Goat for sale in a market in Nigeria (photo by ILRI/Mann). ‘. . . In Ontario agriculture, there’s no question: 2010 is the Year of the Goat. ‘Ontario farmers are catching up with the rest of the world by discovering the virtues of goats as livestock. The province has long had a strong livestock sector, … Continue reading
Category Archives: Consumption
Agriculture / Consumption / North America / Research / USA
‘Food miles’ can be ‘false miles’ when total energy expenditures are taken into account
American science and history writer Stephen Budiansky published a tonic op-ed in the New York Times last week on the dangers of simplifying such inherently complex issues as total energy expenditures in the production, transportation and marketing of food. As his article tellingly points out (see excerpts below), making arbitrary rules about our food systems, … Continue reading
As ‘slow food’ becomes the preoccupation of the rich, food of any kind remains the preoccupation of the poor
In the May/June 2010 issue of Foreign Policy, agricultural policy analyst Robert Paarlberg argues that the trendy food causes of rich countries, whose sustainable mantra is ‘organic, local and slow’, ‘is no recipe for saving the world’s hungry millions’. ‘Too much food production is already organic, local and slow in the developing world,’ he says. … Continue reading
Cattle / Climate Change / Consumption / Environment / Europe / UK
McDonalds on hunt for climate-friendly beef
Fast-food chain McDonalds is on the hunt for new methods to produce a climate-friendly beef burger. The burger giant, which sources 350,000 cows from over 16,000 British and Irish farms every year, has launched a three-year study to cut methane emissions from its livestock. The study will take place on 350 farms across Britain and … Continue reading
Eat less meat and dairy: Official recipe to help health of consumers – and the planet
he first official recommendations for a diet that is both healthy and good for the environment are published today, and they are likely to be seen as an assault on the UK’s current food system. To fight climate change and tackle the growing crisis of diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, British … Continue reading
Climate-conscious ranching: Is free-range really better than feedlots?
The issue of the livestock-climate connection has catalyzed a debate not only about whether and to what extent we should consume animal protein like meat and dairy, but what kind of system of livestock production is more sustainable from a greenhouse gas perspective if and when we do choose to continue consuming it. For the … Continue reading
Animal Feeding / China / Consumption / Markets / Trade
Global demand for animal protein and its implications for the feed industry
Summary Global demands for food are expected to increase 100% by 2050 driven by an increase in global population to 9+ billion and a growth in affluence primarily in China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Twenty percent of this increased food demand can come from increased land put into production; however, environmental concerns and … Continue reading
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