Not So Dynamite After All In what he described as perhaps his most important blog post ever, Tom Philpott lays out the problems with synthetic nitrogen.

This Doesn’t Sound Any Better The city of San Francisco is giving away free “compost.”  The catch?  It’s actually sewage sludge.

Snake Oil Admen Beware This week, the FDA sent 17 letters to food manufacturers whose advertising claims were deemed misleading, including POM Juice and Dreyer’s Ice Cream.

Bon Activiste? As the woman who channeled Julia Child goes up for an Oscar for that performance, our dear friend Bonnie Powell, founder of The Ethicurean, writes at Grist (where she is now writing and editing part-time — congrats, Bonnie!)about Meryl Streep’s little-known food activism.

Not Corny Enough? In more Oscar news, the National Corn Growers Association doesn’t think Food, INC deserves an Academy Award.

High and Dry Our friend, the illustrious Lorna Sass, has a new blog post and a great video interview with vegan activist Lisa Rayner, who grows her own in the high deserts of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Indigestion in California Air regulators in the country’s second-largest dairy state are raising a stink over methane digesters.

At the time, Dad was about a year into treatment for prostate cancer, a common disease among all men but especially those who were exposed to Agent Orange, even sailors like him, who merely served offshore in the Navy, never putting “boots on the ground” but bathed in and brushed their teeth with desalinated ocean water contaminated with runoff.  The US government has acknowledged the association between Agent Orange and prostate and many other cancers, if only by paying exposed veterans, but no longer pays reparations to “blue water vets” like my dad. (This and several other things I’ll mention in this post are huge enough to warrant posts of their own, but Monsanto’s history is extensive, so click on the links for more details and try to keep up).  He’d had his prostate removed, which killed his sex life and caused him temporary incontinence, and was emotional all the time as a result of hormone therapy.  I was sympathetic to his plight but glad he was ok.  The people of Vietnam – who have also never received the reparations promised to them in the Paris Peace accords – have suffered much more serious fallout than men like my father, whose exposure to the chemical was limited.

I already knew a lot about Monsanto before I figured out the Agent Orange connection.  I knew that Posilac made cows’ udders hurt, and could cause pus to get into your milk.  I knew that Monsanto had long ago cornered the seed market and bought up the rights to Terminator technology, which, should they ever go back on their word not to use it, could put the world’s food production at the mercy of the corporate giant.  I knew the company had a very large team of lawyers, who’d been employed, at times, to sue or threaten to sue small farmers (Some of these farmers never even intended to grow GM crops but rather, found their fields to have been contaminated by drifting pollen.  You would think such a farmer could sue Monsanto for the contamination, but you would, unfortunately, be wrong.)

These days, not surprisingly, Monsanto is the subject of a number of growing controversies.  A series of “workshops” organized by the USDA and the Department of Justice (part of an investigation into possible antitrust behavior) start later this month, and at least two states – Iowa and Texas – are holding independent investigations in the anticompetitive realm, as well.  At a meeting with the Kellogg Foundation back in December, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan called the DOJ investigation “long overdue.”

Indeed.

I would argue that, while competition in business is incredibly important, especially when dealing with seeds and by extension, food supplies, that if the US government is interested in protecting farmers, citizens, markets and global ecosystems, a broader – and deeper, and longer – investigation into the safety of genetically modified organisms is also long overdue.  Government agencies have approved all of the GMO products that are on the market today, but the overtaxed agency’s tendency to rely on industry science places too much trust in a company that my Dad thinks has proven would “rather make a buck than worry about what happens next.”

So it’s good to see that in addition to the antitrust investigations, the USDA is at least considering the regulation of two genetically modified crops, sugar beets and alfalfa.  Both glysophate resistant, otherwise known as “Roundup Ready,” they are designed to be sprayed with Roundup, Monsanto’s popular weed killer.  The overuse of glysophate as an herbicide is problematic in and of itself (carrying the risk of breeding “super weeds” that could build resistance to glysophate and require the application of ever more potent chemicals) but at issue is also the safety of ingesting a plant whose genes have been tampered with enough – by injecting, among other things, E. coli bacteria (is it just me, or does this stuff read like a John Grisham novel?) into them.

The alfalfa case is further along (the USDA has already written an Environmental Impact Study on GE alfalfa — the sugar beet lawsuit would require one), and according to most people, the one to watch, as it may have broad implications for all genetically modified seed.  The organic industry is up in arms on both fronts, as are farmers, and a recent Consumers Union study reveals that consumers are freaked out, too.  The comment period on alfalfa ends today, and even the Canadians are watching, and they want you to weigh in, dear reader, as does Food Democracy Now.  For their part, Monsanto has a signon letter, too.

I may be comparing apples to oranges here, but at the root of the Agent Orange controversy and the fight against GMO beets and alfalfa are the same issue – public health.  I’ve written before in favor of the precautionary principle, and though I can imagine the comments this post will receive from Monsanto’s PR people, I would challenge any one of them to argue against it.

When the US and South Vietnamese governments decided to dump chemicals into the jungle, we were at war, and expediency and efficacy were the order of the day.  No doubt, there is a PR man out there who would find a reason that GMO beets and alfalfa are not only safe but imperative.  But he’d have a hard time convincing most folks.  When I called my Dad last night to ask what he thought about GMOs, he said he thought that he hoped we’d learned a lesson from what happened to him and others in Vietnam, that the government and the chemical companies were too quick to call a product safe and that there needed to be greater accountability — to people, not just to the bottom line.

Ever my father’s daughter, that’s where I come down on this stuff, too.

Pre-emptive Lawmaking In Idaho, lawmakers are revamping animal cruelty laws in order to attract new livestock operations and safeguard industry against animal welfare advocates like the Humane Society.

Crop Mobsters In North Carolina, would-be agrarians, as yet landless, are descending upon farms and donating valuable labor hours, often accomplishing more in one day than a smaller team could in months.  Smart!

Bold Move The Farm Bureau is legally challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s December announcement that greenhouse gases threaten public health.

A Case for Small in the Tropics Two University of Michigan researchers released a paper this week where they make the case that small family farms better preserve biodiversity, in part by providing better pathways for migrating organisms.

Slightly Less Rotten Tomatoes? We hear from friends at The Ethicurean that the Florida Tomato Growers’ Exchange, a group that has long barred progress made by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and its Fair Food Campaign (by disallowing the penny-a-pound wage increase  agreed to by such mega-buyers as McDonald’s, Burger King and Whole Foods, but still not — ahem — Chipotle) has finally agreed to pass along the increase, but included in the agreement a troubling item that would force laborers to pursue complaints against employers through their employers.

The Wild, Wild West In Wyoming, the Food Freedom Act has passed committee.  The controversial act would allow willing buyers and sellers to forgo currently mandatory food testing procedures.

Our colleague, Dulce Fernandes, shot this video of Annie and Ben last summer.  We’re running it now as a reminder in these dark winter days that spring is on its way.  For those who are in New York, you can help support Eagle Street Rooftop Farm by attending their Urban Rustic fundraiser this Saturday, February 27th.  Visit growingchefs.org for more info.

Dead Lobster The CBC (via Huffington Post) reports that Canadian fishermen are pulling up pots of tasty crustaceans who are already dead, most likely as a result of exposure to Cypermethrin, a pesticide that is outlawed in marine areas and known to be toxic to lobsters.

Gagging Activists In India, a new law proposed by the Ministry of Science and Technology would mean jail time — 6 months minimum — for those who would speak out against genetically modified foods or drugs.

Aiding or Abetting? The Gates Foundation is partnering with Pioneer and Monsanto in two separate campaigns to distribute genetically modified maize varieties, with an eye toward boosting yields in Africa, which sounds great except when you get into the specifics — Tom Laskawy reports at Grist that the fine print spells out several years between now and the seeds’ release dates and that conventional breeding techniques, like those involved in this campaign, will likely be as effective, if not more so, in increasing yields.

Oh My, Darlin Chef Kurt Michael Friese of Iowa City’s Devotay (and an impassioned advocate for clean, local food) takes the NY Times to task over last week’s local food hit piece, encouraging its author, Damon Darlin, to stick to his beat, electronics.

The Fix(er) is In(dicted) Frederick Salyer, former CEO of SK Foods LP, is being charged with bribing food purchasers to buy tomatoes at higher prices.  Several former employees have already pleaded guilty for their parts in the scheme, as have purchasing managers at companies including Frito Lay and Kraft.

On the Move This week, First Lady Michelle Obama officially launched Let’s Move, her campaign against childhood obesity.

On Board The FLOTUS isn’t the only one who’s worried about the kids and what they’re eating. Check out Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish.

CBS Puts Factory Farms on the Hot Seat In which Katie Couric examines the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics on factory farms.

The Fat Chicken or the Poor Egg? Slate examines the interplay between poverty and obesity.

The People Want a Garden Last year, the USDA honored President Lincoln’s 200th birthday by breaking ground for a People’s Garden at USDA headquarters.  This year, folks in the Big Apple want to celebrate with a People’s Garden at City Hall.  Will Bloomberg bring it?

Rejected! Bowing to public outcry, India just says no to genetically modified aubergine (aka eggplant).

The Price of Ag in China For the first time, China has conducted a comprehensive national pollution census, one that includes agricultural pollution, which was excluded from previously published figures and more than doubled the results.

Who Ya Gonna Call? Speaking of the USDA, food activists have long known that the overtaxed agency is not the end-all, be-all in food policy.  But who does what?  A helpful new report released yesterday from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy provides a roadmap for those wonky enough to care to find out.

They’re Back! Genetically modified tomatoes, which were made commercially available in the US in 1994 but quickly disappeared, are being resurrected in India,  in the form of tomatoes that will stay “fresh” for six weeks.

Much Ado About GMOs? Responding to the media attention garnered by a new report linking genetically modified food to organ damage, Dave Love and Keeve Nachman seek to put the findings into context at Center for a Livable Future.

Redistribution of Food Funds? As part of the new budget President Obama announced last week, the administration is proposing substantial cuts to the national crop subsidy program, and an increase in funds for school lunches.

Not Enough! Jill Richardson bemoans the small steps advancing toward better child nutrition and points out a preference toward biotech in Obama’s agenda.

FDA Goes Hi-Tech The US Food and Drug Administration will incorporate a database to score the riskiness of import shipments.

Having spent the last several years following the issues outlined in the film, I did not expect to be surprised by much that it covered and I wasn’t, but as I was caught off guard by my emotional response to it. Food, Inc. basically left me crying like a baby for the people — farmers and consumers alike — who’ve been hurt by our food system.

That said, if you eat food and haven’t seen this film yet, you should.

While you’re at it, there are more great food documentaries out there with which to feed your head.  A few years ago, I curated a “Shortlist” of food films for Art’s Engine, the group that runs the Media That Matters Film Festival, so I’ll not revisit the ones I mentioned there, except to say that The Real Dirt on Farmer John is still one of my favorite movies of all time.  Here’s a few fresher cinematic tidbits that I’ve eaten up since:

Fresh A touch more positive and less polished than Food, Inc, Fresh too has made some waves this year.

Homegrown This snapshot of a (relatively) traditional family operating an urban homestead in Pasadena, California shatters the notion that urban farming is for hippies or their more contemporary counterparts, hipsters.  Homegrown documents the story of the Dervaes family, who grow (literally) tons of produce on less than a quarter of an acre, and operate a website where they share their journey.  I interviewed director Robert McFalls at last year’s Maryland Film Festival, check out the video below.

Julie and Julia Much more mainstream and less political than any of the others mentioned here, Julie & Julia was great because it inspired people to get back into the kitchen.  Also, Meryl Streep (who also earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Julia Child) virtually channeled the giant of French cooking, forcing the viewer to at once fall in love with her and share her pure love for good food.

The Future of Food An oldie but goodie, The Future of Food lays out information on industrial food technology, food policies and consumer issues.

Living a Nightmare Not for the faint of heart, Living a Nightmare offers a rare glimpse into the state of intensive animal livestock production in Michigan. Watch and weep and prepare to go vegan until you manage to wipe your mental hard drive clean of this one.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two very exciting film projects that are still in the works – The Greenhorns and The Queer Farmer Project.  I saw a rough ten minute cut of the latter a few weeks ago here in Brooklyn, and it was heartfelt and inspiring and brought a fresh and unique perspective to food politics and the nature of growing food.  The former, I hear, is nearing the last stages of post production and I can’t wait to see the final cut.

One film you won’t see in a theater anytime soon is Pig Business, which last I heard, had been all but shut down from public screenings by pressure from the pork industry, but you can watch it in its entirety on YouTube.

Speaking of YouTube, if your appetite (and budget) is relatively small, you can find tons of free aperitifs right here on the old Internet.  A few of my favorite sites for foodie videos are Cooking Up a Story and The Dairy Show.  My colleagues at the GRACE Foundation, Karen Correa and Dulce Fernandes, have also produced a number of great film shorts.

That should be enough to tide you over until The Greenhorns makes its debut. Congratulations to everyone who was involved in Food, Inc, thanks to all who document the stories behind the food we eat, and bon appetite!