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The Simple Food: Can Obama Change the Way We Eat?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:00:26 -0800

Everyone wants food reform. Parents want better school lunches. Consumer groups call to improve food-safety regulations. The Humane Society wants kinder policies towards animals. And a high-profile White House chef who cooks "delicious, local food" would be great! (Thanks Gourmet editor.)

But one person's reform is another person's tax dollar, and there aren't enough dollars to go around. As if there ever were. Even once decided, improved food policies could take years to implement.

If policy changes take years and tax dollars are tight, Ruth Reichl, the Gourmet editor, could be onto something. After all in like 2004, I read about the back-to-basics cocktail trend in Gourmet, and look where we are now! To see how Obama's personal changes could affect the way we eat,

Should Obama Make Dept. of Agriculture the Dept. of Food?

LibertySugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:40:22 -0800

In this week's New York Times, columnist Nicholas D. Kristof argued that changing the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Food would be appropriate since only two percent of Americans farm, while all of them eat. But more importantly a name change would send a powerful message of reform.

Kristof quotes Michael Pollan, the author of the Omnivore's Dilemma, who says:

“We’re subsidizing the least healthy calories in the supermarket — high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soy oil, and we’re doing very little for farmers trying to grow real food.”

Kristof goes on to explain that Democrat and Republican presidents hand the department over to lobbyists for industrial farming. He calls on Barack Obama to end the trend and make the powerful agency about improving the standards of American food and spending taxpayer dollars more efficiently.

Would you like to see the Agriculture Department work on a healthy children’s school lunch program, promoting local food sources and sustainable organic farming, instead of subsidizing industrial farmers? Or do you think that will just make everything more expensive for the consumer?

Source

More Hunger to Stamp Out? Record Number Use Food Stamps

LibertySugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:30:30 -0800

Thanks to the official recession, more Americans have fallen into the federal safety net using food stamps in record numbers. In September, 31.5 million Americans participated in the antihunger program, bringing the total to one in 10 Americans, and up 17 percent from the previous year.

Food stamps users received $100 a month to purchase food. To qualify for food stamps a household cannot have more than $2,000 in resources, including cash, bank accounts, or other property (usually not including land or vehicles). The government also imposes income limits. But the program isn't designed to just fill hungry stomachs — the USDA estimates that every $5 in benefits creates $9 in economic activity.

Earlier this year Congress approved spending $5.4 billion over the next 10 years on food stamps, the equivalent of just over one week in Iraq. Considering more and more Americans are relying on food stamps, this seems like a wise investment.

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Ugly Fruit and Veggies No Longer Banned in Europe

LibertySugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:00 -0800

In Brussels (the Belgian city, not the sprouts), EU officials have decided to lift the ban on crooked, bent, or twisted perfectly-edible fruit and vegetables. For the past 20 years, 100 pages of regulations have required that produce be uniform in appearance, and sold without any odd curves.

But not all fruit is exempt from standards of beauty — appearance regulations for apples, strawberries, citrus fruit, kiwi, lettuce, pears, peaches, nectarines, sweet peppers, table grapes, and tomatoes will still be on the books, although each country can decide whether they want to enforce them.

Produce sellers in a few countries, like Italy and France, worry that after the ban is gone, consumers will purchase less fruit and vegetables because they will be scared away by deformities. Even if you discriminate against ugly, yet edible, food, should the law be able to?

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2.7 Million North Koreans Will Starve This Month Without Aid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:30:04 -0700

According to the World Food Program, North Korea may be facing one of the most serious food crisis in its history. Nearly 2.7 million people who live on the country's west coast are facing starvation this month unless food does not reach them. 2.7 million. Hungry millions recalls the similarly stark problem in India.

The cause of the food shortages are for a variety of reasons, devastating floods in 2007, lack of employment, and a centralized leadership that has mismanaged resources. It is estimated that a recent famine has been responsible for nearly 2 million deaths already. The country has been relying on aid to feed its 23 million people.

To see who's been called upon to give them aid,

Kids Go Hungry Over Weekend, Backpack Program Helps

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:00:14 -0700

This story caught my eye this morning because I thought it was the other Hillary — but getting my Clinton confused with my Duff led me to this great charity: Blessings in a Backpack.

It makes so much sense — there are 16.3 million kids getting free or reduced price lunches through the National School Lunch Program — so who feeds those kids on the weekend? The Blessings program packs backpacks with nonperishable food and passes them out at the end of the week to keep kids going until school rolls around on Monday. Food charity programs like this and Meals on Wheels fulfill a need especially poignant when economic times get tough.

Hilary Duff was in Fort Wayne, IN, to publicize the program. She said:

I feel lucky enough to have a voice or a name that people might pay attention to. I think that people might not be aware that a couple neighborhoods away, kids aren't having food on the weekends, and we just want people to be informed and to know what's going on in their communities and to help if they can.

To see why the need is so great, and how you can help,

More Than 200 Million People Are Hungry in India

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:54 -0700

There's no sugar coating this: India has more people suffering from hunger than any other country in the world. More than 200 million don't get enough to eat, and according to the 2008 Global Hunger Index just released, not one of India's 17 states rank in the low- or moderate-hunger categories — and 12 states have rank "alarming." India is 66th out of 88 countries surveyed (a stat in itself that makes you think of those 22 other countries that are worse.)

Kids bear a lot of the brunt of the hunger crisis — numbers released two years ago showed that even then, more than half of the children in India were malnourished. The rise in global food prices not mirrored in rising incomes has made the problem worse. As grim as this news sounds, there are people doing work to help. To find out which former presidential candidates just won an award for their work on hunger,

Restaurant Drops "Naked" Promo to Appease Town Council

CitizenSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:00:52 -0700

Would you run naked down to the dock and jump in for a free "Skinny Dip" sandwich? If that sounds like a fair price for a free lunch, the town council of Greenville, ME, advises you to think again.

The town's Black Frog Restaurant stopped its promotion offering a sliced prime rib on a baguette for free (regularly $10.95) to diners willing to run naked into Moosehead Lake. The reason? The town council (perhaps in cahoots with the local police department, who'd been responding to complaints about nudity, a misdemeanor in their community) was holding the restaurant's liquor license renewal hostage. The local police chief said that he would most certainly recommend any business lose its license that promoted an ongoing campaign to encourage illegality.

The restaurant has (sadly? That depends, I suppose . . . ) ended its promotion, stating that "au jus" wins out over "au naturel."

Source

Blessed Be the Answer to the Soda vs. Pop Question in a Map!

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:00:22 -0700

Oh, answer from the heavens to the existential question that's plagued mankind since the dawn of liquid, what, oh what, in all that is holy-regional-specificity do we call that most bubbly of beverages? Oh, map of the ages, slake my thirst for knowledge!

So yeah. Soda or Pop — or in a crazy Southern specialness that can't at all come from the fact that Coke is based there, Coke. What do you call it? This map will save you from ever having that conversation again — though by all means use it as an icebreaker and then pop them (heh.) with your fizzy drink fountain of knowledge. Maps. Ah, refreshing.

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UN Says Cut Meat to Curb Warming, UK Consumption Doubles

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:00:06 -0700

Ever thought about becoming a Tuesday-tarian? Going meat-free one day a week is, according to the chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a personal sacrifice that will help fix climate change. The more meat-free days, the better.

Given that the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production makes almost a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions and those stinky pre-hamburger cows shoot out tons of methane — 23 times more tied to global warming than carbon dioxide — plus habitat destruction and transportation, just skipping the burger is the easiest option. But that trend seems far from ready to tip. The agency thinks that meat consumption is going to double by the middle of the century.

A group called World Farming is calling governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. The meat industry isn't going to take the patty lying down. A spokesman for a pig industry group says, "Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed."

How much meat does the average person eat? To find out,

Baskin-Robbins' New Election Flavors! Which to Lick?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:00:48 -0700

Just in time to cool off this heated election, Baskin-Robbins has released two spanking new flavors, one for each of the candidates. Ever wonder what two scoops of McCain tastes like? His flavor, Straight Talk Crunch is: Caramel ribbon, chocolate pieces, candy red states and crunchy mixed nuts swirled into White Chocolate ice cream.

Think a lick of Barack is more your taste? His flavor, Whirl of Change, is: Peanut-nougat ice cream whirled with chunks of chocolate-covered peanut brittle and a caramel ribbon.

I think they're willing to look the other way on the whole Obama doesn't like ice cream thing . . . Given the (banana) split of the country, what would election-themed flavors be without a chance to vote for your favorite? You can, in the Flavor Debate '08. From now until Oct. 20, sample the candidates' sweet stuff and vote online or in stores for the winner. I wonder if the ice cream war could be a useful replacement for the old Electoral College? It would be a sweeter contest, to be sure.Which flavor would you want to try first?

Baskin-Robbins' New Election Flavors! Which to Lick?

Straight Talk Crunch! Candy red states and mixed nuts? Sold.

Whirl of Change! Mmm. . . caramel ribbon-y goodness. Yes we can eat ice cream!

Other. I've got a cherry on top for the comments.

Alabama Makes Unfit Workers Pick Up Tab For Insurance

CitizenSugar — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:00:42 -0700

Giving up buttered grits for health care? As Alabama ballooned to take the #2 spot (right behind #1 ranked Mississippi) in the national obesity rankings, the state is cracking down on free health care payouts for state workers who are overweight. It's issued a get-slim-or-pay-up ultimatum for the nearly 40,000 workers on the state's insurance plan. They'll have a year to lose weight or start paying $25 a month toward their usually free plan.

Alabama already charges smokers — an incentive that has spurred some to snub out the butts — and other states reward workers for healthy habits. Ohio, for instance, pays workers $50 for getting health screenings and $50 for following the advice.

Not everyone is happy about the plan. To see why,

What's That Disgusting Mess? Oh. It's Just School Lunches

CitizenSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:45:14 -0700

So what are you fixing for dinner? Taco Patty perhaps? How about a Round Wedge Pizza or Chicken Fryz? That's what's on the menu in the Harrisonburg, VA, school system. They're so proud of their fare, the posted big ol' pictures of them in all their glory on their website. I was hungry — right up until the point I saw these pics. Count 'em 22 different meals, and I only saw one green thing in the whole lot. The saddest lunch? The Italian Dunkers. Or, Cut Up White Bread With Sugary Spaghetti Sauce.

No wonder we're facing a childhood obesity epidemic. What makes this all the more alarming, is that so many kids rely on these meals to combat hunger. In the 2006-2007 school year, 16.3 million kids got free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program, a stat that's particularly poignant here in the midst of Summer. Reports show that Summer nutrition programs aren't meeting needs, and sponsors are backing out as rising food and fuel costs makes it impossible not to lose money.

The conundrum of course is what's cost effective and what will kids eat? For kids weaned on Cheetos and corn dogs, the goop in the pictures probably tastes fine. It's far from fine for them though.

To see which schools are combating the Italian Dunker,

India and Australia Solve Food and Planet Woes With Dinner

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:30:22 -0700

Fire up the barbie, two countries are putting some creative meat alternatives on the menu: one to combat hunger, one to save the planet.

Given meat's effect on the climate, Australia is looking at how they can help and still have a chop every once in a while. Livestock grazing accounts for 11 percent of the country's emissions. The plan to remove seven million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 will lower greenhouse gases by three percent a year. What is on the menu instead? Replacing cows and sheep with kangaroo will give Aussies the same amount of meat for a much smaller eco-footprint.

Though kangaroo-kabobs seems odd, India's plan to combat hunger could be less palatable. To see what it is,

Thinking Food: UN Announces Program to Help Hunger Hot Spots

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:23:29 -0700

Thinking Food: UN Announces Program to Help Hunger Hot Spots A UN agency rolled out a $214 million program Tuesday to help 16 needy places hit hard by high prices for food and oil, amid a crisis already making it hard for aid groups to provide enough food for the world's hungry. The World Food Program said almost 1 billion poor people around the world are struggling to survive amid the higher prices. "Food prices are not abating, and the world's most vulnerable have exhausted their coping strategies," said Josette Sheeran, the agency's executive director.

PETA Warning to Border Crossers: US Burgers Will Kill You

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:15:22 -0700

Like the Minutemen, another controversial group who has erected signs at the border between the US and Mexico, PETA has a billboard all cooked up and aimed at the migrating population heading across the border. The PETA placard has a stronger message than "we keep this road clean" — the animal rights superadvocates want immigrants to cross over, and cross meat off their shopping list.

PETA is asking the government to let them rent space on the border fence proclaiming to the new arrivals: "If the Border Patrol Doesn't Get You, the Chicken and Burgers Will — Go Vegan."

Now I'm as vegan as the next. . . vegan, but the PETA campaigns can be let's say, less than subtle. To see what they're planning for this campiagn,

Rotten Tomato Call Spoils the Bunch? Growers Want Payback

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:00:08 -0700

Tomatoes took the rap for the recent Salmonella outbreak for weeks — and now that it looks like it's been traced to the spicier serrano pepper (linked to 1,300 infections in 43 states), tomato growers are understandably hot under the collar. Since the FDA announced that certain tomatoes shouldn't be eaten, the advisory that lasted from June 7 to July 17 cost growers $100 million.

Growers say the advisory came without consulting them, and that the investigation was conducted poorly (indeed, batteries of tests didn't find a single domestic tomato with the bacteria). Now, the FDA associate commissioner for foods has said that tomatoes are safe to eat, while being careful to say no mistakes were made — even though most leads reported to the Department of Health and Human Services overwhelmingly showed that sick folks had eaten salsa at Mexican restaurants.

One Florida Democrat has introduced legislation to compensate growers up to $100 million, saying, "There should be some compensation. They have done nothing. They shouldn't be held accountable. You have indicted an entire industry and left doubt that it's OK to eat tomatoes.''

Is he right? Was the FDA too quick to point the tortilla chip in the wrong direction — or was it just doing its job by trying to be better safe than serrano?

Source

Front Page: Bush Arrives in Seoul, Storm Hits Coast, Food Shortages for Nepal

CitizenSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:53:56 -0700

Bush Arrives in Seoul:
President Bush arrived in Seoul, Korea today for talks aimed at communist North Korea — and instead of the large anti-US rally that was expected, a huge crowd of support gathered in the city center. Amid a background of gospel music, the pro-US rally attracted about 15,000 people for what is thought to be Bush's last trip to the country as president. One of those gathered said, "I came to pray for the country to come together and with President Bush coming, for his visit to go smoothly." There was little sign of the tension that sparked huge anti-government protests over the ending of the ban of US beef imports. 20,000 police has been mobilized for protests that never really materialized.

Storm Hits Coast:
Tropical Storm Edouard has made landfall on the Texas coast east of Galveston and is expected to plow inland as the day goes on. Texas and Louisiana have made declarations of disaster and statewide emergency pending the storm with 65 m.p.h winds. No evacuation edicts have been issued.

Food Shortages For Nepal:
The UN and the government of Nepal announced that hundreds of thousands of Nepalese are facing severe food shortages. Efforts to get food aid to those in need are being delayed by fuel shortages and strikes. The price of rice has risen 50 percent in the last year. Meanwhile, the EU has pledged $4.6 million to Haiti to help with the crushing hunger crisis there.

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Dirt Cakes & Ding-Dongs: Haiti & US Face Unique Food Crises

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:00:58 -0700

With my appetite sufficiently dampened by the up-to-the minute reports of McCain's facial growth, this story erased it completely, and the picture reduced me to tears. These children live in the Haitian, Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil. Some kids make mud pies for play — but the children in the picture survive on dirt cakes. They eat them.

Like in the pictures below, the cakes are molded of mud and fat and allowed to dry in the sun, the only form of sustenance many Haitians can afford after rice and bean prices have risen 100 percent. One woman who makes the dirt cakes says, "it stops the hunger. You eat them when you have to."

The Director of the aid agency Christian Aid says, "food is available but people cannot afford to buy it. If the situation gets worse we could have starvation in the next six to 12 months." Food aid has been delayed.

While more than 50 percent of Haitians are undernourished, a new study about the state of the future of the US waistline is even harder to stomach. To see it and a clever way you can help feed the hungry,

Front Page: Nelson Mandela Turns 90, EU to Give Billion to Africa, Arrests in Plot Against Bush

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:00:18 -0700

Nelson Mandela Turns 90:
Marking his 90th birthday today, Nelson Mandela celebrated by urging generosity:"there are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty." He said he was tickled people wanted to celebrate the birthday "of a retired old man who no longer has power or influence".

EU to Give Billion to Africa:
The EU has a plan to give $1 billion euros of unspent EU farm subsidies in aid to African farmers. The money was allocated to EU agriculture, but hasn't been spent — sending the cash to Africa could help fix food shortages and soaring prices. Some question the move's legality, but EC President Barroso says: "The impact of high food prices is particularly severe for the world's poorest populations."
Arrests in Plot Against Bush:
Israel arrested six Arabs today for attempting to set up an al Qaeda cell in Israel and claiming that one of the men had planned to attack helicopters used during a visit by President George W. Bush. One of the suspects had allegedly used his cell phone to film the landing site of the president, and then used al Qaeda websites to ask advice in how to shoot down the helicopter. Bush's last visit to Israel was in May.

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Denny's: Candidate Lookalikes Win Free Breakfast Until 2012

CitizenSugar — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:00:52 -0700

Rise and shine, here's your steaming helping of "oh, man the campaign is everywhere! Denny's restaurant is hoping brave citizens will come forward ready to serve the needs of "Real Breakfast" by entering their candidate lookalike contest. Think you or someone you know has what it takes to become the leader of the free breakfast? All it takes is an uploaded video of your best candidate impersonation, making a speech about the eating a real breakfast (as opposed to fast food, not imaginary) any time between now and July 31.

The best three videos of each candidate (six total) will be put on the Denny’s Vote for Real Ballot where the public can vote (Aug. 5-15) in the one truly important election this year — who will win the grand prize of free breakfast until 2012?

While you're checking out the site, you can play this crazy game where you can make the Grand Slam debate the fast-food container, which is both like you need another cup of coffee because you must still be dreaming, and fun.

Do you know any presidential candidate lookalikes? To take a peek at a couple of the entries,

How to Help Meal Delivery Programs Hit by Food, Fuel Costs

CitizenSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:30:23 -0700

It's easy to see the economic toll on food and fuel in our own everyday lives — but the effect is trickling down past commuters and bargain shoppers to silver citizens who rely on meal delivery programs to survive. Advocates for the elderly nationwide are concerned that many seniors are going or will go hungry soon — and blame the 20 percent increase in fuel and food prices over the past year, as well as leveling or reduced government subsidies and a failing economy.

According to the Meals on Wheels Association of America, nearly 60 percent of the 5,000 programs have lost volunteers, most of whom say they can no longer afford gas. This has resulted in the elimination or consolidation of entire routes and nearly 38 percent are now serving frozen instead of hot meals. Another 30 percent are reducing personal visits from five to one day per week. To see how some states are fighting back, and what you can do to help,

Bee Wary? Honey Bees Disappearing, Food Supply in Danger

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:30:09 -0700

Some people get their news from fancy newspapers and high falutin' websites, and some, if you're like me, learn things from the lid of a pint of Haagen-Dazs. Would that I were kidding, this is the truth folks: did you know that honey bees are disappearing like size 8 shoes at a sale? It's true. And without bees to pollinate the plants producing our fruits, vegetables, nuts — you know, the good stuff — we're about to get pretty hungry.

Since 2006, honeybees began to mysteriously disappear from their colonies destroying nearly a third of US hives — and the rate of decline is increasing, reaching 36 percent last Winter. About a third of our food sources require pollination, and plants cannot grow without it. During a hearing by the House subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, one expert asked the very worrying question: “How would our federal government respond if one out of every three cows was dying?” To see what might be behind this bee-witching development,

Food or Fighting? Is the US Spending Its Tax Money Wisely?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:52:22 -0700

We're all feeling the sting of skyrocketing grocery bills — but families living at or below the poverty line are seeing their food stamps purchase less and less — and they're going hungry. About 1.3 million New Yorkers identify themselves as “food insecure,” concerned about their ability to keep themselves and their families adequately fed.

In the past year the price of what the government recommends as the minimal nutritional diet has risen 7.2 percent, with the prices of particular staples rising even more. Eggs alone have gone up 20 percent.

Food stamp allocations on the other hand, haven't changed since last fall — and won’t increase again until October.

The decrease in buying power of food stamps has been recognized in Washington — Congress passed a farm bill in May that would raise raise the minimum amount of food stamps families receive beginning this fall, passing despite President Bush’s veto.

The director of food assistance for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says of the difference between food stamps and cost of food, “we know food stamps are falling short $34 a month [of the monthly $576 that the government says it costs a family of four to eat nutritional meals.] The sudden price increases on top of everything else like soaring fuel and health care have meant squeeze and strain that is unprecedented since the late 1970s.”

To see how the amount spent on food compares to that spent in Iraq,

Think Food's Spendy Now? The Flood Just Made It Worse. . .

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:10 -0700

Although help to those affected by the horrible damage in the heartland will most likely be forthcoming, relief to the rest of the country due to skyrocketing food prices may not. Sixteen percent of Iowa farms have been destroyed and their entire crops demolished following the severe flooding.

The devastation has in turn caused record high market prices of corn and soybean products. The prospects of the smaller amounts of grain yields shocked the market where corn prices rose to nearly 8$/bushel; four times the amount of its usual price and a new record. World corn prices have now risen to 90 percent higher levels than just one year ago.

One Iowa mayor put the cost of the hit on the heartland plainly. He said that even after the floodwater recedes, affected farmers would have to work the rest of the year to clear silt, tree limbs and other debris before they can plant next year. "There's going to be absolutely no farming this year. They've lost it. It's gone. Nothing at all. No beans, no corn this year." That's a reality that will show up in every shopping cart for a long while to come.

While beginning the onerous task of rebuilding lives washed away by the Midwestern floods, survivors got visits from two high profile guests yesterday. To see who,

Front Page: Tornado Kills Boy Scouts, US Releases Tape of Strike, Toddlers Starve in Indonesia

CitizenSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:54:17 -0700

Tornado Kills Boy Scouts: Four people were killed and 48 injured after a tornado tore through a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa last night. The victims included three 13-year-old scouts and one 14-year-old scout according to an executive with the Mid America Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The scouts at the devastated camp, aged 13 to 18 were participating in a leadership training course at the camp and "were some of the top scouts in the area,” according to a Homeland Security spokeswoman. Tornadoes also touched down in Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska last night, killing another two in Kansas.

US Releases Tape of Strike: The US military has released the tape of the attack on the Pakistan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and led officials to describe it as a "cowardly" act. The footage released by the Pentagon shows black-and-white aerial footage with narration describing the video. The narrator repeatedly notes that there are no military structures or outposts within the impact area. A Pentagon spokesman yesterday said they had "every indication we have at this point is that this was, indeed, a legitimate strike in defense of our forces after they came under attack."
Toddlers Starve in Indonesia: At least 21 toddlers have died of malnutrition in Indonesia in recent months as a food shortage threatens the lives of thousands more. The shortage brought on by floods and drought has led to an additional 116 youngsters being admitted to hospitals in critical condition, according to the head of the local health department. He said, "we urgently need medicine and nutritional foods to save the children. We are racing against time because they need nutritious food within 30 days if we want to save their lives."

80,000 Protest Beef Imports in South Korea, Government Hears

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:00:06 -0700

The right to assemble is alive and well in South Korea — and what's more, the government is paying attention. Between 80,000 and 100,000 people demonstrated last night in Seoul, the largest demonstration yet against a deal to resume imports of US beef into South Korea.

The South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said today his government intends to make a fresh start following the protests, and that his entire Cabinet has offered to resign in response to weeks of rallies against the incoming beef. Lee said, "I thought about a lot of things while watching protests last night. The government intends to make a start with a new determination."

Though he's concerned the Cabinet resignations might cause "a vacuum in state affairs," he has not yet said whether he will accept the resignations, but will probably reassign some ministers.

The candlelight vigil was sparked by an agreement Lee made with George Bush to resume imports of US beef, following a mad cow disease-inspired ban in 2003. What started as a trickle of small protests swelled into a torrent of anti-government street rallies that continued into the early morning, miraculously despite the passion and huge number of people, no clashes or injuries were reported.

South Korea was the third-largest overseas customer for US beef before the ban. Can you imagine a similar response to a protest in the US? Could 100,000 people protesting prompt the Cabinet to offer resignations?

Source

UN Leader: World Needs 50 Percent More Food

LibertySugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:21 -0700

The world must produce 50 percent more food by 2030, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders yesterday at a summit hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

The UN leader urged nations to minimize trade barriers, and to produce more food. Pope Benedict XVI had a slightly different message, noting that the world already has the means to solve the problem. The Pope said: "hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world which, in reality, has sufficient production levels, the resources, and the know-how to put an end to these tragedies and their consequences."

While they meet about how to solve the immediate hunger crisis caused by rising food costs, world leaders don't want to look like a bunch of foodie hypocrites. To see what they'll be eating,

Front Page: Ted Kennedy In Surgery, Mugabe at UN Food Summit, Gates to Myanmar "Criminal Neglect"

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:00:04 -0700

Ted Kennedy In Surgery: Ted Kennedy is at the Duke University Medical Center this morning undergoing surgery for his cancerous brain tumor. The surgery comes after the 76-year-old senator was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. He's being operated on this morning by one of the nation's top neurosurgeons, Dr. Allan Friedman, and the surgery will be followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Kennedy will recuperate in NC for a week, before moving to Massachusetts General for the rest of his treatment. Kennedy said of the support he's received, ''I am deeply grateful to the people of Massachusetts and to my friends, colleagues and so many others across the country and around the world who have expressed their support and good wishes as I tackle this new and unexpected health challenge. I am humbled by the outpouring and am strengthened by your prayers and kindness.''

Mugabe at UN Food Summit: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe presence at a United Nations food summit has raised eyebrows and hackles and is being called "obscene". Australia's foreign minister said of the embattled leader's arrival, "this is the person who has presided over the starvation of his people." It's Mugabe's first visit to Europe since the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a majority in parliamentary elections in March. He still faces a presidential run-off on June 27 against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Gates to Myanmar, "Criminal Neglect": US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that Myanmar was guilty of “criminal neglect” for blocking international aid to cyclone victims, and warned that more civilians would perish unless the military regime reversed its policy. Because of the stonewalling, he said it was probably a matter of days before the Pentagon withdrew four Navy ships carrying supplies that have been “steaming in circles” for days in the waters off Myanmar’s coast, waiting for permission to unload their cargo of aid. Gates said, “it’s becoming pretty clear that the regime there is not going to let us help. I’d say that unless the regime changes its approach, changes its policy, more people will die.”

See North Koreans Flee For China in the Middle of the Night

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Starving and desperate North Koreans flee their homes for relative paradise in China. But as this astonishing footage shows, the journey to China is nightmarish. Naked North Koreans swim across a freezing river, often trading drugs or women with corrupt boarder police.

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North Korea is facing a grave food shortage and hunger crisis right now. During the 1990s, 1 million of the country's 23-million citizens perished during a famine caused by a mismanaged farm sector and flooding. Another disaster appears on the horizon. Unfortunately, North Korea's isolationist character, as well as South Korean political demands, are preventing South Korea from providing crucial food aid. Thus, many people have no choice but to flee.

China does not consider North Koreans refugees but rather economic migrants. To find out what that means for the escapees,

Saudi Arabia Donates $500 Million to Help Food Crisis

LibertySugar — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Saudi Arabia made an impressive $500 million donation to the United Nations World Food Program, the UN announced Friday.

The country, benefiting from high oil prices while many others feel the pinch, is doing its part to help assuage the developing global crisis caused by rising food prices. The effects have been seen all over the world. In Mexico, the government is preparing for a backlash against rising tortilla prices, in Suburbia, USA, big box stores have rationed staples, and in Haiti the government collapsed over the crisis.

Saudi Arabia produces 9 million barrels of oil a day and oil prices have now topped $130 a barrel. You don't even have to do the math to know that's a whole lot of revenue.

The UN World Food Program, the world's largest humanitarian operation, set a goal of $755 million to be raised by all its member agencies. Thirty-two countries added to the Saudi donation, contributing a total of $960 million, exceeding the target significantly. Hopefully the money will quickly help the 130 million of people in hunger as a result of rising food prices.

Source

Rising Tortilla Prices Could Cause Political Unrest in Mexico

LibertySugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:00:20 -0700

Fearing political backlash, Mexico's government is promising citizens that it will do what it can to keep tortilla prices right where they are. According to Mexico's National Chamber for the Tortilla and Dough Industry, prices will rise 18 percent in the coming weeks.

The government, sensing troubling inflation and massive protests, is planning to offer financial support to offset the price of transportation and warehousing, according to BBC.

The high costs of corn and gasoline are causing the spike. Hording of corn by producers is also putting a strain on supply. Tortillas, being such a staple, have ability to influence Mexico's national economy. Bloomberg News reports that a 40 percent jump in tortilla prices would probably force the central bank to deliver a significant interest rate hike.

Can you think of a food staple for which an 18 percent rise in price would cause massive street protests in your neck of the woods? Is it surprising that food prices would have a direct impact on the bank's interest rates? What food would cause the government to intervene in the States?

Source

Can You Eat for $1.75 a Day? Alabama Prisoners Do

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:30:23 -0700

80 years ago Alabama passed a law that gave sheriffs $1.75 a day to cover the cost of prisoner grub. If they didn't spend that much, they got to keep the leftover dough. Most Alabama counties still operate under this system, with the same per diem — and some sheriffs are actually making money on top of their salaries.

The precise amount of profit is impossible to figure — sheriffs buy food out of their own pockets, making tracing the bucks hard. One new sheriff said he and his wife took out a loan for $150,000 the day he took office to buy food until his first state payment came through. "It's the most money I've ever borrowed in my life, even more than for my house," he said. To see what critics of the program have to say,

Front Page: Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar, Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan, Farm Bill Passes

CitizenSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:21 -0700

Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar: Officials from several relief organizations say that the international aid being sent into Myanmar is being "stolen, diverted or warehoused" by the army. The members of the military junta told Thailand's prime minister they were in control of the relief operations and had no need for foreign experts. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wants to send a senior UN official to inspect the relief effort in the ravaged country. To make matters worse, the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there was a possibility that “a significant tropical cyclone” — another one — would form in the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy Delta, the already hardest hit region.

Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan: In an attack claimed by the Taliban, a suicide bomber wearing a burqa detonated by a police patrol at a crowded market in western Afghanistan today, killing at least 12 people and wounding 27 others, officials said. Yesterday, at least 20 people were killed and 35 others wounded in a suicide bombing at a Sunni funeral west of Baghdad. Police said the funeral was for the head teacher of a local school. The bombings occurred hours the announcement that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki was supervising an offensive against Sunni insurgents in the northern city of Mosul.
House Passes Farm Bill: The House approved a five-year, $307 billion farm bill with a solid bipartisan majority yesterday. Despite a veto threat from President Bush, the House voted 318 to 106 — more than the two-thirds needed to override a presidential veto — with 100 Republicans joining the Democratic majority in favor.

India Blames US Gluttony For Food Crisis — Are They Right?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:53:15 -0700

Researches at an independent research institute in India think they've solved the food crisis — hold on to your drumstick — they say the US's voracious appetites that is to blame. That if Americans slimmed down to the weight of middle-class Indians, “many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates.” The spokesman for the organization added pointedly that the amount of money spent in the United States on liposuction to get rid of fat from excess consumption could be better spent feeding famine victims. The super-sized backlash on American consumption stems partially from remarks made by President Bush about India’s growing middle class and food prices. He said, “when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up.”An editorial in India slammed these comments, saying Bush was trying to pass the food inflation buck to India, instead of where India thinks it properly belongs. Figures may show they're right. The United States uses — or throws away — 3,770 calories a person each day (according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) compared with 2,440 calories per person in India. Is consumption to blame for the food crisis and grocery bill sticker-shock? Are factors like poor crops, climate change, biofuels, and fuel prices more to blame than the US liposuction habit? Is India making a fair point?Source

India Blames US Gluttony For Food Crisis — Are They Right?

Yes! It's not a comfortable burden to bear, but it's true. We need to cut back.

There are a lot of reasons for the current food situation, but yes, this could be one.

Are you kidding? This is political sniping. I manage my own plate responsibly, thank you.

Other. I've got an extra helping for the comments.

Is the Government Mad For Not Testing More Cows?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:25:01 -0700

Is the Government Mad For Not Testing More Cows? Last Friday the Bush administration asked a federal appeals court to stop allowing meatpackers to test all animals for mad cow disease. That's right, the government wants companies to test fewer animals. Currently, under Agriculture Department guidelines, less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are tested for the disease. Yet due to a lower court ruling, Kansas-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has been granted the ability to more comprehensively test their beef.

Britons Waste Pounds of Good Food

LibertySugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:40 -0700

One third of all food bought in Britain ends up in the trash. That's almost $20 million worth of food each year.

According to a recent study that includes 1.3 million unopened yogurts, 5,500 whole chickens and 440,000 ready to eat meals. In addition, $2 billion worth of the discarded food was totally edible.

The news caught the attention of England's Environment Minister Joan Ruddock. She argued that when global food shortages are so dire, the wastefulness is more shocking.

And as for the environmental hook? Ruddock explained that "there are climate change costs to all of us of growing, processing, packaging, transporting, and refrigerating food that only ends up in the bin." In fact some people want to put pollution on shopper's grocery bills!

Should governments start advocating leftovers as a cheaper and greener option? Do you think about the "children starving" around the world when you don't finish a meal? Does the environment cross your mind?

Source

Cheaper Groceries? How the Farm Bill Could Help

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:30:13 -0700

President Bush is in talks with Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer over the Farm Bill, a five-year, $285 billion bill currently being considered by Congress. Bush disagrees with the proposed new $3.8 billion farm disaster program as well as new perks for the sugar industry included in the legislation. He also objects to the $10 billion in extra spending and the bill would allow over the measure’s $560 billion, 10-year baseline. Lawmakers aren't expecting Bush to till up support for the bill.

Should a presidential veto be on the shopping list, supporters in Congress have a plan to override and save the increases in food aid to poor Americans. The bill also proposes a $10.3 billion increase for food stamps and other nutrition programs — lawmakers think these programs could be piggybacked onto other, must-pass legislation.

How does a law become a grocery bill? In Time magazine this week, a teeny tiny item showed just how the bill could lower food prices and grocery costs for families. To see how,

Faster Than a Speeding Donut! LAPD Gets Tough on Fat

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:00:12 -0700

Drop the donut and put your hands in the air!! That's what dietitian, Rana Parker, is telling officers in the LAPD. The police department hired her as their full time diet coach.

The Department is cracking down on overweight officers with the hope that it will make them better at their jobs and potentially save more lives. Fit officers can more easily sprint after criminals, feel better about themselves, and help improve the image of the force.

Instead of hitting up a drive-through, Parker suggests keeping energy bars, fruit, or a peanut butter sandwich in the cruiser. She works mostly with recruits, in hopes of in-multi-graining them with good eating habits.

Since police departments across the country are relaxing recruiting requirements, including body fat percentage, this policy might be necessary.

Do you think the LAPD's plan to make sure everyone in Los Angeles has a nutritionist is a good use of taxpayers' money? Could healthy officers slim down the state budgets, since taxpayers pay for their health care?

Source

Food Crisis? Not According to What's on a US Plate

CitizenSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:45:25 -0700

There has been a lot of finger pointing about what's to blame for the global food shortage. Some claim global warming, or gobbling up certain foods for ethanol means less for eating, or just harvests coming up short. All of this may be true, but add to that the newest figures from the United States Agriculture Department from 2007 and Americans can point a fat finger at themselves too.

Ready for this? It's gut-check time: the Agriculture Department states that while one Indian eats roughly 392 lbs of grain in a year, a US citizen eats 2,306 lbs. — over five times greater. Yup. And it's not just Indians — US citizens also eat twice the amount of an EU citizen and three times the amount of someone living in China. To see the specifics,

Front Page: Bush Proposes Food Aid, Labour Loses in UK, Blast in Yemen

CitizenSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:58:51 -0700

Bush Proposes Food Aid: President Bush has proposed an additional $770 million in emergency food assistance to be sent to poor countries. The action is in response to rising food prices resulting in social unrest in several nations. Days before, Democrats in Congress had called for an increase, and the speedy announcement highlighted how quickly the global food crisis had risen to the top of Washington’s agenda. President Bush said, “in some of the world’s poorest nations, rising prices can mean the difference between getting a daily meal and going without food." The $770 million would be included in next year’s budget, increasing total American food assistance to $2.6 billion.

Labour Loses in UK: In what has been called a "big moment" for the Conservative Party, elections just held in the UK showed the Labour Party suffering its worst results in at least 40 years. BBC research suggests Labour won 24 percent of votes cast in England and Wales, behind the Tories on 44 percent. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the results were disappointing and that "the test of leadership is not what happens in a period of success but what happens in difficult circumstances." Results should be announced later today in the race to be London mayor.
Blast in Yemen: A blast this morning at the entrance of a mosque killed at least eight people and left 45 wounded. The mosque is in the Saada region of Yemen, the site of a Shiite rebellion. The Arabian peninsula country has been repeatedly hit by violence in recent weeks. Two attacks in the capital Sanaa in March and April targeted US interests and responsibility was claimed by the local wing of al Qaeda.