Land o’ Labels

With the majority of US food being produced in curiously mysterious ways, more and more labels and certifications are popping up to help we, the eaters, have confidence in what we choose to feed ourselves. 

But with more information, comes confusion…and the required time dedicated to deciphering. 

Never fear! Here’s a good break down that SF’s Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) put out last year in hopes of clarifying meat labeling.

The Organic 1%: Sustainable Farming in a Broken System

“In 2008 organic cropland represented only 0.7 percent in the United States and, at the current growth rate, it is expected to reach not more than 2.5 percent by 2050…

Well-respected agriculture research outlets like Rodale Institute and the Agronomy Journal recently published long-term studies, 30 years and 18 years respectively, revealing the benefits and business case for organic farming. The key takeaways from the reports are that organic agriculture outperforms conventional in terms of ecological benefits, resiliency against crop loss, profitability, long-term food production capability, and soil fertility. Important data like this could help make the business case for organic farming to skeptics, including bank loan agents, who may perceive it as a risky, unworthy pursuit. Building awareness about the value of organic farming could help break down these barriers.”

(Source: triplepundit.com)

GHGs Higher Than Worst Case Scenario

“Associated Press reports worldwide greenhouse gases jumped higher than it ever had from 2009 to 2010, surpassing a worst-case scenario predicted four years ago. Citing new figures from the U.S. Department of Energy, AP science writer Seth Borenstein notes the level of carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere, had shot up by six percent in 2010 from 2009 — an increase of 564 million tons.

‘From an emissions standpoint, the global financial crisis seems to be over,’ Tom Boden, director Energy Department’s Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.”

Wow.

(Source: theatlanticwire.com)

Can Parents Compete with Clever Food Marketing Directed at Kids?

If parents said nothing, about 71 percent of the children who had watched French fry ads chose that coupon. But when parents urged their kids to make the healthy choice, only 55 percent of the kids chose French fries. For the kids who had seen the apples and dipping sauce ad, only 46 percent made the unhealthy French fry choice when the parents remained neutral.

This difference in and of itself underlines the power of advertising. But when the parents encouraged them to go for the apples, only 33 percent of them opted for the fries.

While there’s a clear trend in the results of the study, it wasn’t as great as had been expected. Lead author Christopher Ferguson says, “Parental encouragement to eat healthy was somewhat able to help undo the message of commercials, although the effects of parents were smaller than we had anticipated.”

But small or not, the effect was there, so parents should not feel that they don’t play an important role in their kids’ food choices. It’s not easy to compete with Scooby Doo packaging, but, as Ferguson says, “parents are not powerless.”

The authors point out that there’s been some talk of banning child-directed advertising, but a better way might be simply to encourage advocates, food producers, and politicians to focus on the other end of the equation — ways of promoting healthy food choices to kids as well. Ferguson underlines that “[a]dvertisement effects can work both for and against healthy eating.”

(Source: The Atlantic)

Marion Nestle after the wake of the FTC’s back-down on marketing food to children

A Round Up of Latest Reports on Food Marketing’s Negative Effects

U.K.: BBC radio programme on marketing junk food to kids

U.S.: consumer laws can be invoked to protect children from junk food marketing

U.S.: Toys turn healthy foods into ‘happy meals’ — for more, click here

India: Ban ki-moon calls upon kids’ processed food makers to act with integrity

U,S,: Packaging gets U,S, high schoolers to pick carrots over cookies

U,K,: Government rejects calls for ban on junk-food advertising

U,K,: Alcohol giant set to ‘target children’ through Facebook

Fight about the role of soft drinks at the ADA

Australia: Hungry Jacks to put broccoli on fast-food menu

Coca-Cola to invest $3bn in Russia, 2012-2015

Australia: food federation accuses consumer group of promoting unhealthy foods — and uses traffic light criteria to back their argument

U,S, ‘spends $ billions subsidising junk food products’ — to view full report, click here

Scientists support the administration’s Inter-Agency Working Group on food marketed to children — click here to view

Some 75 health and marketing experts from the nation’s universities call on President Obama not to abandon the Federal Trade Commission-led nutrition guidelines that would recommend strict limits for marketing foods to children — click here to view details

(Source: The Atlantic)