Posts Tagged ‘Food’
How Australian Agriculture Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Lecture
Posted in Events, Research by land-environment on August 25th, 2010
| 2 September , 2010 | ||
| 5:30 pm | to | 6:30 pm |
Melbourne School of Land and Environment: Professor Deli Chen on ‘How Australian agriculture can reduce greenhouse gas emissions – the role of improved fertiliser and water efficiency’
The application of nitrogen fertiliser in agriculture is essential for world food production – about half of the world’s population would not survive without it. Nitrogen fertiliser use in Australia has increased almost 30 fold since the 1960s. However, nitrogen fertiliser is not used efficiently and often more than 50% is lost to the environment. Agriculture in Australia is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gases, accounting for an estimated 16% of our total emission. Approximately 19% of the total is emitted as nitrous oxide mainly due to the use of nitrogen fertiliser. In his inaugural Professorial Lecture, Deli Chen will outline the main reasons for the poor efficiency of fertiliser nitrogen use and discuss options for improving its efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Professor Deli Chen is the discipline leader in Soil Water, Nutrients and Greenhouse Gases, Melbourne School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, and Deputy Director of the Australia-China Centre on Water Resource Research. Professor Chen has active international collaboration with scientists in China, the US and Europe, and has worked on several large projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research during the last 15 years. He has also worked closely with industry including Incitec-Pivot and other fertiliser producers.
Professor Chen was recently awarded the JA Prescott Medal for excellence and achievement in the field of soil science by the Australian Society of Soil Science.
Thursday 2 September 2010, 5.30-6.30pm
Arts Education Building (Building 199), level 2, corner Grattan and Swanston Streets, University of Melbourne, Parkville.
Registrations: www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au or ecl@unimelb.edu.au
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SGA Food Swaps
Posted in Events by fga on May 14th, 2010
One gardener’s glut is another gardener’s lunch!
Sustainable Gardening Australia, a not-for-profit, non-government organisation, has kicked off a series of fruit and vegie “swap meets”, an opportunity for the gardeners of Melbourne to meet once a month, share their extra produce with people who will appreciate it, and swap their bounty of broccoli for another grower’s excess of eggplants!
The swap meets are run in conjunction with the Abbotsford Convent Slow Food Markets on the fourth Saturday of each month, with the next coming up on the 22nd of May. From 9.30am, gardeners from Melbourne and surrounds are invited to bring any edible excess along, be it fruit, vegies, nuts, seedlings or seeds and swap it with others. Not only can gardeners fill their larders in exchange for excess vegies, the SGA Fruit and Vegie Swaps are an exercise in sustainability, waste reduction, and, most importantly, community connectivity.
WHERE: Abbotsford Convent Slow Food Market. 1 St. Heliers Street, Abbotsford VIC
WHEN : Saturday May 22 2010 from 9.30am till 11.00am. Then 4th Saturday of every month.
For more information contact lachlan@sgaonline.org.au
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Made In The Whitsundays: Seasonal Food Awareness
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on March 29th, 2010
The Made in the Whitsundays regional branding initiative aims to promote the Whitsundays by supporting products grown and made in the region to locals, visitors and to broader consumer markets.
The Whitsundays is the heart of the Great Barrier Reef: a land of plenty in a sea of opportunity. It’s a region that prides itself on fresh products, a lush tropical atmosphere, fertile soil and thriving industries. The lifestyle encourages quality that can to be experienced by all. The Made in the Whitsundays regional brand aims to signify quality and link awareness of local produce to this magnificent region, promoting products, linking industries in region and benefit everyone through promoting long-term sustainability.
The Whitsunday region is better known for its rolling hills, pristine rainforest, scattered islands and diverse marine life. Did you also know the Whitsundays is the largest winter growing region of fresh produce in Australia? There is much more to Bowen than mangos, more to Proserpine than sugarcane, more to Collinsville than coal and more to the Whitsundays than islands. The region supplies Australians with an abundance of delicious fresh fruit and vegetables from the dry tropics salad bowl which include the famous Bowen mango, melons, tomatoes, corn, capsicum, passionfruit, lemon myrtle and so much more. Whitsundays agriculture industry contributes over $219 million worth of produce to the nation agriculture industry and is the fastest growing sector in the industry. Expanding alongside our growers of fresh produce is a thriving ocean and farmlands of livestock. The Whitsundays providing a multitude of goods for your table from sugar cane, coffee beans, salt and macadamia nuts to meat, poultry, farm-fresh eggs and seafood. Restaurants offer local flavours with culinary distinction. A number of restaurants have achieved award winning recognition from the Queensland Hospitality Awards. One in particular Capers has introduced ‘localvore’ dishes to their menu sourcing seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. Talented individuals and businesses in the region produce a range of products from artwork, design and clothing to furniture and fishing hooks.
Visit the website for more information.
Australian Food Labelling Review: Respond by May 14
Posted in Seeking by Kate Archdeacon on March 26th, 2010
Source: Climate Action Calendar
Image: allaboutgeorge via flickr CC
Australian food labelling is currently under review. The initial round of submissions closed in November last year. Although the review was only open for one month and received minimal publicity 6000 people responded to it. The Review panel has released an Issues Consultations Paper along with 39 questions for the next round.
Unfortunately the paper brushes off concerns about GM, irradiation and nanotechnology in food and is misleading:
- Section 3.1 of the paper states that GM food must have a label. In fact loopholes in the current food standard means that most GM food escapes labelling.It is estimated that up to 70% of processed food contains GM ingredients. How many GM food labels have you seen?
- Section 3.11 implies that GM, nano-technology and irradiation have no public safety concerns
- Section 3.16 implies that labelling GM, nano-technology and irradiation will cause these technologies to be “inhibited”. This truly bizarre statement prompted MADGE (Mothers Are Demystifying GE) to issue a media release saying “If, as this review suggests, GM, nanotech and irradiation only have a future if they are hidden, consumers need to be extremely concerned.”
- Section 2.5 lists the objectives of FSANZ, our food standards agency responsible for food labelling, as:
- (a) the protection of public health and safety;
- (b) the provision of adequate information relating to food to enable consumers to make informed choices; and
- (c) the prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct.
It appears to be failing on all three accounts in reference to GM food, irradiation and nanotechnologies.
There are concerns that if GM food labelling does emerge it will in fact be “non-GM” labelling. This means that ordinary food would need labelling (GM free – 0% GM or non-GM – some GM contamination allowable if accidental) while GM ingredients would be seen to be the norm and so escape labelling. The costs of testing, labelling and also the liability for being sued if food labelled either “GM free” or “non-GM” is contaminated, would lie with any farmers, food manufacturers or retailers trying to produce GM free food.
Please consider putting in a submission to the labelling review. Public hearings are being held throughout Australia from March to May. Sign up to attend one.
MADGE will be studying the review and putting out suggestions. If you would like to help or have any comments on what you want to see on food labels please email info@madge.org.au
Petty’s Orchard Antique Apple Tasting Festival
Posted in Events by meggshp on March 4th, 2010
This event is a major fundraiser for the Heritage Fruits Society Inc. We are working to save heritage fruit varieties & have many residing at the Petty’s Orchard site at Templestowe. Come along for a great day of apple tasting & fun with a special performance by Peter Combe, Australian icon, produce stalls, great food, information from CERES, Slow Food Australia & Parks Victoria. Please remember to bring your picnic rug, hat & sunscreen, water bottles & friends! Folks wishing to join the Permablitz will need to register on their website www.permablitz.net before coming.
Location: Homestead Rd, Templestowe. Melway 22A12. No public transport. A long ride from Eltham station. Parking is available if you must bring your car.
2010 Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on February 19th, 2010
Source: Ethical Consumer Guide
The 2010 Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping is now available. To help you navigate through the issues connected to your everyday purchases, we’ve not only updated company information, but also added a more detailed rating system, new blurbs, and two new categories — Alcohol and Office Supplies. Order here.
Overview:
The Ethical Consumer Guide has come out of a shared concern that many people although eager to make changes in their buying habits for the better, do not have access to information to make informed choices. The website and accompanying guides, provide information on companies and brands, drawing from existing sources. The information allows evaluation of the social and environmental impact of companies on the earth and our society, and gives insight into the ever-increasing concentration of company and brand ownership.
The guide is specific to Australia. We hope that this ethical buying guide can allow people to not only make wiser choices in their purchases and open up a dialogue with companies, but also come to more fully understand the connection between how we act and what is going on in the world around us.
It is our aim to:
* inform shoppers of more ethical or less ethical choices in their buying
* empower people and create awareness about consumer power
* provide a means for consumers to give feedback to companies and government, and so encourage change
In doing this we seek to make all information:
* freely accessible
* transparent and well sourced
* easy to use for the everyday shopper
World Food Day Invitation: The work of Sustain
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on October 9th, 2009
Image: Sustain
The Victorian Food Policy Coalition Steering Committee presents “A strategic approach to food – policies & pitfalls. The work of Sustain UK”
Guest Speaker: Jeanette Longfield MBE, Co-ordinator of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.
Jeanette Longfield’s degree in International Relations and a Masters in Development Studies led to work as a Policy Analyst at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, and campaigning at the Coronary Prevention Group. Four years on she became Co-ordinator of the National Food Alliance which merged with the Sustainable Agriculture Food and Environment (SAFE) Alliance to form SUSTAIN. As SUSTAIN’s Co-ordinator, Jeanette contributes to a number of food policy committees, liaises with the Food Standards Agency, and appears regularly in the media representing a public interest view on food policy issues. She was awarded an MBE for services to food policy in 2007.
Friday 16th October 2009
2.30-4.30 pm
Theatre 2 – Basement Room 1.2, University of Melbourne
221 Bouverie Street (corner Bainbridge Place) CARLTON 3053
Please be early to ensure your place (seating for approx 100)
Further information:
Beverley Wood, VLGA fsn@vlga.org.au 03 9349 7999
Mark Lawrence, Deakin Uni lawrence@deakin.edu.au 03 9244 3789
Kirsten Larsen, VEIL klarsen@unimelb.edu.au 03 8344 9189
FarmGAS Calculator Launched
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on September 4th, 2009
Source: Cleanfood, the Future Climate newsletter
Image: Hannam Vale
The Australian Farm Institute has launched its FarmGAS Calculator.
The Calculator is an online application which enables farmers to model both the financial and greenhouse gas outputs of farm activities and the implications of changes in enterprises. The FarmGAS Calculator is available free online for anyone to access. The FarmGAS Calculator includes individual calculators for the major livestock and cropping enterprises, and any combination of these enterprises can be added to create an individual farm business. Farmers can come back to the calculator at any time to update or change their production data, or complete the process in stages. The Calculator applies the same methodology that is used by the Department of Climate Change in the estimation of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Accounts; and provides reports on the annual amount of methane and nitrous oxide emitted by each enterprise expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-e). Read the rest of this entry »
Phase 2 of Paddock to Plate: re-thinking food and farming
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on September 3rd, 2009
Source: Food Climate Research Network
Paddock to Plate: policy propositions for sustaining food and farming systems is the second and final phase of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Future Food and Farming project.
The report puts 24 propositions to the Victorian Government, based on the premise that healthy environments, healthy farming systems and healthy people are intricately intertwined. The report looks at the activities and investments that will be needed if Victoria is to equip its food and farming systems to produce more healthy foods, more sustainably, in a much more difficult climate, while consuming less water, energy and soil, fewer nutrients and without damaging our biodiversity.
How can we improve the performance and resilience of the Victorian food and farming system? This propositions paper outlines policy suggestions that would substantially assist the Victorian food system in delivering healthier foods, healthier profits and healthier landscapes.
Download the report.
Food Farming & Health Conference
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on August 25th, 2009
Source: Rural Climate Network
Image: SMH
‘Nurture the land, nourish the people…’
The Food Farming & Health Conference is a one-day investigation into future farms and food chains. Join experts to examine the way we grow, distribute and share healthy food. Get into grassroots networking and strengthen the links between farmers, food processors, consumers and health professionals. Explore regional development and business systems to get healthy food to the community.
October 6th
Warragul Arts Centre, Warragul, Victoria.
Register by RSVP 31st August
Keynote speakers include Andrew Campbell (author of the 2008 ACF report ‘Paddock to Plate’), Veronica Graham (State Health Nutritionist for Victoria), Kirsten Larsen (Victorian Eco-Innovation Laboratory), and Bruce Kefford (Dep. Sec. R&D, Dept of Primary Industries).