Fruit in the news

Apple consumption has been stable for a long time, but for the industry there's a new hope: sliced apples. Just as baby carrots have revolutionized the carrot industry, slicing the fruit McDonalds-style is giving a big boost to apple farmers. Consumption in school lunches went up a great deal when apples were served sliced, and soon they'll be coming to supermarket shelves. Amazing how 30 seconds and a knife can do so much for consumption!

Also, have you heard that the end may be near for the banana as we know it? The most common banana is called the "Cavendish" banana and a disease threatens to wipe it out. This actually happened once before: 100 years ago the most popular banana was called the Gros Michel banana. It tasted better but didn't travel as well and proved susceptible to disease, and was eventually wiped out. Now scientists in the lab and in the field are both working to find a variety that is resistant to disease.

Good news in the Chesapeake!

I was out of town and missed this, but the dredge survey for the health of the crab population came out over a month ago and it looks good! They are even saying that they might be able to raise some of the limits that have tightly bound harvesters for many years. More crabs to eat is a very good thing!

Good news in energy!

A biofuels plant in Hawaii has been certified sustainable. That's great news! So much of biofuels' "success" has turned out to be false when examined closely, but the promise is real. I hope that more plants can think so carefully about their feedstocks and create energy with such a small footprint!

Modern Slavery in Food Processing

Workers in chicken processing plants here in the US (perhaps on the Eastern Shore, where hundreds of millions of birds are raised each year?) have to wear diapers since they aren't allowed to use the bathroom during shifts; in Thailand, workers are chained up or locked in shrimp processing plants. A few years ago an investigation found problems with the programs bringing in workers to pick crab here in Maryland as well. That program is back in the news after Senator Mikulski pushed for continued exceptions to labor laws on its behalf.

In an international food marketplace the race to offer the best products at the lowest prices inevitably puts workers at risk, making policing of labor conditions so important. Thanks to the journalists and investigators who are bringing these to light!

Putting a price tag on nature

A former student wrote today to make sure I'd seen this article about pricing nature from the Washington Post. Thanks! It's good, and an impressive feat for the economists involved. On the one hand, it may seem repugnant or silly to try to put a price tag on such resources (Ok, a river is worth $29 million? I'll take four, please.) The reality, though, is that cost-benefit analysis is happening all the time, whether it's overt or not. If a piece of land is zoned for development, the natural environment nearby is going to suffer a downgrade, and if we don't take that into account, then our analysis will be incomplete.

So how can we do a better job? Take a look at the article and find out! :)

From the ridiculous to the sublime

The TV show Portlandia had an episode in which the central characters learned all about the chicken they were served, and Wegman's and Whole Foods wanted to tell their customers almost as much about the origin of their food. So, a few technological upgrades and a few cooperating seafood distributors later, they finally can. Interesting article summing up the development in the Sun- take a look. The article includes quotes from Steve Vilnit, who used to work for the State helping chefs learn about local seafood, among other things....

Some thoughts from Bill Gates

Bill Gates answers a bunch of questions about how to avoid climate change and improve the lives of the poor, addressing the importance of energy, diet, etc. While reading, ask yourself: how many of the questions (and answers) boil down to economics?