All entries by this author
How to eat ethically
When did food become so scary? Fruit and vegetables coated with pesticides. Dairy laden with additives and flavourings. Fish riddled with mercury. Canola courtesy of genetically modified crops. It seems every day we read another reason not to eat something previously regarded as safe, or even healthy. Throw in questions about the ethics of eating and suddenly heading to the shops takes on the appearance of a minefield. More →
Say no to GMO
More than a thousand protesters marched on the West Australian Parliament today demanding the new government extend the moratorium on the production of genetically modified crops. Front and centre of the march was renowned gardening guru Peter Cundall, who described the push for GM food as dangerous, arguing it would harm Western Australia’s export image as a “clean, green state”. More →
Painting the White House green
Obama the Organic Commander in Chief? It’s an interesting proposition, although it’s hard to know where he sits in the great food debate. The only comment I’ve seen attributed to him in this interminable election – what is it with American polls? – was one bemoaning the cost of arugula in organic leader WholeFoods. Whether that means he shops there, or he just thinks organics are over-priced is not clear. More →
Organic food stores branch out
While the worldwide economic crisis has caused sales in some organic sectors to slow, a few retail outlets have not let the mood dampen expansion plans. Colorado company Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, which has 27 stores in the US, will open two more in Texas in coming months and Planet Organic, the UK’s largest retailer of organic food and products, has already branched out in two more areas of London. More →
Seasonal sensations with Skye Gyngell
Garlic, olive oil, beans and cheese…. these are a few of my favourite things. By happy coincidence, they also happen to be up there for restaurateur and food writer Skye Gyngell, which means more fabulous recipes in which to explore their taste sensations. Chicken with garlic and fennel? Yes, please. More →
Shopper’s guide to food choices
Food isn’t always as it seems. Take fish, for example. It’s healthy, right? A good choice for the family. Not necessarily. In fact, a good deal of the fish we eat contains high levels of mercury and dioxins, courtesy of emissions from coal-fired power stations and manufacturing. Then there’s myriad species we simply shouldn’t consume at all because we’re fishing them out of existence. Suddenly that healthy choice doesn’t look so good. More →
Beware the dirty dozen
Many household budgets won’t stretch to an all-organic basket of goods each and every week, but there are some changes worth making as soon as possible. More →
Hospital food making us sick
No one goes to hospital for the food. While the doctors and nurses work their magic, we submit to daily showings of “Guess What’s Coming For Dinner”. We may complain about the lack of taste as we try to figure out exactly what’s on the end of our forks, but by and large we accept the below par diet as a given. More →
Inside Jesse Ziff Cool’s kitchen
Jesse Ziff Cool is a cook, author and devotee of sustainable agriculture and cuisine. When she’s not busy devising menus for one of her three restaurants in Stanford and Menlo Park, California or her catering business, she’s hanging out in her community garden where she lovingly tends an array of seasonal fruit and vegetables. More →
Watchdog urges dairy overhaul
A leading organic watchdog in the United States has filed formal legal complaints against two industrial dairies, claiming they are masquerading as organic. The Cornucopia Institute wants the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take action against operators who contravene federal organic regulations before it’s too late. “This could be the end of the organic industry as we know it,” co-director Mark A. Kastel says. More →
