The New Republic

In the Times this week, not only did Michael Pollan write an invaluable overview of the problems with the U.S. food-production system, he even went ahead and offered a slew of solutions for the next president to adopt. The broad outlines of Pollan's argument are fairly well-known by now: U.S. READ MORE >>

According to a report issued by the Stockholm International Water Institute last week, as much as half of all the food produced globally is either wasted or lost as it makes its way through the food chain—a stunning figure given the 850 million people in the world who are malnourished. The causes vary: In developing nations, most of the waste occurs because of poor harvesting techniques or insufficient storage facilities that leave crops susceptible to READ MORE >>

Middle Eastern countries are being forced to choose between food and water, The New York Times reports: READ MORE >>

The Guardian says they have a leaked report from the World Bank that biofuels are responsible for 75% of the recent rise in food prices: READ MORE >>

We've all heard how skyrocketing food and fuel prices have squeezed the world’s poor. But the fact that commodities prices are high--and that urbanfood-and-fuel READ MORE >>

There’s a heated debate at The Economist over this charticle that claims organic farming is bad for the poor. READ MORE >>

In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes that "the typical item of food on an American's plate travels some fifteen hundred miles to get there, and is frequently better traveled and more worldly than its eater." Observations of that sort have convinced many people that it's far better, from an energy and climate standpoint, to stick with locally grown food and try to reduce their "food miles" whenever possible. READ MORE >>

The generals are deaf. As everyone now knows, the regime was warned by weather forecasters in India two days before the cyclone arrived--five days before by forecasters in Thailand--and it refused to listen. READ MORE >>

In case anyone needed another reason to worry about the cost of oil, this New York Times piece about the dwindling numbers of supermarkets in poor neighborhoods describes a perfect storm of related problems. Supermarkets in poorer neighborhoods are closing due to higher and higher rents and the increased cost of READ MORE >>

The idea of a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton "unity ticket" has been floated quite a bit the last few days. But, seriously, is the idea any good? We asked a few friends of the magazine to weigh in. Here's Michael Tomasky, editor of Guardian America. A part of me has lately warmed somewhat to the idea of Barack Obama asking Hillary Clinton to join him as his running mate. But on balance I still think he can do better in both substantive and symbolic terms. READ MORE >>