We can’t even do it now, with at least 1 billion currently hungry. A new paper in Science describes how this can be done. The article is actually positive and provides solutions. The abstract reads:
Continuing population and consumption growth will mean thatthe global demand for food will increase for at least another40 years. Growing competition for land, water, and energy, andthe overexploitation of fisheries, will affect our ability toproduce food, as will the urgent requirement to reduce the impactof the food system on the environment. The effects of climatechange are a further threat. But the world can produce morefood, and can ensure that it is used more efficiently and equitably.A multifaceted and linked global strategy is needed to ensuresustainable and equitable food security, different componentsof which are explored here.
The New Republic summarizes well and the recommendations are heavy on science and technology as a way forward. The main ideas are:
Boost crop yields and increase production limits
Reduce waste
Eat less red meat
Expand aquaculture
These recommendations are sound, but are going to require a massive rethinking to our global food system, including restructuring, major policy shifts and developing countries playing nice to the developing world. Tough tasks ahead but I think we are close to a paradigm shift.
I taught a class on global undernutrition and a student posted a blog on the lecture and personal thoughts from it. Nice to see students taking class to blog.
Slate published an article by one of my favorite food authors of late, James McWilliams, basically letting us know that grass-fed beef, you know the beef that pollan touts as being better for you because of the high omega 3 fatty acids, and the same beef produced from cows that are happier eating grass than corn, may have an issue. It was always thought that cows fed grain on the big CAFO lots were more susceptible to producing lots of bacteria, because it was, well, not in their “nature” to eat such foods. They are four cambered ruminants who like lots of grass to make that all important CUD. The bacterial infested rumen could provide a perfect environment to make the deadly E. Coli O157:H7 that killed the kid who ate spinach in California and the same E Coli that Eric Shlosser scared us to instead, eat fish. And now there is a problem with eating fish! oi. Well, turns out that grass fed beef are not immune to such deadly bugs. They found that grass feeding cows can be colonized with the E Coli just like grain eaters and in some studies, the prevalence is higher. Gulp. We need to start being more thoughtful as we trudge through all this food systems stuff, particularly when it comes time to organics, slow food, GMOs etc. We need science not passion to lead the evidence and provide consumers with the right information. So many websites and organizations are preaching the wrong information out there. And people are listening. Now chew your cud on that.
Obesity levels in the United States are very high, exceeding 30% in both men and women, and in most age groups. The prevalence of obesity in adult men is 32% and in women is 35%. Obesity varies mainly with race and ethnicity. A new study in JAMA indicates that the obesity prevalence rates seem to be plateauing and that the increased in prevalence is not continuing at the same rate over the past 10 years. This is particularly the case for women. This is indeed a great sign.
I recently authored a paper of an Evaluation of Progress Toward the Millennium Development Goal One–Hunger Target. The paper was commissioned by the World Food Programme and is now available at full length here.
One of the targets of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is to reduce the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by half between 1990 and 2015, with hunger measured as the proportion of the population who are undernourished and the prevalence of children under five who are underweight. Many countries remain far from reaching this target, and much of the progress made has been eroded by the recent global food price and economic crises. As we enter the final five years to achieve the MDGs, we look upon one of the greatest challenges of our time with one billion people hungry, 129 million and 195 million children underweight and stunted respectively and more than 2 billion people deficient in micronutrients.
Because, according to James Cameron of Avatar and Titanic (yish), after saying some lame speech in Avatar language Na’vi at the Golden Globe awards, moviestars and those that make movies have the best job in the world and they should “give it up for yourselves” and “pat themselves on the back for delivering great entertainment to the world.” Puke puke. Meanwhile, Haiti burns.
We supposedly worship celebrities, because of the great service they provide to us lowly creatures, and we also care where they eat because they have superior taste? I think not…New York magazine consistently posts where celebrities were spotted dining out and about. Why do I care that Elton John was at the Monkey Bar and Jerry Seinfeld was at Minetta Tavern, and JLo was at Da Silvano (which by the way sucks)? I actually don’t. Maybe some do. But it certainly doesn’t make me want to go and eat at that particular restaurant. It actually makes me want to read Perez Hilton making a mockery of it all.
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can. It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality. — Barack Obama
Did you know about “shade grown” coffee? It is being touted as the next big environmental savior in the world of coffee next to organic and fair trade. I started to do some research into it because I drank about a half pot of an Ethiopian shade grown variety. Supposedly the stuff is grown under tree canopies or other shade trees here and there, saving the earth from further deforestation and the need for chemicals/pesticides due to natural mulch and such. It supposedly also helps protect migratory and native bird species. It didn’t taste as good as Harar, but regardless, Ethiopian coffee is the best in the world as it should be – the birthplace of the bean itself. I have asked my friend, a coffee expert in Kenya about this shade grown bean. Will keep you posted.
Update! My good friend responded:
“Shade grown does increase biodiversity – birds, insects etc and in some cases trees will be indigenous – some not. Shade replicates the original conditions that coffee grew in – forest in Ethiopia. In most cases the shade means the coffee grows slower and so should be fuller body. However the body is directly related to altitude and if you are drinking american it will be thin no matter what. So message is shade grown Kenyan Arabicas are worth drinking but for others its just another certification. BUT there is a good biodiversity uplift even if the coffee isn’t much improved in some cases.”
Here is a video of how they traditionally make Ethiopian coffee – just a little different than my Krups maker here in NY…
