News for Now Update: Week ending February 4, 2023

Pastoralists Harmonize Humans, Animals, & Planet
Since long before industrial livestock production, pastoralists around the world have practiced nomadic herding as a natural source of food, fabrics, and fertilizer. To these herders, the care, health, and wellbeing of their animals are paramount. Through genetic diversity and local adaptation, such animals can thrive in changing climates while playing a vital role in grassland ecology and carbon sequestration. Read more at Civil Eats.

Ancient Cheesemaking Method Revived by Covid
Pecorino, a hard, savory, sheep’s milk cheese, has been a staple food in Italy since the Roman Republic (as early as 508 BCE). During the pandemic, artisan cheesemakers who had difficulty selling their wares revived an ancient preservation method: rather than let cheese go to waste, they buried and sealed it underground, producing exceptional flavor and quality in addition to greater longevity. Read more at BBC Travel.

EU Approves Insects for Human Consumption
The EU recently endorsed the sale of two insects – lesser mealworm larvae and crickets – in various forms for human consumption. Two others had already been authorized, with eight more under consideration. This approval indicates their safety for those without allergies and requires that they be listed on food labels. Less environmentally taxing than industrially produced meat, they may represent a small way to supplement regenerative livestock-based agriculture. Read more at Deutsche Welle.

What’s in the 2023 Farm Bill?
The Farm Bill is an important legislative item, renewed every five years, that impacts far more than just farmers. Divided into 12 “titles,” it addresses nutrition, crop insurance, rural development, research, conservation, and more. Getting Congress to agree and allocate sufficient funding for all its programs may be a challenge, but many interested parties are making their voices heard ahead of its September renewal. Read more at NPR.

Calories – Nutritional and Harmful Types
In this 1961 #TBT article, Royal Lee, DDS, cautions us not to think of fats and carbohydrates as simply sources of calories, but to carefully consider the quality and the state of those nutrients. As examples, he warns against bleaching (which destroys Vitamin E), creating synthetic foods through hydrogenation and hydrolization, and permitting delicate oils (such as those in flour) to become rancid and lose their nutritional value. Read more in our Pioneer Archives Post.