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Jenny is a D.C.-based writer and regular contributor to Forbes covering the intersection of food, agriculture and technology. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, Slate, Salon, Forbes, Vice, New York Magazine, Parents and Mental Floss. She's an immersive experience creator and Story Director for the immersive experience company, TBD Immersive, and a founding member and Managing Editor of SciMoms. Her public speaking appearances include events hosted by the National Academies of Science's LabX, the International Food Information Council, the Museum of Science Fiction and the Center For Inquiry (scroll down for clips). In her spare time, she carves ice sculptures and grows heirloom wheat. Just kidding, she has two kids. You can reach her at [email protected]
Unlike Impossible Foods, which gets its beefy taste from genetically engineered yeast, Beyond embraced the non-GMO label in hopes of straddling the nature-tech divide. The move failed to win over critics but critics may have missed the mark too. Can the plant-based movement get past this debate?
Last week marked the eighth consecutive week in a row of losses in the coffee futures market. Grocery stores are demanding lower prices in turn, so companies like Smucker's have been forced to cut prices on brands like Folgers and Dunkin Donuts to satisfy coffee-drinking consumers.
"Eat less beef" is getting a lot of play these days. Pat Brown, CEO of Impossible Foods, recently boasted that "the whole point" of his company is to put beef farmers out of business.
A new investigation from the group that took on the Disneyland of agricultural tourism, Fair Oaks Farms, is now putting the spotlight on the organic dairy industry. The Animal Recovery Mission's latest target is Natural Prairie Dairy, an organic operation supplying raw milk for the in-house organic brands of multiple supermarket chains nationwide.
Many of world's largest animal protein producers are failing to address their environmental, animal welfare and human health impacts, a new report suggests. Now in its second year, the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index analyzes companies like Hormel and the Brazilian meat firm JBS, finding that many of the 60 largest in the sector aren't taking the necessary steps to reduce their environmental impacts.
A team of nineteen college students from the University of Michigan is working on a new way to bust food waste: a paper strip test that, with just a few drops of milk, can tell consumers whether or not their milk is still good enough to drink.
The Opal apple is the Arctic apple's naturally low-browning non-GMO counterpart, only the two apples have a very different story. When fruit and vegetable breeders create new foods, the methods they use can affect everything that comes next: regulation, labeling, marketing-even consumer perception.
"Capitalism in agriculture, within sub-Saharan Africa, is alive and well," says Jehiel Oliver. Oliver is the CEO of the agtech company Hello Tractor, whose smartphone app connects smallholder farmers with tractor owners looking to rent. Dubbed the "Uber for tractors," Hello Tractor first launched in Nigeria in 2014, and then quickly expanded into Kenya.
The FDA has announced it will hold a public meeting on September 27 on the agency's effort to modernize regulations known as food standards of identity, which could set off another round of battle between animal agriculture and the plant-based sector.
Don't count on African Swine Fever to benefit U.S. pork farmers anytime soon, as barriers between between U.S. pork and the Chinese consumer remain firmly in place. And with China's most recent decision to halt imports of all U.S. agricultural products, commodities like soy are threatened too.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard this prediction: The world's population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people by the year 2050. That's a lot of mouths to feed on a planet with increasingly limited resources. So, how can we feed that many people in a way that doesn't destroy the planet?
Coffee farmers across the globe are in financial crisis, as the price of coffee has now hit the lowest number in over a decade. Michelle Burns, Senior Vice President of Coffee and Tea for Starbucks Corporation, says even though the company has long been an industry leader in paying above-market rates, the current economics of the coffee industry demand more.
New research offers a warning to companies looking to sell cultured meat. This new type of protein - meat engineered from cell tissue in a lab rather than using traditional animal agriculture - could end up suffering the same fate as GMOs if producers and proponents aren't able to shift the public narrative.
Craigs Station Creamery looks like a typical small dairy, the kind of farm that was once ubiquitous across rural New York state. Chris Noble, whose farm is one of the eight that makes up the creamery joint venture, hopes the business can be different enough to succeed where other dairy farms today are struggling.
Sustainable and high-tech farming can go hand in hand, as more growers and producers rely on data-gathering technology like sensors and robotic milking machines and the analytic platforms that help them take those huge swaths of data and turn them into action.
Blockchain technology could transform the entire food industry, some bullish tech prospectors say, by increasing efficiency, transparency and collaboration throughout the food system. Consumers could be able to trace the source of their lettuce in seconds. Shippers could see if a truck is full before they schedule a delivery.
Sustainable Agriculture can be a murky term with no clear definition. Land O'Lakes, Campbell's and the Environmental Defense Fund are working to clear up that murkiness with a "Turbo-Tax style" software platform aimed at getting farmers to grow food more sustainably.
Strawberries are a popular food for Valentine's Day but, as fresh produce, they're also more vulnerable to food waste. Fortunately, Zest Labs has been working closely with strawberry growers to reduce waste throughout the supply chain so that more strawberries end up eaten than tossed.
The agtech landscape is littered with disruptors, but when "everyone is either disrupting or being disrupted," as Jill Lepore wrote in a 2014 New Yorker piece entitled "The Disruption Machine," how can you tell the difference between hype and a company that could bring about real change?
A new study claims an organic diet can significantly reduce pesticide levels, but the research doesn't hold up. Published February 12 in the journal Environmental Research , the authors of the study tested pesticide levels in the urine of 16 study participants, before and after switching to an organic diet, and found pesticide levels decreased after the switch.
Jack O'Connor is one of the cofounders of Moyo Nua, an agricultural organization that takes its name from a combination of the word m oyo, meaning life in the Malawian language of Chichewa, and nua, meaning new in Irish Gaelic.
"This is a critical year for CRISPR," says Rodolphe Barrangou, a " CRISPR pioneer" and one of the scientists who first identified the bacteria in yogurt as a researcher for Danisco in 2007. He now leads the CRISPR lab at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. "We know it works.
The fight against food waste is big business. Last year, more than $125 million went to startups looking to address waste in the system. But the debate about the ugly produce movement is raising new questions about the business of food waste, with consumers left wondering how to tell the difference between clever marketing and a true food waste solution.
The consumer advocacy group U.S. PIRG has tested 20 brands of beer and wine, finding trace levels of glyphosate in all but one. These trace amounts are well below EPA tolerance levels: an adult would have to drink more than 140 glasses of wine or beer daily to cause a health risk.
A new gene-edited soybean oil just hit the market, designed with consumers in mind. It's a high oleic oil that's free from trans fats and the latest example of genetically engineered foods designed to appeal to consumers rather than boost crop yields.
Since the first genetically modified tomato hit the U.S. market in 1994, consumers have been suspicious of scientific tinkering with their food. Back then, genetically modified animals seemed particularly ominous, with images like fishy tomatoes and frankenfood capturing the public's imagination. But real-life examples of genetically engineered animals aren't so cartoonish.
Kin Euphorics is looking to disrupt the alcohol industry, but what exactly is a euphoric? Part adaptogen, part nootropic, the drink promises to "elevate your state, connect with others, and take back our morning afters." But what do the claims hold up?
It's been a big year for plant-based and lab grown meats, but next year could be a turning point. Sales grew over 23% in the last year, exceeding $760 million. In 2019, look for plant-based and cultured meat companies to navigate new partnerships, new markets and an evolving regulatory landscape.
The EAT-Lancet Commission, a three-year project of 37 experts across different disciplines, is calling for sweeping food system changes to grow food that is healthy and good for the planet. The Commission calls for more sustainable intensification and less consumption of meat and animal products.
Activated charcoal is everywhere. Touted in alternative health circles as a versatile treatment for almost anything that ails you, its proponents claim that it clears up your acne, treats inflammation caused by " toxic mold," draws out the venom from a snake bite, eases a hangover, halts your farts, removes "toxins" from your body, and brightens your pearly whites.
As the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control continue investigating last month's E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce that has, to date, infected 43 Americans and 22 Canadians, the FDA has now announced a new voluntary leafy greens industry labeling plan aimed at mitigating the outbreak's impact.
Telling people to eat their way to a different outlook is nothing new. Think of religious fasting. Or John Harvey Kellogg's anti-masturbation cornflake diet. In 17th-century England, a "hot and moist diet" was even thought to provide a cure for melancholy.
ilk is stuck in a time warp in America. We might be game for goat's milk Brie or Key lime pie-flavored yogurt, but milk? Don't mess with milk. Americans grow up drinking milk. Milk and cookies are our first comfort food. Milk is what we rush to the store for during storms, even if we don't understand why.
How long you can keep that steak in the fridge? Is that can of tuna still good enough for your casserole? We've got you covered. From freezer and fridge to canned foods, we've outlined the rules for safe food storage of beef, pork, poultry, and fish, all in time for your next set of leftovers.
For many of us, coffee is an essential part of our daily ritual. The smell, the taste, that boost of alertness-these are perks that many of us can't (or don't want to) live without. But what if, when waiting in line for a cup of coffee, you noticed a warning in big bold letters that its contents were known to cause cancer?
Synthetic fertilizer comes with environmental drawbacks like water pollution. Pivot Bio is one of the synthetic biology companies working on a microbial alternative, and has now completed field trials with over 11,000 Midwest farmers, bringing the company one step closer to commercialization.
Vaccines have long been hailed as one of our greatest public health achievements. They can be made to protect us from infections with either viral or bacterial microbes. Measles and smallpox, for example, are viruses; Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacterium that causes a range of diseases, including pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, and meningitis.
It's an all too common scenario for vegetarians: there you are, sadly chewing away at your dry veggie patty while the carnivores around you enjoy their smoky, juicy burgers. Well, take heart: a better burger is here.
Ripe.io wants to use blockchain technology to transform the food industry, and it just received a major influx of cash to do it. The agritech startup just secured $2.4 million in financing from investors like Maersk Growth, the capital venture arm of the Danish shipping container conglomerate Maersk, and Relish Works, a Chicago-based food innovation hub.
If you've followed the debate about GMOs with any sort of regularity, there's a strong chance you've come across a picture of a tomato stabbed by a giant syringe. That image, though a complete fiction, seems to perfectly capture what's preventing public acceptance of these foods: We don't really know what makes something a GMO.
appy cows come from California." So reads the tagline of a famous ad campaign run by the California Milk Advisory Board, featuring cows casually chatting in a wide-open field. Cows from California, the thinking goes, must be like everyone else from California: happy and laid back. But what makes a cow happy?
"Eat real food" is simple-seeming dietary advice that's actually anything but. On the one hand, it sounds easy enough: Unlike some Goop-approved detox, it's a guideline that appears to leave room for most food groups. On the other hand, though, "real food" is a slippery concept, one without any single established definition.
I was in a drugged out, hazy blur the day my son was born. Two days before, I had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, and learned I would need to deliver him eight weeks early, by Caesarean section. During the delivery, the combination of shock, magnesium drip and anesthesia made me feel dazed, disconnected and barely present.
Whole Foods used to be my idea of grocery heaven. Once upon a time, I shopped at the California Street location in San Francisco - it was light and airy with produce for miles. I knew the cheesemonger. I had philosophical conversations with the butcher. I stared longingly at the Le Creuset bakeware.
When my doctor told me I'd be delivering my baby at 32 weeks, I looked at her like she was crazy. Nothing was ready. Not the crib, not his room, and certainly not me. At the same time, I was also a little relieved.
When I saw the new documentary Food Evolution at the D.C. Environmental Film Festival in March, I was surprised to see Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, two giants of food advocacy, take a clear stance in favor of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, since the two have previously been critical of these controversial foods.
"You are poisoning your children," the woman told me calmly before walking back into the crowd of activists gathered for the Food Justice march this past October in Washington, DC. Activists from groups like March Against Monsanto and Moms Across America rallied because they believe Americans are at risk from our food supply.
The most commonly used herbicide in the world is not worse than the things it would be replaced with.
My husband and I discovered our daughter's peanut allergy while we were 35,000 feet in the air over Denver. Even though we knew she was allergic to eggs, our allergist had told us there was no reason to avoid any other foods, and so the week before I'd given her a bit of peanut butter and chalked up the slight rash she developed to eczema.
When it comes to diet decisions, there are few things more divisive than the issue of genetically modified organisms, a.k.a. GMOs. These crops, which include ubiquitous ingredients in our food supply, such as corn and soy, make news regularly whenever yet another food company decides to take a stand against them: Chipotle, Del Monte, and Hershey Foods are among the biggest names that have bowed to consumer pressure to offer non-GMO products.
It's hard to imagine a food more polarizing than Soylent, the meal replacement drink created by a 23-year-old engineer who was tired of ramen and dirty dishes. Depending on whom you ask, this "food of the future" is either "sperm-esque" fuel for tech bros or the solution to global hunger.
I used to think organic food was best for my kids, but here's why I changed my mind. I grew up the kid of California health-nut parents, especially my dad who could never figure out why two caring hippies like Ben and Jerry could feed people so much butterfat.
For the past few years, I've been part of a loosely connected group of progressives and conservatives who found common ground on food politics. We support the use of genetic engineering in our food system. We don't think Monsanto is the devil.
Demand for products marketed "organic" and "chemical-free" is surging these days, as cautious consumers are worried about chemicals in everything from apples to wrinkle removers. But does "chemical-free" actually mean something is safer? Neuroscientist Alison Bernstein, PhD, says no. "People say 'chemical-free but it's really meaningless since everything, technically speaking, is a chemical."
Outdoor gear giant Patagonia has a long history of effectively (if bizarrely) pairing environmentalism with commerce-its famous "don't buy this jacket" campaign led into two years of increased annual sales. One of their more recent ventures is a sustainable food line, which it officially launched in the fall of 2013.
Jenny Splitter is a writer and over-scheduled mom living in Washington, DC. Her favorite things are black coffee, uninterrupted sleep and conversations that have nothing to do with Minecraft.
I was hoping this summer would be a quiet one for sunscreen. Yes, the Environmental Working Group published its annual sunscreen guide, but I figured the staggering amount of criticism the EWG receives might finally persuade everyone in the media to ignore it. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
If you pay attention only to the loudest voices sounding off about our agricultural system, you might assume that traditional foodies and fans of food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are two very separate groups. But I'm a food lover and a GMO advocate, so to me, the lines have never felt so neatly drawn.
I remember the moment I became a sleep training fanatic. My son was a year old, and after many failed attempts at straight "CIO," or cry it out, we'd finally found sleep training success with the Ferber method-a controlled crying method where, starting between 3 to 5 months, you teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep (checking in at regular intervals).
My childhood synagogue in Santa Cruz, California was the quintessential lefty feminist Jewish experience: our Cantor was a woman who played the guitar, we observed the feminist-revived ritual of Rosh Chodesh, and girls studied Hebrew just the same as boys. I live in Washington, D.C.
I met plenty of moms who despite their efforts couldn't breastfeed, wracked with guilt over their "failure" to give their baby the best start in life. Seeing their pain and grief made me wonder -- is all of this pressure worth it? I began to look more closely at the evidence and what I found surprised me.
My mom was in her late forties when she began to develop headaches and stomachaches so severe she sometimes couldn't get out of bed. For months, her doctor kept telling her it was probably just stress, that she needed to relax and take a vacation.
Where: ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar, 300 Florida Ave. NW; (202) 986-3795; anxodc.com Hours: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays Drink specials: Half-off select cider, wine, beer, and vermouth Food specials: Half-off all pintxos (Basque-style bite-sized snacks) Pros: If you've been wanting to give cider a try, ANXO's happy hour is the place to do it.
Noobstaa Phillip Vang missed his mother's cooking. He had just moved to D.C. from Minnesota to attend Georgetown's MBA program, and craved the Northern Vietnamese Hmong food that his mom and aunt used to cook at home. Uber and Airbnb were taking off at the time, and Vang wondered if he could connect people with chefs in a similar way.
Advocates for urban agriculture are nervous these days. President Donald Trump has said little about his agriculture policy plans, his Agriculture Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue is a longtime ally to traditional rural agribusiness interests, and Trump's proposed budget slashes funding for many of the agencies upon which urban residents depend.
Speaking and Media Appearances