Have a Gratitudinous New Year
One of the first lessons most of us learned at our mother’s knee about table manners. Hold back before gobbling the grub, and share a moment with everyone at the table to say “grace,” or some toast for all there is to be grateful for. At the … [Read More...]
Revolting Food Trends of 2011-12
Four uprisings of global significance surprised the world in 2011, and the spirit of all four will surprise those who manage the food system in 2012—which leads to my choice of year-end and year-beginning indicators that pick up the colors of … [Read More...]
Fairly Good Success Story Hits a Snag
Fair Trade sales have skyrocketed to 70 times what they were a decade ago, but – here comes the bad news – Fair Traders are now suffering from their first serious food fight. Fair trade practices have been especially helpful for coffee … [Read More...]
Food’s a trip, Actually a Baker’s Dozen of Trips
By Wayne Roberts Citywatch: Whether it’s action or traction in the food world, cities are stepping up to the plate. The world is fast going urban, as are challenges of social, economic and environmental well-being. Citywatch is crucial to … [Read More...]
Processing Methods May Move Nutrition to Food Movement Center Stage
Take a pass on food guides, ingredient pyramids, and with any diet books that feature pro-carb, anti-carb, low-fat or packaged solutions of any sort. The emphasis of the food movement may be shifting towards nutrition and the fight against … [Read More...]
How City Food can Bridge the Urban-Rural Divide
It’s a given that better food habits can help cure what ails individual bodies that are overweight or undernourished, but what if better food habits on the part of city governments can just as effectively help cure what ails the body … [Read More...]
A Tribute to My Loving Sister Dale Roberts
Wayne’s November 19, 2011 memorial tribute to Dale Roberts: Welcome, and thank for you coming to this celebration of Dale Roberts. I hope we can share many happy memories together, and support each other through our sorrow. Dale wanted this … [Read More...]
Four Billion New Reasons Why Food Will Become a Local Government Issue
Last week, the flashbulb explosion met the population explosion, as news cameras clicked at several newborns identified as the seventh billion humans in the world. Now that the global birthday party is over, it’s time for new thinking about … [Read More...]
Occupy Movement Identifies Food Movement Common Inspiration and Options
This week's blog comes to you via World Watch: Nourishing the Planet. I have been posting my articles on their site for some time and am hoping that it will encourage my readers to check out their site and vice-versa. This week I offer my view on … [Read More...]
Cold Cuts: Maple Leaf Butchers Jobs and Food Security, but No-one Speaks Out
There will be no hogs in Hogtown’s future, but neither does there appear to be any squealing. Toronto’s pre-eminence as a food processing center -- the city has long been second only to Chicago in North American food manufacturing – took a … [Read More...]
Cultivating Conservatism: why radicals in farm country went ‘PC’
A lot of people gave the middle finger to Ontario’s political system last week. Leaving aside any feelings of joy, relief or disappointment about specific election results, these fingers are the signs of a full-fledged democratic deficit that … [Read More...]
The Taste of Cohesion
This week's blog comes to you via World Watch: Nourishing the Planet. I have been posting my articles on their site for sometime and am hoping that it will encourage my readers to check out their site and visa-versa. So without further adoo, Click … [Read More...]
Jack Layton’s Afterlife Will Keep Us All Busy
The way things look now, it will be as much work keeping up with Jack’s afterlife as it was keeping up with the pace he set in his all-too-brief life down here. His death on August 21 kindled an extraordinary national wide outpouring of sorrow, … [Read More...]
What’s Not Infrastructure About Social & Environmental Infrastructure?
Economic geeks tell a joke about Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates that goes a long way to explaining why so many cities face a budgetary crisis that can result in serious tears in the city’s social fabric while undermining its ability to invest in … [Read More...]
Tribute to Jack Layton I gave to Toronto Board of Health September 13, 2011
Thank you for organizing this time to show appreciation for Jack Layton, a central figure in the success story of public health in Canada. Jack gave us many gifts during the many vibrant days of his lifetime, and left us with a monumental gift … [Read More...]
Brain fried? Try a Real Food and Outdoors Tonic; Why Local Food is Key to Calming Frayed City Nerves….
Before I outline how this could be done, I should explain why I didn’t hand in this article last week, as originally promised. I faced computer problems that Bell Telephone’s exasperating voicemail machines couldn’t respond to, on the very same … [Read More...]
See Why Jack Layton is So Beloved by Checking out The Humulity and Humor of His Roasting of Me on My Retirement From the Toronto Food Policy Council, which he initiated!
Jack was always a supporter of my work and friend. Take a look at why he is so beloved. … [Read More...]
Canadian Grieve Jack Layton, Crusader for City Health, Food, Environment and Optimism
By Wayne Roberts Jack Layton’s death on August 22 feels so cry-out-loud tragic – and has touched a chord across the country with an outpouring of national grief, leading the federal government to hold a formal state funeral in his honor - … [Read More...]
Why Cities Need a Fresh Serving of Brain Food
I’ve waited patiently the last two months to see if some city government or health official somewhere might respond to Nature Magazine’s breakthrough article on urban stressors affecting mental illness. Regrettably, there is no gravy, … [Read More...]
Jack Layton’s Winning Spirit
You don’t really get to know some people until you know them when they’re down. That’s a problem for anyone who wants to write about Jack Layton, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, who’s taking a medical leave while he delas … [Read More...]
Citywatch: Slow Money
A lot of people blame fast buck artists for bringing on the 2008 economic crash, but few have yet looked to slow money artistry to get the economy moving in a better direction. For social investment promoter Woody Tasch, however, the crash was an … [Read More...]
Hop High For Local & Sustainable Craft Beer
I met a beer whisperer at a party last week. She helps beer with real personality express the good times it’s had, the food it wants to pair with, and its place in the proletarian taste division of the local and sustainable food movement. Her … [Read More...]
Why Energy Tax Breaks Harm Food and Environment
One nice thing about early posting of the fixed date for Ontario’s upcoming election (October 6, don’t you know?) is that all parties have the same lead time to drop early platform stupidities without too many people noticing. The NDP would be … [Read More...]
Big Powers Missing in Action on Food Price Crisis but New Leaders Emerge
Find Wayne's article Here Featured On the WorldWatch Institute website. … [Read More...]
One Track Minds Can’t See the Food for the Traffic Jams
By Wayne Roberts There’s only one issue that gets all right-thinking North Americans yelling out of the far left side of their mouth. Roads. It’s almost universally believed that roads should be built by the state, from each according to the … [Read More...]
The World is Watching: Worldwatch Checks Out Wayne Roberts on Food Councils
To read more about the challenges of Toronto food policy in the past and where food policies are heading see how my interview with Supriya Kumar from Worldwatch unfolded here Part Two of the Same Interview can be found here … [Read More...]
How government food policy got in your face but not in your heart
Cuts to Government Services, But not to Double Standards By Wayne Roberts Politicians at all levels are promising more cuts to government expenses without any cut to services. For politicians, this is better than a gift that keeps on giving. … [Read More...]
Plastic Bags
PLASTIC BAGS By Wayne Roberts The looming Toronto council debate about ending the five cent fee required for disposable bags from food retailers wastes almost as much energy as plastic bags made from fossil fuels. No matter what this council … [Read More...]
Imagining Sustainable Food Systems – Free Chapter
I was fortunate to be asked to contribute to Alison Blay-Palmer's new book, Imagining Sustainable Food Systems. It's a terrific read -- I encourage you to pick it up. For a sample of what you might expect, you can download my chapter for free. A … [Read More...]
Open Pit Gravel Mine Tells Farmers to “Eat My Dust”
Although the Ontario election is still six months away, the surprise candidate for most polarizing issue likely to turn the political contest into an emotional cliffhanger has already come to the fore. A 6 billion tonne gravel “mega quarry” … [Read More...]
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