I am pleased to share this important commentary calling for a paradigm shift in African agricultural development. Message me for a copy if needed www.tandfonline.com/eprint/ZUB2Q...

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

Former UN food agency official claims he was fired for highlighting hunger in Gaza

Benjamin Davis appealing against dismissal from FAO, after being accused by director general of playing ‘political games’

theguardian.com

Haroon Akram-Lodhi@ahakram-lodhi.bsky.social · 4d ago

The Right to Food is Fundamental. Standing up for the right to food is fundamental to the @fao.org mission We call on the DG to publicly recognize that the right to food is fundamental; people have a right to live, and live with dignity docs.google.com/document/d/1...

In an era when academic jobs are scarce, it's nice to see a posting at UWaterloo - a great place to work!!

Jennifer Clapp 🇨🇦@jennifer-clapp.bsky.social · 5d ago

Tenure Track Assistant Professor International Relations job at Waterloo! See link below. ⤵️ uwaterloo.ca/arts/sites/d...

Tenure Track Assistant Professor International Relations job at Waterloo! See link below. ⤵️ uwaterloo.ca/arts/sites/d...

📢Who really keeps the world fed? On 5 Oct, we launch #FoodWork, our major new report exposing exploitation across global food chains. Join @rajpatel.org, @deschuttero.bsky.social & labour advocates… what will it take to make food work dignified work? 👉 Register: ipes-food.org/launch-webin...

LAUNCH WEBINAR : Food work

Launch of Food Work, a landmark IPES-Food report exposing labour exploitation across global food systems and how to guarantee dignified food work for all - 5 October.

ipes-food.org

Excited to participate in this webinar on Oct 14 launching @futureoffood.bsky.social 's important new report Toxic Dependency: How Agrochemicals Lock-In Food System Vulnerability futureoffood.org/events/webin... Registration info below ⤵️

Report Launch—Toxic Dependency: How Agrochemicals Lock-In Food System Vulnerability

Join us for a webinar launching Toxic Dependency, exploring how agrochemicals drive food systems vulnerability and pathways toward resilient alternatives.

futureoffood.org

Today was the third time this week I had to reroute my walking path to avoid being choked by debris from an obnoxious leaf blower. I’ve had a vendetta against these things since they first came out, but the problem appears to be getting worse. What’s wrong with using a rake or a broom?

Where is country-of-origin labeling for beef when we need it? Everyone should read Eric Schlosser's op-ed, Why Did Trump Order Up 660 Million Pounds of Mystery Meat?  We have country-of-origin labeling for fresh produce.  But because of Big Meat lobbying, Beef and pork are notable exceptions to…

Where is country-of-origin labeling for beef when we need it?

Everyone should read Eric Schlosser's op-ed, Why Did Trump Order Up 660 Million Pounds of Mystery Meat?  We have country-of-origin labeling for fresh produce.  But because of Big Meat lobbying, Beef and pork are notable exceptions to these laws. And that may help to explain why President Trump signed a proclamation last month that will allow the duty-free importation of about 660 million pounds of inexpensive beef.

foodpolitics.com

How a handful of big agriculture companies have taken over food production  I (and Max Koppenberg, @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social and others) was interviewed by swissinfo.ch for this article www.swissinfo.ch/eng/agribusi...

Was happy to speak with Swissinfo about the important topic of corporate power in food systems! Featuring new data too from @etcgroup.bsky.social and insights from Taarini Chopra! www.swissinfo.ch/eng/agribusi...

How a handful of big agriculture companies have taken over food production

Just a few companies, including Swiss ones, account for a disproportionate share of the market for agricultural inputs like seeds, machinery and chemicals.

swissinfo.ch

Excellent new podcast drawing historical lessons from the NIEO for building a better global financial system, with @anninak.bsky.social and Eric Helleiner. youtu.be/aAUvcT6HKg8?...

Rethinking Global Finance: Lessons from the NIEO | Annina Kaltenbrunner & Eric Helleiner

YouTube video by Vienna Global Forum

youtu.be

Really interesting piece from @matthewstoller.bsky.social - there are lots of laws already on the books to crack down on the harms of AI, but they aren't being enforced... as he notes,'the actual rule of law as practiced is “guilty until proven wealthy.”' www.thebignewsletter.com/p/ai-is-an-e...

AI Is an Elite Crime Spree

Documents show a Microsoft exec called AI the "largest theft of labor in human history.” New AI regulations are besides the point, the problem is we don’t apply existing laws to the powerful.

thebignewsletter.com

Food prices are high everywhere, straining people's ability to buy it; but people in the poorest countries spend a much higher % of their income on food (over 50% in some countries) - making geopolitical shocks and climate events that affect food prices especially harmful in those countries.

Yep, the soaring price of diesel fuel translates into food price inflation - the food has to move somehow and costs are rising along food supply chains. Yet another vector by which geopolitical conflict upends food systems www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

Skyrocketing diesel prices could turn into high grocery prices soon, as shipping costs go up | CBC News

With diesel prices skyrocketing due to ongoing global conflicts, filling up the trucks that carry food and goods across Canada has never been more expensive, experts say — and Canadians could be feeli...

cbc.ca

Libraries are the original data centres anyway — why ask AI when you can ask a librarian (and get a real answer)? #WaterForLibrarians Find reliable resources on your first try at the library. #GrenfellCampus #library #MUNLibraries #AILiteracy

Excited for the new term and assigning 3q outstanding books for my students to read: More and More and More by Jean-Baptiste Fressoz; Extraction by @triofrancos.bsky.social; and Hyperscale by @parismarx.com - really looking forward to the conversations! Thx to the authors for these great books!

Honoured that @matpaterson.bsky.social is reading my book !!!

Mat Paterson@matpaterson.bsky.social · 4w ago

The other is @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social ‘s Titans of Industrial Agriculture, which brings together the world’s she has been doing for years on corporate concentration in agriculture, and specifically in farm inputs (machinery, seeds, fertiliser, pesticides). mitpress.mit.edu/978026255170... 3/

Markets price not only today’s supply but expectations of what will be available tomorrow. Supply buffers are stronger than in 2022, and a food crisis is not inevitable. But the August price increases are a signal that multiple risks could converge into a broader supply shock.

Disgusting that AI companies are bulk buying physical books, scanning and then destroying We should preserve the right to read physical books for for everyone. Second hand book stores play an important role in sharing knowledge. We can't let AI take away our rights! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Used bookstores navigate 'suspicious' bulk orders amid AI book-shredding fears | CBC News

Used booksellers in Canada are navigating how to handle mysterious bulk orders, as suspicions grow that companies are buying up their old books so they can be scanned for AI training — and then trashe...

cbc.ca

The harmful role of corporate power in our agri-food systems. And the "growing constellation" of movements which are challenging it. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Must-read comment from @katesievert.bsky.social @benjaminmwood.bsky.social @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social and others.

Who pays for food? Rethinking agri-food system externalities and power after EAT-Lancet 2.0

EAT-Lancet 2.0 places justice and power at the center of food system transformation. This commentary examines how concentrated corporate and financial…

sciencedirect.com

The United States is taking aim at Canada once again, with a crushing new set of tariffs. Ultimately, government will need to solve this. But in the same way Canadians are avoiding US alcohol, produce, and other goods, they should get off US tech products too. Luckily, I have a guide for that.

Getting off US tech: a guide

I’m in the process of dropping US tech services. Here’s how I did it, and options you should consider.

disconnect.blog

Great piece by @dandrezner.bsky.social this morning on the US trade war against Canada. Especially liked this line: "I’m confident that this kind of American douchebaggery will further bolster Carney’s standing and resolve" and thanks for the reminder about the term "airhead" - so apt here.

Daniel Drezner@dandrezner.bsky.social · last mo.

*taps the sign* danieldrezner.substack.com/p/a-reminder...

Farming has become so digitalized in North America, giving farmers new concerns about data privacy and leading farm mags to offer advice on firewalls to prevent hacking. Is all this worth it?? Think of the data centre environmental costs, too...Yikes. www.feedstuffs.com/agribusiness...

Split your barn network from your office network

A second Wi-Fi name and basic firewall keep a hacked barn camera from reaching your books.

feedstuffs.com

Farm crisis in the US of Trump's own making...Input costs are up b/c war in Iran and no one wants to buy US goods because it's threatening everyone with tariffs. Will be interesting to see if farmers turn on MAGA in the mid-terms. www.ft.com/content/acb6...

US grain farmers face worst crisis in decades as Iran war sends costs spiralling

Middle East conflict adds to strains in America’s heartland months ahead of midterm elections

ft.com

Trump's trying to gain US farmers' favour by (falsely) saying Canada is unfair with our TRQs on dairy, but this is what he's doing to farmers at home - bringing in cheap imported beef and undercutting them. www.feedstuffs.com/policy/trump...

Trump’s beef import plan rankles U.S. industry

Cattle, dairy and farm groups warn of unintended consequences of plan to import up to 300K metric tons of ground beef tariff free.

feedstuffs.com

Paint highways white? It’s like we’ll do everything to deal with climate change, except dealing with climate change . www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Why one highway exploded this summer — and why many more are at risk

Hotter summers are wreaking havoc across transportation infrastructure. One solution: Paint everything white.

washingtonpost.com

The interactive "Ancient Earth" globe allows you to view the continents at varies stages from today back to 750 million years ago. You can even look for your home address in the search field to see where you would've lived back then. Source: buff.ly/2t1YUsQ

📖 Just over a month to go until my new book, Green Political Economy, is published by @politybooks.bsky.social. Available in paperback, hardback and ebook, you can get it in the UK by late September, and in the US by early December 2026.

Hal is upon us... 25 year late (Space Odyssey 2001), but just as scary in real life, if not more so. I don't recall that film covering the ecological and social nightmare of AI on the ground

The entire direction of tech and society needs a major rethink and a reset - but corporate power is in the way. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/c...

Trump’s Push for More A.I. Data Centers Will Mean Major Air Pollution

nytimes.com