[BCFSN] Request for Beyond the Market Workshop Presenters

Wed Jul 23 19:43:04 EDT 2014

As a scientist it is important for me to understand all sides of an argument or position. Then use
my experience and knowledge to make an informed conclusion - based on all available evidence. It is
a required tenet for my work (that and that annoying "correlation is not causation" and actually my
favourite "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"). So that sometimes means reading (and
sharing) work that can be considered provocative or emotive. I knew the first piece at least would
generate some responses. As it was a blog piece that tends to make it more of an opinion piece
looking at all sides. So I agree Rosemary it doesn't take a stand one way or the other. But maybe it
is more important that the discussion and the debate continues and concerns are not being dismissed
by those who have the resources to do the empirical evidence finding. Having said that folks will
likely 'love' this recent series by Brooke Borel in Popular Science: 

http://www.popsci.com/category/popsci-authors/brooke-borel-0. Start with the 10 truths about GMO's
midway down. I leave it to you to determine if and where the flaws are (and not to shoot me the
messenger J)

Pamela

From: Rosemary Plummer [mailto:rosemaryplummer at hotmail.com] 
Sent: July-15-14 11:12 AM
To: Pamela Zevit; BC Food Systems Network
Subject: RE: [BCFSN] a couple of foodie gleanings - organic produce | farmland getting gobbled up in
BC

Just to clarify--the results quoted in the article about organics seemed encouraging at first, but
later the advantages were described as insignificant, or so it seemed to me.  There is enough reason
to promote organic growing methods besides the sheer number of anti-oxidants in the food produced
for humans; the unknown and known impact of pesticides and herbicides on the whole ecosystem for a
start.  Not to mention human cancers.

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From: rosemaryplummer at hotmail.com
To: adamah at telus.net; food at bcfsn.org
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 18:05:02 +0000
Subject: Re: [BCFSN] a couple of foodie gleanings - organic produce | farmland getting gobbled up in
BC

Thank you, Pamela for these two articles. The one about organics versus conventional produce seems
ambiguous.  The one about land is depressing, and they are both about what keeps us working to
resist the wheels of so-called progress.
Rosemary Plummer

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From: adamah at telus.net
To: food at bcfsn.org
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 08:29:48 -0700
Subject: [BCFSN] a couple of foodie gleanings - organic produce | farmland getting gobbled up in BC

Two articles tackling some contentious issues.

Study finds organic produce is more nutritious: Organic produce certainly costs more than
conventionally grown food, but is it better for you? Existing evidence suggests there are no real
health benefits from eating organic food compared to conventionally grown produce. Now a review of
the scientific literature concludes that organic consumers may be getting their money's worth; it
claims that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown fodder.
http://blogs.nature.com/news/2014/07/study-finds-organic-produce-is-more-nutritious.html

Priced Out, Farmland Edition. As fertile land becomes juicy investment, multinational players sit on
Robson Valley farms. All over the world, people are buying up farmland, says Dr. Lenore Newman, the
Canada Research Chair of Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/07/09/Priced-Out-Farmland-Edition/ 

Pamela Zevit, R.P. Bio 
Adamah Consultants 

Coquitlam BC Canada
604-939-0523 

 <mailto:adamah at telus.net> adamah at telus.net 

Re-connecting People & Nature 

Science World - Science in the Classroom Ambassador

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