Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Indonesia

Nasi goreng (fried rice) is Indonesia's national dish. It was also voted the world's 2nd most delicious food in a CNN poll

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Producing 64 million metric tonnes of rice each year, Indonesia is the world's third biggest rice producer, following China (197 MMT) and India (131 MMT). Rice has been a part of the landscape since ancient times. Wild rice grew on the island of Sulawesi as early as 3000 BCE. By the 8th century, rice was cultivated on the central island of Java, as evidenced by stone inscriptions depicting the king levying taxes on rice.

Central to the Indonesian diet and culture, rice provides over half the daily calorie intake for the nation's people. In 1985, the nation became rice self-sufficient.

While it is usually eaten plain, along with protein and vegetables, there are also several distinct preparations, such as as nasi uduk (steamed rice cooked in coconut milk, originally from Jakarta), nasi kuning ("yellow rice," steamed rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric), ketupat (rice packed in woven palm leaf pouches and boiled; also common in Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines), lontong (compressed rice wrapped inside a banana leaf, steamed and cut into small cakes), rengginang (deep fried rice crackers), arak beras (rice wine) and of course, Indonesia's national dish, nasi goreng (literally, "fried rice").

Recipe: Nasi goreng. A 2011 CNN International online poll listed nasi goreng as the world's 2nd most delicious food. Indonesia's national dish is stir-fried rice spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chilli and often accompanied with a protein source, such as egg, chicken and prawns. For a healthy and cruelty-free vegan version, use tofu.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Tell Skechers: Don't support cruel greyhound dog racing (Care2/Change.org)
  • Aussie abattoir shut down for cruelty to pigs; click to help save more from cruelty (Animals Australia)
  • Tell BCBG to stop selling fur (Care2)
  • Fairfax: Demand justice for a family dog killed before her time (Care2)
  • Tell Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to end China's illegal tiger trade (TigerTime)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • Consumer Reports finds arsenic and lead in fruit juices. Consumer Reports found that 10 percent of apple and grape juice samples had arsenic levels exceeding federal drinking-water standards and 25 percent had lead levels higher than the limit for bottled water. Most of the arsenic was inorganic, which is a human carcinogen. The organization is calling for government standards to limit consumers’ exposure to these toxics (Consumer Reports)
  • Canada kept detection of salmon virus secret. A decade before this fall's salmon-virus scare, a Canadian government researcher said she found a similar virus in more than 100 wild fish from Alaska to Vancouver Island. But Canadian officials never told the public or scientists in the United States about those tests (Seattle Times, Washington)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Protests in Peru halt Newmont gold mine project. The US company Newmont which plans to build a huge open-cast gold mine in northern Peru says it is halting construction after days of protests (BBC)
PAST SERIES
image: Javanese women planting rice near Prambanan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (Gunkarta Gunawan Kartapranata, Wikimedia Commons)


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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Portugal

Say hello to the European Union's biggest consumer of rice

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Rice was first introduced to the Portuguese diet during the Moorish Invasion in the 8th century AD. The mountainous landscape of the Upper Douro region (pictured) is perfect for creating rice terraces. Additionally, the combination of Mediterranean and Altantic climate provides an ideal growing season that is characterized by warm and dry weather.

Though rice cultivation was largely abandoned after the country's liberation in the 13th century, rice resurged a major crop in the 18th century and became a protected crop following World War I. Today, Portugal is the leading consumer of rice in the European Union. In 2002, Portugal consumed 17.7 kg of rice per capita, more than three times the EU average of 5.1 kg.[1]

The majority of rice grown in Portugal is short grain, which is excellent for rice pudding or arroz de marisco (seafood rice), as it retains much liquid and gets fluffy when cooked. But there is also a different type of Portuguese rice called arroz agulha (needle rice), which is longer and finer than most other varieties and is prized for making dry, non-sticky rice.

Recipe: Emeril's Portuguese Rice

ACTION ALERTS
  • Due TODAY 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Tell Skechers: Don't support cruel greyhound dog racing (Care2/Change.org)
  • Aussie abattoir shut down for cruelty to pigs; click to help save more from cruelty (Animals Australia)
  • Tell BCBG to stop selling fur (Care2)
  • Fairfax: Demand justice for a family dog killed before her time (Care2)
  • Tell Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to end China's illegal tiger trade (TigerTime)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • Climate change boosts a lethal disease. For 17 years, the Hendra virus smoldered in its host bat population, only rarely crossing to humans. Then it exploded, likely triggered by heavy rains and floods in Australia earlier this year. And that has public health doctors nervous about climate change (Daily Climate)
  • Alberta worked with industry on fracking PR strategy. The Alberta government met privately with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to discuss a joint public relations campaign designed to counter "misinformation" about the controversial shale-gas fracking industry in the province. It appears they didn’t want the public to know (CBC Edmonton, Alberta)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Australian abattoir shut down for cruelty to pigs (Animals Australia)
  • Every year, the average American consumes 64 pounds of cow flesh, 49 pounds pig flesh, 84 pounds of chicken flesh and 18 pounds of turkey flesh. Every year, vegetarians spare the lives of over 50 animals. Over a lifetime, a single vegetarian spares the lives of thousands of animals (13.7 Billion Years)
  • Ringling to pay largest fine in circus history for violations of Animal Welfare Act (PETA)
  • Reducing food waste during the holiday season (Worldwatch Institute)
PAST SERIES
NOTES

image: Rice terraces in the Upper Douro region, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Bragança, Portugal (Bernt Rostad, Flickr Creative Commons)


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Monday, November 28, 2011

Of Rice and Men | The Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippines

Considered the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the Banaue rice terraces are an ancient marvel

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Carved some 2,000 years ago primarily by hand into the mountains of the Ifugao province in the northern Philippines, the Banaue rice terraces get water from an ancient irrigation system originating in the rainforest above them. It is a marvel of ancient technology and agriculture. For Filipinos, they are known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

Maintained by the native Ifugao people, the terraces have come to symbolize the centrality of rice to their culture and to Filipino culture in general. Elaborate feasts and agricultural rites mark important days in the farming cycle, from the planting to cultivation to consumption of this prestige crop. The Ifugao province is the origination of tapuy, or bayah, a Filipino rice wine that is now produced around the country.

Today, the terraces are producing tinawon, a rice that has widespread demand due to the highly fragrant pandan plant scent, the same scent of basmati or jasmine rice. Produced once a year, the prized tinawon rice is exported around the world. Montana, for example, imports between 3-3.5 tons of it each year.

"We have strengthened our Rice Terraces Farmers Cooperative to be able to provide the supply for the rapidly increasing demand for the organically produced indigenous rice variety," said Ifugao Governor Eugene Balitang. "We have a good market for the 'tinawon rice' but we must be able to consistently meet the demand...We have to make available the tinawon rice even in our souvenir shops because foreign and local tourists look for it when they are in the province visiting our rice terraces. It is the first commodity that they look for."[1]

Recipe: Palitaw (Filipino Sweet Rice Cakes)

ACTION ALERTS
  • Due TOMORROW 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Take the Animals Australia pledge to take animals off your plate (Animals Australia)
  • Tell Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to end China's illegal tiger trade (TigerTime)
  • Tell Congress’ Super-Committee to Cut Funds for BLM Wild Horse Roundups & Removals (@FreeWildHorses)
  • Say NO to the BLM's Proposal Wild Horse Roundup in the Stone Cabin, Nevada HMA (@FreeWildHorses)
  • NiSource, a gas pipeline company, is pressuring US Fish & Wildlife Service to issue a permit that would allow killing endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor for the next 50 years. Say NO to this request (Earthjustice)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • The crisis in the Horn of Africa is the most severe food security emergency in the world today (FAO)
  • Atrazine in water tied to menstrual irregularities, low hormones (Environmental Health News)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Last week, an animal welfare investigator openly filmed the final moments of a group of young pigs in an abattoir in the Gippsland in Victoria. Though Australia's abattoir system is highly regulated, there is no guarantee that animals are protected from cruelty. In just 90 minutes, the investigaor captured enough film to have this abattoir shut down indefinitely following formal complaints laid by Animals Australia. "Whilst watching this footage I reflected that for the first 38 years of my life I ate animals — completely unaware of the existence of factory farms, and ignorant of what animals experienced in slaughterhouses. Becoming informed was life-changing." -- Lyn White, Investigator and Campaign Director, Animals Australia
  • Endangered Species Act protection sought for Emperor penguins (Center for Biological Diversity)
PAST SERIES
NOTES
[1] "Ifugao farmers gain toehold on global rice market," Manila Standard Today, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNation.htm?f=2011/november/22/nation5.isx&d=2011/november/22

image: Banaue rice terraces, Philippines (McCouch S: Diversifying Selection in Plant Breeding, Wikimedia Commons)

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Louisiana

America's oldest rice mill turns 100 next year

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Louisiana is known for its gumbo, Cajun hot sauce and sugar cane, but of all the states, it has a claim to having the most rice history: America's oldest rice mill, Conrad—which celebrates its 100th anniversary in February 2012—is located there, in New Iberia, whose name gives away its European history. Settled in 1779 by 500 colonists from Málaga, Spain, it was named Nueva Iberia in honor of the Iberian Peninsula. It was also settled by the French, who called it Nouvelle Ibérie.

With almost 13.8 percent of America's rice fields, Louisiana is the third-largest rice-producing state, after California (19.3 percent) and Arkansas (a whopping 48.2 percent). Mississippi, Missouri and Texas round out the top-six rice-growing states.

What makes the United States unique among rice-growing nations, according to the USA Rice Federation, is the ability to grow all types of rice—short-grain, long-grain, aromatic and speciality varieties.[1]

The Federation also notes the conservation elements of rice-growing. "All of the major rice- producing areas of the United States serve as important habitats for waterfowl activity during winter months. In fact, rice-growing areas provide surrogate habitats for hundreds of wildlife species that rely on wetland conditions for survival, some of which are or could be threatened if not for the environments provided by flooded rice fields."

Recipe: Louisiana Pecan Rice. With pecans, Cajun spices and hot sauce, this rice dish perfectly assimilates the traditional flavors of the Bayou. For a vegan version, use vegetable broth and a butter substitute or olive oil.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Tell Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to end China's illegal tiger trade (TigerTime)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Congress’ Super-Committee to Cut Funds for BLM Wild Horse Roundups & Removals (@FreeWildHorses)
  • Say NO to the BLM's Proposal Wild Horse Roundup in the Stone Cabin, Nevada HMA (@FreeWildHorses)
  • NiSource, a gas pipeline company, is pressuring US Fish & Wildlife Service to issue a permit that would allow killing endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor for the next 50 years. Say NO to this request (Earthjustice)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • China breaks 2010 promise: Tigers are still killed for profit (TigerTime)
  • BPA lurks in canned soups and drinks. A new study has found that people who ate one serving of canned food daily over the course of five days had significantly elevated levels—more than a tenfold increase—of bisphenol-A, or BPA, an endocrine disruptor that lines most food and drink cans (New York Times)
PART OF THE SOLUTION

PAST SERIES
NOTES
[1] http://www.usarice.com/doclib/188/219/3674.PDF

image: Louisiana's rice fields are a haven for water birds (dermoidhome, Flickr Creative Commons)
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Nepal

Lentil curry, rice and vegetables, my body, my government

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Comprising almost a fifth of agricultural GDP and providing over half of the total calorie intake of the Nepali people, rice is easily Nepal's most important crop, boasting 55 different varieties, grown at various elevations and micro-environment ranging from tropical plains to the high mountain elevation in Chhumchure, Jumla, 3,050 meters above sea level.[1]

Rice is so important to the national identity, that even soldiers have a saying "Daal bhaat tarkaari, jio mero sarkaari," which is Nepali for "lentil curry, rice and vegetables, my body, my government."[2]

Recipe: Vegetable Pulao (Nepali Fried Rice). With green chilies, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, green peas, onion and tomato, this spicy vegan dish is a popular Nepali recipe that is often served during celebratory dinners.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Congress’ Super-Committee to Cut Funds for BLM Wild Horse Roundups & Removals (@FreeWildHorses)
  • Say NO to the BLM's Proposal Wild Horse Roundup in the Stone Cabin, Nevada HMA (@FreeWildHorses)
  • NiSource, a gas pipeline company, is pressuring US Fish & Wildlife Service to issue a permit that would allow killing endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor for the next 50 years. Say NO to this request (Earthjustice)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEMPART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Victory: New protections to save "the most important fish in the sea" (Pew Trusts)
  • Pit bulls rescued by Out of the Pits are doing amazing things (Out of the Pits)
  • Fur Free Friday is November 25 (FurKills.org)
PAST SERIES
NOTES
[1] http://www.narc.org.np/publicaton/pdf/varieties_released/VarietiesEng.pdf
[2] http://www.consonantaspirations.com/2010/10/food-sayings.html

image: Nepali women planting rice (Sigismund von Dobschütz, Wikimedia Commons)

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Iran's Domsiah

The basmati-like rice with a black dot on the end

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

The Rain

a poem by Golchin Gilani*

Once again, the rain
With rhythmic melody
With countless pouring diamonds
Hits the roof of my house

The rainy day reminds me of
An old day hike, sweet and pleasant,
In the jungles of Gilan when
I was a ten-year-old kid.

Glad and blissful
Light and frivolous
Restless and energetic
With two childish legs
I would run like a gazelle
I would spring over the springs
I would play away from the house

The lightning like a sharp sword
Would cut apart the clouds
The mad thunder, roaring,
Would punch the clouds

Listen to me my little kid
To the man of tomorrow
The life, either dark or bright,
Is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

*translated from Persian by Hassan H., Easypersian.com

Buttressing the southeast corner of the Caspian Sea is Gilan, a province in northern Iran where farmers grow a rice variety with a distinctive feature that illustrates both sides of life described by the late Iranian poet Golchin Gilani as "either dark or bright." It is called domsiah, a unique grain which has a black spot on one end. Domsiah means "black end" in Persian.

Similar to its relative basmati, domsiah is valued for its strong aroma and fluffy quality. Though not a particularly high-yielding variety and prone to stem borer or blast virus, these qualities have kept the demand for this long-grain high: Over 80 percent of Iran's rice-growing area is dominated by domsiah and similar varieties.[1]

Recipe: Persian Jeweled rice (Javaher Polow). Bursting with pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, barberries, black and golden raisins, orange skins -- and spiced with saffron, cardamom, cumin and crushed rose petals, this decadent preparation of basmati rice is a visually stunning dish that is great for festive occasions and perfectly illustrates the fertile valleys of the Gilan province, known for its rich harvests of fruit, nuts and vegetables. Olives served with walnut paste is a popular dish in a province known for its strong culinary tradition.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • NiSource, a gas pipeline company, is pressuring US Fish & Wildlife Service to issue a permit that would allow killing endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor for the next 50 years. Say NO to this request (Earthjustice)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEMPART OF THE SOLUTIONPAST SERIES
NOTES
[1] http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W8595T/w8595t05.htm

image: Gilan province, Iran (HORIZON, Flickr Creative Commons)

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Friday, November 18, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Dominican Republic

The Caribbean nation's rice self-sufficiency is threatened

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Rice is a main element of the cuisine of the Dominican Republic, a nation that shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti. It is also a main part of its economy, and as the country found out last year, it is an industry that must be regulated.

In November 2010, the National Rice Commission (Cona) announced that the annual rice harvest would become tightly controlled, following skyrocketing production numbers—450,000 tons to 625,000 tons in just six years—that created a situation where supply outpaces demand.

"We have created a problem which...can lead us to a ridiculous situation of saying that we went broke from the windfall," said Miguel de Moya, president of the Dominican Association of Rice Factories (ADOFA). The new policy bans the planting of low-yield varieties and cropping sprouts from August 1 to November 30.

This year, the sector is dealing with a lack of cash flow due to fewer sales, payment delays and higher production costs. National Rice Producers Federation President Iván Tio said that the nation's rice self-sufficiency is being threatened.[2]

Recipe: Dominican Moro De Habichuelas Negras (Rice and Beans). There are many versions of this humble staple dish. Cubans have their own. So do Puerto Ricans. This version from the Dominican Republic, featuring black beans, tomato paste, green peppers, red onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley, "is a staple dish for Christmas," writes Kitty Kat Cook on Food.com. "We also make the same with red kidney beans. Try to boil your own beans instead of using the canned type. I find it makes a great difference. Just put about 2-3 cups of raw beans in 4-5 cups of water and boil over very low heat for 4-6 hours until the bean can be easily be squeezed between your fingers. Then you can freeze or refrigerate them in its own water. When using them for the rice use the same water they were boiled in, much more flavorful." For a vegetarian/vegan version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. [Cook's note: Making homemade vegetable stock is one of the easiest things to do. Simply boil your vegetable cuttings—any vegetable pieces that would go into the trash or compost bin. Strain the mixture and set aside some in the freezer; you'll always have homemade veggie stock on hand.]

ACTION ALERTS
  • Due TODAY 11/18: Tell USDA to Protect Colorado's National Forests With Stronger Roadless Rule (Earthjustice)
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • NiSource, a gas pipeline company, is pressuring US Fish & Wildlife Service to issue a permit that would allow killing endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor for the next 50 years. Say NO to this request (Earthjustice)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEMPART OF THE SOLUTIONPAST SERIES
NOTES

image: rice field, Felipe de Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (Antonio A, Flickr Creative Commons)

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Growing Rice Down Under

One of the world's highest yielding rice growing regions is in Australia

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Though there are over 40,000 different rice varieties, those varieties can be separated into two groups: Japonica, which is grown in temperate zones, and Indica, which is grown in the hot tropics. The former is grown in Australia, where rice researchers have developed strains from varieties that have been grown in similar climates, such as California and the Mediterranean.

And though Australia may not be the first country that comes to mind when in comes to rice farming, the Australian Society of Agronomy notes that "the Riverina region of southeastern Australia is one of the highest yielding rice growing regions in the world."[1] Australia produces 1.1 million tonnes of rice each year, about a tenth of Japan's production level and most of it is grown in southern New South Wales.

In 2003, Australian rice researchers launched a new breed of rice that is designed to reduce water use by 10 percent. Such advancements have helped Australian rice succeed in foreign markets, such as the Middle East, Papua New Guinea and even Japan, which imports Australia's Opus variety, a semi-dwarf short-grain that is similar to Japan's celebrated Koshihikari.

Recipe: Sultana Rice Pilaf.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Tell your senators not to weaken Clean Water Act protections for America's most vulnerable waters (NRDC)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/18: Tell USDA to Protect Colorado's National Forests With Stronger Roadless Rule (Earthjustice)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • Four acres of habitat lost every minute in U.S. The U.S. Forest Service says that more than 34 million acres of open space were lost to development between 1982 and 2001, approximately 6,000 acres per day, 4 acres a minute. Of this loss, more than 10 million acres are in forest land. One USFS project estimates that 44 million acres of private forest lands could experience sizeable increases in housing density by 2030. That is wildlife habitat that may never be recovered (Wildlife Land Trust)
  • With less than 400 North Atlantic right whales left in the wild, these amazing sea creatures are in big trouble. Ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear have pushed them to the very brink of extinction (Defenders of Wildlife)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission established new fishery management benchmarks for Atlantic menhaden, which is sometimes called “the most important fish in the sea” due to its significance in the diet of larger fish, like bluefish and striped bass. The measure is an effort to increase the population to four times its current size, reducing catch levels approximately 37% by 2013 (Pew Trusts)
  • Fur Free Friday is November 25 (FurKills.org)
PAST SERIES
NOTES

image: rice plant with grains (Damien Boilley, Wikimedia Commons)

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Japan's Koshihikari

It's no secret that the Japanese know their rice. And this is the most expensive rice in Japan

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

There is a scene in Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 film classic Seven Samurai where a poor medieval villager played by Bokuzen Hidari picks up individual grains of rice that have fallen to the floor, each one being so much more valuable after his village endured several raids by bandits.

Two years after that film was made, scientists at the Fukui Prefectural Agricultural Research Facility in the Chubu region on Honshu, Japan's main island, combined two different strains of rice, Nourin No. 1 and Nourin No. 22, and created what would become one of the most popular varieties of rice in the nation: Koshihikari.

Its name means "light of Koshi," honoring the old Koshi Province, which included present-day Fukui. But though it was born in Fukui, it is the Uonuma area of Niigata Prefecture that is known for growing the finest version of Koshihikari; that region's rice is Japan’s most expensive.

And like many of the finest things, Koshihikari is fragile. It is not resistant to blast disease, and when mature, its stem collapses.

Perhaps future strains of Koshihikari could be imbued with more strength and fortitude—qualities that Kurosawa’s weak villagers sought when they hired the hungry warriors after whom his film was named.

Recipe: Vegetarian Hand Rolled Sushi (Temaki).

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/18: Tell USDA to Protect Colorado's National Forests With Stronger Roadless Rule (Earthjustice)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEMPART OF THE SOLUTIONPAST SERIES
image: Koshihikari rice (Emran Kassim)

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Northern Wild Rice

Known as "good berry" to the Ojibwe people, Northern wild rice has been harvested sustainably by American tribes for centuries. But today, wild rice farmers are seen as treading on sacred ground

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

Harvested from the shallow edges of lakes and slow-running streams throughout Canada's boreal forest in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as the Great Lakes region around Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) is not directly related to Asian rice (Oryza sativa), but both species are in the same plant tribe, Oryzeae.

"We consider it to be sacred, because it's a gift from the creator," says White Earth elder Earl Hoaglund. "It was foretold in those prophecies that as the ice melted we were to move westward and food would be provided for us on the water. And that's what happened. When we moved into the Wisconsin, Minnesota areas that rice was already there, growing."[1] The Ojibwe people call the wild rice plant manoomin, which means "good berry." Another tribe, Omanoominii, is even named after it.

Traditionally harvesting this sacred rice involves canoeing through the shallow waters where it grows, bending the stalk and gently brushing the ripe grain heads with wooden sticks (called flails or knockers), so the grains fall into the canoe. Some of the grains, of course, end up scattered in the water, and eventually germinate to produce more plants. It is a sustainable process in which humans seamlessly and peacefully integrate themselves into the natural seasonal cycle of an ecosystem.

But around 50 years ago, American farmers started planting wild rice and today, their goal to increase its productivity has angered many native Americans who view this move as going down the road of unsustainability, ultimately destroying the innate and natural harmony of wild rice and how it has been traditionally harvested.

"The hard part when you're talking with people, researchers, they look at things as a way of making money," says White Earth tribal member Joe LaGarde, who has been harvesting wild rice the traditional way since he was a child. "And we look at things as being equal, not there to take and dominate or make money off of."[2]

Perhaps wild rice farmers in Minnesota (America's top producer of wild rice) and elsewhere should come up with a different name for their product. After all, they have essentially removed the "wildness" from this plant. But "domesticated rice" just doesn't have the same ring.

Recipe: Vegetarian Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf. Though you will most likely be using farmed "wild rice," try this dish with (most likely also farmed) "wild" mushrooms for a traditional and vegetarian Thanksgiving dish.

ACTION ALERTS
  • Due TODAY: 11/15: Tell US Fish & Wildlife to keep the Arctic Refuge Wild (Wilderness Watch)
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/18: Tell USDA to Protect Colorado's National Forests With Stronger Roadless Rule (Earthjustice)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • Toxins rob more than a decade of life from millions. Toxic pollution affects the health of more than 100 million people, shortening their productive life spans by an astonishing 12.7 years on average (Inter Press Service)
  • Puny fines, scant enforcement leave drilling violators with little to fear. Oil and gas drillers who pollute groundwater, spill toxic chemicals or break other rules have little to fear from the inspectors and agencies regulating the surge in American petroleum production (Greenwire)
  • Estrogen from birth-control pill in water linked to rising prostate cancer cases. Researchers suggest there may be a link between estrogen from oral contraceptives that has found its way into the environment and rising rates of prostate cancer among men around the world (Canadian Press)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields on Monday introduced what he called "toxic trespass" legislation. He wants to hold Marcellus shale drillers and entities—including state government—responsible for potential air and water pollution generated by natural gas extraction (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
  • Mayo Clinic: Smoking bans cut cardiac events 45%. The incidence of heart attacks and sudden deaths has fallen nearly in half since smoking bans took effect in southeastern Minnesota, according to new research from the Mayo Clinic (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • Fur Free Friday is November 25 (FurKills.org)
PAST SERIES
NOTES

[1] Gunderson, Dan and Chris Julin. "Wild rice at the center of a cultural dispute." Minnesota Public Radio. 24 Sept. 2002. Web. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200209/22_gundersond_wildrice-m/ 15 Nov. 2011.
[2] Ibid.

image: 19th-century tribal women harvesting wild rice in the traditional manner. (The American Aboriginal Portfolio, by Mrs. Mary H. Eastman. Illustrated by S. Eastman. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co. 1853, Wikimedia Commons)

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Of Rice and Men | Vietnam's Fragrant Girl

Once an offering for an emperor, the Vietnamese rice Nang Thom Cho Dao will help feed the world

[Last month, the series 21 Days, 21 Reasons, 21 Recipes, 21 Quotes considered the many benefits of moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one. As October 31 marked the day the world's human population reached a staggering 7 billion, thinking about feeding all those people is a higher priority than ever before. One of the solutions to global food security is also one of the reasons that humans have demonstrated such intense fecundity: rice. As rice can sustain more people than any other grain per acre, the technological advances and territorial expansion of rice farming have been closely linked to human population growth. This month, the series Of Rice and Men takes a tour around the globe, looking at a different rice variety from a different region and—continuing last month's daily recipe idea—a vegan recipe for a rice-based dish. This grain of humble origins has the power to feed the world; considering the skyrocketing human population, we're going to need a lot more of it. Get your rice cooker ready.]

One of Vietnam's famous traditional rice varieties, Nang Thom Cho Dao is grown in the southern province of Long An. Slender, thin and aromatic, this classic variety is also known as "fragrant girl," and was the main offering given to Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty in the first half of the 19th century.

Minh Mang, who was also a poet, may have appreciated the whimsical personification of this sweet-smelling rice, but being a strict isolationist who feared the colonization of Vietnam, he would likely not have approved of how this "fragrant girl" is playing part in global food security.

"Viet Nam's food security is one of the factors that contribute to the global food security," said Vo Hung Dung, director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)'s Can Tho City Chapter, according to Viet Nam News. "It will provide more rice to the world's market using its capacity optimally."

Noting that in 1989, Vietnam exported 1.4 millions tonnes of rice worth more than $320 million, Dung said that the nation's total rice productivity may rise to between 44-45 million tonnes in 2015, with exports surpassing over 9 million tonnes. As Dung urged the development of large-scale farms, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh called on farmers to maintain sustainable practices in the development of rural areas in regard to agriculture and aquaculture.

Emperor Minh Mang wanted his "fragrant girl" to remain within Vietnam, but she will be visiting new markets in the coming years. Bui Chi Buu, director general of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Viet Nam, said that the country's so-called "rice revolution" would be able to contribute to rapidly rising global food demand as the human population expands from the current 7 billion to a staggering 9 billion by 2020.

Recipe: Vietnamese Tomato Rice (Com Sot Sa Chua). The combination of peanut oil, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and coriander (aka "Vietnamese parsley") gives this traditional Vietnamese rice dish a distinctive flavor. "Rice is cooked by the absorption method, without salt," according to Vietnamese-Recipes.com. "It is meant to be firm and separate, the grains having just enough cling so they can be picked up easily with chopsticks."

ACTION ALERTS
  • Donate rice for free (Freerice.com)
  • Say YES to moving three elephants—Iringa, Toka and Thika—from Toronto Zoo to PAWS Elephant Sanctuary (Care2)
  • Due 11/15: Tell US Fish & Wildlife to keep the Arctic Refuge Wild (Wilderness Watch)
  • Due 11/18: Tell USDA to Protect Colorado's National Forests With Stronger Roadless Rule (Earthjustice)
  • Due 11/29: Tell Obama to grant wilderness protection to the Drakes Estero, a national ecological treasure in California (Care 2/NRDC)
  • Tell Airlines: Stop transporting non-human primates for invasive research (BUAV)
  • Tell BCBG to stand by the original commitment and go fur-free (IDA)
  • Despite a ban, India's biggest oil company, Indian Oil, is allowing bullocks to be used to transport their oil. Say NO to this continuing cruelty (PETA India)
  • Submit your vegan health question to hope@idausa.org and maybe you'll see it answered in an upcoming In Defense of Animals (IDA) eNews
  • Sign the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare (AnimalsMatter.org)
  • Follow 13.7 Billion Years on Twitter
PART OF THE PROBLEM
  • Study links Parkinson's disease to industrial solvent. Researchers found a six-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson's in individuals exposed in the workplace to trichloroethylene, also called TCE. Although many uses for TCE have been banned around the world, the chemical is still used as a degreasing agent (BBC)
  • Price tag to clean up California university's contaminated pet waste site: $6 million to $100 million. Twenty years ago, workers hauled away the remains of nearly 800 irradiated beagles and dug up tons of toxic dog waste and contaminated gravel from a complex just south of Interstate 80. Today, UC Davis faces the prospect of a costly and prolonged cleanup at the federal Superfund site – a remnant of Cold War America (Sacramento Bee)
  • EPA to be Republican target in 2012. The message of nearly all campaigns nationwide is jobs with a capital “J.” Republicans have spent lots of time and effort targeting the “job-killing EPA” for a landslide of regulations that they say hurt businesses and the American economy with dubious returns on health (Politico)
  • Survey: Portland women clueless about chemicals in cosmetics. If you're anything like the 1,000-plus Portland women who responded to a recent survey about personal-care products, chances are you don't know what chemicals and other compounds are in the goods commonly used to clean up and fluff up (Portland Oregonian)
PART OF THE SOLUTION
  • Puma aiming to produce compostable shoes and T-shirts. Soon you will be able to add your worn-out trainers and T-shirts to the carrot peels, potato skins and eggshells on the compost heap at the end of your garden, if German sportswear manufacturer Puma gets its way. (London Guardian)
  • Fur Free Friday is November 25 (FurKills.org)
PAST SERIES
image: rice terraces, Vietnam (roemarshall)

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