‘Food and Agriculture’ Archives
World Agriculture
World Agriculture Over the 10,000 years since agriculture began to be developed, peoples everywhere have discovered the food value of wild plants and animals, and domesticated and bred them. The most important crops are cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, corn, and rye; sugarcane and sugar beets; meat animals such as sheep, cattle, goats, and [...]
U.S. Agriculture in the Twentieth Century
U.S. Agriculture in the Twentieth Century Considering that the basic facts about twentieth century agriculture are not seriously in dispute, it is surprising how differently they are seen by different observers. One constellation of views sees the farm sector as a chronically troubled place, with farmers typically hard pressed to survive [...]
Genetically Modified Foods
Genetically Modified Foods Although "biotechnology" and "genetic modification" commonly are used interchangeably, GM is a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of such living organisms as animals, plants, or bacteria. Biotechnology, a more general term, refers to using living organisms or their components, such as enzymes, [...]
Criticisms of the Green Revolution
Criticisms of the Green Revolution The Green revolution has been criticized on several grounds, but the primary argument is environmental. The Green revolution, critics argue, is flawed on several counts: Loss of biodiversity and food quality - The spread of Green revolution hybrids and the associated techniques has resulted in many fewer [...]
What Food Is Good or Bad for Your Qi?
What Food Is Good or Bad for Your Qi? Few people would disagree with the importance of diet for health. Western dietary and nutritional studies abound. Coming from the Qigong background, I’d like to emphasize properties of food from the perspective of Qi (vital energy), which have largely been neglected in the West so far. Since I came to [...]
Fast Food in America
Fast Food in America Burgers, fries, pizza, raw fish. Raw fish? Fast food in America is changing. Sushi, the thousand year old Japanese delicacy, was once thought of in this country as unpalatable and too exotic. But tastes have changed, for a number of reasons. Beginning in the 1970s, Americans became increasingly more aware of diet and health [...]
The Father of the American Restaurant
The Father of the American Restaurant For nearly 50 years, Lorenzo Delmonico ran the foremost and largest restaurant in the United States. Nobody in the 19th century contributed more than he did to make the concept of fine restaurant dining a reality in America. Delmonico, born in Switzerland in 1813, went to New York at the age of 19 and [...]
Organic Farming
Organic Farming The discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century brought remarkable changes to modern medicine, enabling people to live longer, healthier lives. But in the last generation, new strains of bacteria have emerged that are resistant to these wonder drugs. One of the main causes of resistance is the overuse of antibiotics. That [...]
Chocolate
Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from the seeds of a tropical tree called the cacao. The word cacao apparently comes from two Maya Indian words meaning bitter juice. The word chocolate came from two Maya words meaning sour water. The cacao tree produces the seeds, or cacao beans, from which all chocolate is made. These trees flourish in a [...]
Cooking
Cooking Cooking is the preparation of food for eating by applying heat. Cooking makes food more appetizing and easier to digest. It also kills harmful bacteria that could otherwise cause illness. Many people enjoy cooking. Skillful cooks take great care in preparing delicious, attractive, and nutritious meals. Some people use the term cooking [...]
