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Although much of the original motivation to settle America was fueled by a divine imperative to 'go forth and conquer' in the name of God, domestic farm policy also played a large role in motivating both citizens and newly arrived immigrants to settle the lands of the vast unknown. This began in the 1800s when …
Continue reading "a history of domestic (American) agricultural policy"
Perhaps you have heard the term open-source. Maybe you heard about it within the context of software and technology as the open-source movement originated within the software development community as a means to encourage innovation and knowledge sharing. As such, the open-source concept is best-known within the technological paradigm. However, the essence of open-source can …
Continue reading "what are open-source seeds? why are open-source seeds important?"
The whole world is dealing with the consequences of the novel coronavirus - everyone from the residents of European capitals to members of indigenous Amazonian tribes is feeling the effect. COVID-19 is the main topic of discussion and has been for a few months now and will continue to be for many months to come. …
Continue reading "covid-19 and our food system: the wake up call we need?"
As the world's population grows and alternative values and interests come to light, the name- and facelessness of current approaches to agricultural production have become a point of contention and are less and representative of contemporary societal values (1). As a response, localism has become a standard component of emerging social and technological trends. Localism …
Continue reading "why is interest in the alternative food movement growing?"
In recent years [and for generations among indigenous populations], companion planting has emerged as a common technique aimed at exploiting the benefits of the relationships between specific plants to naturally improve crop flavor, health, and vigor. More simply, companion planting is a type of polyculture where two plant species are grown together because it is …
"The world now produces enough food to feed its population. The problem is not simply technical. It is a political and social problem. It is a problem of access to food supplies, of distribution, and of entitlement. Above all it is a problem of political will.” Boutros-Ghali, November 1993 925 million people were food insecure …
As the world's population grows, so does its demand for animal proteins which puts a great deal of pressure on natural populations. Agriculture has helped to reduce such pressures on land animals [albeit causing other problems in the process]. Aquaculture is the aquatic version of agriculture in that fresh and saltwater organisms are farmed. Farming …
Continue reading "defining aquaculture and its role in the food production system"
ECOSYSTEMS UNITED 