News & Commentary

Feed People and the Soil, Starve Landfills and Incinerators

March 15, 2021 Expert BlogBaltimore, MarylandYvette Cabrera, Darby Hoover

At a time when one in four American adults face hunger, it is imperative that we look for ways to ensure food is eaten, not disposed.

School Districts Commit to Responsibly Raised Turkey

March 11, 2021 Expert BlogNew York City, New York, Los Angeles, California, Dallas, TexasLena Brook

Urban School Food Alliance sets new responsible antibiotics use standard for turkey in school meals.

California Proposes to Transition Away from Toxic Pesticides

March 9, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaAllison Johnson

California's proposal to update pesticide fees could offer better protections for farm workers, agricultural communities, and vulnerable ecosystems, as well as help farmers adopt more sustainable practices.

Compost Matters—But Food Matters More

December 3, 2020 Expert BlogBaltimore, United StatesYvette Cabrera

With food waste reduction in mind, the Baltimore Food Matters team created a resource that could serve as a reminder to be cognizant of food waste, what we can do to prevent it, and how anyone can compost locally.

Systems Based Ag Solutions Required for Systemic Ag Problems

October 29, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma, Lena Brook

Now is the time for reimagining what our natural and working lands, and broader food and agricultural economy, looks like.

Nature Thrives with Diversity; California's Food Systems Can, Too

October 22, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma

Our decisionmakers need to think long-term and tie economic recovery with support for our small- and mid-sized farmers, our essential workers, and climate-smart agriculture programs.

San Francisco Grocers Report: Beef & Pork Antibiotic Use Still Hidden

October 19, 2020 Expert BlogSan FranciscoAllison Johnson

For the second year in a row, San Francisco grocers reported almost no details about antibiotics used to produce beef or pork sold in the city. It's time for grocers—and their meat producers—to step up.

More Work Ahead to Protect California from Toxic Pesticides

July 21, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaAllison Johnson, Miriam Rotkin-Ellman

The state's Department of Pesticide Regulation and Department of Food and Agriculture must end the use of toxic pesticides and invest in diversified organic and regenerative agriculture.

Small Farm, Big Tale: Sustainable Farming in the Bay Area

July 20, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaPaloma Sisneros-Lobato

Green Valley Mill + Farm in Sebastopol, CA

Food Systems Analyst

July 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionBaltimore, Nashville, Denver, Maryland, Tennessee, ColoradoJeff Turrentine

Andrea Spacht Collins is working to minimize food waste by changing the way we think about what we eat—and what we don’t eat, where it comes from, and where it ends up.

California Takes the Lead in Regulating Ropeless Fishing

July 2, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaDr. Francine Kershaw

Entanglement in fishing gear is the leading cause of death for marine mammals worldwide.

CA Farm-to-School Survives a Challenging Budget Year

June 26, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Brook

This is an important moment for California to lead in reshaping our food system toward one that is regenerative, healthy and just.

Proposed CA Budget Lifts Up Healthy, Sustainable School Food

January 13, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaLena Brook

With an $80 million proposed increase aimed at giving schools much needed resources to improve meal programs, Governor Newsom’s proposed 2020-21 budget offers California public school students a better chance to learn and thrive.

Landmark Victory: California Ditching Chlorpyrifos in 2020

October 10, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

The bold move will protect children's health in the state and across the country—as well as get the ball rolling for other states to follow suit.

Survey Looks at Food Donation Client Experience

August 15, 2019 Expert BlogMaryland, BaltimoreMargaret Brown, JoAnne Berkenkamp

Trump EPA Refuses to Ban Pesticide—Where’s California?

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

California’s agricultural communities are continuing to sound the alarm for the health of their children, as a promised statewide ban on chlorpyrifos—a pesticide that harms children’s brains—has yet to go into effect.

Food Service Companies Must Act Following New Climate Report

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, United States, New York, New York City, CaliforniaSujatha Bergen

A new report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today is the third in six months from the world’s leading experts to show that rising to the challenge of the climate crisis will require not only…

Valley Fever Spreads in California as Winter Rainstorms Intensify and Summers Heat Up

August 5, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

From dusty fields in the San Joaquin Valley, fungal spores are wafting up, exposing more and more farmworkers to the disease.

California Lunchrooms May Soon Serve Up Organics

May 7, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

A state bill promises organic food to students—and benefits for local farmers and farmworkers, too.

Baltimore Is Poised to Put a Major Dent in Its Food Waste Stream

December 13, 2018 DispatchBaltimore, MarylandNicole Greenfield

The city has developed a bold new food waste management and recovery strategy to protect residents from harmful air pollution, boost its economy, and help feed those most in need.