Today's News

15 November 2012

“When we choose organic products, we not only take care of our personal health, but the health of our planet, too. Think of the power all of us have to make a change. If each of us made the decision today to buy mostly organic, mostly local and mostly whole foods, we can make a difference.”
Michelle Cowdon, Huffington Post,
14 November 2012

Hospital food 'sourced from animals reared in poor conditions'
Meat and eggs used in hospital food in England do not meet the animal welfare standards expected by consumers, a survey suggests.
BBC (15 Nov)
Study finds hospital food 'sourced from animals reared in basic conditions'
ITV (15 Nov)
Find out about the Soil Association’s work to improve hospital food 

Tradition roasts served up at schools to celebrate ‘dinner day’
Delicious traditional meals will be served up at schools for pupils to sample.
Nuneaton News (14 Nov)
Find out more about roast dinner day

Bugs damaging Monsanto corn may do same to Syngenta crops
Rootworms, the most costly pest affecting the U.S. Corn Belt, are showing signs of resistance to Syngenta AG (SYNN)’s genetically modified corn just as they do with crops developed by Monsanto Co. (MON), researchers said at a conference.
Bloomberg Businessweek (14 Nov)

Three ways buying organic helps the planet
Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine that buying organic products actually makes a difference in the health of the planet at large. I am one of seven billion people on earth. Can one person really make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of our entire planet?
Huffington Post (14 Nov)

Organic or not? Two paediatricians weigh in
Should I buy my family organic foods? This is a question we hear all the time in our practices. And it's not as easy a question to answer as you might think.
Huffington Post (14 Nov)

Brazil's Amazon rangers battle farmers' burning business logic
As his helicopter descends through the smoke towards an Amazonian inferno, Evandro Carlos Selva checks the co-ordinates via a global positioning satellite and radios back to base a witness testimony to deforestation.
The Guardian (14 Nov)

Can hackers upset the applecart with new technology?
Numerous industries have been radically transformed by ‘disruptive technology’ – a new app, piece of software or hardware that unexpectedly displaces an established technology. Open source, e books, iTunes and Spotify, and icloud computing are just a few of the technologies that have challenged convention to become the norm.
The Grocer (09 Nov)

Foreign meat sold under Welsh logo prompts warning
A claim that meat wholesalers and butchers are selling foreign beef under a Welsh logo has prompted a government warning to local authorities in Wales.
Farmers Weekly (15 Nov)

Biofuels no longer realistic, says expert
Prof Denis Murphy of the University of Glamorgan said the realisation crops were being diverted away from much-needed food production meant their role as energy providers was diminishing fast.
Farmers Guardian (10 Nov)

Farming Today
Farming Today visits a poultry farm where plucking parties are imminent. Anglers are being asked to be on the lookout for salmon poachers in North Wales to help combat illegal fishing. And even though shoppers looking to save money are becoming more picky, new research suggests farmers can still cash in on high quality produce.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (15 Nov)

And finally…Bizarre creatures and funny animal pictures
The Telegraph (15 Nov)