See interesting blog

http://www.earthscan.co.uk/blog/post/So-can-organics-feed-the-world.aspx

So, can organics feed the world? by Matt Reed

Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production

http://www.soilassociation.org/News/NewsItem/tabid/91/smid/463/ArticleID/360/reftab/57/Default.aspx

20 April 2010

In the UK and globally the future direction of food and farming is being driven almost entirely by two frequently quoted statistics. Experts such as the UN Secretary General, the UK Government’s Chief Scientist, the current Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn MP, the Conservative Party, the National Farmers’ Union and Monsanto, are all saying that we need to increase food production 50% by 2030 or that it needs to double by 2050.

A new investigation from the Soil Association reveals that the widely used statistics are based on a ‘big fat lie’.
‘Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production’, reveals that all those claiming we need to double global food production by 2050, or 50% by 2030, are wrong about the figures, are wrong about what the figures apply to, and are wrong to claim that achieving these figures will mean we will feed the hungry or end starvation.
Research into the doubling figure shows it doesn’t actually exist in the stated source -and that it is based on a number of incorrect assumptions. The scientific basis for the claims are based on a report which on close inspection actually says production would need to increase by around 70%, not 100%. As the Government states this is a significant difference. The closest the report comes to the doubling claim is projecting that meat consumption in developing countries, except China, could double. The scientific paper that the 50% by 2030 claim is based on appears to have been withdrawn by the authors.
These apparently scientific statistics are leading to an assumption that we need vast increases in agricultural production to feed the projected population of 9 billion by 2050. Many commentators are using this inflated claim to justify the need for more intensive agricultural practices and, in particular, the need for further expansion of GM crops.
Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said:
“The ‘big fat lie’ of needing to double global food production by 2050 has dominated policy and media discussions of food and farming, making it increasingly difficult for advocates of sustainable farming methods, such as organic, to convince people we can actually feed the world without more damage to the environment and animal welfare.
“Many of those misusing the statistics in the FAO paper to argue for massive increases in food production in both UK and globally, appear to be unaware that they are in effect condemning many in developing countries to ill-health and early deaths, because they assume the spread of our unhealthy, Western diet to developing countries. In addition, these projections assume an increase of over a billion cattle, which would lead to massive increases in emissions of global warming gases.”
Those using these dodgy figures have continued to do so, even after the Government expressed some concern about them in September last year.
Independent sources quoted in the report say that with fairer diets and better distribution of food, organic farming could feed the world in 2050, with healthy diets.
Notes:
[1] Download the report here: ‘Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production’ [PDF, 902KB]
[2] About the Soil Association:
The Soil Association is the UK's leading environmental charity campaigning for sustainable, organic farming and championing human health. http://www.soilassociation.org/

Eat-in postponed to May 25th!!

Due to the fact that on May 19^th there will be regional produce sold in the canteen in Leeuwenborch

I would like to postpone the eat-in to the week after, Wednesday 25^th May!

Oregional will be selling regional products in the canteen, a try out to see if

cooperation with the caterer could be possible. http://www.oregional.nl/

The move to the 25^th works well since on this day the student organisation Farmers Foundation (Boerengroep)

wanted to have an Eat-in to celebrate their 40^th birthday.

So. Please note:

Wednesday 25 May – Eat-In Lunch @ Leeuwenborch

Time: 12.00

Location: Leeuwenborch (Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen)

This day the theme of the Eat-In will be ‘40 years the Farmers Foundation – Back to the Roots’. The Farmers Foundation will celebrate its 40^th birthday. We will look back at the themes and function of the Farmers Foundation, how they changed in time and what they will be for the future.

And of course you can enjoy and share your own food.

Spring Eat-in Thursday May 19th

To celebrate the spring the next Eat-in will be held outside.
Please bring your picnic gear!
Same place, same time. (so Leeuwenborch, at 12:00).

Discussion on Catering 19 April!

Tuesday 19 April 16:00-18:00 in C214 in Forum there will be a meeting on the future of WUR catering. All students and staff member are welcome to join. The discussion will be in English. At the end there will be drinks and some snacks.

Please come to share your wishes and ideas about how our food services!!

Discussion on the future of your lunch!

Do you have an opinion about the catering services at the WUR?

There will be a discussion held on the 19th of April from 16:00 - 18:00 in Forum, open to all WUR students and staff memebers.

This is an opportunity to share your idea's and opinions, so don't miss it!

Canteen in Leewarden; Sustainable catering is possible!

A few weeks ago I visited ‘Canteen’, the sustainable canteen of Van Stenden College (Hogeschool) in Leeuwarden.

A couple of years ago masterchef Albert Kooy transformed the canteen into an entirely new concept.

The concept includes the following:

-          Most of the food is cooked on site in the Canteen kitchen.

-          The idea of having 80% vegetables and 20% meat instead of the other way around. Kooy indicates that in much of cuisine one sees a large amount of meat and vegetables as a side dish, he wants to turn this around and pay more attention to vegetables.

-          Much of the food served is organic.

-          E-numbers and MSG: When he started on the canteen concept Kooy got rid of all the mono-packaged products and all products which contain additives (E numbers, MSG). Kooy complains about the artificial additives present in much of the regular food supply for catering. He sees especially MSG as something which distorts our taste for food, and he points to the evidence that these ingredients are bad for human health. He would like people to know what food really tastes like.

-          Taste: Choosing to cook without additives has everything to do with developing a good sense of taste, and keeping food free of additives which are harmful for the body. Kooy indicates that users had to get used to the taste of the authentic food served in Canteen, since the food production and processing techniques used are different from a lot of food people are used to eating.

-          Seasonality and near-sourcing: Kooy wants to keep to the seasons as much as possible, and makes use of produce which comes from the region, like the Wadden Sea. But he does not see the need to drive locality to extremes, he sees The Netherlands as the region from which he want to source produce. One example of seasonality in Canteen: Instead of serving tomato and salad (out of season) with a burger, Kooy serves his with a white cabbage salad.

-          Meat: Kooy tries to use more pork and poultry and less beef, as the formers two score better on CO2 emissions.

-          Vegetables: Vegetables are to a large degree seasonal, and from The Netherlands (‘de koude grond’). He also works with vegetables/herbs from outside NL since he makes Asian and African meals as well.

-          International food: Van Stenden College has many international students and so meals need to be adapted to fit this clientele.

-          Drinks: Kooy has cancelled all soft drinks, except for an organic coke and a kind of seven up drink. The idea again is to eliminate as much unhealthy food and drink as possible. Other drinks served are self-made fresh juices and smoothies. Coffee is supplied by Peeze. Water is not bought in plastic bottles, instead in Canteen bottles tap water in attractive glass bottles, and adds gas for fizzy water. In this way Kooy wants to avoid the water-miles and plastic which comes with bottled water. His idea is that since the tap water is very good why import it from another region/country?

-          Bread: is made according to traditional recipes. Kooy found a baker who could supply bread where no additives are used like for instance flour improving agents (meelverbeteraars).

-          The canteen makes use of recycled/recyclable plastic.

-          The canteen ‘buffet’ consists of 5 outlets:

o   -‘It’s only bread’; fresh roles with toppings and soup

o   ‘Coffee shop’; smoothies, cakes, coffee and tea

o   ‘Made in Europe’; eg. pizza’s, kroketten, pancakes

o   ‘East meets west’; wok meals, noodles, meat and vegetarian sauces

o   ‘Out of Africa’; mostly North-African style food like falafel, and without pork

-          Education: Kooy wants students to learn to cook vegetables well, making vegetables the centre of a meal and not meat. Enhancing cooks’ skill and knowledge on how to cook vegetables has environmental and health benefits. It also means changing an entire culture where meat is the primary focus of a plate of food. Students from Hotel Management Studies do praticals in the Canteen kitchen. This means that future catering managers are trained in food preparation within the sustainable canteen concept.

-          Service: The canteen is open all afternoon (i.e. the food is available all afternoon) and in the evening there is a plate du jour with a choice of three warm meals.