From factory farming to excessive sprays to the emotion-based marketing of food, a new video nails the shortcomings of our food system. But it offers only partial solutions.

A new, crowd-sourced website plans to document every angle of the food system. But will it move beyond the locavore set?

The design magazine Azure’s May issue is almost all about food, and the subject never looked so good. The issue focuses on the changes in the food system, and how it affects design:

“There’s a profound shift taking place in the realm of what we eat, how we eat it, and the social and political climate around food…..The following pages consider many ways to rethink cooking, eating and growing – and food’s relationship to landscape architecture, graphic design, product development, interiors and more.”

Designs for food include a few items seen in TreeHugger, including theRead the full story on TreeHugger

Still from How To Feed The World? by Denis van Waerebeke

The world food system is extremely complex. Trying to comprehend how farmers in Africa are impacted by decision we make at the grocery store in the west – and the whims of commodities traders in Chicago – can hurt the brain.

Lucky for us French multimedia artist Denis van Waerebeke made a video to help us understand. …Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo via jamie oliver

If you need further proof that our nation’s food system needs to be rethought, check out this video where chef Jamie Oliver encounters some first grade students who cannot identify popular fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant, and cauliflower. The video comes form Oliver’s new ABC show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”…Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image credit: Grist

Recently, Katie Couric sat down with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, and former FDA Commissioner David Kessler to discuss the state of the food system in the United States. As Grist reports, much of the conversation revolved—for better or worse—around obesity….Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: J. Novak

After reports last week that India halted plans to introduce a genetically modified eggplant to the market because of an outcry from environmental groups and the general public, it begs to question why in the US genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are so common. In fact, more than 9 out of 10 soybean seeds are not only genetically modified, but come from Monsanto. It’s just a little lower for corn. It makes you wonder why Americans aren’t a little more skeptical, if not completely frightened of the fate of our food system….Read the full story on TreeHugger

It’s because they’re un-American, obviously. Jonathan Safron Foer, the author of ‘Everything is Illuminated’ has been following Michael Pollan’s lead as of late–his latest book is called ‘Eating Animals’, and it calls for, among other things, a closer examination of our nation’s food system. He sat down with Stephen Colbert last night, and explained, among other things, why hot dog makers won’t eat hot dogs. And then Colbert ate a huge pile …Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: J. Novak

School lunches have become a telling indicator of the state of our nation’s food system. After all, if we can’t properly feed our children, who eventually will be responsible for leading this country, how can we expect our existing food system to take care of a growing population of overfed, but malnourished, individuals? We’ve learned that school lunches aren’t properly inspected and at times lack enough nutrients to sustain a growing child. But now, according to Mo…Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: J. Novak

It is becoming more and more evident that the American food system is beginning to weigh us down. No pun intended. But a new study done by the non-profit Mission: Readiness found on Civil Eats, that 1/3 of young people are unfit to serve because of weight. Frightening statistics in a time where military readiness is ever important. …Read the full story on TreeHugger