Comments for Don Genova's Blog

Comment on FoodTV.ca – Fraiche by Sylvia Fritz

Sylvia Fritz — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:13:42 +0000

I’ve just come onto your website. I was wondering how people feel regarding the terrible programming on Foodtv.ca. I am tired of seeing the following:
Opening Soon
Chef Hunter
Restaurant Impossible
Chopped
Diners, Drive-ins etc. I like shows that allow you to learn various cooking methods such as seen on TLN Lydia’s Italy. for an example. When I’m in the U.S. the programming seems much more interesting. Maybe you could pass on this email to whom ever it concerns at Foodtv.ca.

Comment on Food Matters – Defining or Measuring Sustainability by Ninon

Ninon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:06:10 +0000

Thank you for addressing the ‘sustainable’ question? It is important to make the purchasers aware… of the ‘marketing’ power of the ‘word’ without the necessary proof or back up by a professional body.

Comment on Food Matters – Time to Skimp on the Imported Shrimp by Eat When Pregnant Shrimp | What not to eat when pregnant

Eat When Pregnant Shrimp | What not to eat when pregnant — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:20:09 +0000

[...] Please read if you eat shrimps – Very EducativeGet delicious black tiger and frozen shrimp from a renowned seafood supplier! (Ezine Ready): foodsoyummy.comDifferent Types of FishStudy: High Mercury Levels In North Shore BabiesFood Matters – Time to Skimp on the Imported Shrimp [...]

Comment on Food Matters – Greenwashing by Organic Foods – The Sustainable Diet | African Mango Diets

Organic Foods – The Sustainable Diet | African Mango Diets — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:01:28 +0000

[...] let the future belong to the likes of Monsanto; choose health and freedom over food slavery.Food Matters – Greenwashing .spacer { [...]

Comment on All You Can Eat Volume 55: Resolution? Eat More Fat! by Neilesh P. – Food Industry Afficonado

Neilesh P. – Food Industry Afficonado — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:49:48 +0000

Just a note to say I enjoyed your posts, came across them from a food industry blog list – really glad I found your site. Thanks for writing.

Comment on Food Matters – Eggzactly What Do You Mean By That? by Scott Sigvaldason

Scott Sigvaldason — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:18:38 +0000

Honesty in advertising? yeah, I guess thats a relative thing isn’t it?
Don, I love your passion for food and how it affects our bodies and the world around us! I would love to talk with you in person if possible?? I don’t want to come across as a greener McDonalds looking to greenwash the public. Im a small farmer from Manitoba with a new grain that I honestly believe will change the world for the better. If you have never heard of Cavena Nuda please go to my website at http://www.mysmartfoods.com to check me out. Its a new grain, never seen anywhere else in the world before, and its not a GMO.
I would love to talk when I’m in Vancouver from the 22nd to the 30th.

Comment on Food Matters – Greenwashing by steve letts

steve letts — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:34:02 +0000

It is difficult to take a big food corporation like Unilever seriously, is there really that much concern in the boardroom, for the living conditions of small farmers around the world? Unilever controls most of the shelf space in certain product ranges throughout the Canadian grocery store. They are into ice cream, dairy creamers and any other edible oil products. They are the largest edible oil company in the world and a big influence in the edible oil industry.
In this new world of sustainable agriculture how is using prime land to grow edible oil and fuel beneficial to local agriculture and small scale and low intense farming? It is such a contradiction to the base philosophy and science based research of low intense farming and sustainable agriculture.
This week we are seeing a long time food player Hostess Brands Inc in Chapter 11, their product line was of a different generation-the space age, Jetsons generation in the mid-sixties- everything in plastic and bleached white. Their products have nothing to do with health and are a huge edible oil player in industry that is uncertain about its future in the food business. The public vision of Wonder bread has lost its cache and is now a symbol of everything that is bad about processed food.
All the benefits of edible oil products are good for the bottom line but are not healthy and now we linking so many of our health problems to the mass increase of consumption of these foods. We in North America are overweight and moving into huge health care problems if we do not control the ever increasing costs because of what we eat.
The big five Corporations that control most of what we eat are looking long and hard into this modern new vision of what and how we eat. They will set themselves up for success and maintain growth in the food sector. They are doing this by buying up most of the big players in the Natural and Alternative food industries. This can be a good thing because they are changing to this new Theo’s but you can bet they will be looking after its bottom line and will do this by any means. Do you really think that its main purpose is to look after nature? The Corporation only interest is profit and when we except that and take everything they say with a grain of salt and question what they say then we the consumer will be better off.
We are hopefully entering into a different food era; Unilever wants to lead us into the pen. Their marketing will be slick and make us think how great they are. They will buy out any big players in the Natural food business and put forth those companies to show us how green they are. The shiny surface will look great but dig below the surface and you will see anomalies bursting at the surface waiting to be found out. They will make huge money playing on peoples fears and desires and we might be pulled into their Public Relation dogma and buy into the program.
Shopping for food is not so simple anymore and maybe if we get back to what was lost-when Food Corporations started the modern food trends- TV dinners- Easy breezy. The trend of today’s modern food craze is looking for the nostalgia. We are spending more time than ever before learning about traditional foods and what our parents ate. There is a human innate need for this comfort and judging by how many cook books and political food novels out there society is hungry for this knowledge.
Eat our words

Comment on Food Matters – Greenwashing by Amanda Goldrick-Jones

Amanda Goldrick-Jones — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:57:36 +0000

Interesting!–especially the mini-history of “greenwashing.” I had no idea the term’s been in use that long. I’ve sometimes used example of greenwashing in my writing classes to raise students’ awareness about less than ethical examples of persuasion (like the classic Kermit the Frog performing “It’s ~~Not~~ Easy Being Green” in a 2006 Ford Hybrid commercial). It’s so easy for food corps to toss off terms like “pure, organic, healthy” and the greatest offender of all: “natural.” It would be nice if some of the big food corporations were actually being honest about their green efforts.
Cheers! ~Amanda

Comment on How To Green Your Grocery List: Take My 100% Online Course! by susan

susan — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:16:41 +0000

Don
I was listening to CBC podcast re Eating Green. Sure appreciate how you bring all the issue together and help the consumer make their choice!
With regard to Mexican organic produce and water I was given to understand that the Mexican government exercises more control over their water table than the California State government. In Mexico if the water table gets too low seawater will flow back into the aqua fir. This leads to more conservative/sustainable use of water than in California. Mexican farmers also have much more experience growing with less water than their American counterparts.
The other issue when deciding between US and Mexican organic produce is the mode of transportation. California produce is trucked up to Canada. Mexican organic produce is now be brought into the port of Vancouver on container ships . When running the stats on bananas (direct to Vancouver from Peru in this case) through the Climate Smart C02 calculator the emissions are halved.
For me the other important issue is Fair Trade. Discovery Organics in Vancouver is working with Mexican co-ops and encouraging their partners to certify as Fair Trade as well! Having a positive socio economic impact on farms is very important! Even our grain farmers here in Canada have become fair trade to get a living wage!
http://farmerdirect.coop/
Looking forward to your green washing interview on CBC today.
Susan
Share Organics – Local and Organic – Sustainably Delivered

Comment on Food Matters – Cowichan Valley Pasta Companies by Laurie Arbuthnot

Laurie Arbuthnot — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:42:58 +0000

Hi Don! So glad I found you again! I cooked for you a long time ago at a small inn in the Cowichan Valley, Summer Place Inn on the River….now many years later I am partnering in a different food business. We do our best to use local produce and products and will now try one of these local pastas. We love kamut pasta for it’s great el dante texture, fibre and protein content! Check us out Don! http://www.goodbitelunch.com