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Energy-Conscious Cuisine
Jason Bradford, The Oil Drum
I tend to think of food in terms of the food system, which is the whole enchillada from farm to fork. What fascinated me when studying food from this perspective was that the greatest use of food system energy occurs at the household level. Therefore, I have spent a bit of time considering how to lower energy consumption in food storage and preparation.
If I wasn’t taking a food system approach and was only interested in lowering energy the consumption at household level I might suggest buying highly processed foods that can be reheated in the microwave, or precooked grains such as parboiled rice and instant oats. But with a wide-boundary perspective I am starting with the premise that the household is buying foods that are primarily local, seasonal and in raw or whole forms. (In a previous posts I went over strategies to store whole foods and low energy methods to preserve foods). Just last week Craig Bergland discussed some of the equipment and techniques used to cook stored food without your typical modern kitchen. I thought this post would be a nice addition to those previous articles.
Much of what I discuss below probably describes how folks got by with little income, as in Great Depression Cooking with Clara. Might it be possible during energy descent, the Long Emergency, or a simple bout of under employment to save energy, learn useful skills, and eat healthier than ever?
First I’ll give a little bit more background on energy in the food system. The graphic below shows that a high proportion of energy use happens in the home. Think of all the electricity the fridge/freezer uses and how hot ovens and stoves get.
(15 April 2009)
Toronto exhibit highlights many ways city dwellers can grow their own food
Lauren La Rose, The Canadian Press
TORONTO – Inuvik is a long way from 50 Cent’s hometown of Queens, N.Y, but the hip-hop mogul shares something in common with people in the Northwest Territories community — helping citizens to flex their green thumbs.
Inuvik residents and the award-winning rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, have worked to establish or refurbish community gardens in their hometowns where locals can grow their own food. What’s more, both have incorporated eco-friendly elements into their frameworks.
The Inuvik Community Greenhouse, built within an abandoned arena, has an on-site composting facility, while the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden uses rainwater collected in two underground cisterns to irrigate the garden while also providing a place for kids to play.
(17 April 2009)
Beauty and the Vegetable
Christopher Brauchli, Common Dreams
… For many years the European Union has enforced strict rules not only on the quality of fruits and vegetables but on their appearance. The rules dictate the acceptable colors of leeks, the angle of repose of cucumbers as well as carrot’s shapes. The rules apply to cherries, onions, peas, plums and countless other vegetables. According to a report in the Times on Line tons of fruits and vegetables are discarded each year due to absence of beauty or ideal size. Tim Down, a Bristol UK fruit and vegetable wholesaler experienced the consequences of these rules first hand. He “was forced to throw away 520 Chilean kiwis after being told by the Rural Payments Agency that they did not meet “industry standards.” Some of the kiwis were 4 grams less than the prescribed weight. Talking to Food Navigator Mr. Down said standards should be implemented in sensible ways. “How anyone ever sat down in an office in Brussels and got paid an enormous amount of money to decide on the correct curvature of a cucumber beggars belief.” Mr. Down was referring to Commission Regulation No. 1677/88 of June 15, 1988.
Commission Regulation No. 1677/88 sets the beauty contest rules for cucumbers. Addressing Class I cucumbers and their beauty, the Regulation specifies that they must “be reasonably well shaped and practically straight (maximum height of the arc: 10 mm per 10 cm of the length of cucumber)”. If they are slightly crooked (also defined by reference to their arc) they may be sold if otherwise “cosmetically perfect.” If they fail that test they must be destroyed or shipped off for processing where beauty is not an issue. Carrots may not be forked and must be free from secondary roots. According to a report from the BBC magazine as a result of the focus on beauty in the fruit and vegetable world “tones of perfectly-edible produce across the EU is thrown away so that when you walk into the supermarket all you see is rank after serried rank of cosmetically perfect fruit and vegetables.” Thanks to the actions of the EU a significant number of members of the fruit and vegetable kingdom will no long depend on their beauty to find acceptance on grocers’ shelves.
In November 2008 the European Commission decreed that effective July 1, 2009, consumers “will be able to purchase 26 items including onions, apricots, Brussel sprouts, watermelons and cauliflowers with as many knobs, bumps and curves “as they like” : http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/Retail/EU-scraps-regulations-on-forbidden-fruit.” Bananas, however, will still be regulated and must be “free from abnormal curvature of the fingers.” Acknowledging that beauty contests for bananas might also warrant revisiting, Michael Mann, the EC’s agriculture spokesperson told FoodNavigator: “Perhaps we will come back to bananas in the future.”
(18 April 2009)
Insanity from the EU, with a glimmer of hope. How much energy and resources are wasted in this way? -BA
Organic White House Garden Puts Some Conventional Panties in a Twist
Jill Richardson, La Vida Locavore
In the aftermath of breaking ground on the new, 1100 square foot White House garden, Michelle Obama named chef Sam Kass to head the White House Food Initiative. And we know how Kass feels about food… he agrees with us!
All of this positive PR for organics feels very threatening to Big Ag. So one group, the Mid America CropLife Association, has sent an email defending chemical ag to Mrs. Obama. See the letter reprinted below.
After sending the letter, MACA forwarded it around to others, with the following message:
Did you hear the news? The White House is planning to have an “organic” garden on the grounds to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for the Obama’s and their guests. While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Coordinator and I shudder. As a result, we sent a letter encouraging them to consider using crop protection products and to recognize the importance of agriculture to the entire U.S. economy. Read below for the entire letter.
If you want to send your own letter, it can be sent to the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/cont… [emphasis mine]
Except one person on the forward list didn’t shudder at the idea of an organic garden – and that’s how the letter reached me. Here it is:
March 26, 2009
Mrs. Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20500Dear Mrs. Obama,
We are writing regarding the garden recently added to the White House grounds to ensure a fresh supply of fruits and vegetables to your family, guests and staff. Congratulations on recognizing the importance of agriculture in America! The U.S. has the safest and most abundant food supply in the world thanks to the 3 million people who farm or ranch in the United States.
The CropLife Ambassador Network, a program of the Mid America CropLife Association, consists of over 160 ambassadors who work and many of whom grew up in agriculture. Their mission is to provide scientifically based, accurate information to the public regarding the safety and value of American agricultural food production.
… Starting in the early 1900’s, technology advances have allowed farmers to continually produce more food on less land while using less human labor. Over time, Americans were able to leave the time-consuming demands of farming to pursue new interests and develop new abilities. Today, an average farmer produces enough food to feed 144 Americans who are living longer lives than many of their ancestors. Technology in agriculture has allowed for the development of much of what we know and use in our lives today. If Americans were still required to farm to support their family’s basic food and fiber needs, would the U.S. have been leaders in the advancement of science, communication, education, medicine, transportation and the arts?
We live in a very different world than that of our grandparents. Americans are juggling jobs with the needs of children and aging parents. The time needed to tend a garden is not there for the majority of our citizens, certainly not a garden of sufficient productivity to supply much of a family’s year-round food needs.
Farmers and ranchers are the first environmentalists, maintaining and improving the soil and natural resources to pass onto future generations. Technology allows for farmers to meet the increasing demand for food and fiber in a sustainable manner.
… As you go about planning and planting the White House garden, we respectfully encourage you to recognize the role conventional agriculture plays in the U.S in feeding the ever-increasing population, contributing to the U.S. economy and providing a safe and economical food supply. America’s farmers understand crop protection technologies are supported by sound scientific research and innovation.
… Sincerely,
Bonnie McCarvel, Executive Director
Janet Braun, Program Coordinator
Mid America CropLife Association
(28 March 2009)
Interesting how the buzzwords of organic agriculture (“sustainable”, “stewards”, “environmentalists”) are used by PR people for the agriculture chemical industry. The current board of directors for the Mid America CropLife Foundation has representatives from Monsanto, DuPont, Bayer CropScience and Syngenta. -BA
Recommended by EB contributor Michael Lardelli who writes:
The new term (to me) of “Biogenetics” appears to mean GM. This interesting letter manages not to use the words “fertilizer”, “pesticide” or “herbicide” but is big on spruiking technology and “modern methods”.
