Here’s a quick links round up of what’s been going on in the world of food security and sustainability this week!

  • The U.S. House of Representative approved the Ryan budget yesterday–which removes many of the safeguards for low-income families.  According to Bread for the World, “these cuts would have a devastating impact on programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), the Special Supplemental Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit (CTC), poverty-focused foreign assistance, and international food aid. In fact, 62 percent of the cuts in this budget are to low-income programs.”  Bread for the World is still fighting this budget; for more information on calling your Congressional representatives check the bread blog.
  • Before the budget came up for a vote, Bread for the World had posted this article about the Donald M. Payne International Food Assistance Improvement Act of 2012 (HR4141) that will be moving to full committee soon.  As posted on the bread.blog: “The bill calls on USAID to improve the nutritional quality of food aid, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant mothers and children under age 5.”
  • For anyone in the area… this week is Sustainability Week at the University of Guelph.  “Intertwined Roots: Food for Our Future” is the theme of the week–if you can’t make it to the last day (tomorrow-03/31), check out the website for lots of great information from presentations/workshops, etc.  (You have to scroll down a little bit, but there are some good links about a wide variety of topics.)
  • Last week 25,000 people marched into Quito, Ecuador, demanding “Water, Life, and Dignity of the People.”  The 700 km march started on International Women’s Day and reached Quito on World Water Day.  The participants represented many different issues, but were in solidarity about 19 demands on issues including labor, environmental justice, and reproductive rights.  They also declared three demands non-negotiable: the elimination of large scale mining, the decriminalization of social protest, and the reinstatement of 5,600 public employees who had been laid off in Fall 2011.
  • Thousands of Guatemalan farmers protested mining and hydroelectric projects on indigenous lands in Guatemala this week.  This link goes to a video from The Globe with some good images.
  • On Tuesday, in an article called “Ancient Fisheries Can Teach Modern Lessons,” researchers pointed out how “sustainability was key for prehistoric people [managing] fisheries…  The earliest Hawaiians had little farming and were reliant on the sea for much of their food…  The Hawaiian fishing operations were successful because the pre-European society had a complex set of rules in which reefs were regulated.”
  • Finally, the USDA is promoting it’s Summer Food Service Program to help support children who are benefitted by school food programs.  If you want to get involved or are looking for something to do in the upcoming months there is information about webinars and getting started in your community.

With that, happy weekend!  Be sure to celebrate all of the little victories we’ve experienced through the last week and think of ways to pro-actively change the challenges we’ve encountered!