Growers and Grocers

A “protest picnic” is being held today in Plaisance-du-Touche#&151;a suburb of Toulouse, France—to demonstrate against plans for a huge shopping mall project. Baptised “Portes de Gascogne”, the mega-shopping center would include 138 small shops and 28 superstores.
Opponents argue that the Toulouse area is already overrun with malls and hypermarkets, and point to the environmental drawbacks […]

Major brands are knocking at the door of poor to middle-income homes in developing countries as corporations strive to increase market share in Asia, Africa and South America. These direct sales represent a way to reach consumers who do not have access to grocery stores and supermarkets.
An article on the anti-globalization site Bella […]

The Whole Grains Council announced last week that it has improved its labelling system. The original black and yellow “Whole Grain” stamp indicated products which provided at least half a “Pyramid Serving” of whole grains. The new stamps will show three levels of whole grain content: Good, Excellent, and 100%/Excellent.
“Good” products must include a […]

The Soil Association, Great Britain’s leading organic and sustainable produce watchdog, reports that British supermarkets are stocking more locally-grown organic produce as a result of consumer pressure. According to the association’s annual Supermarket Survey, which analyzes the presence of eight organic foods in major British supermarket chains, availability of organic food staples grown in the […]

Say it ain’t so, Pierrot! Not only are the French drinking less wine, they are also eating less cheese. A short report in the local news site @mbert info reveals that raw milk cheese consumption is steadily declining in France. Despite France’s approximately 500 types of fromage, cheese is becoming more uniform as consumers purchase […]

The world’s top food companies aren’t very concerned about your health and weight, according to a major report just released by London’s City University.
The research team comprised Food Policy Professor Tim Lang, Visiting Research Fellow Geof Rayner, and Research Assistant Elizabeth Kaelin. The group studied food manufacturers, […]

The INAO, France’s national institute for appellations of controlled origin, announced on March 27th, 2006 the creation of five new AOCs for food products.
The products that will benefit from the label are:
-“Fin Gras” beef, raised near Puy en Velay , just west of the Rhône river valley
- “Ardèche” chestnuts, grown in the Ardèche administrative department in […]

Many Americans imagine that Europeans shop for groceries the old-fashioned way: butchers, bakers, open-air markets. In reality, European “hypermarkets” are more sprawling and all-encompassing than most American supermarkets, and these monstrous stores have progressively eliminated thousands of small food shops.
Enter a new concept: the épicerie conviviale, or friendly grocery store, which serves not only as […]

Vacherin Fribourgeois, a mild cow’s milk cheese, has just been granted a Swiss A.O.C. (Appellation of Controlled Origin), making it the eighth Swiss cheese to be awarded the prestigious label. The Swiss news site Edicom reports that production will consequently increase by 4% in 2006.
The road to the upper echelon of cheese hierarchy was […]

The March/April issue of Stanford Magazine examines the aquaculture industry in a feature entitled “Economy of Scales.” Author Paul Rogers focuses on the work of Stanford professor Rosamond Naylor, who has received a grant to help develop a “green label” for fish farms.
The article explains the environmental problems associated with fish farming and suggests guidelines […]