Practice Paper: Promoting Ecological Sustainability within the Food System

A new Practice Paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic is available and the topic is Promoting Ecological Sustainability within the Food System. I'm happy to see the final paper since I helped review it months ago as a member of the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. The final paper was authored by my colleague Ramona Robinson-O’Brien and Bonnie L. Gerald.

I really like this call to action:

It is important to continually evaluate current food system practices and promote practices that support and sustain natural resources and the environment. Food system sustainability is dependent, in part, upon the protection and conservation of soil, water, energy, and the preservation of biodiversity. Promoting food system sustainability can be an admirable goal among RDs and DTRs. 

I was also intrigued by this address to decreased pesticide usage and possible suggestion to support organic agriculture:

The use of pesticides in agriculture may have a negative impact on wildlife and the wider environment (water, soil, air) if leaching, runoff, or spray drift occurs. In an effort to mitigate adverse environmental exposures, consideration should be given to alternative cropping systems less dependent on pesticides, the development of pesticides with improved safety profiles and formulations, and appropriate use of spraying equipment. 

There is also a fantastic section on consumer options, including growing interest is local food, “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” farm to institution work, and innovations to address food access including SNAP benefits at farmers markets, community gardens, and utilization of cooperative extension. 

Finally, I was also super excited to see a shout out to some fantastic resources that some fellow HEN DPG members developed:

Included in the resource figure (Figure 1) is a link to the document “Healthy Land, Healthy People: Building a Better Understanding of Sustainable Food Systems for Food and Nutrition Professionals,” which provides wide-ranging recommendations for RDs and DTRs to incorporate professional practices in support of ecological sustainability in the food system. RDs and DTRs are encouraged to utilize this valuable tool to identify practical examples within a variety of practice areas. Wilkins and colleagues contend that the economic, ecological, and social sustainability of the food system matter as much as the nutritional value of its products and encourage RDs and DTRs to practice “civic dietetics” by integrating food system awareness into their work.

Shit Dietitians Say

I had to join the fun. Please comment. Did I leave anything out?

Back with an Epicurean Delight: Raw, Vegan, Garden Pesto

Dear Readers,

Some of you may have noticed I have been on a blogging hiatus. Today, I would like to resurrect my blog, The Epicurean Ideal. In doing so, my post is today's personal epicurean experience making raw, vegan, garden pesto. Before you shudder and click the little "x" button in your browser, humor me and read on. I will be blogging on my typical topics of food and agriculture policy beginning this week. In the mean time, enjoy this fun and easy recipe.

Why "raw" ? Well, mostly because it is summer time and I prefer fresh, live foods.

Why "vegan" ? Those who know me well might guess that this is my way of sticking it to the dairy council again. While that may be partially true, I actually have noticed an increased intolerance to dairy as I have grown older. It has been said that humans stop producing lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in the intestines) as we age, so it is not surprising as I finish up the Victory Lap of my 30's. For a more detailed description of lactose intolerance see here.

Why "garden" ? Well, uh, why the hell not, but if you must ask, because my neighbor and owner of theNectary, Kasi helped me plant a little garden in my front yard. theNectary helps clients design, build and maintain edible landscapes. Yum! Just make sure your community allows you to grow food. No, seriously! This lady is facing jail time for planting a garden. Anyway, it is scientifically proven that vegetables you grown yourself taste better. And my basil was ready to rock.

So lets get cooking. Today...Pesto. All you need is 3-4 bunches of basil, safflower oil, 2 heads of garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts (or other type of nut), olive oil and sea salt.

Harvest your basil by pinching off the larger leaves and groups of leaves.Wash and trim the leaves.

To make the "vegan" part of this pesto creamy, you will make a garlic paste. Just take your garlic heads and peel and clean the cloves. Put them in a food processor and add safflower oil, lemon juice (of 1/2 a lemon) and sea salt until you get a thick paste.

You can also add nuts. Note: always taste your nuts first. I had to learn the hard way once and it gave my pesto an inedible off-flavor. My pine nuts were rancid, so I used pecans.

Add oil to make a paste. I used safflower for the paste and then olive oil after I add the basil.

Add the basil and olive oil and sea salt until you get a thick consistency. Taste it to see if you need more salt or oil. The garlic will give it a great creamy zing.

Chill in the refrigerator. Eat on bread, crackers, veggies or toss with pasta.

Job Search for Good Food Movement

*****ADDED*****
I just came across the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association website which has a listing of professional listings.

Foodies know where the good markets are to find the best strawberries, crispy kale and first peaches of the season, but when it comes to finding their dream jobs, the classified ads just won't do. Since my friend and colleagues (self included,)are all in the market for a job that fuels our passions, allow us to live the good life and pays our loans, I thought it would nice to centralize some resources.

1. Comfood listserve- this is a great place for job announcements, up to day news in the sustainable food security movement and discussion about decisive issues. Many of the amazing players in the field can be found collaborating, asking questions, and offering up expertise. Share yours as well.

2. Sustainable Food Jobs (SFJ)- this is a domestic site that is updated weekly and has jobs from sustainable food service, farm to school, Americorps and farming internships as well as CEO positions at non-profits and start-up businesses. The site is cool if you want to search by region.

3. Good Food Jobs- similar to SFJ - this site is due to launch this summer. In the mean time sign up for their weekly email to catch the latest.

4. Idealist- a great place to land a non-profit career or organize with like minded people.Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. I have been successful searching by key words.

5. Linkedin-When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form enduring connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts. A fun part is you can recommend your colleagues.

You can come link up with me at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleycolpaart

6. Juju- Do a search like "sustainable food jobs"

7. Change.org Jobs - search by topic, demographic, or job category. There are also career advisors and other resources.

8. Wise Earth Jobs -helps the global movement of people and organizations working toward social justice, indigenous rights, and environmental stewardship connect, collaborate, share knowledge, and build alliances. All tools and content are free to use. The site is commercial-free too.

9. Craiglist-not only good for getting used furniture or sports equipment, Craigslist can be a great place to find consulting gigs, freelance writing or part time work in your new city. I usually use search terms to sift out the junk. Beware of scams or jobs that are posted over and over again. If your bored of the job search, the Best of Craigslist is good for a laugh.

10. HigherEdJobs- A good place to look for adjunct faculty, part time or other teaching positions at community colleges or university. I search "nutrition" and get a lot of hits.

11. Check your local school districts, college websites, and county & city job boards.

12. Good luck and let me know if you have any other resources that may be of assistance!

McDonalds shows tolerance in ad

I guess when you are a multinational corporate food company, anyone is a customer, which is great for the gay rights movement. I doubt we would ever see an ad like this in America, and if we did there would be a McBoycott. Either way, I found the ad kinda cute. June is gay rights month! Happy tolerance.

The commercial, which is to air in France uses the slogan: come as you are!