Sound Bites: Week of July 5th, 2010 (LISTEN)
Sound Bites
Headlines in Food & Farming from around The World
HEALTH
Despite education campaigns and government programs, a new study finds obesity rates increased in 28 states last year. The report entitled “F as in Fat” is published every year by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
WORLD
The nation of Kygyzstan is beginning to show signs of normalcy. This according to staff members of The World Food Programme distributing rations last week to more than 6,000 people in the central market area of Osh. The market was described as open and crowded, with signs that life is beginning to return to normal.
However, AID operations are remaining cautious, expecting a true recovery to require far more financial support and longterm resources.
Sound Bites: Jonathan Veitch (UNICEF’s representative in Kyrgyzstan)
FOOD SAFETY
New York Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to adopt stricter enforcement policies against airline caterers.
In the past six months, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors have cited numerous catering facilities that prepare airline food for suspected health and sanitation violations. Among those in violation are the world’s biggest airline caterers, LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet, and another large caterer, Flying Food Group.
FARMING
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack continues pushing for the Eight billion dollars needed to provide schools with healthy and nutritious meals.
Last week, the Secretary testified before the House Education and Labor Committee in the spirit of proposing budgetary solutions, and conveying the sense of urgency and necessity behind the program.
Sound Bites: Tom Vilsack (US Sec. of Agriculture)
POLICY / NATION
The National Research Council recently published a new report on the status of farming in the U.S. Entitled, Toward Sustainable Agriculture Systems in the 21st Century, the report concluded that policies and programs should enable are more “holistic perspective to farming”.
Julia Kornegay served as chair of the committee, and speaks with Dov Hirsch to explain what a holistic approach to farming might look like.
Interview: Julia Kornegay (Professor and Head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at North Carolina State University / Chair of the Committee on 21st Century Systems Agriculture for the National Research Council)
