UN Commission on the Status of Women Addresses Challenges of Rural Women, Agriculture, Development

The following post was written by Lauren McIntosh, a third-year law student at Pace University. Lauren and I are two of the observers designated by the American Society of International Law to attend the United Nation's 56th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Rural women are a focus of the 56th Session, which means that agriculture is, too. Here's Lauren's post:

Monday marked the beginning of the 56^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW56) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This year’s priority theme is the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development, and other current challenges. This theme seems more relevant than ever now that the world’s population has exceeded 7 billion (expected to reach 9 billion by the year 2050), with rural women making up one-fourth of the population.

The Honorable Marjon V. Kamara of Liberia, the Chair of CSW56, opened the session in the General Assembly Hall with the delegates from the Member States of the United Nations and representatives and observers from national, regional, and local organizations in attendance.During her opening statement, Kamara emphasized that much normative work on gender equality remains to be done in the political realm at the international level, and actual implementation at the national level is also a major task. This includes bridging the gap between the promises made at the international level and their implementation at the national level; thus, the real work begins after CSW56 when the delegates return to their home countries. Furthermore, she stated that the goal of gender equality is not a task to be undertaken only by women, but it is the responsibility of society as a whole to work towards achieving this goal.

We also had the honor of hearing from Michelle Bachelet, the first Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of U.N. Women and the former President of Chile. She stressed that the session’s priority theme is pressing as it includes issues relating to human rights, equality, and justice for a quarter of the world’s population; furthermore, empowering rural women is not just good for women, but advances the interests of all members of society. Although they are often overlooked, rural women are actually on the front lines of many pressing global issues, such as climate change and its effects on agriculture. The Arab Spring and other such movements have also shown us that we must open up the political process to all members of society, especially rural women. Strides have been made, and more women now work and participate in politics at the international, national, and local level, but this is not enough, as rural women also need economic independence. In this realm, Bachelet noted, rural women have seen less progress. For example, women farmers receive only five percent of agricultural extension services. She also quoted a rural woman who expressed another challenge:

When the land is in my husband’s name, I’m only a worker. When it is in my name, I have some position in society.

One especially interesting point raised by Bachelet was the important role a cell phone can play in the life of a rural woman, as it is a means to acquire services and carry out business. A recent study showed that 41 percent of women reported an increase in income and professional opportunities because of their cell phones. Ultimately, in order to achieve economic independence, rural women need better access to basic infrastructure and technology. Bachelet concluded by stating:

I know that equality is possible. It will take time. It will take our concerted and collective effort. But I am convinced that if we put our energies into empowering women and advancing gender equality, we will create a new and better future.

As both Kamara and Bachelet emphasized in launching CSW56, much work lies ahead. After this encouraging start, the delegations, observers, and attendees moved on to smaller group discussions, roundtables, and panels to get on with that important work.

***

My articles about CEDAW's Article 14, which is entirely about the rights of rural women--several of those rights directly related to agriculture--are here, here, and here.

Cross posted to Legal Ruralism and IntLawGrrls.

A new blog: Commercial Law

The Jurisdynamics Network is pleased to announce a new member of its family of weblogs, Commercial Law. The law of sales, leases, payments, finance, and lending has manifested some of the most dramatic responses by the law to social, economic, and technological change. From lex mercatoria to the Convention on the International Sale of Goods, from the Negotiable Instruments Law to the rapidly evolving field of electronic payments law, commercial law has been and continues to be a fascinating field in which to observe the interaction of law and business. And the venerable Uniform Commercial Code remains fertile ground for the quintessentially jurisdynamic enterprise of statutory interpretation.

We hope you will visit Commercial Law often at http://UCCLaw.blogspot.com.

{Brunch in NYC} M Wells

I love brunch, but my husband doesn't.  He thinks that eggs, toast, juice, and fruit is so easy to make at home, he doesn't like to go out and pay NYC prices for it.  But when a brunch menu offers tartare and bone marrow, he'll gladly leave his preconceived notions about brunch and hop on the 7 train with me to Queens.

Ever since owners Sarah and Hugue (whose homemade tourtieres we've enjoyed) opened up M. Wells, we've been eager to try it.  Their diner isn't your typical diner.  The food has a Quebecois influence and is rich in flavor.  With our love for bone marrow, we immediately ordered the Escargots and Bone Marrow ($9) with shallots and red wine puree.  It was nicely breaded (giving it a crispy texture) and seasoned with herbs.

My husband's favorite dish was the Beef Tartare ($14).  It was made with Filet Mignon, covered with a poached egg, and served with a side of well-seasoned greens and crunchy bread.  He loved it and still talks about this dish.   

Pancakes are a brunch staple, so I order the Maple Syrup Ploye ($5). These buckwheat crepes are cooked on one side and are very hearty. Much like oatmeal, the ploye fills you up.  Though I prefer the traditional fluffy pancakes (like the ones I had at Clinton St. Baking Co.), my husband liked these ones.   

The Bacon and Hash ($8) dish came with poached egg and Brussels sprouts.  We both enjoyed this dish - we do love anything with a runny egg.  My husband couldn't get enough of the large chunks of bacon, while I actually wished for more Brussels sprouts!    

We'll definitely return to M. Wells, especially now that they're open for dinner too (currently serving Peking Duck and Salmon Coulibiac).  

M. Wells is located at 21-17 49th Ave in Long Island City, Queens, NYC.

U.S. District Judge Rejects Organic Farmers' Suit Against Monsanto

U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, Southern District of New York, last week dismissed a lawsuit that a group of organic farmers, seed companies and food safety groups had filed in March, 2011, against agribusiness giant Monsanto Corporation. The plaintiffs acted preemptively, essentially seeking protection against lawsuits by Monsanto should the corporation sue for patent infringement based on the anticipated but unintended (and, indeed, undesirable) presence of genetically modified crops among their yields. The plaintiffs sought a ruling that that Monsanto's patent were invalid because they are "injurious." The plaintiffs claimed that Monsanto's practice was to "aggressively assert[]" patent claims against U.S. farmers. They plaintiffs alleged that Monsanto engages in "baseless litigation to intimidate farmers and restrict competition with its transgenic seed."

Buchwald rejected these arguments, writing:

There is no evidence that plaintiffs are infringing defendants' patents, nor have plaintiffs suggested when, if ever, such infringement will occur.

Indeed, Judge Buchwald found the plaintiffs' claims "unsubstantiated ... given that not one single plaintiff claims to have been so threatened." Judge Buchwald also found that the plaintiffs had "overstate[d] the magnitude of [the defendant's] patent enforcement." Monsanto brings an average of 13 patent-enforcement lawsuits each year. Judge Buchwald found this "hardly significant when compared to he number of farms in the United States, approximately two million."

In addition to fearing patent infringement claims by Monsanto, the organic farmers and other plaintiffs note that genetically modified organism (GMO) material also lowers the value of their product. Because of unavoidable cross-pollination, most organic corn in the U.S. contains between half a percent and two percent GMOs. Read more here.

The case is Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association v. Monsanto Co., 11-02163, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Read NPR's coverage of the matter here. The Sacramento Bee ran this Monsanto Press Release.

Cross-posted to Legal Ruralism. Photo above: organic farm in Newton County, Arkansas.

A Place at the Table - Available March 1

On March 1, A Place at the Table, a powerful new documentary will be released in select theaters and for streaming via iTunes and On Demand.

Fifty million people in the U.S.—one in four children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.
Ultimately, A Place at the Table shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides — as they have in the past — that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all. 

Credit to Wired for Reporting on Antibiotic Resistance

In a recent post, Antibiotic Resistance and US Meat, I blogged about two recent reports on the use of antibiotics in livestock production and antibiotic resistant bacteria in retail meat. I lamented that few major media outlets covered the release of these reports. A comment to the post led me to an excellent article posted on, Wired by Maryn McKenna, Antibiotics and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Meat: Not Getting Better.   I amended the post to reflect this link, and I offer it in this separate post. Nice to know that people are reading the blog and providing us with additional information.

Sri Lanka on a platter (The Hindu's Metro Plus)

Note: I had written this for The Hindu's Metro Plus supplement. You can find the original review article on The Hindu's site here: The Hindu Metro Plus - Sri Lankan Food Festival Review

My original headline was " Culinary bridge to Lanka". I wish they had retained it instead of the "Sri Lanka on a platter" the edit team has put in.

Sri Lanka on a platter

The Sri Lankan Food Festival at Taj Residency introduces you to authentic cuisine of the island country, but some of the more popular dishes out there are missing

GOOD STARTER The festival offers a pleasant introduction to the island country's cuisine Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

The mention of Sri Lanka evokes vivid images of the Ramayana, Muralidharan's offbreaks, Tiger Prabhakaran and sprawling colonial tea gardens. The teardrop island south of the border has a historic past and a delightful cuisine to match. Fortunately, here's an opportunity to sample authentic Sri Lankan food right here in Bangalore.

The Sri Lankan Food Festival, which runs through March 5, is at the lovely poolside Café Mozaic at the Taj Residency on MG Road. Head chef Selvaraju, who has lived for several years in the Lankan resort city of Bentotta running the Taj Exotica restaurant, has brought along two chefs to ensure the preparations are authentic. All spices are freshly prepared — ground from natural ingredients.

While Lankan food is similar to Kerala food, beef and pork are not typically eaten, apparently due to the Sinhalese Buddhist beliefs. Instead, the use of soy meat as a substitute is common. Ghee is used sparingly, and rice forms the staple.

The buffet starts with a sambol, which is a grated salad that is had with naan or fish curry. The popular ones are the lunu sambol (onion) and pol sambol (coconut).

The vegetarian main course items are the traditional ala thel dhala (potato curry) and the mushroom curry, flavoured with authentic thuna paha (Lankan masala). Most Lankans are non-vegetarians, and the curries have flavours influenced by Dutch and Portuguese cuisine and are reminiscent of our vindaloo.

We sampled the soft shell crab curry, the lamb curry and the isso curry (prawns). The large chilli prawns cooked with coconut milk and flavoured with curry leaves and lemon grass was excellent, and was the highlight of the meal. For those unaccustomed to the flavour of lemon grass, the taste may be a tad too citrus for their liking.

You can also pick live seafood and spices of your choice from the display and request to have it cooked.

The dessert selection was quite impressive, and we were treated to kauwum, kockis, pol toffee, which are typically had during the Lankan New Year which falls in April. We also sampled the watalappam, a mildly spiced dessert resembling crème custard flavoured with Lankan hakuru (jaggery) and cardamom.

We did not get to sample the well-known kithul treacle and buffalo yoghurt dessert, but were told it would be available at the evening buffet. A limited Lankan tea selection is also available.

Having spent a couple of weeks travelling through Sri Lanka last year, I had expected to see of some typical dishes I had enjoyed. However, the hoppers, Maldive fish, kiri bath (coconut milk boiled rice had with sambol and fish curry), mango chutney and popular fruits like pineapple fritters, rambutan and mangosteen were not included in the buffet. Also, the thambili (king coconut) and ginger beer, both of which are excellent accompaniments to a spicy Lankan dinner, were missing.

Bottomline: The festival offers a pleasant introduction to Sri Lankan food for a first-timer with excellent seafood and vegetarian dishes in pleasant café surroundings. The dinner buffet starts at 7 p.m. Call 5660-4444 for reservations.

Ambience: Excellent

Service: Good

Specialty: Pick live seafood and have it cooked to your preference

Wallet factor: Rs. 850 for the buffet

ARAVIND KRISHNASWAMY

Food & Agriculture at Law Schools: Harvard Law School

As was reported in Food & Agriculture: New Trend in Higher Education, undergraduate academic programs have picked up on growing interest in agricultural & food policy. Law Schools are now joining the ranks of those captivated by issues involving our food system - and there are some fascinating projects and opportunities.

This is the first of a series of posts highlighting the work that law students and their professors are doing in the area of agricultural & food law. It is my hope that through these posts, we can connect law school initiatives, learn from each other, and develop ways to collaborate.  Please contact me directly (Susan Schneider) if you know of law school work that we can highlight.

We begin with Harvard Law School where noted food law expert Peter Barton Hutt has taught a very popular course on Food & Drug Law for many years.

Recently, there are additional new opportunities at Harvard to explore food policy issues. In 2010, law students formed the Harvard Food Law Society, and in a less than a year developed a membership of 150 students.  That same year, Harvard Senior Clinical Fellow, Emily Broad began work on a new Food Policy Initiative.

I asked Emily and Nate Rosenberg, President of the Food Law Society to describe their work for this posting.

Harvard Law School – Food Policy Initiative of the 
Health Law and Policy Clinic

The Food Policy Initiative of the Harvard Law School Health Law and Policy Clinic links Harvard Law students with opportunities to work with clients and communities on food policy issues. It draws on the work of the joint Harvard Law School/Mississippi State University Delta Project, which combines grassroots initiatives involving local farmers, community members, farmers markets, and schools, with state-level advocacy work in Mississippi to bring about legal and policy change.

The Initiative aims to increase access to healthy foods, prevent diet-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and assist small farmers and producers in participating in local food markets.  It is engaged in a range of food policy project areas, including:

• Assisting with the development and research needs of state and local food policy councils, i.e., groups of community stakeholders working to promote laws and policies that increase access to healthy food and rational farm policies;
• Assessing food safety rules to inform law and policy changes that would increase the economic opportunities for small local producers, including working with state governments to allow for the in-home production of certain low-risk food products;
• Establishing and supporting rural farmers markets, including breaking down barriers to the use of SNAP (food stamps) and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program food benefits;
• Analyzing and recommending ways to increase access to healthy produce for low-income individuals, individuals surviving on food benefit programs, and those living in “food deserts;”
• Identifying and breaking down legal and non-legal barriers that stand in the way of small producers going beyond direct farm-to-consumer sales to sell at grocery stores, restaurants, and Farm to School or Farm to Institution programs;
• Investigating best practices for school policies to promote healthy school environments.

Current projects include helping Mississippi farmers markets access EBT machines to promote SNAP (food stamp) use at markets in Mississippi; analyzing and recommending an overhaul of the Mississippi WIC food distribution program to help promote food access for WIC participants; working with various food stakeholders (restaurants, farmers, farmers markets, produce trucks) and the Shelby County Health Department to update to the Memphis Food Code; and identifying and advocating for legislative changes to protect and promote “true” farmers and farmers markets, rather than food peddlers and resellers, in Arkansas.

The Food Policy Initiative currently focuses its work in the Delta region, with projects underway in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee; however, the geographic scope of the Initiative is not limited.  The knowledge and experience developed in the Delta should carry over to replicate work in other communities, using the expertise gained to help build similar federal, state, and local advocacy infrastructure around access to food and assisting small producers around the country.

Each semester, 8-10 law students are involved in the Food Policy Initiative through enrollment in the Health Law Clinic, and another 30-40 students are working on food law projects through the Harvard Food Law Society, the Harvard Law School Mississippi Delta Project, and other pro bono opportunities available through the Food Policy Initiative.

For more information about the Food Policy Initiative, current projects, or ways to collaborate with the Initiative, contact Emily Broad, Senior Clinical Fellow, Health Law and Policy Clinic.

Harvard Food Law Society

In the Spring of 2010, a new Harvard Law School student association, the Food Law Society, was organized by students Nate Rosenberg and Michelle Ahmadian.  It was founded to provide students interested in food law with an opportunity to come together, host food law speakers and events, and work on pro bono student projects in the field of food law.

The Society was founded with the conviction that food law and food policy profoundly affect the environment, public health, and development. Nate and Michelle wanted to create an organization that would allow law students to engage in these issues directly and foster dialogue on food-related issues in the legal community.

By the time the fall semester of 2010 began, the Society had over 50 members, and an ambitious set of events planned for the year.

Pictured right, The Harvard Food Law Society's first Executive Board. From left to right: Projects Chair Patrick O'Leary, President Nathan Rosenberg, 3L Representative Nigel Barrella, 2L Representative Jenny Klein, Alumni/Career Relations Chair Jennifer Kan, 3L Representative Jared Policicchio, Speakers and Events Chair Krista DeBoer.  Not pictured: Secretary/Treasurer Sarah Jelsema, Social/Outreach Chair Jennifer Lee, LLM Representative Cateano Altafin Rodriques da Cunha, and Emily Broad, Faculty Sponsor.

By February of 2011, the Society had tripled its membership, created a website with an active blog, completed a project with Law for Food, and started work on two new pro bono projects under Emily Broad’s supervision. The first project is a collaboration with The Food Trust focused on improving access to nutritious foods in rural food deserts. Another team is working on a small producer’s guide to the new Food Safety Modernization Act. This spring a number of lectures have also been scheduled, bringing in experts on subjects ranging from soil science to nutrition.

Next year the Society hopes to expand its pro bono projects program, host a conference on the interrelationships between food, public health, and nutrition, and publish career and internship guides about opportunities for law students and lawyers to work in the field of food law and policy. It also aims to create ties with students on campuses around the country and, if there’s interest, start a national organization.

Interview with Nate Rosenberg, President, Harvard Food Law Society

1. What led you to forming a Food Law Society at Harvard?

As a first-year law student I found out that some personal health problems were caused by gluten. I had been interested in food policy for a while--I even considered majoring in International Agricultural Development at one point--but this experience made food-related issues more salient. 

Becky Goldberg, an HLS alumna and FDA Foods Counselor, told me in an interview for the blog that she became interested in food law after it suddenly dawned on her that many of the food-related issues she was interested in were “fundamentally tied to the law.” I didn’t have a “lightbulb-over-the-head epiphany” like Becky, but I slowly arrived at the same conclusion. Forming the Food Law Society seemed like a natural next step.

2. Do you find that there is student interest in food law & policy issues?

There is an overwhelming amount of interest. I was surprised by the response to our initial recruitment email and our first info session, which drew almost 50 people. Food is becoming a major political issue, and there is an intense desire among many to learn more and get involved.

3. What are the goals of the Food Law Society?

Our constitution states, “The Food Law Society of Harvard Law School is a nonpartisan society whose mission is to strengthen the capacity of its members to respond to local, national, and international problems in food policy and their effects on public health, the environment, national security and development. The Society advocates an approach to food policy that is sustainable within each of these domains.”

More practically, we want to provide law students with opportunities to gain experience in food law and policy. We also want to increase awareness in the legal community and the broader public of the importance of food policy. Currently, we are the sole chapter of the Food Law Society; however we have talked about creating a national organization. I would love to hear from anyone interested in starting a chapter at their law school.

4. Are there adequate opportunities for studying food law & policy issues in your law school?

No, but that’s changing. The Food Policy Initiative of the Harvard Health Law Clinic continues to grow and Emily Broad and Robert Greenwald plan to offer an innovative course on food policy in the near future. This is my second semester working on food-related projects through the Food Policy Initiative. Through the Clinic, I’m learning a tremendous amount while working on projects including efforts to revise the Memphis Food Code and to expand Farm to School programs in Mississippi.

Peter Barton Hutt also does an amazing job teaching Food and Drug Law, but that course focuses on FDA regulatory law. Hutt, in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Food Law and Policy, wrote that “a true understanding” of food law and policy extends far beyond the “narrow confines” of the regulatory law surrounding food products. I tend to agree with him. The Harvard Law administration has been incredibly supportive of the Food Law Society so far, and I hope that they will continue to respond to student interest by adding courses in agricultural law and broader food law and policy.

5. Are there any activities (past or future) that you would like me to mention?

Definitely. Our Speakers and Events Chair, Krista DeBoer, has an amazing set of speakers lined up this semester, including Frederick Kaufman, whose July 2010 cover story for Harper’s was instrumental in revealing the role that investment banks played in the 2008 global food crisis. You can read about our other events planned this semester on the Events link on our website. 

Our Projects Chair, Patrick O’Leary, is leading two projects this semester with Emily Broad. One will focus on the potential to improve access to nutritious food in rural areas, while the other will involve preparing a small producer’s guide to Food Safety and Modernization Act. These projects are described in greater detail on our website’s Projects page. 

We have a blog, which contains a series of interviews on careers in food law. We plan to add more content to it soon. 

We’re also working on career and internship guides to food law and policy. If anyone has any suggestions or would like their organization represented in the guides, I encourage them to contact me at nrosenberg@jd11.law.harvard.edu.

Finally, we’re hosting a conference on public health and nutrition for the fall. We hope to have more details about the conference in the coming months.

6. How many students are involved?

About one hundred and fifty students are currently involved in the Food Law Society.

7. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?

I want to thank Emily Broad for supporting the Food Law Society as our faculty sponsor. Her sustained involvement, guidance, and creativity have been essential to the Food Law Society’s development.

Again, my thanks to Emily and to Nate for documenting the excellent food law & policy work that is ongoing at Harvard.  Their energy is contagious, and the work they are doing is amazing.

Texas Water Law: Ownership Rights to Groundwater

The Texas Supreme Court issued a water law ruling this week that was cheered by those advocating for strong property rights and sharply criticized by environmentalists and others concerned about water use going forward.  Given water shortages in many areas and American agriculture's dependency on irrigated production, this decision is sure to spark discussion.

In Edwards Aquifer Authority and the State of Texas v. Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel, the court held that "land ownership includes an interest in groundwater in place that cannot be taken for public use without adequate compensation" under the takings clause of the Texas Constitution.  The District Court had denied the plaintiffs' claim in response to a summary judgment motion, so the matter will now go back for a takings analysis on the facts of the case.

Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel bought 381 acres of farm land overlying the Edwards aquifer, “the primary source of water for south central Texas and therefore vital to the residents, industry, and ecology of the region, the State’s economy, and the public welfare.”  Under Texas law, they were required to obtain a permit from the Edwards Aquifer Authority before using or improving the well.

Day and McDaniel were unable to establish a claim for “historical use” to support the 700 acre-feet of water they requested. The EAA therefore granted them a permit to use only 14 acre-feet of water. They challenged this decision in court, alleging that the EAA had violated their constitutional rights by "taking" their property without just compensation.

Noting that the issue of "whether groundwater can be owned in place is an issue we have never decided," the Texas Supreme Court based its reasoning on existing oil and gas law.  The court stated that it had held "long ago that oil and gas are owned in place" and it could "find no reason to treat groundwater differently."

The ultimate outcome of the case remains uncertain, and it will involve a complicated analysis of Texas water law and its application to the facts presented.  However, the court's ruling is almost certain to produce additional litigation.

The Authority warns that if its groundwater regulation can result in a compensable taking, the consequences will be nothing short of disastrous. A great majority of landowners in its area, it contends, cannot show the historical use necessary for a permit, and therefore the potential number of takings claims is enormous. The Authority worries that the financial burden of such claims could make regulation impossible, or at least call into question the validity of existing permits. Regulatory takings litigation is especially burdensome, the Authority notes, because of the uncertainties in applying the law that increase the expense and risk of liability. And the uncertainties are worse with groundwater regulation, the Authority contends, because there is no sure basis for determining permit amounts other than historical use. Moreover, the Authority is concerned that takings litigation will disrupt the robust market that has developed in its permits and that buyers will be wary of paying for permits that may later be reduced. . . .  

[T]he Takings Clause ensures that the problems of a limited public resource — the water supply — are shared by the public, not foisted onto a few.  We cannot know, of course, the extent to which the Authority’s fears will yet materialize, but the burden of the Takings Clause on government is no reason to excuse its applicability.  

My personal comment is that the public is at present ill-prepared to address the issue of water as "a limited public resource," whether one discusses the monetary costs or one considers the environmental and human costs. We cannot continue to use water as we have in the past. How this decision affects that ultimate fact remains uncertain.

Foodie Exchange with Britain!

Growing up in Canada, I loved Marks and Spencer potato rings.

I remember putting a ring on each of my fingers and gingerly biting each one off.

Sadly, there are no more Marks and Spencer stores in Canada.  

So we were really excited to exchange NYC foods for British gastro-treats with The Gourmet Traveller in the hopes of scoring those beloved potato rings.

She did not disappoint!  She sent me plenty of goodies from department store Marks and Spencer.  Tons of sweets including dark chocolate jaffa (sponge cakes topped with real orange filling and half coated in dark chocolate), addictive chocolate caramel wafer sticks, assorted chocolate cookies and tea cakes, and three bags of my precious potato rings (which happily do not contain artificial ingredients).

And to further satisfy our sweet tooth, she sent us British candies and chocolates - some familiar from my Canadian childhood (Crunchie, Dairy Milk), others new to us.  The most interesting candy was the "dib dab", a lollipop with sherbet powder.  The candy's so popular that it has its own Facebook fan page and jewelry inspiration.

Thanks again to The Gourmet Traveller for my treats from across the pond!  To see what I sent her (goods mainly from Chelsea Market), check out her post.

FAO Report: Livestock in the Balance

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently released its report, State of Food and Agriculture: Livestock in the Balance. This report concludes that:

• The livestock sector is expanding rapidly, driven by population growth, rising affluence and urbanization.
  
  
• Decisive action is required if increasing demand is to be met in ways that are environmentally sustainable and contribute to poverty alleviation and improved human health.
  
  
• The contribution of the livestock sector to poverty alleviation should be enhanced through appropriate policy reform and investments within a framework of broader rural development policies.
  
  
• Governance of the livestock sector should be strengthened to ensure that its development is environmentally sustainable and that it both adapts to and contributes to mitigating climate change.
  
  
• The neglect of animal-health systems in many parts of the world must be redressed, and producers at every level must be involved in the development of animal-disease and food-safety programmes.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2009

View more presentations from FAOEconomics.

{Easy Entertaining} Oscar Party Ideas

Table setting courtesy of Food Network magazine

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards are only a few days away!  If you're hosting a party, I've compiled a bunch of great ideas to dress up your tables and dining area.  The Food Network magazine has some easy ideas for an Oscar party. My favorite one is their simple table setting with napkins folded to look like the award envelope.

Photo courtesy of Bakerella.com

If you have time to bake, these cookie awards by Bakerella are a show-stopper!  You need 2 cookie cutter shapes - a circle and an award shape - to make these cookie statues.  For her full post and instructions, click here.

Photo courtesy of HowAboutOrange.blogspot.com

In addition to choosing the Oscar winners, I love this Oscar Bingo game! Created by Jessica of How About Orange, your family and friends can play Oscar Bingo by checking off actions like "Anne Hathaway sings" and "Winner apologizes for forgetting people".  You can give inexpensive prizes like movie theater candy or movie film reel photo frames (I found these on Amazon and have seen others at Michaels)   Click here to download the Oscar Bingo cards.

For easy party decorations, I always check out my favorite spots:
- the scrapbook paper area at Michaels (I love these sparkly cardboard papers for under $2 each to use as placemats like I did for my niece's birthday party and my family Christmas party).  I've also seen inexpensive gold charger plates at Michaels that would match any Oscar decor.
- the $1 area at Target (I found these $1 plastic popcorn containers at the E 117th/East River location in NYC). Sometimes various Dollar Stores also carry these popcorn containers.
- right now Party City online is offering 50% off these Director's Clapboard paper plates ($2.73/18 ct). They look cute, but you'll have to order them now in order to get them in time for Sunday. (In NYC, there's a Party City store in the Union Sq area).

photo courtesy of Twig & Thistle

Or if you're a crafty DIY'er, Twig & Thistle has a whole suite of free downloads for your Oscar party.  They've created these simple, yet striking, invitations, popcorn bags, Oscar ballots, and candy bag toppers in a red and white color scheme. Click here to see their full post and download instructions.

Lastly, you can take ideas from our New Year's Eve party for a star-studded Oscar party!  Make your own star-shaped chocolates, popcorn containers (out of plastic cups), and cookie truffles (wouldn't they be cute "wearing" tuxedos?).

Are you watching the Oscars this Sunday? What are your Oscar decorating tips?

Biotech Companies "Thwart Scientific Research"

Last week, Andrew Pollack of the New York Times reported on a statement submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by a group of 26 scientists engaged in biotechnology crop research. The statement was submitted by "26 leading corn insect scientists working at public research institutions located in 16 corn producing states." However, individual names were not listed "because virtually all of us require cooperation from industry at some level to conduct our research."

The New York Times article, Crop Scientists Say Biotechnology Seed Companies Are Thwarting Research, is based on the statement and on interviews with some of the scientists that were willing to talk publicly. They allege that the biotechnology companies use their patent protection and licensing agreements to prevent independent research on their products. Researchers must seek permission from the seed companies before they are allowed to conduct their research, and the scientists allege that sometimes "permission is denied or the company insists on reviewing any findings before they can be published."

“No truly independent research can be legally conducted on many critical questions,” the scientists wrote in a statement submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency.

* * *

Such agreements have long been a problem, the scientists said, but they are going public now because frustration has been building.

“If a company can control the research that appears in the public domain, they can reduce the potential negatives that can come out of any research,” said Ken Ostlie, an entomologist at the University of Minnesota, who was one of the scientists who had signed the statement.

What is striking is that the scientists issuing the protest, who are mainly from land-grant universities with big agricultural programs, say they are not opposed to the technology. Rather, they say, the industry’s chokehold on research means that they cannot supply some information to farmers about how best to grow the crops. And, they say, the data being provided to government regulators is being “unduly limited.”

The companies “have the potential to launder the data, the information that is submitted to E.P.A.,” said Elson J. Shields, a professor of entomology at Cornell.

The scientists provided information to the Times about specific studies that were stopped because permission was withdrawn and studies that could not be undertaken because permission could not be obtained.

Dr. Shields of Cornell said financing for agricultural research had gradually shifted from the public sector to the private sector. That makes many scientists at universities dependent on financing or technical cooperation from the big seed companies.

“People are afraid of being blacklisted,” he said. “If your sole job is to work on corn insects and you need the latest corn varieties and the companies decide not to give it to you, you can’t do your job.”

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and US Meat

Let's go back to highlight a couple of reports that came out a couple weeks ago. They did not get the attention they deserved in the media, and I neglected to post when they first came out.

The FDA published its 2011 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals.  Under the Animal Drug User Fee Amendments, codified in the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act at 21 U.S.C. § 360b, sponsors of applications for new animal drugs that contain an active antimicrobial ingredient are required report to the FDA each year, providing data on the amount of sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals. The law also now requires that FDA make the information compiled public. The report is not publicized, and it provides only the bare numbers. However, given that such a large percentage of the antibiotics produced in the U.S. are used for livestock feed, and given concerns about antimicrobial resistance, the report provides important information.

And, speaking of resistance, the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) also issued its 2011 report this month, reporting on the antimicrobial resistant bacteria it found on meat products. NARMS is a joint project of the FDA, the CDC and 11 state public health laboratories, and it tests retail meat products for the presence of antimicrobial resistant strains of bacteria. Again, this is extremely important data, but its release is provided without the kind of explanation that most consumers can readily understand.

Few major media outlets covered the release of these reports, although credit is extended to Wired for an excellent article by Maryn McKenna, Antibiotics and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Meat: Not Getting Better.  Here are links to some of the commentary that was published to explain the reports.

• Dr. David Wallinga, Senior Advisor in Science, Food and Health at the Institute of Agriculture & Trade Policy wrote, Animal Antibiotic Use Continues Upwards, FDA Keeps Blinders On. 

• Bill Marler posted his thoughtful analysis on the Marler Blog, 2011 Retail Meat Report of the National Antimicrobial Monitoring System (NARMS) is Out.

• The Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy at the University of Minnesota provided a very helpful summary, Bacteria in Meat Show Growing Drug Resistance, FDA Says, by Robert Roos.

• The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming published Record High Antibiotic Sales For Meat and Poultry Production, including its graphical representation of the use of antibiotics in the U.S.

• Helena Bottemiller at Food Safety News dug into the data and provided a helpful interpretation.  FDA Data: Slight Uptick in Animal Antibiotic Use, Resistance Remains Issue in Meat.

Overall antimicrobial drug use in livestock production is up about 2.3%.  In 2011, 29.9 million pounds of antimicrobial drugs were used in livestock production. Contrast this with the 7.7 million pounds of antimicrobial drugs used for humans during the same time period.

Not all of the drugs used in livestock production are used for human treatment. The 2011 data shows a welcome decline in the use of Sulfa drugs, often used in humans. In contrast, Ionophores, which are not currently used to treat humans, showed an increase in animal use, largely in poultry production.

However, Dr. Wallinga noted that:

Penicillins and tetracyclines sold for animal use increased for the second year in a row. From 11.5 million pounds in 2009, sales rose to 14.4 million pounds in 2011. The two classes of antibiotics remain the most commonly used antibiotics in livestock and poultry, despite their obvious import for treating infections in people as well. In 2011, animal sales accounted for 38 percent of total penicillin sales and 98 percent of total tetracycline sales, including in humans.

One of the concerns about the overuse of antibiotics in livestock production is that we are encouraging the development of antibiotic resistant strains of dangerous bacteria. This is where the study of antimicrobial resistance in retail meat is important. Summarizing the NARMS report, Helena Bottemiller noted that:

Drug resistance among Salmonella isolates increased all around. In 2010, the percentage of isolates that showed drug resistance was about 50 percent, while in 2011 it had increased to nearly 55 percent. 

Resistance to cephalosporins, a class of drugs the FDA restricted in early 2012, increased between 2002 and 2011. Third generation cephalosporin resistance increased, in chicken from 10 to 33 percent and in ground turkey from 8 to 22 percent. . . .

The NARMS data also indicate that there was a significant increase in ampicillin resistance over the last decade among retail chicken, from nearly 17 percent to around 40 percent, and in ground turkey isolates from 16 percent to 58 percent. Ampicillin can be used in human medicine to treat infections, including Salmonella. 

More than 27 percent of all chicken isolates showed resistance to five or more classes of antibiotics and in ground turkey isolates researchers found 10 different serotypes with resistance to six or more classes of antibiotics.

The Animal Health Institute, the lobbying organization for the veterinary pharmaceutical companies has not commented on the recent reports, but has consistently maintained that "[a]nimal antibiotics make our food supply safer and people healthier. Antibiotics are a critical tool to prevent, control and treat disease in animals. In doing so, they also reduce the chance of bacterial transmission from animals to humans."  While antibiotics are clearly needed in animal production for the treatment of disease, the data indicates that their continual use in feed as a disease prevention method and to promote rapid growth is problematic.

Representative Louise Slaughter, a long time proponent of legislation to reduce antibiotic use in livestock production addressed the report through a press release titled, We Are Standing on the Brink of a Public Health Catastrophe.

Last October, IATP published a bibliography of studies, No Time to Lose: 147 Studies Supporting Public Health Action to Reduce Antibiotic Overuse in Food Animals.  

Ladies Brunch at Landmarc - Time Warner Center

 

Every month, my graduate school girlfriends and I try to get together. Though we're not exactly the "ladies who lunch" set, we do enjoy meeting up for brunch and learning about updates in everyone's life.  

Finding a weekend brunch spot for a group can be difficult in NYC, so we opted for Landmarc.  The restaurant is large, takes group reservations, and has great views of Central Park.

A couple of us immediately ordered Mimosas ($12).

We received a mini bottle of Freixenet sparkling wine with a mini pitcher of orange juice.

As the conversation flowed as easily as the bubbly, we all perused both the breakfast and lunch menus.

Landmarc features typical brunch fare like omelettes and pancakes as well as richer lunch items like roasted marrow bones and lamb meatballs.

 

One of my friends ordered the Eggs en Meurette ($14).  This was a rich dish with eggs in a bacon, onion, red wine, and mushroom chunky sauce.  I could see the large chunks of bacon in this hearty dish.

 

About half the table, including myself, ordered the Pain Perdu ($14) with vanilla sugar and warm maple syrup.  It was like a giant, upscale French Toast with the soft bread tasting almost custard-like.

I knew that Pain Perdu meant "lost bread" in French, and later found out that the eggy preparation was done to save lost or stale bread.

How do you make 7 women smile?  For us, it was ending our meal with a complimentary blue candy floss or cotton candy.

We also chose the "one of each" option on the dessert menu ($16).  Despite being full from our brunch meal, we managed to savor every sweet bite.

Family-friendly Landmarc (complete with pram/stroller parking!) is located at 10 Columbus Circle in NYC.

Getting into farming (and staying there)

That's the topic of several recent stories out of California.

A few days ago, the San Francisco Chronicle ran this front-page story about the diminished profitability of cattle ranching, particularly in California where land prices are so high. The story features Tim Koopman of Sunol. It's no wonder his land is so pricey: Sunol is an unincorporated Census Designated Place... that happens to be in metropolitan Alameda County, home to City of Oakland and part of the Bay Area bubble. Koopman is the first of four generations of ranchers in his family to work off the ranch. His two sons also ranch--and they also earn their livings with careers other than raising cattle.

[A] number of American cattle families are throwing in their branding irons, either selling off their land or planting crops. While the price of beef is at record highs, the cost of doing business for some is impossible.

***

The shrinking beef supply is affecting consumers, who on average paid 10 percent more per pound for meat in 2011 than they did the year before, said Steve Kay, editor and publisher of Cattle Buyers Weekly, a trade publication based in Petaluma."

Kay added that consumer prices could rise another 10% in 2012. Still, demand has remained strong, with 14% of the U.S. beef supply exported in 2011.

Ranchers, agricultural experts and theUSDA cite a number of reasons for the beef decline: loss of grazing land to development or other farming purposes, the high cost of feed and energy and the fact that the average age of a rancher has crept up to 59 and their children don't necessarily want to take the reins.

Development of farm land, the resulting high cost of land, and aging farmers are also themes of this January story from the Sacramento Bee. It tells of a match-making scheme--matching, that is, farmers looking for land with plots to be farmed. Here's an excerpt from Carlos Alcala's story:

Putting farmers onto underused land was once a matter of creating homesteads.

Now it has entered the computer age, with nonprofits using the Internet to match farmland with growers.

***

[M]any landowners are hoping to preserve the land for agriculture, not development, and want to help young farmers--not large agribusiness.

It led to a dating service of sorts for farms.

***

Farm Link has online listings of about 80 land opportunities in the Central Valley and connections to around 800 would-be farmers.

Land opportunities can be as small as half-acre or as big as 800 acres.

There is an urban parcel in West Sacramento that the owner wanted productive, and orchard acreage in Apple Hill looking for someone new to take it over.

And that takes us to this story, which ran a few days earlier, focusing on a well-known Sacramento-area organic farm, Good Hummus, in neighboring Yolo County. Jeff and Annie Main, who own Good Hummus, are 61 and 59 years of age, respectively, and their children are pursing other careers. The Mains know they could sell their 20-acre farm for more than it's worth for agricultural purposes, but they don't want it to be developed. They specifically want it to be farmed. Edwin Ortiz's story explains the solution being pursued to keep the land for farming:

Enter the Davis and Sacramento natural food cooperates with "One Farm at a Time" solution.

Both stores are helping to raise funds to purchase an easement, through the oversight of the Yolo Land Trust, that would stipulate the Mains' property would remain a farm, in perpetuity. Such efforts are not common in California, since most easements demand only that land remains open space.

The goal is to raise between $300,000 and $400,000 from 40,000 customers who shop both stores, said Paul Cultera, general manager of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op.

"This is a test model ... The idea is to do this and then move onto the next farm," Cultera said.

I am heartened to know of these grassroots efforts to save California farm land and to get and keep Californians farming. Only time will tell whether they succeed.

Cross-posted to Legal Ruralism.

Are You Doing Your Share?

I was simply delighted to find the National Agricultural Library (NAL) collection of War-era Food Posters available online. The physical collection was on display a couple years ago. Beans Were Bullets was an exhibit that "examined the evolution of poster styles, propaganda messages, and advertising history" from the World War I and II periods.

On the website, NAL has the posters divided chronologically and based on the theme of the period, with a helpful Introduction provided.

"Wartime posters in this collection conveyed messages about the vital need for food conservation, rationed goods, meatless and wheatless days, home gardening and canning. 

For farmers, who performed a distinct role on the homefront, posters called attention to the need for increased agricultural output and proper storage methods of surplus grain. Posters also instructed farmers to grow crops in their specific regions to best serve a nation at war.

In addition to these wartime subjects, many of the posters presage food-focused conversations taking place in our culture today. Posters created nearly a century ago suggested food's global significance, recommended eating locally and encouraged personally responsible consumption."

The sections, with direct links are as follows. Each section has a written analysis and a link to the posters.

WWI: Citizens as Rational and Regional

WWI: Posters for the Farm Front 

WWI: Illustration & Explanation, Sobering & Dutiful 

Posters & Propaganda Between the Wars 

The 1930-40s - WWII: Images & Emotions, Citizens as Consumers 

Elevating Food, Women and Responsibility During Wartime.

Whether for historical purposes, for humor, or to further the call to revisit a more local food culture, I encourage all to visit this collection. NAL performs a great service in cataloguing, protecting, and preserving our food and agricultural heritage.

Foodie Exchange with Italy!

Italy has a special place in my heart.  I loved traveling throughout this beautiful country: eating pasta, cheeses, and lots of gelato; drinking wine because it was cheaper than water; and seeing priceless works of art.  The foods of Italy also hit close to home as it is part of my husband's heritage.

Suffice it to say, I was very eager to do a foodie exchange with Giulia from the beautifully photographed Juls' Kitchen.  Here's a close up view of the goodies:

 

On the left are candies from Turin, home of the last Winter Olympics (2006).  The small package on the right excited me to the core!  Juls sent me local strands of saffron, which means I'll be making more delicious meals like my recent moroccan couscous dish!

 

This bag of organic farro was a special request from me.  We can't wait to prepare this nutty spelt (wheat) grain with bacon or make a rustic salad with it.  Anyone have any other recipe recommendations for farro?

And finally some white chocolate pistachios (with a charming note) and Giulia's personal postcard (again, I must mention her wonderful photography!)  Thanks Giulia for sharing these Italian delights and I hope you enjoy our treats from NYC!

Lobbying and the School Lunches