May, 2006
Download a printable version of this Newsletter here See you in New Orleans! We look forward to welcoming you to New Orleans on May 30^th to celebrate our successes and proudly launch the second phase of the Sustainable Food Lab (SFL).	SFL Event: Learning Journey to Dominican Republic The SFL will be offering a Learning Journey in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti to learn about supply chain issues facing small-scale farmers in those countries. Read description.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters joins the Food Lab and Kicks off a project We are pleased to announce that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) is partnering with Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and ForesTrade on a field research project to develop indicators of poverty and hunger alleviation. This is the newest project launched through the Sustainable Food Lab supply chain work. Read more…	SFL Leadership Track SFL members will increase individual, organization and SFL capacities to lead change towards sustainability. Curriculum includes personal mastery, vision and systems thinking. Kick-off workshop with Peter Senge potentially Oct 3-5. See program description. Contact Hal Hamilton if interested.
Conceptualizing US Food Systems The W.K. Kellogg Foundation reports on identifying one or more “simplifying models” to help Americans think more productively about Food Systems. Read report. Also, read about how Americans view the food system, and how they view the reforms that food policy advocates put forward to improve it in Framing the Food System. This work is also supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. NYC Inspired by Rome to Reach for Quality Public Food March 30-April 5 - Two pioneers of school and city food system transformation from Rome, Italy visited with procurement officials in New York City and by week’s end, just about everyone involved was trying to figure out how to set up a transatlantic learning exchange between Rome and New York City in order to improve food quality even further in both cities. Read more… SFL Members Reach Out to Fisheries that Count Almost one year ago, Sustainable Food Lab (SFL) members traveled to China to meet with fisherman and fishers’ organizations. No other country comes close to China in terms of global significance in wild catch and aquaculture production and the outcomes of the SFL trip continue to ripple through the Food Lab. Read more… F4H Strikes a Chord at Emory May 8-9 - Sustainable Food Lab (SFL) members drew a diverse and interested crowd at Emory University earlier this month, when they visited to speak about creating comprehensive, year-round changes in the nutritional quality and ecological responsibility of institutional food services. Read more… Jasper Wyman & Son, awards First Three Farms May 13, Chile - Ed Flanagan, President of Jasper Wyman and Son, told raspberry growers in Chile that he was there to invest in their interest in learning sustainable practices. In February we reported that Jasper Wyman has committed up to $150,000 over five years in a Food Lab inspired project to provide incentives for raspberry growers to incorporate IPM practices, which will be audited to SYSCO standards. This speech was part of his presentation of the first three cash awards to three farms. Read his speech… Cardiff - Sustainable Procurement Seminar works towards a new metric for public food May 19 - Drawing on the practical experience of local authorities and national ministries in the UK and Italy, this seminar examined how to establish a new set of metrics that take into account the sustainability of both food products and public food systems. Read more … Urban Agriculture Cures Many Ills Jessica Wurwag, Planner/Project Manager with the NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development, has joined the Food for Health Initiative (F4H). As a city planner, she brings the perspective that healthy and sustainable food systems in cities encompasses issues of food access as well as food in schools and hostpitals. Read more… Send other news, links and happenings to Daniella Malin	SFL Event: Food Lab to China! Contingent upon funding and interest from the Lab Team, the Food Lab will collaborate with the Rural Development Institute of China, to convene a two-week U-Process workshop in China. Read more... If interested, contact Hal Hamilton.
	Newsletter Archive: March Bulletin 2006 (html) February 2006 (html) November 2005 (html) August 2005 (pdf) June 2005 (pdf) February 2005 (html)
	Other Reports: Learning History Chapter 4 Learning Histories 1, 2 and 3 Costa Rica Report (pdf) Salzburg Report (pdf)
	SFL Calendar · Mini Food Lab in China, October 22-November 2, 2006 · Workshop on setting policy framework for sustainable food systems. Organizers: WHO and SFL. Fall 2006 · Global F4H Conference, Rome, 2007
	Related news and links: · Wal-Mart Eyes Organic Foods NYTimes, May 12. · A Farming Fairy Tale FastCompany, May: The life and career of Gene Kahn have tracked the growth and gawky adolescence of the organic food business perfectly… · Corporate Responsibility, PricewaterhouseCoopers report on Business and Sustainability · Soda Distributors to End Most School Sales, AP, May 4 · U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity, IATP · Decontructing Dinner, NYTimes Book Review of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan · Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS) The outcome of a partnership between DEFRA and the food industry: A strategy to tackle the impact of the food industry on precious resources, such as energy and water, and its contribution to climate change, was published by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, today. Older Links: · What is Organic? Powerful Players Want a Say: NYTimes 11/1/05 · The New Mainstream: A sustainable food agenda for California, by Ecotrust for Roots of Change Council and Fund · The Tipping Point: Newsweek, November 05: As global institutions falter in the face of mounting challenges, business has to play an increasingly active role. · Corporate Environmentalism: Materials Pooling Project (RMI/SoL) · Consumers International IIED study From bean to cup Dec2005.pdf: A study of the impact of certification along the coffee commodity chain from producer to consumer. · Agriculture and Environment Indicator Report The IRENA indicator report on agriculture and the environment provides a comprehensive overview on the interactions between agriculture and the environment in the European Union. · Changing Diets, Changing Minds: how food affects mental well being and behavior Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, working with the Mental Health Foundation, has collected and analyzed around 500 research studies, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the evidence linking what we eat with mental well-being and behavior.