Food And Water's Sharebook 

All right, seafood lovers… pay attention. Most of you, on average, eat approximately 16 pounds of seafood each year, 4 of which is shrimp. Most of you want safe, sustainable seafood, and you’re probably aware that there are many things to consider.

Consumers need a resource that addresses factors, such as sustainability, food safety, and the socio-economic impact of many different kinds of seafood; the 2010 Smart Seafood Guide will help you navigate those waters.

The Smart Seafood Guide is a complete resource to understanding various seafood selections while keeping specific considerations in mind. It is being released at a critical time—consumers have posed many questions recently regarding the safety of Gulf seafood in light of the BP oil spill.

Unfortunately, some consumers have turned to imported seafood due to concerns about the safety of domestic options. However, rampant food safety violations occur throughout the industry.  Did you know that less than two percent of all imported seafood gets inspected?

This year, we’ve even awarded imported coastal-farmed shrimp the dubious honor of  “Worst Seafood.” Most of our imported shrimp come from countries where health, safety, labor and environmental standards are not as strict as they are in the U.S., meaning there is greater risk of buying seafood treated with illegal chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides. This is why it’s so important to know where your seafood comes from.

There are a lot of reasons to be knowledgeable about the seafood you’re buying, which is why it’s important to note a few things about this particular seafood guide.

-It’s the most comprehensive seafood guide available.
-It includes information on over 100 types of seafood.
-It offers background on U.S. seafood production and regulation.
-It is the only guide that considers the socio-economic impact on coastal and fishing communities.
-It steers consumers away from seafood raised in factory farm conditions.
-It steers consumers away from choosing seafood obtained through fishing practices that pose threats to both the marine ecosystem and public health.
-It steers consumers away from unregulated imports, depleted fish and seafood that is more likely to contain harmful contaminants.

The 2010 Smart Seafood Guide is free for all to use—it’s an online tool designed to help consumers find seafood based on taste or U.S. region of origin. In addition, Food & Water Watch has developed smaller, printed versions that you can carry with you and reference before making a purchase at markets or restaurants.

-Rich Bindell

Create jobs and provide clean water for your community by joining our campaign to Renew America's Water! http://bit.ly/b2UIZE

Issue 2 on the November ballot is an industry attempt to change the Ohio state constitution, establishing a “Livestock Care Standards Board” that would have unchecked power to establish standards for livestock and poultry. Technically
the product of the Ohio General Assembly, the ballot issue is heavily backed by groups representing major agribusiness interests, including the Ohio Farm Bureau and The Ohio Pork Producers Council.

While masquerading as an attempt to improve food safety and animal welfare, Issue 2 in reality is an attempt by big industry to preempt statewide initiatives like the recent Proposition 2 in California, which phased out problematic animal production practices like battery cages for chickens. In effect, the proposed Livestock Care Standards Board would give a dozen political appointees broad and unchecked power to decide rules on animal welfare, potentiallyreshaping regulations on how animals are raised, tracked or traced.

Read more on the truth about Issue 2.

The Truth Squad gets you the facts about the latest agri-business power grab in Ohio. Join us on Twitter today at 4pm EST to discuss #Issue2Tuesday.

In honor of the "No Impact Man" premier in theaters nationwide, Food & Water Watch is launching a low-impact challenge of its own. As the film's star, Colin Beavan, urges everyone to reduce their carbon footprints, two Food & Water Watch employees (perhaps the least "green" in the office) will start a six-week adventure to see who can have the smallest water footprint. They will blog every week about their experiences and explore the effects of making small yet meaningful lifestyle changes to conserve water and other natural resources. We urge readers to follow along and join in on the challenge.

Food & Water Watch's "Take Home Chef Rocky" contest has now ended and our winner is Hannah King, who submitted a wonderful Youtube video telling us why she needed to take Chef Rocky home with her.

Now she will get the chance to have a talented chef help her incorporate sustainable cooking into her lifestyle, with tips on staying on budget while producing mouth-watering dishes. 

Check out her winning video!

Join us for Dinner & a Documentary
July 30th at 6:30 pm
Bread & Brew
1247 20th Street (N & 20th) NW, Washington, DC

July 24th, 2009

 
View the Blue Gold trailer

• strengthen the management of our public water resources
• protect water safety
• keep water under public control
  
  

Not already a member of Food & Water Watch?

Become a member today.

Sam Bozzo's new film, Blue Gold: World Water Wars, follows numerous water fights around the world as people struggle to reclaim their water from morally bankrupt corporations and governments.

What: The film Blue Gold

Delicious food & drink

When: Thursday, July 30th 6:30PM

Where: Bread & Brew (N & 20th St. NW) 

             Downstairs in the bar room

Why: To nourish your body & mind

Stick around after the film to grab some Smart Water Guides and learn about how you can protect our water here in DC.

It promises to be a great night of inispiration at the Brew.

See you there!

Best,
Renee Vogelsang
Water Organizer
Food & Water Watch

- Sarah Alexander and the Healthy School Milk or Bust Crew

As we started off on the second half of our tour this morning, we feel like we have big hooves to fill. Alex, Becca and Meredith made the cows proud by getting lots of support for our campaign, and earning lots of great media coverage along the way. The first group of roadies shared their wisdom about arriving on time, leaving extra time for parking and how to be a cow, but some things you just have to learn for yourself. Today our drive was long, but we arrived in Iowa City right on time, and were greeted with a warm welcome when we arrived at the Red Avocado Café for our activist meet-up. Two supporters were already waiting for us, and a third joined us to talk about the campaign and how they could get involved. We ate some delicious food and our new friends left with lots of blank postcards in hand, eager to get help out on the campaign.

Next we headed downtown to the pedestrian mall to get people to call Senator Harkin and ask for better milk in schools. The weather in Iowa City was unseasonably cool - perfect for dressing up as a cow! We’d heard lots about the cow suits, and there was even a previous blog post, but it’s such a new and delightful experience it’s worth another mention. It’s the best of times, and the worst of times, but mostly the best of times.  Wearing a cow suit unlocks people’s inner child. People can’t stop themselves from seeing you and smiling, gravitating toward you and asking what you’re up to. Sarah was told she made someone’s day, and someone else laughed and said they’d never seen a cow with a purse before. 

It also seems to be an open invitation for people to make funny, often bordering on inappropriate, comments. We won’t go into them here, but you can use your imagination.  At first a couple of us were a little hesitant to wear the suit, worried that people wouldn’t take us seriously. This doesn’t turn out to be the case. As one passerby in Chicago put it, “whatever you’re sellin’, I’m buyin!” Because really, who can say no to a cow asking for safer milk for children?