Newsletter #1
As the remarkably hot summer begins to shift into fall, I am highlighting some of the most impactful stories revolving food. From local community happenings all the way to international conflicts, let us take a look at some stories that are impacting our food landscape.
Austin
A feature story from Modern Farmer details the history and struggle of running a farm in a booming city like Austin. Springdale Farm in east Austin is a community center as much as it is a farm, hosting classes and events weekly. As the owners of the farm shifted all their attention to cultivating the farm, they found it wasn't as fruitful as they’d hoped. With scorching temperatures and local legislation combating their aim for community, there was a fear of Springdale closing, until restaurant owners and members of the community stepped in and made a difference.
Statewide
Pesticide use on Texas cattle was heavily debated issue this summer. As the Houston Chronicle reports, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller backtracked on his banning of tick sprays due to an outcry from ranchers. He enforced a 45-day window period for ranchers to continue using the previously banned pesticide method out of concerns that it was killing cattle while investigation into the pesticides continue.
Areas that are poverty stricken tend to have higher rates of obesity, in part due to the lack of grocery stores and surplus of fast food restaurants. The Rio Grande Valley highlights this issue as one of the worst areas in the nation being dubbed a “food desert,” as noted in a story from U.S. News. Factors including race, socioeconomic status and location are what impact these food deserts, but the article highlights different organizations that are researching how to improve upon the access to healthy food in these food insecure areas.
A story out of KETR in Commerce, TX is shedding light on Texas’s food insecurity as being one of the worst in the country. Food insecurity happens when families or individuals need to choose between food and other expenses, resulting in missing meals or non-nutritional meals. The northeast region of Texas is known for being a prominent agricultural region and, ironically, also one of the most food insecure areas in Texas. The food insecurity highlights greater issues involving the nation’s heavily debated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
National
The Center for Disease Control has had a busy summer recalling several high profile food products due to contamination risks, with the popular cereal Honey Smacks being investigated for Salmonella. TIME reports how Kellogg’s voluntarily recalled Honey Smacks amid multiple reports of people being sent to the hospital. There is an ongoing investigation out of the CDC and the FDA as people are encouraged to throw out their Honey Smacks boxes and retailers are told to no longer sell the cereal until the investigations concludes.
The recalls this summer have not been contained to food as we’ve seen homeopathic drugs and other medicines get recalled as well. Citing potential microbial contaminations like E. Coli, USA Today reports recalls from large companies like Pfizer, King Bio, CVS and Publix. Products vary from nasal sprays to baby formula to ground beef. Reading about these recalls is a great reminder to check the FDA recall list before going to the grocery store.
There is legislation in effect that many Americans are unaware of until they get a knock on their door from a police officer. A feature story out of the New Food Economy highlights how individuals who sell food-related products out of their homes run the risk of fines or jail time. Even trading meals with your neighbors could violate the Cottage Food Act, which is spurring legislation to ease up on these restrictions. The Homemade Food Operations Act is trying to enact a threshold of how much a household can profit from selling food items and other enforcements to protect small-scale home cooks from legal troubles.
International
Trade wars being brought on by President Trump are leaving many Americans in fear that their businesses and personal costs will be affected. A report from Eater highlights some of the food-related retaliatory tariffs put on the U.S. by other countries. These politically motivated tariffs will affect dairy, pork, produce and condiments - practically touching every product in your kitchen. The concern by many is that these tariffs will have an impact on overall economic growth and result in job losses.
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