In his April 22 lecture, author and University of Western Ontario professor Tony Weis traced the beginning of the global food crisis to advancements in agribusiness, farm subsidies and global food aid that then forced many small scale farmers in developing countries out of business.

Silas D. Childs Professor of Biology David Gapp and Associate Professor of German and Russian Languages and Literatures Frank Sciacca will appear on the Green Local 175 LIVE Radio & Internet Show, tonight (Tuesday, March 26) from approximately 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., on WPNR 90.7 FM and streaming live audio on the Internet.

Lauren Howe ’13 has been awarded a prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for 2013-14. Her project is titled “The Future of Food: Modern Technology and Traditional Agriculture Systems.” Howe was among 40 national winners of the Fellowships. This year 148 finalists competed on the national level, after their institutions nominated them in the autumn. Each fellow receives $25,000 for a year of travel and exploration outside the U.S.

Lauren Howe ’13 and Eunice Choi ’14 travelled to the 2012 International Slow Food Congress in Turin, Italy, Oct. 25-29.

Mark Winne P'00, food policy specialist and author, delivered a lecture to the Hamilton community on Oct. 17. Winne drew on themes from his books Food Rebels and Guerilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin’ Mamas, exploring the challenges people face both nationally and globally in our ability to control the food we eat and to participate fully in the crafting of food policy.

Food policy specialist and author Mark Winne P'00 will give a lecture, "Food Rebels and Guerrilla Gardeners: Finding Our Way to Food Democracy," on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m., in the Science Center’s Kennedy Auditorium.  Winne’s appearance marks the second annual National Food Day, a nationwide celebration of local and sustainable foods. 

In our busy, cosmopolitan society, it's almost impossible to avoid fast food. Whether you see a McDonald’s every day when driving to work, stop in at Dunkin Donuts before school, or see a commercial for Sonic on TV during your favorite primetime show, fast food is seemingly ubiquitous. At Hamilton, Lauren Howe ’13 and Eunice Choi’14, however, are trying to make the transition from the fast food era toward a new, sustainable style of eating and living.

Sustainable, organic farming offers a fresh, local alternative to supermarket foods. However, some people might find it difficult to shop locally, and low-income individuals may have trouble affording farm shares and local food. Lauren Howe ’13 is working to correct both problems as an intern for Grow Food Northampton in Northampton, Mass.

Caitlin Taborda, Hamilton’s only Senior Fellow for the class of 2011, has begun her research on American food movements with regard to how different people make choices about the food they eat. Her project is titled “Local, Organic, and Sustainable Privilege: Understanding the Social Significance of Food Movements and the Socioeconomic Factors that Influence Participation.”