Weekly food news update: Homophobic incidents reported at two Ontario restaurants, Grow Calgary works with food banks, NDP calls for a national food strategy & more!

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  
 
Grow Calgary, Canada's largest urban farm, to supply Calgary's food banks with fresh vegetables and fruits:  http://www.calgaryjournal.ca/index.php/ourcity/calgarynews/1810-grow-calgary



Some unexpectedly positive news about global food prices: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/global-food-prices-fall-1-9-percent-august-081906796--finance.html

As well as prices finally stabilizing for now in Canada after years of dramatic increases: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4061678-food-prices-unexpectedly-stable/

Terrible fire guts the historic St. Jacobs Farmer's Market near Waterloo: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/story/2013/09/03/st-jacobs-farmers-market-fire489.html

Hamilton on the verge of becoming the first city in the world to require food outlets to have life-saving medication on hand for allergic reactions: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/food-allergy-advocates-call-for-drug-injectors-in-restaurants-1.1437016

29th annual Vegetarian Food Festival kicks off in Toronto:  http://rabble.ca/whatsup/29th-annual-vegetarian-food-festival

NDP food critic proposes a national food strategy: http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/4066605-ndp-food-critic-proposing-national-food-strategy/

Calgary looks at food truck policy changes:  http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/09/05/calgary-city-council-eyes-food-truck-policy-changes

Bancroft restaurant's homophobic actions outrage residents: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/28/adam-and-steve-clipping-upsets-bancroft-restaurant-goers

Toronto west-end diner asks gay couple to "leave their relationship at the door" (scroll down to find news of the incident): https://www.facebook.com/LakeshoreLGBT

Weekly food news roundup: Waste & "food insecurity" in Canada, the US fast food strike gains momentum & more!

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  

The terrible moral contradictions of capitalist food distribution in Canada where citizens go hungry, food prices soar and $27.7 billion in food is wasted (authored by this blogger): http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/08/want-waste-and-wealth-immorality-and-inefficiency-capitalist-fo 





The exciting rise of the US fast food worker strike movement: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/14/fast_food_strikes_massively_expanding_theyre_thinking_much_bigger/ 

The fight to change bylaws around "urban farming" comes to Ontario: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/13/mississauga_henkeeper_runs_afoul_of_antifowl_bylaw.html

Toronto institutional cafeteria safety records to be finally easy to access by the public: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/14/ontario_to_open_up_toronto_institutions_foodsafety_records.html

Despite profitability closures, layoffs and consolidation coming to the Metro grocery store network: http://metronews.ca/news/canada/765995/metro-to-close-some-ontario-stores-convert-others-to-food-basics/

Pet food recall due to possible salmonella contamination: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/pet-food-products-recalled-salmonella-scare-001956098.html

Ahead of many cities in Canada, Edmonton allows more food trucks more hours in more places: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/08/11/edmonton-food-truck-policy-updated.html

Could the healthy Aztec "wonder food" Amaranth make a comeback hundreds of years later?: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130812-amaranth-oaxaca-mexico-obesity-puente-food/

The American right-wing media blatantly lies about the "lifestyle" of US citizens depending on food stamps: http://www.policymic.com/articles/59213/fox-news-blatantly-lies-about-food-stamps-in-this-ridiculous-faux-documentary

Will the global rise of Quinoa leave Andean farmers behind?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/15/212342707/can-quinoa-farming-go-global-without-leaving-andeans-behind

That Lefty Food Blog weekly food news roundup: Quebec agriculture workers organize, NYC fast food workers strike, food trucks & more...

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  

New York City fast food workers to strike: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/07/fast_food_strik.php

Food trucks finally coming to Toronto...but not everywhere: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/07/25/toronto-food-trucks.html

Saskatoon's first food truck hits the streets:  http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon-s-first-food-truck-hits-the-streets-1.1380528

Renewed clashes in Darfur threaten long term food security in Sudan according to the UN: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45476#.UfLdiG3pzC4

They have always said you should not skip breakfast and that midnight snacks are bad...and they may have been right: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/skipping-your-breakfast-can-increase-the-risk-of-heart-attack-by-almost-30-8726919.html

Palm Oil...a less than ideal substitute for trans fats?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/25/205486197/palm-oil-in-the-food-supply-what-you-should-know 

The over-intensification of agriculture in Europe may be causing a dangerous decline in the butterfly: http://www.euractiv.com/sustainability/dramatic-eu-butterfly-decline-wa-news-529524 

"Food Insecurity"...otherwise known as poverty or being a paycheque away from destitution, means that almost four million Canadians struggle to afford food:http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130726/Report-shows-almost-4-million-Canadians-struggle-to-afford-food.aspx  

Quebec agriculture workers in Saint-Nicolas, many of them migrant labourers from Guatemala and Mexico, seek to unionize: http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3578%3Aapplication-filed-for-another-quebec-agricultural-unit-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en

Tim Hortons forced to apologize after blocking gay news site: http://www.blogto.com/city/2013/07/tim_hortons_apologizes_after_blocking_gay_news_site/