Farms That Rise to the Challenge

Vertical farming may very well be necessary as the world’s population continues to grow. Vertical farming would allow food to be grown on the sides of buildings, on rooftops, and in very small spaces in large cities, rather than in sprawling farms. It would allow fresh food to be supplied locally, allow small spaces to be utilized where they normally wouldn’t be, and growing food in this way would also save energy and time. Japan has become a front runner in commercial vertical farming, after the 2011 Fukushima disaster destroyed much of the country’s cropland. However, there are some issues that still need to be worked out before one considers vertical farming an organic option.  One of the problems with commercial vertical farming is that plants need a lot of sunlight, so growing inside requires artificial light. Also, much of the vertical farming is done without soil, and requires nutrients to be added into the watering system. What type of nutrients and where these nutrients come from are questions that still need to be answered. Due to this, vertical farming may stay as a niche market until a viable solution is found for these issues. The great news is that it is a feasible idea, the logistics just have to be ironed out.

The FDA Issues Guidelines for Salt Use

This week, the FDA has issued voluntary guidelines for how much salt should be used in food prepared by restaurants and manufacturers. Most Americans eat 50% more salt than the recommended daily amount, which is a leading factor in the country’s high number of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes. Most of our salt consumption comes from packaged food and restaurant meals, this means that cooking your own food is the best way to reduce your salt consumption. The new salt standards are voluntary, meaning the FDA doesn’t have to worry about the food industry pushing back. Studies have shown that reducing the sodium in restaurant and packaged food could save 500,000 lives and $100 billion over a decade, so it seems like voluntary standards aren’t strict enough, knowing what the consequences of our current salt consumption are.

Celebrities Endorse Only Unhealthy Food and Drinks

We all know that celebrities get paid big bucks to endorse products, but it turns out that 70% of these celebrity endorsements are for unhealthy food and drinks. Common products include Hot Pockets (endorsed by Snoop Dogg), McDonald’s (Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Jessie J), and sodas like Pepsi and Coke (Will.i.am., Pitbull). Only one celebrity endorsement was made for the fruits/vegetables/whole grains category, and it was done by Psy, a Korean singer who endorsed pistachios. Studies show that consumers have a higher preference for products that are endorsed by celebrities, so it’s a problem that only sugary drinks and unhealthy foods are attracting celebrities endorsements. Many larger companies have pledged to reduce marketing to children under 12 years old, but teens start to have their own money to buy food and drinks, making them a vulnerable target.  We would like to see this kind of marketing be banned or at least not targeted at teens and young adults.