Posted by Ed Levine, April 9, 2008 at 11:30 AM
With all the chatter about sustainable agriculture even making it to the front page of the New York Times, it's easy to forget that the whole notion of sustainability is all about farmers making short and long-term economic decisions. Given the fragility of the income stream of most non agribusiness farms, it's no wonder that some farmers are willing to trade in the price supports they receive to conserve land for the greater upside potential of planting viable crops on that same acreage during a time of rising food prices.
Posted by Nathalie Jordi, January 26, 2007 at 1:00 PM
Smithfield Foods, the nation's largest pork producer and processor, which alongside Tyson Foods, Swift & Co (46% owned by ConAgra), and Hormel Foods controls a whopping 64% of the American pork-packing market, has voluntarily decided to phase out sow crates by 2017. Yes, this applies only to farms they own, not the farms they also buy from (a large percentage), but it's a start. Imagine: 15.6 million hogs a year, AND they're waiting for government approval to acquire the nation's second-bigger producer, Premium Standard Farms. We're a porky, porky people.
Posted by Nathalie Jordi, January 17, 2007 at 4:10 PM
I sure have. Now I know.
