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Category Archives: Food and Nutrition

Global study revealed world’s biggest known plastic polluters

Washington Post: “Every year, companies produce more than 400 million metric tons of plastic. Some of that plastic spills onto waterways or beaches, clogging streams or floating in huge gyres in the ocean. Some of it breaks down into tiny microplastics or nanoplastics that float in the air and enter human lungs, blood and organs. Sometimes it’s hard to know which companies are behind all this plastic — but now, scientists have identified some of the largest contributors. A new study – Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances has pinpointed some of the major brands responsible for plastic pollution across six continents. The researchers, who used a team of over 100,000 volunteers to catalogue over 1.8 million pieces of plastic waste, found that 56 companies were responsible for more than 50 percent of branded plastic waste globally. The largest contributor was Coca-Cola, which accounted for 11 percent of the branded plastic pollution worldwide…”

10 Times as Much of This Toxic Pesticide Could End Up on Your Tomatoes and Celery

ProPublica – “Against the guidance of scientific advisory panels, the EPA is relying on industry-backed tests to relax regulations on acephate, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. “It’s exactly what we recommended against,” one panelist said. When you bite into a piece of celery, there’s a fair chance that it will be coated with… Continue Reading

Should you take vitamin D? Here’s the science

PopSci: “Nutritional science is supposed to chart a course to our healthier selves. But contradictory scientific results and interpretations can muddy the waters—and few nutrients have recently demonstrated that more clearly than vitamin D. At one point, it seemed that everyone should be taking vitamin D supplements, and that doing so would protect against a… Continue Reading

America’s produce has a ton of pesticides

Quartz – “Consumer Reports’ latest investigation suggests that 20% of commonly sold fruits and vegetables contain unsafe levels of pesticides. Some of your favorite produce might be dicier to eat than assumed. An analysis from Consumer Reports published Thursday suggests that a substantial portion of commonly sold fruits and vegetables have a significant risk of… Continue Reading

Where our food crops come from

‘Explore the geographic origins of our food crops – where they were initially domesticated and evolved over time – and discover how important these “primary regions of diversity” are to our current diets and agricultural production areas.” Read more about the study → The interactive crop map displays the native origins and primary regions of… Continue Reading

The 12 Companies That Together Own 500+ Consumer Brands

Quartr: “Warren Buffett famously popularized the term “moat,” stating that “a truly great business must have an enduring moat that protects excellent returns on invested capital.” This can take shape in various forms, and according to Buffett, one of them is “possessing a powerful world-wide brand (Coca-Cola, Gillette, American Express).” The consumer goods sector is… Continue Reading

What you need to know about the plastic crisis

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): “Global annual production of plastic has increased exponentially over the past 65 years, growing from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 460 million metric tons in 2019. Much of this plastic quickly becomes waste, and plastic waste is found everywhere, including the farthest reaches of the Arctic, the deep seabed, and even… Continue Reading

FTC Report Says Grocers Exploited Consumers During COVID-Era Supply Chain Disruptions

New York Times via MSN: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery prices skyrocketed as shelves were left bare of novelties and necessities. The culprit? Supply chain disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic severely strained the U.S. food supply chain, exposing vulnerabilities from farm to table. With limited capacity to meet surging demand due to sick workers and supply… Continue Reading

Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America (2024)

Wallethub: “Location matters when it comes to health. Some places promote wellness by expanding access to nutritious food and recreational facilities. Others strive to keep healthcare costs affordable for everyone or keep parks clean and well-maintained. When a city doesn’t take care of these important issues, it can be hard to keep up good health.… Continue Reading

WHO The state of the climate in 2023

WHO Climate Report – Climate change indicators reached record levels in 2023. The state of the climate in 2023 gave ominous new significance to the phrase “off the charts.” Key messages: State of Global Climate report confirms 2023 as hottest year on record by clear margin Records broken for ocean heat, sea level rise, Antarctic… Continue Reading

Researchers publish dataset of over 6,000 agri-environmental policies from all over the world

“The database is accessible to the general public at this link…researchers from the University of Bonn and the Swiss Federal Institution of Technology (ETH) Zurich have published a database containing over 6,000 agri-environmental policies, thus enabling their peers as well as policymakers and businesses to seek answers to all manner of different questions. The researchers… Continue Reading