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Reduce Your Carbon Footprint By Eating Sweeter, More Flavorful Strawberries

2011-12-08T01:07:06Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

And help NRDC find next year's Growing Green Award winners by December 16.

NRDC Growing Green Award winner Jim Cochran grows organic strawberries on the California coast. Those who have tasted them will confirm that Jim's berries are among the sweetest, most flavorful strawberries you'll ever try.

Why? When Jim won an NRDC Growing Green Award this spring, he explained that this is because he uses less nitrogen. More nitrogen fertilizer would increase his yields, but he grows for flavor instead of size. His organic growing practices help, because organic nitrogen sources release the nutrient more slowly to the plant. A California Farmer article about Jim asserted that his rich, organically farmed soil also contributes to efficient nutrient use and more complex flavors.

For most farming operations, nitrogen turns out to the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrous oxide, a gas that is often formed when nitrogen is applied to soil, has about 300 times more global warming potential that CO2 (and synthetic fertilizer, used in conventional agriculture systems, also requires large quantities of energy to produce). For many farms, nitrogen use will be a larger source of green house gasses than all other emissions combined. Farmers who use nitrogen more efficiently will lose less to the environment.

So although we don't have a detailed analysis to prove the point, I am quite prepared to believe that my efforts to choose the sweetest, most flavorful organic strawberries is one way I can help the planet.

I reminisce about how Jim is making a difference in our food system now because NRDC is currently searching for next year's Growing Green Award winners. Please help us find the innovators who are reinventing our food system. You can nominate yourself and your favorite sustainable food leaders at www.nrdc.org/growinggreen. Categories for 2012 are: Food Producer, Business Leader, Young Food Leader and Food Justice Leader. Once again, we are joined by a distinguished panel of sustainable food experts who will select the final winners. Visit online to read about them and the previous winners who inspire us.

House Republicans Move to Weaken FDA's Oversight of Contaminants in our Food

2011-06-02T22:54:10Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

The Washington Post today reported that on Tuesday night 28 Republicans and one Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to an appropriations bill that would hamstring FDA’s authority to keep toxic chemicals and contaminants out of the food supply.

The measure, introduced by Rep. Rehberg (R-MT), vaguely mandates that only “hard science” be used to justify agency rule-makings and imposes arbitrary exclusions on what the agency can consider in regulating health risks in food, medicine, cosmetics and tobacco products. The measure is so poorly written that it’s hard to tell exactly what it means, but lawyers here believe it could also be interpreted to prevent regulatory action when pharmaceuticals are determined to cause public health risks, unless those drugs are also shown to be ineffective.

Here at NRDC we are wondering if it could be a coincidence that this attack on FDA’s oversight of medicines was adopted just a week after we filed suit against FDA for failing to protect consumers from overuse of antibiotics in livestock, which is linked to the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As the lawsuit explains, industrial scale feedlots around the nation use massive amounts of antibiotics to promote animal growth and to compensate for unsanitary, confined living conditions. The practice breeds drug-resistant pathogens that threaten the efficacy of critical medicines for people. FDA has recognized these risks, but failed to take regulatory action. There is plenty of “hard science” documenting the health concerns, but the Rehberg rider would –ironically-- make it much harder for FDA to take regulatory action based on science because it tasks the agency to meet an undefined standard and precludes it from considering important pieces of information, like consumer behavior or health risks created before products reach a consumer.

The problem of antibiotic use in the livestock industry is only one of the many important public health issues under the agency’s jurisdiction that would be ensnared by the “hard science” rider. The Rehberg amendment would also make it more difficult for the agency to force product manufacturers to remove chemicals that threaten the health of consumers—such as the hormone disruptors triclosan and triclocarban often added to hand soaps and personal care products. Similarly, a coalition of health associations and anti-tobacco advocates issued a press release yesterday blasting the measure, stating it would “severely limit the kind of evidence FDA could consider in regulating tobacco and other products.”

Because FDA is charged with protecting us from health risks from food, tobacco, medicines and cosmetics, the implications of constraining its oversight of all of these products is mind boggling. Here at NRDC we’re big supporters of hard science. But Representative Rehberg’s rider is really just an attempt to make it harder for FDA to use science and do its job.

Applause and high hopes for California's new Secretary of Agriculture

2011-01-24T20:47:25Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

Any way you look at it, California isn’t going to solve pressing environmental challenges without agriculture being part of the solution. I can’t think of anyone better than Karen Ross to help make that happen.

Agriculture matters. Growers in our state use about 80% of the developed water supply and manage nearly a third of the land. Globally, the food and agriculture sector accounts for more than 30% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Wisely managed, agricultural lands can provide habitat, openspace, renewable energy and food security. But over-use of chemicals, energy and water can wreck havoc on the natural environment and impact our communities. California growers have already made important gains in addressing these issues but more are needed as we head into the perfect storm of population growth, climate change and dwindling water resources.

Trusted by growers and committed to stewardship, Karen is the right choice to lead the California Department of Agriculture as it confronts these issues. We valued Karen’s leadership in 2004 when she worked with NRDC and many diverse stakeholders to help found the California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment-- an unprecedented collaboration of the state’s agricultural and environmental leaders. More recently, we appreciated Karen’s efforts to support the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, an agricultural-environmental collaboration seeking to help food producers get recognition for delivering performance in sustainable food production. Under her leadership, the California Association of Winegrape Growers helped launch a statewide stewardship initiative that has since reached growers managing two thirds of the state’s winegrape acres.

Karen’s appointment comes at a time when the nation is more politically divided than ever. That divide falls right along urban and agricultural lines here in California. But agriculturalists and environmentalists need to work together to sustain farming and the environment in our state. We need someone to inspire us to collaborate and embrace the environmental challenges we face. I’m betting on Karen.

10 Days Left to Nominate Your Favorite Food Hero (or Yourself)

2010-12-01T18:28:25Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

Growing Green Award nominations due December 10

Farmers and foodies, it’s time to nominate your favorite sustainable food hero for NRDC’s Growing Green Awards. For the third year in a row, NRDC is recognizing food producers, business leaders, researchers and young food heroes who are transforming the future of food. Across the country, food industry leaders are cutting pollution, nurturing soils, saving water, and reducing energy use, all while filling our plates and teaching us about the impacts of our food choices. Now it’s time for you to give back – nominate yourself or another food leader by December 10.

Nominating someone couldn’t be easier: Write a one paragraph summary, attach any supporting documents (and/or write more narrative if you like) and upload the nomination on-line here.

What does it take to win? Our panel of expert judges, who are themselves sustainable food celebrities, will make the final call on which innovative ideas and bold leadership take the prize. In previous years, Growing Green Award winners have inspired us with their amazing growing techniques, community involvement and original business models. Some of my favorites include:

Russ Lester, a walnut farmer in northern California who turns walnut shells into electricity to power his farm;
Will Allen, who stacked an organic vegetable garden on top of an urban fish farm -- and connected them to clean the water and fertilize the plants;
Fidele Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Company, whose food service company has put a low carbon diet on the menu, while educating the customers and others about their own individual carbon footprint from food.

This year we have an exciting new category, recognizing the young people from California to Maine who are getting their hands dirty in the sustainable food movement. Our Young Food Leader category, for food entrepreneurs, growers and activists, is open to applicants 30 years old or younger. And this exciting new award comes with a $5,000 prize to help the winner with their great work.

We’ve also revised the Thought Leader award to focus more on advancing the science that is needed to make food systems more sustainable.

The Business Leader award is unchanged from last year, and will again go to an entrepreneur who advances innovation in sustainable food.

And as a tribute to the people who grow and produce our food, the Food Producer category remains the top honor and will receive a $10,000 prize. All winners will be publicized far and wide through NRDC’s networks and media outlets.

See the complete application instructions and criteria HERE. Submit your nomination for a sustainable food hero by December 10!

Farmers aren’t the only ones who should be concerned about “superweeds” and the diminishing potency of a popular herbicide

2010-05-07T21:04:56Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported on an emerging threat facing farmers, rural communities and the environment: The proliferation of “superweeds” that are resistant to the widely used herbicide “Roundup” (also sold generically as glyphosate).

First some background: In the 1990s, Monsanto genetically engineered corn and soybeans to withstand Roundup (glyphosate) so that farmers could apply Roundup to kill weeds without harming the crop itself. This turned out to be very popular, and Roundup Ready crops are now grown on millions of acres around the country (90% of soy acres and 70% of corn and cotton, according the Times). The upside of the herbicide-tolerant crops is reduced tillage, which conserves soil and energy. A downside is that farmers have to apply more herbicides – 380 million pounds more between 1996 and 2008 than they would have with conventional corn, soy and cotton crops, according to the Organic Center.

As many scientists and advocates predicted, the repeated and widespread use of glyphosate has resulted in resistance by a growing number of weeds. This results from accelerated Darwinian evolution, when an anomalous weed that is resistant to the chemical is allowed to flourish while other weeds are killed off. If this story is sounding familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it before in the context of antibiotics: Over use of these drugs for people and livestock are increasingly rendering them impotent to bacteria.

The superweeds are not the scary part of this story. The big concern here is what happens after Roundup becomes ineffective and growers must resort to more toxic chemicals. Or if the gene splicers create new crops that are programmed to accommodate more toxic herbicides – which are then applied in vast quantities across millions of acres.

This is not a theoretical concern. Just this week NRDC released an updated analysis of another widely used herbicide called atrazine, which is now frequently present in drinking water throughout the nation, often at levels of concern. Atrazine persists for weeks after application, resulting in pulses of contaminated runoff that shred aquatic ecosystems and threaten drinking water supplies. Atrazine is also an endocrine disrupting chemical which means it can throw a wrench into the works of exquisitely delicate biological processes, like fetal development. While no one at NRDC loves the fact that millions of pounds of Roundup are released into the environment every year, I think we can all agree that Roundup is no atrazine. There’s a huge difference in terms of the risk these chemicals pose.

So the prospect of “Atrazine Ready” corn or soy crops is chilling. While I haven’t heard anyone propose that particular combination, the Times reports that other high-risk herbicides like 2,4-D are in the pipeline for GMO crops.

Of course if this debate is just about which synthetic herbicides should be used in massive quantities, then we’re missing the point. Stay tuned for more about herbicide alternatives and what USDA should be doing to promote them.

Deadline Extended! Apply by December 11 for the Growing Green Awards!

2009-12-04T23:07:52Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

After learning that the Huffington Post was writing a story about the Growing Green Awards, we decided to extend the deadline so any of you finding out about the award for the first time could still apply. All deadline-challenged sustainable food leaders now have another week to get nominations in.

Why bother to apply? For starters, the Natural Resources Defense Council is offering a $10,000 cash prize in the producer category. We like other food businesses too, but growers and producers merit special recognition because they are the most critical part of our food system.

Plus, NRDC is committed to celebrating all the Growing Green Award winners in public. That means we’ll be actively promoting the winners and their innovative work to the media, our members and through NRDC’s networks. No promises, but we’ll certainly at least ask the Huffington Post to cover the winners too.

Growing Green Awards will be given in four categories this year, including: Producer, Business Leader, Thought Leader and Water Steward. The nomination process is easy. We ask for a short statement of qualifications and then let you attach any documents that support the nomination so you can use whatever is convenient. Visit the Growing Green Awards on-line for the click-by-click instructions.

Show your appreciation for the growers, business leaders and innovators who are shaping the future of food. Nominate yourself or your favorite sustainable food leader by Friday, December 11!

NRDC’s Growing Green Awards are back!

2009-10-05T23:58:42Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

If you have a favorite farmer or sustainable food leader, nominate them for the 2010 Growing Green Awards. Applications are due December 4, 2009, and a $10,000 prize will go to the winning green Food Producer.

When we announced the first annual Growing Green Awards last year, there might have been a hint of trepidation in the office here. What if it didn't work? What if no one applied? What if the applicants weren't green enough?

Well, 150 nominations later, I can tell you that those worries are over. We were blown away by all the amazing things farmers are doing on their land to grow our food while taking care of mother nature at the same time; business leaders who are pouring on the innovation and using their supply chains to effect change; and thought leaders who are teaching all of us about more sustainable food from farm to fork.

Check out last year's winners: Will Allen integrated an urban fish farm with organic vegetable production, using the nutrient-rich waste water from the fish to fertilize the plants, while the plants filtered the water so it could be returned to the fish. Fedele Bauccio pushed his food service company to green its cafeterias and published the Low Carbon Diet Calculator, helping us grasp the link between food and climate change. James Harvie helped put sustainable food on the menu for the health care industry.

This year, in addition to our previous award categories for Producer, Business Leader and Thought Leader, we are adding a "Water Steward" category just for 2010.

And, once again, the Growing Green Awards is honored to have a highly distinguished panel of independent judges:

Susan Clark, Executive Director of the Columbia Foundation

A.G. Kawamura, California's Secretary of Agriculture

Michael Pollan, celebrated author and professor

Nora Pouillon, Chef and founder of Restaurant Nora, the nation's first certified organic restaurant

Nominate yourself or your favorite sustainable food hero. We can't wait to read about all your great green work.

NRDC's Growing Green Awards: An olive branch (organic of course) to agriculture

2009-01-26T20:19:25Z

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Specialist, San Francisco

NRDC hasn't always been agriculture's favorite non-profit organization. We have a history of doing things that some growers don't like including litigation and policy reform to curb emissions of pesticides, reduce livestock waste, conserve water, etc. So it may be news to some growers that NRDC is now trying to give away $10,000 - to a farmer.

Earlier this month we announced our first ever growing green awards to celebrate leaders in sustainable food production. A Growing Green Award will be given in each of three categories: Producer, Business Leader; and Thought Leader. Nominations are due by February 6. You can nominate yourself or someone else.

I should also mention that the awards will be hand picked by a group of sustainable food celebrities who would themselves be unbeatable candidates for these awards if they weren't already on our selection panel. Author Michael Pollan will preside as chair.

Here's my favorite detail about this whole thing: Only the Producer category gets the cash prize. Sure, we like Business Leaders and Thought Leaders as much as anyone else, but we decided that special tribute should fall on the growers who actually produce our food.

The fact is we really need agriculture to stick around and succeed in meeting environmental challenges. When farms fail, farmland is typically converted to sprawl, ie more habitat for cars. Food shortages cause hunger and may drive conversion of forest and grasslands into agriculture, resulting in CO2 emissions. Agriculture can also play a critical role in helping us address climate change by providing renewable energy, sequestering carbon, and reducing on-farm global warming emissions.

That doesn't mean NRDC should look the other way when it comes to farm pollution, farmworker injustice or the depletion of natural resources.

Fortunately innovative farmers across the country have and continue to adopt more sustainable practices: Producing energy from farm waste, using insect pheromones and beneficial insects to replace toxic pesticides; improving fertilizer efficiency to minimize runoff; and keeping soil healthy and on the farm. These farmers are growing green.

I hope someone nominates them for an award.