nearing capacity. Raleigh Office of Environmental
Defense Senior Scientist Joe Rudek said these wet
conditions demonstrate the need to wean pig farmers
from reliance on lagoons as their method of waste
treatment.
ERNESTO COSTING FARMERS MILLIONS
The News & Observer, Jerry Allegood, September
6, 2006
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/483057.html
3. SOMETHING FISHY
Almost half the fish eaten by people
worldwide are farmed, rather than wild-caught, according
to a new report by the United Nation’s Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The percentage
has risen to 43%, up from only 9% in 1980. Since just
after that time, aquaculture has experienced a boom,
holding an annual growth rate of about 8%, while wild
fish populations wane. The agency’s most recent
global study found that of the nearly 600 species
groups it monitors, 52% are “fully exploited”
and 25% are either “overexploited, depleted
or recovering from depletion.” Another 20% are
“moderately exploited,” and only 3% are
“underexploited.” About 116 million tons
of fish, both farmed and wild-caught, were eaten in
2004, and about 38 million tons more were used for
other purposes ( http://grist.org/news/daily/2006/09/05/4/
).
FAO estimates that an additional 40 million metric
tons of aquatic food will be required by 2030 -- just
to maintain current levels of consumption. Limiting
aquaculture are rising energy costs, the availability
of land and fresh water, environmental impacts and
food safety concerns. Future supplies of fishmeal
and oil, used to feed carnivorous cultured species,
are also in question. Aquaculture now accounts for
35% of the world's fishmeal supply. The majority of
fishmeal is used for farmed animal feed, primarily
by the poultry sector.
NEARLY HALF OF ALL FISH EATEN TODAY
FARMED, NOT CAUGHT
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), Sept. 4, 2006
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000383/index.html
4. FIXING FOOD
“Every decision we make about
food has personal and global repercussions,”
Alice Waters states in the introduction to a forum
on food in The Nation magazine. The reason eating
healthfully in the U.S. costs more than eating poorly
is because our agricultural policies subsidize “fast
food,” making fresh, wholesome foods, which
are not given such support, seem expensive, she says.
“Industrial food is artificially cheap,”
she explains, “with its real costs being charged
to the public purse, the public health and the environment.”
In the forum, noted contributors were asked to tell
about one thing that could “fix the food system.”
Eric Schlosser believes that widespread public awareness
would do the most, explaining: “Once you learn
how our modern industrial food system has transformed
what most Americans eat, you become highly motivated
to eat something else.” (The movie version his
book “Fast Food Nation” will be released
on November 17.)
According to Jim Hightower: “In the very short
span of about fifty years, we've allowed our politicians
to do something remarkably stupid: turn America's
food-policy decisions over to corporate lobbyists,
lawyers and economists… As a result, America's
food system (and much of the world's) has been industrialized,
conglomeratized and globalized.” Hightower notes:
“The attitude of agribusiness is that if brute
force isn't working, you're probably just not using
enough of it.” He challenges: “It's not
a particular policy or agency that must be changed
but the most basic attitude of policy-makers. And
the only way we're going to get that done is for you
and me to become the policy-makers, taking charge
of every aspect of our food system--from farm to fork.”
Michael Pollan (see: http://tinyurl.com/oxq3z
) opines: “…the American food system is
a game played according to a precise set of rules
that are written by the federal government with virtually
no input from anyone beyond a handful of farm-state
legislators.” That “game,” commonly
known as the farm bill, “determines what crops
the government will support” and “writes
the regulatory rules governing the production of meat
in this country.” It also decides what will
be served in the national school lunch program, which
is designed “to help dispose of surplus agricultural
commodities, especially cheap feedlot beef and dairy
products…” Pollan advises: “...the
debate over the 2007 farm bill is about to be joined.
This time around let's call it ‘the food bill’
and put our legislators on notice that this is about
us and we're paying attention.”
Peter Singer (see: http://tinyurl.com/oxq3z
) explains inefficiencies and inhumaneness of “factory
farmed” animal products. He states: “Factory
farming is not sustainable. It is also the biggest
system of cruelty to animals ever devised.”
Singer recommends: “Going vegetarian is a good
option, and going vegan, better still. But if you
continue to eat animal products, at least boycott
factory farms.” Wendell Berry, Eliot Coleman,
Troy Duster, Winona Laduke, Marion Nestle, Carlo Petrini,
Elizabeth Ransom, and Vandana Shiva also contribute
to the forum.
SLOW FOOD NATION
The Nation, Alice Waters, September 9, 2006
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060911/waters
ONE THING TO DO ABOUT FOOD: A FORUM
The Nation, September 11, 2006
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060911/forum
5.
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON
AGROTERRORISM
The 2006 International Symposium on Agroterrorism,
to be held September 25-29 in Kansas, Mo., “will
provide a more detailed discussion of topics and issues
related to food defense and security through a collaborative
environment in order to facilitate the exchange of
intelligence and enhance the understanding of the
respective roles among the stakeholders within this
evolving arena. Delegates from the United States and
over 20 foreign countries are expected to participate
in this symposium.” A copy of the draft agenda
is now available: http://www.fbi-isa.org
Info on the 2005 symposium, including the presentations,
can be found at: http://www.fbi-isa.org/isa_2005.htm
and http://www.fbi-isa.org/presenters.htm
WORLD FARM ANIMALS DAY
World Farm Animals Day will be observed on October
2nd (in honor of the birthday of ethical vegetarian
Mahatma Gandhi) in all 50 states and two dozen other
countries as “a time for all to stand up to
the pointless suffering and death of 50 billion cows,
pigs, turkeys, chickens and other innocent, feeling
animals in the world’s factory farms and slaughterhouses.”
See: http://wfad.org
THE STRENGTH OF MANY
The 21st Annual International Compassionate Living
Festival will be held October 6-8 in Los Angeles,
Ca. Presentations on poultry and one on “Farm
workers and other Latino issues related to animals,
agribusiness and culture” are among those scheduled.
See: http://www.animalsandsociety.org/conference06.htm
Information about the 2004 and 2005 conferences is
also available on the site.
MODERN AGRICULTURE AND PUBLIC TRUST
The Grow America Project (GAP) is a just launched
“agricultural and food industry consortium developed
to improve the public's understanding of modern agricultural
and food production systems.” The founding members
are Elanco Animal Health, Country Mark Co-op, Fair
Oaks Dairy, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture,
Maple Leaf Duck Farms, Monsanto Co., and the Pork
Board. GAP will be holding a summit on October 25
& 26 in Indianapolis, In., to “address the
growing challenges facing modern agriculture in America.”
Keynote speaker U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike
Johanns will be joined by other Summit participants,
including “members of the food production industry,
members of academia, and members of health, conservation
and environmental organizations.” Info at: http://www.growamericaproject.org/summit/
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