Kayleigh Burgess is a Masters student at Indiana University, pursuing a dual degree in Journalism and Public Affairs. Her particular interests are in food, sustainability, and globalization. This student reporter fellowship on Global Food Issues is a great fit! Prior to joining her graduate program, Kayleigh worked as an environmental educator and community organizer, focused on issues of food security and sustainable agriculture. She currently writes at ageofplenty.wordpress.com. When not writing, she can often be found with a yoga mat, a great book, or basking in a sunny spot.
The history of food in Europe is long and storied. Deeply rooted agricultural and place-based food traditions are now experiencing renewed attention, as global interest in food origins grows. In 1986, the Slow Food movement was founded in Italy as a protest against fast-food chain McDonald’s encroachment on historic sites in Rome. Slow Food is now a vast, grass-roots international organization. As the food movement has grown in Europe, opportunities to study food have also expanded.
A rapidly changing field, infused with the creativity of its students and one that is both globally focused and regionally informed is emerging.
With members and hosts in almost 100 countries, there is very little international oversight for WWOOF. Instead, it is truly grassroots, with national WWOOF organizations in over 50 countries, and 45 more countries with independent hosts who are willing to take on volunteers. For a national membership fee, volunteers get access to anywhere from a few dozens to over 2,000 in-country hosts. After that, no money, not a single dollar, changes hands.
A software program from Cornell researchers aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save farmers’ crops. Now the big seed companies are taking notice
PRIMUKYEAE, Ghana — A new eight-month radio program focused on helping farmers adapt to climate change began in this agricultural community last month.
The program was created through an international partnership between the Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the German Technical Cooperation and Farm Radio International (FRI). It will broadcast throughout the district of Kintampo, in Brong Ahafo, a region of Ghana that accounts for 75 percent of the country’s agricultural production. The program focuses on providing climate-smart agriculture tips, market information and weather forecasts.
Over the past decade, Mexico has emerged as a significant contributor to global organic agriculture, experiencing a tenfold increase in organic production.