“Beginning life as a market stall in 2006, Unpackaged is a unique and brilliant concept that is so simple it hurts, especially considering the sheer amount of packaging waste that is ridiculously filling our planet’s landfill sites. Within the beautifully designed shop, organic whole foods, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, even refillable oils, vinegars and wines are all available to place straight into your own containers, that you will have brought along with you … if you haven’t then reusable bags are available. Zero packaging.”

(via Good)

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“…do pigs have any more or less of a soul than dogs? Are they any more or less sentient? Do they suffer any more or less in death? Are they any more or less part of the mysterious unity of life? I think not.”

(via The New York Times)

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Reblogged from The Animal Blog.

each cube is a spoonful.

Michael Pollan On The High Cost Of Cheap Food

“Earlier this week, food journalist and author Michael Pollan appeared on the Daily Show to promote his latest book “Food Rules,” a straightforward set of guidelines for helping us navigate the increasingly complex question of “What should you eat?” In discussing the book, Pollan points to the hidden costs of cheap food on both the health of ourselves and the environment. Pollan cites a staggering statistic, noting that the average American receives 20 percent of their annual calories from high fructose corn syrup, a figure that explains the high incidences of preventable diseases such as type II diabetes.”

(via PSFK)

A huge move by one of the largest consumer food manufacturers, The Coca-Cola Company unveiled today a new plastic bottle made partially from plants.  The “PlantBottle™” is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles. The new bottles stand to cut down on carbon emissions by up to 25% compared to traditional PET bottles.

Nearly 1.6 billion servings of Coca-Cola-branded beverages are served each day.

(via Inhabitat.com)

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“It’s true that food production is an important contributor to climate change. And the claim that meat (especially beef) is closely linked to global warming has received some credible backing, including by the United Nations and University of Chicago. Both institutions have issued reports that have been widely summarized as condemning meat-eating.

But that’s an overly simplistic conclusion to draw from the research… it could be, in fact, that a conscientious meat eater may have a more environmentally friendly diet than your average vegetarian.

None of us, whether we are vegan or omnivore, can entirely avoid foods that play a role in global warming. Singling out meat is misleading and unhelpful, especially since few people are likely to entirely abandon animal-based foods.

Still, there are numerous reasonable ways to reduce our individual contributions to climate change through our food choices. Because it takes more resources to produce meat and dairy than, say, fresh locally grown carrots, it’s sensible to cut back on consumption of animal-based foods. More important, all eaters can lower their global warming contribution by following these simple rules: avoid processed foods and those from industrialized farms; reduce food waste; and buy local and in season.”

(via The New York Times)

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Food, Inc trailer. In theaters now

See it. Help change the food industry and eat local.

directed by Robert Kenner

If public-health advocates, and now the Senate, get their way, when you look at a menu from a chain restaurant, those calorie counts will be staring you down.

(via, my pal, Maria Gonima)

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Anna the Red makes brilliant character bento, often with a nod toward anime and video games. Her Kyaraben transforms the traditional Japanese lunch box into a work of art. Recently, someone from Google took notice of Anna’s bento prowess and invited her to help promote Google Chrome by making the logo out of food. She began with a sketch, and ended up with the Google Chrome logo realized in boiled broccoli, fried red peppers and scrambled eggs. If you’ve ever wanted to see the dilligent work that goes into this niche art form, check out the fast-paced video. Delicious.

(via Josh Spear, Trendspotting)

Increasingly, the corporations that supply Americans with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of their ingredients.

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A lot of Americans think they’re eating a healthy diet these days. But it’s easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways that food manufacturers play on them.

(via Wall Street Journal)

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FRESH is a documentary that celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Some activists worry that their dreams of a less-processed American diet may soon collide with the realities of Washington and the financial gloom over much of the country. Even the Bush administration, reviled by many food activists, came to Washington intent on reforming farm subsidies, only to be slapped down by Congress.

“We think there’s a place for organic, but don’t think we can feed ourselves and the world with organic…It’s not as productive, more labor-intensive and tends to be more expensive.”

The Obama family is the first in 20 years to grow a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

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