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A PUBLICATION OF ASM | VOL 2 | ISSUE 1 | 2015HAPPENING NOWWill Allen P. 08ACROSS THE DIVIDERusty Rodriguez P. 54IN CONVERSATIONJane Goodall P. 62NEW DIGITAL CONTENTA Cultures Short Film ImprovingCassava Production in Colombia P. 8

21HOW CAN SCIENCE HELP FEED THE WORLD?

CULTURES StaffBoard of AdvisorsUNITED STATESBRUCEAlbertsJASON RaoMONGOLIATULGAAKhosbayarKATY StewartEGYPTENASNewirePETER GeoghanUNITED STATESSANJANAPatelJENNA JablonskiPORTUGALDIOGOProençaFor interactivefeatures and morecontent, read Cultureson your browseror on your tablet. Visitasm.org/culturesfor more information.PARAGUAYLAURAAcevedo UgarrizaUNITED STATESVAUGHANTurekianA PUBLICATION OF ASM | VOL 2 | ISSUE 1 | 2015UNITED STATESNATHANWolfeHAPPENING NOWWill Allen P. 08ACROSS THE DIVIDERusty Rodriguez P. 54IN CONVERSATIONJane Goodall P. 62

In this IssueLETTER FROM THE EDITORSHAPPENING NOWAn interview with the founder of Growing Power: Will Allen0408ACROSS THE DIVIDEAgricultural Biodiversity and Global Food SecurityMauricio Antonio LopesReducing Food Waste: a Global ChallengeCecilia Do Nascimento NunesBuzzkill: Pollinators and Food SecurityMay R. BerenbaumA Microbial Future For Food SecurityRusty RodriguezIN CONVERSATIONWith Dr. Jane GoodallVOICESASM members share food from around the worldON THE GROUNDNine organizations helping to feed the world today, andempowering communities to feed the futureWHAT WE DON’T KNOW *NEW SECTION*The Intersection of Nutrition and Cancer by Richard T. Arkwright,Paige Marie Hayes and Q. Ping Dou1628405462727888SHARING THE VISIONThe Brookings InstitutionThe Global Food Initiative, University of California98102CULTURES GOES DIGITAL106QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, & CORRECTIONS112PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT ON CULTURES PAGES 114 Vol - 2, 115; Issue CITATIONS 1 » Page 3 + SOURCES ON PAGE 116

BY JASON RAO + PETER GEOGHANSummit of 1996, is “when all people at all timesmaintain a healthy and active life.”The challenge, or crisis, depending on where you live, is to producemore food on less land for a burgeoning global population. Foodsecurity is in many senses a construct of the global north, an idyllicconcept of comprehensive and continual nutritional sustenance forthe world as a whole. Unfortunately, for the majority of the world,hunger has been a stark reality and daily struggle for far too long.The ingredients of food security are the global grand challengesthemselves: climate change, water scarcity, fossil fuel dependence,environmental protection, and gender disparity. Indeed, foodsecurity cannot be realized without also addressing social reformsto close the gender gap, provide equal access to education, andreduce poverty. The issue is further exacerbated by political crisis,can leave millions without adequate food, overnight. These are notnew challenges, and, although we have collectively made strides,there is much work to do.Any progress in meeting the global food security challenge hasbeen and will continue to be rooted in science and technology.In this way, science itself provides an opportunity for all, fromthe resource-rich to the resource-constrained, to collaborate onand realize those idyllic sustainable food systems that will notonly realize food security, but also operate in harmony with ourenvironment. Indeed, it is an opportunity and responsibility for all.Page 4

In typical Cultures fashion, this issue comes from the front lines,from those employing the discovery research that will chipaway at this grand challenge, while quietly advocating for foodsecurity along the way. We highlight some of the most cutting-very best: Rodriguez, Lopes, Nunes, andBerenbaum – each with a fascinating andunique contribution. Interviews with WillAllen, the original urban farmer, and JaneGoodall, one of the most distinguishedprimatologists and conservationists everknown, bring star power and insight to thisissue. “Sharing the Vision” illustrates theawesome power of university networks, Editor-in-ChiefFood Initiative, led by the visionaryBanana Slugs of Santa Cruz.To illustrate the power of internationalcollaboration in discovery science, we98), from the remote regions of Colombia,where breakthroughs in microbiologyare creating a model for future microbialplant-breedingprograms while makinggreat strides in food security today.Harvesting sustainablygrown,local mushrooms.World Food Prize laureate and Culturesthat “global food security is the foremost challenge to humanity.”While we are in the infancy of realizing breakthroughs andinnovations to alleviate the food security challenge, we hope thisissue of CulturesSNAPSHOT OF CULTURES6,000+reads online inover 75 countries44countries madecontributions105,598copies mailedworldwideVisit www.asm.org/cultures for additional content and interactive features!CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 5

FOOD SECURITY IS MORETHAN JUST FOODLAND38.6% of the world’s ice-freesurface is used for agriculture. 1WATERAgriculture is responsible for 87% oftotal water use globally. 2ENERGYThe food sector accounts for around 30%of the world’s total energy consumption. 3CLIMATE CHANGEThe UN estimates that agricultureis responsible for 43%-57% of allanthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. 4HUNGERThe cost to end world hungeris 30 billion dollars a year. 5

WASTENearly 1.3 billion tons of foodis wasted each year. 6GENDER INEQUALITYIf women farmers had the sameaccess to resources as men, the numberof hungry people in the world could bereduced by up to 150 million people. 7FUTUREThe world’s population is expected toreach 9 billion by 2050. To feed thatpopulation, crop production will needto double from current levels. 8HOW MUCH WATER DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE FOOD?1 pound of chicken TAKES 500 gallons of water 91 hamburger TAKES 4,000-18,000 gallons of water 101 almond TAKES 1.1 gallons of water 111 slice of bread TAKES 10 gallons of water 121 pound of processed rice TAKES 299 gallons of water 131 pound of chocolate TAKES 2,061 gallons of water 14CITATIONS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 108.

HAPPENING NOW:WILLALLENWill Allen is an American urban farmer based in Milwaukee. A retired professionalbasketball player and corporate businessman, Mr. Allen now serves as director ofleader of food security and a pioneering urban farmer, who was awarded the MacArthurFoundation “Genius Grant” in 2008. Growing Power works to provide equal access providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstrations, outreach and technicalassistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help peoplegrow, process, market, and distribute food in a sustainable manner.PETER: This year marks the targetdate for meeting the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals. How do youthink the global community hasdone so far?MR. ALLEN: We are in the infancystages of developing local foodsystems again, a renaissance thatI call the “Good Food Revolution,”which is the title of my new book.And, we have made some progress,particularly in educating people,organization.PETER: What needs to be doneover the next 30 to 40 years toaddress the population increase?MR. ALLEN: Fifty percent of thecities. We have to grow more foodPage 8 » Happening Now

closer to these urban areas. Aspart of the solution, we havedesigned and hope to build thebuilding, use it as a trainingfacility, and replicate that modelon a larger scale.PETER: With predictionmodels estimating 75% of themajor cities by 2050, can youtell us more about the conceptof vertical farms and whyyou are promoting them atGrowing Power?MR. ALLEN: Our vertical farmwill be a multiuse facility. Inmany of these food deserts,where there are no grocerystores, our vertical farms willhave a large retail store ona greenhouse and a stage foreducation. We grow verticallyinstead of growing on onehorizontal level; we have sevenmaximize our use of space in ourgreenhouses.PETER: A retail store cuts out anyneed for transportation since it isall produced and sold onsite?MR. ALLEN: Most of it will beproduced and sold onsite, butwill come from our other farms.Our Milwaukee, Wisconsin farmalready has 25 growing spaceswith aquaponics, goats, andchickens. This building would bein addition to that production.We are now feeding about10,000 people annually on threeacres of land. This intensiveproduction is predicated on thefarmer. WeCHECK OUTdirectly with WILL ALLEN’S BOOK,roots in the“THE GOOD FOODwater in our REVOLUTION”,aquaponicsBY VISITINGsystems;HTTP://OW.LY/JOX9Awe actuallyhave pots that we put in thewater so you get the best of bothworlds with nitrogen productionand micronutrient availabilityfrom our compost. So, you get areally good-tasting product andwhere the rubber meets theroad with healthy eating.PETER: Growing Power has anumber of incredibly sustainablesystems. The compost andvermicompost that you use turnsout 40 million pounds of would-every year. What would it take forpeople to adopt such systems?MR. ALLEN: People have to seethe power of Growing Power.learn in a classroom. I really tryto inspire them so they want toCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 9

say “I can do that, I want to dothat.” If you convince people tothe starting point to get theminspired to actually do it.PETER: It seems as though acore component of GrowingPower is to educate people withlittle agricultural experienceabout farming and growing theirown food?MR. ALLEN:What we tryto do is cutthe learningcurve bycoming intothe city andlearninghow toVISIT US ATgrow insideASM.ORG/CULTURESbuildings orTO ACCESS THEon concrete.AUDIO INTERVIEW My goalWITH WILL ALLEN is to trainAND OTHER BONUS people andCONTENT.realisticallyinformthem aboutgrowing food sustainably.Sustainable farming is not aone-time deal; you also haveto grow passion to overcomechallenging moments. I believethat sustainable agriculturebeen in business, worked forcorporate companies, andplayed professional basketball,and this is much harder thanany of those things for me.PETER: What can individuals inother professions do to supportthe systems that Growing Poweris putting in place?MR. ALLEN: The food systemtouches everyone, from allwalks of life, and they all canpsychologists, biologists, andscientists. The food systemwill create thousands of newjobs. We have to developthese relationships that leadto partnerships. For example,Growing Power recentlypartnered with the Chicagoschool system when theypurchased 30,000 pounds ofour carrots, the largest farm-toschoolsale in history, accordingto the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. But this was onlya one-day consumption forsome 400,000 students — adrop in the bucket. We needsustained involvement from allsectors of society to make this acontinuous reality.PETER: Here at Cultures,we are interested in waysscientists and farmers cancan collaborate. From yourperspective as a farmer, whatrole can science play?MR. ALLEN: We need tomeasure the nutritional valueof food and to better under-Page 10 » Happening Now

microorganisms that providenutrients to plants, which givegood taste and nutritional valueto our food. Science plays a hugerole in the food system that Ivisualize for the future. We alsothe inputs in industrial agriculturehaving on the health of humansand the environment.PETER: In the past decade, therehas been a huge buzz aroundsustainable farming. GrowingPower has been at the centerof that in a number of fooddocumentaries, publications,and interviews. How has all theadded attention changed yourapproach in what you do withGrowing Power?MR. ALLEN:platform as the leader of thisrenaissance of food systemchange. TheTO LEARN MOREattention has ABOUT MR. ALLENhelped theAND GROWINGorganization POWER,VISIT WWW.GROWINGPOWER.ORGmade usthink about what we do andcome up with something thatwas believable, a system thatwould provide enough so thatwhen people walk through thedoor they do not just see allthese microprojects going on.When they walk in, they see a10,000-gallon system that cangrow 10,000 tilapia or 7,000 lakeperch. When they walk in, they seea system on three acres of landthat can feed 10,000 people. Whenthey walk in, they see a three-acrecompost pile that produces over amillion pounds of soil.PETER: In thinking about ouryoung farmers, scientists, andGROWING POWERPARTNERS WITHUW MILWAUKEE’SFRESH WATERFISH PROGRAMTO ENHANCETHEIRAQUAPONICSSYSTEMS.

advice you would want to give them ifyou were to talk to any of them?MR. ALLEN: I speak to youngpeople all the time at universitiesand high schools, all ages. Themessage I try to get out to them isto learn something new every day.I also encourage them to go outand volunteer in the community.organization necessarily. In myexperience, you get twice as muchas you put into those moments. Ialways bring the message to kidsin terms of thinking about theirlongevity. The United States is rankedthird in terms of life expectancy inCuba is ranked second. Americansare shocked to hear that Cuba issecond, until they learn that Cuba hasone of the most extensive sustainablefood systems in the world. Our foodshould be our medicine.PETER: craze, but, what is your favorite food?MR. ALLEN: of my favorite vegetables. I eat a lotday. My wife is a fabulous cook. Weeat at home most of the time; shefood is something my family hasalways done; my mother would feedanyone who was hungry. Now I dothat for a lot of people, and it givesme great joy.

GROWING POWERSUPPORTS OVER200 VARIETIES OFCROPS ON 300ACRES OF LAND.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 13

MAURICIOANTONIO LOPESAgricultural Biodiversity andGlobal Food SecurityCECILIA DONASCIMENTO NUNESReducing Food Waste:A Global ChallengeIn each issue, we ask experts towrite an essay from their perspectiveon one central theme.

In this issue, they discuss thechallenges and opportunities increating food systems for the future.MAY R. BERENBAUMBuzzkill: Pollinators and FoodSecurity (Theirs + Ours)RUSTY RODRIGUEZA Microbial Future forFood Security

AGRICULTURALBIODIVERSITY ANDGLOBAL FOODSECURITYby: MAURICIO ANTONIO LOPES, PH.D.

The Russian botanist, geneticist, and 1943), is unfortunately little known.In 1919, he began expeditions todozens of countries on five continentsto systematically collect the varietiesof all the plant species that he could.Vavilov was obsessed with biodiversityand dreamed of solving the problemof hunger. After years of conflict withthe Stalinist regime, he died in a laborprison camp in Siberia. Sadly, a manwho spent his life promoting nutritionand food ultimately died from the lackof it. Redeemed by history, Vavilovis acclaimed as a Noah of plants, thepioneer of the creation of gene banksfor the preservation and improvementof cultivated crop species.Today, there are thousands of Vavilovs around theworld, collecting seeds and trying to study, catalog,and protect them to ensure ample access to plantdiversity for crop variety development. Many are the keepers of this genetic heritage, recognizedas the main foundation of agriculture. A standingsymbol of the attention and the care of humanitywith these vital resources lies in the Arctic Circle,CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 17

1,200 km away from the North Pole, in a remote archipelago ofSvalbard, which belongs to Norway. There, inside a permanentlyfrozen mountain, the Global Seed Vault was built on a rock, agiant safe that holds a treasure for humanity.Three underground concrete chambers, kept at 20 degrees belowzero Celsius, were built at the end of a tunnel 150 m long and 180m below the top of the mountain. This safe, duginto solid rock, guards airtight boxes with about820,000 samples, originating from almost everyTHIS SAFE, DUGcountry in the world. The collection has uniqueINTO SOLID ROCK,varieties of major African and Asian food staplesGUARDS AIRTIGHTsuch as rice, wheat, cowpea, and sorghum, as wellBOXES WITH ABOUT 820,000 SAMPLES, eggplant, lettuce, barley, and potato. The entireORIGINATING FROM complex was built to last hundreds and eventhousands of years and resist what is possibleALMOST EVERYto imagine: earthquakes, nuclear accidents, andCOUNTRY INglobal warming. The capacity is 4.5 million seedTHE WORLD.samples, which can ensure the recovery of foodspecies hundreds of years in the future, in case ofany catastrophic loss.The Vault is managed by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, anindependent international organization working to guarantee theconservation of crop diversity, in connection with the InternationalTreaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, of theremote storage facility in Svalbard has the mission to safeguardwhile also avoiding unnecessary duplication. It already holds themost diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world. Andmore than 100 institutes worldwide are currently regeneratingunique accessions and safety duplicates to be deposited in thefrozen mountain in the future.To send a backup to Svalbard symbolizes our care and attentionto food security in the future. In fact, the Svalbard Global SeedBank is a legacy of our generation. It is an insurance policyagainst the constant threat of loss of genetic variability, one ofthe greatest dangers to haunt humanity. The seeds stored ingerm plasm banks contain reserves of genetic variability that canhelp us face multiple threats to food and nutrition security in thePage 18 » Across the Divide » Lopes

future. They may, for example, enable responses to the impacts of decades, as well as yet unknown demands of a society increasinglyconcerned with sustainability.PREPARING FOR A CHALLENGING FUTUREThe Svalbard Global Seed Bank helps draw attention and raiseawareness to the need to preserve resources essential to the future ofhumanity. The innovative strategy of calling attention to agriculturalbiodiversity by storing these essential resources in a safe place is and sustainability. It is a relief to know that our generation has aninsurance policy for future harvests. But, as we hope never to resortto our life insurance policy, we also hope never to face challenges thatforce us to use the seeds sent to Svalbard.The Global Seed Bank in Svalbard is a necessary extreme measureto ensure the safety of agricultural biodiversity for food security inthe future. However, it should not exempt us from devising othercreative strategies to mobilize genetic diversity to help humanityface increasingly challenging times in the years to come. Populationwill grow from the current 7.2 billion to an estimated 9.0 billionbefore stabilization around 2050. It means that agriculture will beincreasingly pressed to produce more output with less input, and todo so considering all dimensions of sustainability – economic, social,environmental, and political.Demands for an increase in food production must, therefore, bebalanced in relation to pressures on the conservation of naturalgreenhouse gases. Thus, common sense indicates that increases inagricultural production should be pursued primarily by increasing capable of producing advances in food productivity, safety, andpast. Many dimensions of agricultural research will have to receivemore attention and support, if we are to face the challenges ahead.More attention to research in genetic resources and crop breedingis paramount to expand the variability base, and to mobilize newpursuit of a sustainable future.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 19

(From top left, clockwise)Potato crops in test tubes.deposit to the SvalbardGlobal Seed Vault.Yam in vitro.Bean diversity at theSvalbard Global SeedVault.Beans at the CIAT genebank in Colombia wereshipped for conservationat the Svalbard GlobalSeed Vault.

Here are some challenges the agricultural research community will haveto help the world achieve and maintain food security in the future.STRENGTHENINGCROP-BREEDING CAPACITYThe production of new, more adapted and productive cropvarieties, a result of genetic improvement, is one of the maincontributions of agricultural research to humanity. Plantbreeders have been able to adapt plants to a wide range ofagricultural areas around the world, to cropland with marked capacity to develop genetic innovations in the form of improvedcrop cultivars will continue to be fundamental to all countries,especially in the face of increasing challenges posed byand biotechnology will ensure that agriculture maintains theability to respond to problems that may jeopardize food andnutritional security in the future.SUSTAINABLE USE OF WATERDespite being the sector that already consumes the most water,irrigated agriculture will continue to increase in the future, dueto climate change, which leads to more extreme weather events– especially droughts. Also, the need to increase agriculturalproductivity to meet the demands of a growing population willwater. Therefore, a major challenge for the future will be theoptimization of water use by agriculture in order to reduce thepurposes. Innovations to rationalize the use of water and toPage 22 » Across the Divide » Lopes

avoid or reduce its waste will be critical to meet the growingdemand for food, with minimal environmental impacts.Access to genetic variability and to biotechnological tools andprocesses to empower crop breeding will be essential to makeMORE EFFECTIVEPROTECTION OF AGRICULTUREOne of the critical challenges for food production is themovement of exotic organisms or invasive species from oneregion to another, depending on trade, transport, and tourism.Globalization of pests leads to the displacement of organismspotential for economic, environmental, and social impacts. Thisemphasis on technological innovation is critical to meet thediverse demands of importing countries and response to rigidcompliance standards that are consolidated internationally.Countries will have to develop production systems sustainedin sanitary practices consistent with internationally acceptedpatterns of quality and safety assurance for their agriculturalproducts. Availability of genetic resources and breeding researchon plant resistance to pests will play an increasingly prominentrole in the defense of agriculture around the world.INCREASING SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OFAGRICULTURAL INPUTSThere is no doubt that agriculture will be pressed to seekalternatives or substitutes for inputs of high environmentalimpact and/or derived from nonrenewable sources. Manyconventional inputs, like pesticides and fertilizers, contributeto the rising costs in food production, may have deleteriousglobal warming processes. Therefore, it is necessary toCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 23

develop alternative and safer sources of nutrients, such as and potassium from nonconventional mineral sources.Also, the research in genetic resources can contribute to plants, particularly those nutrients that are scarce or mayhave a large potential impact on the environment. Cropbreeding and biotechnology have the capacity to mobilizethis variability to change plant resistance to pests andsustainability of agriculture.LINKING FOOD, NUTRITION, AND HEALTHThe concerted integration of food, nutrition, and healthstrategies appears to be inevitable because of demographic the exhaustion of health and social security systems, evenin developed countries. The gradual change to a diseaseprevention paradigm will require food more suited to the and high-quality protein), adapted to demographic changes Genetic improvement will have to focus on the developmentof food with high nutritional and functional density and highquality, producing minimal waste and enabling production atlow cost with high productivity.SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATIONOF LAND USETechnologies capable of allowing increased and moresustainable use of the natural resource base will receivemore attention in the future. In many parts to the world,agricultural land has been degraded and abandoned. Ifrecovered, these are the ideal areas for the expansion ofPage 24 » Across the Divide » Lopes

agriculture, livestock, and planted forest, without the needfor further deforestation. It makes more sense to recoverdegraded areas than to open forested areas to farming.Integrated production systems, such as crop-livestockand crop-livestock-forest, are already proven possibilitiesfor land recovery in many countries, especially inthe tropical belt of the world. Such technologicalinnovations may allow configurations of low-carbonagriculture and the dissemination of sustainable andmore resilient farming practices. The research on geneticresources and breeding will contribute to the developmentof plants and animal breeds better adapted to low-carbonagricultural systems based on crop-livestock and croplivestock-forestintegration.MOVING AGRICULTUREINTO THE BIOECONOMY in discussions related to the future of sustainabledevelopment. Biomass and biorefineries tend to playa key role in response to global climate change, tomeet the demands for sustainable energy, chemicals,and new bio-based materials. There is no denying theemergence of a value chain around biomass, which willcreate significant opportunities for new business anda new technological and industrial paradigm based onlow carbon. The growth of the bio-based economy cangenerate multiple opportunities for economic growth andcreation of new jobs, including in rural areas. And one canforesee the number of technical, strategic, and commercialchallenges that must be addressed before such greenindustries flourish. Many countries in the world are able toleverage the economic potential and sustainability of newbioindustries, both to enhance clean energy productionand to develop a new and thriving renewable chemicalsindustry. Agricultural biodiversity and research on geneticresources, breeding, and biotechnology will be essential tosupport this new development paradigm, which has greatpotential to contribute to a more sustainable future.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 25

The challenges highlighted previously indicate that changingagriculture and food production in ways that ensure improvedsustainability and a healthier and more nutritious food supplyinvolve the increased use of biodiversity for food and agriculture.Despite the scale of the challenges, one must also recognizethat the technological progress on several fronts is impressive,in physics and chemistry with nanotechnology, in information andcommunication technology, with innovations that increase ourability to respond to risks and challenges. In recent years, biologyhas produced tremendous advances that allow us to broaden ourunderstanding of the complex mechanisms in plants, animals,and microorganisms. From such advances will arise innovations to besides increased productivity, safety, and quality of food essentialto ensure a more sustainable future for humanity.MAURICIO ANTONIO LOPES, PH.D.Maurício Lopes, a plant geneticist by training, received his B.Sc.degree in Agronomy (1983) from the Federal University of Viçosa,Brazil, his M.S. degree in Plant Genetics (1989) from PurdueUniversity, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA and his Ph.D. in MolecularBiology (1993) from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona,USA. Dr. Lopes served in a number of nationaland international committees, missions,panels, and working groups related toagricultural R&D, including, the Foodand Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations. Since 2013 he hasbeen a member of the Global Panelon Agriculture and Food Systems forNutrition, in London, and member of theExecutive Board of the Global Crop DiversityTrust in Bonn, Germany. Currently,he is the President of Embrapa,the Brazillian AgriculturalResearch Corporation.Page 26 » Across the Divide » Lopes

CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 27

REDUCINGFOOD WASTE:A GLOBALCHALLENGEby: CECILIADO NASCIMENTONUNES, PH.D.

Reducing food waste and increasing foodsecurity to ensure the availability andaccessibility of safe and nutritious foodis a key problem of global significance.Although reducing food waste throughthe food supply chain has always been aconcern, increased awareness has onlyrecently been brought to this critical globalissue. The continuous growth in worldpopulation and food demand inevitablyrequires an increase in food production.Reducing global food waste can helpbalance food production, increase foodavailability, and reduce the use of valuableeconomic and natural resources whileprotecting the environment.FOOD WASTEDFood is a valuable resource, and, yet, every year aroundthe world, millions of tons of food that could have been edible, but not eaten because of poor quality or otherreasons) throughout the supply chain, from the farmto the consumer. In my almost 20 years as a scientist,I have worked to understand and demonstrate howfood, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, shouldbe handled so as to maintain its overall quality andto reduce waste. The results from my research andthe research of others have clearly shown that globalfood waste between the farm and consumer homes may range from 20 to 50% of total food production. 1-5CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 29

also occurs early in the food supply chain. In less industrializedcountries, food waste appears to occur mostly during distributionbecause of poor storage and transportation conditions. 1-3,5-7As a result, a large volume of food is beingdiscarded and never consumed, yet around theworld millions of people live in food-insecureFURTHERMORE, WHAT households. In the United States alone, aboutIS ASTONISHING 15% of people do not have consistent accessIS THAT, WHILE to safe and nutritious food. 8 Wasting food alsoLESS THAN 10% OF represents loss of money and other resourcesinvested in producing food that will never beAMERICANS MEETconsumed. In addition, wasted food has a majorTHE RECOMMENDEDimpact on the environment because it disturbsDAILY GUIDELINES FOR CONSUMPTION 1,3,9,10OF FRUITS ANDVEGETABLES, 13 UPTO 30% OF FRESHTHE MOST WASTED:PRODUCE PURCHASED FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLESIS THROWN AWAY AT Fresh fruits and vegetables are the foods mostTHE CONSUMER LEVEL. often wasted because of their high perishabilityand postharvest handling requirements, andalso because the quality of their appearanceis often overemphasized. As a result of therelatively short shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables, the timefor transportation, distribution, and display at stores is oftenvery short before the produce becomes unacceptable for saletemperature management systems in place, fresh produce stilleasily has the highest percentage of losses among all types of quality consistency combined with premature decay has led toconsumer dissatisfaction, resulting in increased wastage andreduced consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.Waste of fresh fruits and vegetables begins at the farm andaccumulates throughout the supply chain. In developedcountries, it is estimated that wastage can be as high as 52%. 4,9,11Page 30 » Across the Divide » Nunes

TOTALLY WASTED?When we were conducting a waste study in several retail stores, we foundmany fruits and vegetables in trash containers that could still be consumedfresh, if trimmed or sorted, or used for juices, smoothies, or for cooking.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 31

Page 32 » Across the Divide » Nunes

For example, in the United Kingdom, total fruit and vegetable wasteaccounts, respectively, for almost 14 and 26% of the weight and for 11and 14% of the cost of food that could have been eaten if managedor stored correctly. 12 and vegetables produced are wasted, whereas postharvest handlingand storage waste is estimated to be 3%; at the retail and consumerlevels, waste increases to 12 and 28%, respectively. 4,11 Furthermore,what is astonishing is that, while less than 10% of Americans meetthe recommended daily guidelines for consumption of fruits andvegetables, 13 up to 30% of fresh produce purchased is thrown awayat the consumer level. 1,4,14WHERE AND WHY FOOD WASTE OCCURSFood waste occurs at every step of the supply chain, from theproduction site to consumer homes. However, depending on the levelthe supply chain. In low-income countries, food waste seems to occurmainly on the farm and during storage and transportation, mostlystorage and transportation, inadequate packaging). Thus, the food thatis available for consumption is rarely wasted because of its scarcity andalso because the time between purchase and consumption is usuallyvery short. On the other hand, in medium- and high-income countries, CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 33

levels. 1, 3-5 The major causes of food waste in industrialized countrieshave been attributed to several factors, such as supply agreements account for bad weather, disease, and other factors that may reduceyield), high appearance quality standards that lead to rejection offood items not perfect in shape or appearance but still suitable forconsumption, and consumer behavior. 4,11 Some of the causes of foodwaste at the retail level include inadequate refrigerated storage andhandle food. Furthermore, the use of a “sell by” date on food labels,often used by the food industry to help retailers with stock rotationand to guarantee the consumer an acceptable level of freshness,also contributes to wastage of products that are still acceptable forconsumption. At the consumer level, waste can result from buyingmore food than is necessary for daily needs, exposure to temperatureabuse following purchase, and misinterpretation of dates on labelsIn regard to fresh fruits and vegetables, many factors contributeto substantial wastage throughout the supply chain. At the farmlevel, an entire crop production can be rejected or never harvestedbecause of disease, pests and weather, overproduction, low marketprice, or simply because the product does not meet the qualitystandards. During postharvest, waste can occur during sorting,handling, storage, and distribution. For example, poor temperaturemanagement often encountered during handling and distributionis one of the major causes of deterioration in the appearance andnutritional value of fresh fruits and vegetables at the retail level. 6,15-19It is estimated that poor postharvest temperature managementcauses 25 to 50% of fresh fruit and vegetable waste. 20-22 In addition,current refrigeration systems used in supermarkets to store or displayfresh produce often are set to desired temperatures, but the actualtemperatures inside the display may vary depending on the locationof the load and loading charge, which also leads to decreased qualityand, subsequently, waste. 23-25 Furthermore, because of poor handlingconditions through the supply chain, by the time consumers purchasefresh fruits and vegetables, half of their nutritional value may alreadybe lost, even though their appearance is still acceptable. 26 Finally,it is estimated that, at the consumer level, 1.2 million tons of freshfruits and vegetables are stored at ambient temperatures when theyshould be stored in the refrigerator 12 ; this mishandling by consumersleads to premature loss of quality and waste.Page 34 » Across the Divide » Nunes

INITIATIVES FROM SOME INDUSTRIALIZEDCOUNTRIES TO REDUCE FOOD WASTEAround the world, government agencies, particularlyenvironmental protection agencies, food companies, and otherorganizations concerned with food waste have developedoutstanding programs and partnerships with the samecommon objective: to reduce food waste and increase theavailability of safe and nutritious food. For example, in Australia,called “Love Food Hate Waste” 27 to help consumersand food companies reduce food waste.In the United States, many food companies havetheir own in-house waste reduction programs.At the 2014 Institute of Food Technologist companies explained their in-house strategiesto reduce food waste. For example, Mars Inc.,a leading global food company, explained itsgoals on food waste reduction in the contextInc., a large cheese manufacturer, talked aboutthe industrial experience in sustainability. Protection Agency launched the FoodRecovery Challenge 28 and is partnering withorganizations and businesses to prevent andreduce wasted food. Another waste-reductioninitiative from the Grocery ManufacturesAssociations, the Food Marketing Institute, andthe National Restaurant Association is the Food 29 The FWRAworks in collaboration with many leading foodcompanies and stakeholders, including FeedingAmerica and Waste Management.AROUND THE WORLD,GOVERNMENTAGENCIES AND OTHERORGANIZATIONSHAVE DEVELOPEDOUTSTANDINGPROGRAMS ANDPARTNERSHIPS WITHTHE SAME COMMONOBJECTIVE:TO REDUCE FOODWASTE ANDINCREASE THEAVAILABILITYOF SAFE ANDNUTRITIOUSFOOD. National Waste Prevention Program has launched the 30 has several objectives, among which are, quoting fromtheir website, “to raise awareness about waste reductionstrategies, to promote sustainable waste reduction across CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 35

Kingdom, WRAP 31, in collaboration with thegovernment, has been doing extensive workthe food distribution chain. They also workclosely with retailers to develop new strategiesto improve the retail supply chain and toreduce waste. Another waste-reduction projectUse for Social Innovation by Optimizing WastePrevention Strategies). 32 universities, consumer organizations, and foodreduce food waste.CECILIA DO NASCIMENTO NUNES, PH.D.Cecilia do Nascimento Nunes obtained her Ph.D. in Biotechnologyfrom the Catholic University in Portugal, and she is currently anAssistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Microbiologyand Molecular Biology at the University of South Florida, and aCourtesy Faculty in the Department of Horticultural Sciences andin the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at theUniversity of Florida. She is also a research member of the Universityof Florida-IFAS Center for Food Distribution andRetailing. The main focus of Dr. Nunes’ researchis the study of biochemical responses of foodtissues, systems, and bioactive compoundsto growing/production environment and toenvironmental and physical conditions normallyencountered throughout the food supply chain.Dr. Nunes’ research also helps improve thehandling, distribution, and marketing system toreduce food waste, increase food security, andprovide the consumer with better food quality.Page 36 » Across the Divide » Nunes

FIVE ACTIONS THAT CAN HELPREDUCE FOOD WASTE1. EDUCATE ALL INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE FOOD SUPPLYCHAIN, FROM TOP MANAGEMENT TO CONSUMERS, ON HOWTO HANDLE, STORE, PURCHASE, AND USE FOOD.2. ENHANCE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FOODPRODUCERS AND RETAILERS, IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCEOVERPRODUCTION OF FOOD.3. IMPROVE THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, PARTICULARLYSTORAGE AND DISPLAY AT THE RETAIL LEVEL.4. REGARDING PERISHABLE FOODS (E.G., FRESH FRUITS ANDVEGETABLES):• REVIEW THE CURRENT APPEARANCE STANDARDS (SIZE,SHAPE, COLOR, DEFECTS).• IF THE INITIAL QUALITY AND ESTIMATED SHELF LIFE DONOT ALLOW PRODUCE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES,SELL IT AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL MARKETS.• IF THE COST OF HARVESTING IS TOO HIGH AND THEMARKET PRICE IS TOO LOW, DO NOT LEAVE THE CROPSTO ROT ON THE FIELD; ADOPT THE “U-PICK” STRATEGY BYLETTING CONSUMERS HARVEST THEIR OWN PRODUCEAT A LOWER COST.• OFFER UNSTANDARDIZED FOODS AT LOWER PRICES;JUST BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LOOK PRETTY DOES NOTMEAN THEY ARE NOT TASTY, SAFE, AND NUTRITIOUS.• TRANSFORM PRODUCE THAT DOES NOT FIT APPEARANCESTANDARDS INTO JUICES, SALADS, ICE CREAM, ETC.5. PURCHASE SMALLER AMOUNTS OF PERISHABLE FOODS(SHOPPING LISTS CAN HELP IN PLANNING) AND LEARNABOUT FOOD STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT LABELSMEAN (“SELL BY,” “BEST BEFORE,” ETC.).

REFERENCES1. Gustavsson J, Cederberg C, Sonesson U, van Otterdijk R, Meybeck A. 2011. Global foodRome, Italy. http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/mb060e/mb060e00.pdf. Accessed January22, 2015.2. WRAP. 2008. The food we waste. Banbury, U.K. ISBN: 1-84405-383-0. http://wrap.s3.amazonaws.com/the-food-we-waste. Accessed January 22, 2015.3. Lundqvist J, de Fraiture C, Molden D.and wastage in the food chain. SIWI Policy Brief, Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.siwi.org/documents/Resources/Policy_Briefs/PB_From_Filed_to_Fork_2008.pdf. Accessed January22, 2015.4. Gunders D. 2012. Wasted: how America is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to 2010. Food waste within the supply chains:Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci365:3065–3081.waste. Postharvest Biol Technol 51:232–241. 2010. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9billion people. Science 327:812–818.8. Coleman-Jensen A, Nord M, Andrews M, Carlson S. 2012. Household food security in the141. http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/884525/err141.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2015. 2009. An analysis of a community food waste stream. AgricHum Values 26:67–81. 2009. Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal. W.W. Norton & Company, NewYork, NY. 2005. Increasing food availability by reducing postharvest losses of freshproduce. Acta Hortic 682:2169–2175.12. WRAP. 2008. Helping consumers reduce fruit and vegetable waste: summary report.report.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2015. 2009. Fruit and vegetableintake among adolescents and adults in the United States: percentage meetingindividualized recommendations. Medscape J Med 11:26. 2011. The value of retail- and consumer-levelfruit and vegetable losses in the United States. Fall:492–515.15. Nunes MCN. 2008. Color Atlas of Postharvest Quality of Fruits and Vegetables. BlackwellPublishing, Ames, IA.Page 38 » Across the Divide » Nunes

2008. Impact of environmental conditions duringdistribution on tomato quality and decay. Proc Fla State Hortic Soc 121:289–296.17. Lai YP, Nunes MCN.Proc Fla State HorticSoc 124:213–220. 2011. Distribution center and retail conditionsPostharvest Biol Technol 59:280–288. 2011. Quality of strawberries shipped bypractices. Hortic Technol 21: 482–493.20. Harvey JM. 1978. Reduction of losses in fresh market fruits and vegetables. Annu RevPhytopathol 16:321–341. 1980. Wastage of postharvest fruit and its control. CSIRO Food Res Q 40:1–12.1991. Fruits and vegetables, p 301–355. In Desai BB, SalunkheFoods of Plant Origin. Production, Technology and Human Nutrition. AVI, New York,NY.1996. Perishable food temperature inretail stores, p 42–51. In New Developments in Refrigeration for Food Safety and Quality,Refrigeration Science and Technology. Proceedings of the Meeting of Commission C2 withCommissions B2, D1 and D2-3. International Institute of Refrigeration, Paris, France.dans un comptoir réfrigéré. Rev Gén Froid 1025:17–21.International Congress of Refrigeration, Sydney, September 19 to 24, 1999. 2010. Quality attributes limiting snapPhaseolus vulgaris L.) postharvest life at chilling and non-chilling temperatures.HortScience 45:1238–1249.27. NSW EPA. Love Food hate waste. http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/business/home.aspx Accessed January 22, 2015.28. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Food Recovery Challenge. http://www.epa.gov/foodrecoverychallenge/ Accessed January 22, 2015.29. Grocery Manufacturers Association. Food Waste Reduction Alliance. http://www.foodwastealliance.org/ Accessed January 22, 2015.30. Environmental Protection Agency.epa.ie/waste/nwpp/europeanweekforwastereduction/ Accessed January 22, 2015.31. WRAP. http://www.wrap.org.uk/ Accessed January 22, 2015.32. EU Fusions. http://www.eu-fusions.org/ Accessed January 22. 2015.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 39

BUZZKILL:POLLINATORS ANDFOOD SECURITY(THEIRS + OURS)by: MAY R. BERENBAUM, PH.D.

the planet, comprising over 250,000 species, sexualreproduction depends on an animal partner forassistance with pollination—the movement of pollengrains, produced by anthers, to receptive femalestigmatic surfaces. The number of animal speciesinvolved in pollination has been estimated at upward insects. Recent declines in populations of pollinatorsof all stripes, as it were, have rightly raised concernsabout global food security. 1 Pollinators contributed agricultural food production in 2005, amounting toalmost 10% of total global agricultural production fordirect human consumption. 2CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 41

Although the bulk of calories consumed by humans derive from windpollinatedgrains such as rice, wheat, and corn, insect pollination, inparticular, is disproportionately important in the global productionof fruits, vegetables, edible oil crops, stimulant crops, and nuts.Moreover, global production of crops pollinated by insects hasincreased dramatically over the past half-century, tripling the demandfor agricultural pollination services 3 and raising the specter of criticalshortages in the foreseeable future.It is no easy task to estimate the value of pollination services toagriculture or to predict their role in food security 4 seriously hampered by yawning data chasms relating to the size anddistribution of pollinator populations and to the relative magnitude ofApis mellifera, the western honey bee, is directly or indirectly responsiblefor production of over 90 crops in the United States alone, whichcollectively amount to approximately one-third of the American diet.Certain unique biological attributes contribute to the status of honeybees as premier managed pollinators, not just in the United States, butthroughout the world: large perennial colonies with tens of thousandsmonocultures, a generalized diet that allows honey bees to utilize atremendously broad variety of plant species, communication behaviorthat can direct foragers to particular locations and increase thelikelihood of cross-fertilization, and a predilection for nesting in cavitiesand their wooden box surrogates, which makes honey bees readilytransportable. Thus, in the United States, managed pollination servicesprovided by honey bees across the agricultural spectrum have beenvalued in excess of $15 billion. 1 The relative importance of managedpollination varies both quantitatively and qualitatively by crop; honeybees are, for example, responsible for pollinating 100% of almonds 5 Amongvegetables, 90% or more of commercial production of asparagus, dairy industry by virtue of contributing the bulk of pollination servicesfor producing alfalfa and clover, the main sources for cattle fodder, andthe value of crops that do not even absolutely require insect pollinatorsfor seed production, including soybeans, olives, and grapes, can beenhanced by bee visitation, which can improve yields and quality. Pottset al. 6 calculated that a loss of honey bee pollination services would Page 42 » Across the Divide » Berenbaum

fruits in the context of current consumption levels – and, owingto changing values and dietary practices, acreages planted infruits and vegetables worldwide have been steadily increasingworldwide, presaging a potential future of shortages andescalating prices.That data chasms exist with respect to pollinator identity,arising from the erroneous assumption that pollinationservices constitute an inexhaustible natural resource, notunlike sunlight. The National Agricultural Statistics Surveyof honey bees in 1947; this systematic survey recorded a60% decline in the number of colonies between 1947 and2005. 1 In late fall 2006 and continuing through 2007, suddenmassive inexplicable losses among managedhoney bee populations, ultimately associatedwith a distinct syndrome dubbed Colony AMONG VEGETABLES,Collapse Disorder, created acute shortages and90% OR MOREdramatically increased rental fees for honeyOF COMMERCIALbees, particularly among almond growers, whoat that time required the use of approximately PRODUCTION OF: • ASPARAGUSto meet the pollination needs of over 600,000 • AVOCADO • BROCCOLIfor pollination from just one commodity group• CARROT • CAULIFLOWERbillion) brought into sharp focus the need forbetter data on managed pollinator stocks. • CELERYSince that time, consistent standardized annual • CUCUMBERsurveys by the Bee Informed Partnership, a • ONIONnationwide collaboration aimed at documenting • PUMPKINand understanding colony losses, have chartedDEPENDS ON BEES.steady overwintering losses ranging between22% and 36%, well above anecdotally estimatedhistorical levels. At least for managed honeybees, there is a historical baseline; such baseline populationdata are essentially nonexistent for the vast majority ofpollinator species.Whatever the cause or causes of Colony Collapse Disorder CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 43

phenomenon of Colony Collapse Disorder made abundantly clear theprecarious status of American honey bees, contending with a myriadof challenges, including pathogens, parasites, pesticides, and modernmanagement practices, all of which interact in a diversity of ways.Linking all of the potential drivers of colony decline, however, is the factbee health on the national level and likely contributes to declines acrossthe pollinator spectrum. Urbanization, development, and monocultureagriculture are accompanied by regional losses in plant diversity, andhabitat loss not surprisingly has been linked to colony losses. In theUnited States, Naug 7 found that the amount of open land is directlycorrelated with honey yield and the ratio of open to developed land isinversely correlated with the proportion of colony losses. The problem of beebread, the fermented form of pollen stored in the hive andused as food for workers and larvae, was negatively correlated withlandscape coverage by farmland near hives and positively correlatedwith landscape coverage by woodlands and natural grasslands. 8 Other over three-quarters of plant species visited by bumble bees declinedin frequency. 6 Beyond changes in land use, extreme weather events, fact, heavy overwintering losses of honey bees in 2013 were thoughtto be linked to the severe summer drought across most of the countryavailability of nectar and pollen and increasing the need for individual losses, and, in view of the fact that among the predicted consequencesof global environmental change is an increasing frequency of extremeweather events, 9 food shortages for honey bees will likely increase infrequency and intensity.The loss of diversity is particularly problematical for A. mellifera, the very attributes that make the western honey bee so useful also makeit distinctively vulnerable. The large perennial colonies demandenormous inputs of nectar and pollen throughout the entire growingseason – from early spring through fall in temperate North America. evolutionary association with a diversity of food resources. Honey beesPage 44 » Across the Divide » Berenbaum

Honeycombs: decreased pollen varietyin their diet leave larval bees and theircolonies vulnerable to bacterial infectionsand opportunistic fungi, a problem

have evolved to consume a diversity of food sources, and a reduction infrom diverse sources increases honey bee immunocompetence. 10 exhibit superior resistance to bacterial infections and opportunistic Aspergillus species) in comparison with thoseconsuming pollen from a single pollen source, 11 and a diet of pollenfrom multiple species of plants improves the ability of bees to fendNosema ceranae, a devastating microsporidial pathogen, comparedwith a diet consisting of a single pollen type. 12Habitat loss due to landscape-scale conversion has long been aconcern in pollinator conservation, but the rates of habitat loss havebeen increasing because of changes in the economic and politicallandscape. In the United States, the Conservation Reserve Programcover, including, among others, pollinator habitat. In 2013, the totalacreage enrolled, 25.3 million acres, was the lowest total since 1988when the program had just started. In the United States Midwest,much of the land in the Conservation Reserve Program was takenout in order to plant corn for use as a biofuel feedstock, decreasingState,” less than 0.01% of native tall grass prairie remains undisturbed; Program). Landscape scale biofuel feedstock conversion had anIndiana, Missouri, and Ohio), much of the corn acreage expansion camehttp://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/2011-september/data-feature-where-did-the-corn-come-from.); unlike wind-pollinated corn, soybeans provideboth nectar and pollen for pollinators. Over the 2012 to 2013 season,among the leading causes of colony failure reported by beekeepers inbackyard or sideline operations was starvation. 13Imminent starvation has other impacts on the health of honey beecolonies in that, in the absence of adequate natural forage, beekeepersoften resort to replacing honey with sucrose or high fructose corn syrup.sucrose or high fructose corn syrup) have higher levels of expression 14 Multiple Page 46 » Across the Divide » Berenbaum

gluelike material processed from plant resins that bees use to line and enhance metabolism of both natural and synthetic toxins. Thesesame substances act as “nutraceuticals” and also upregulate immunitygenes. In their absence, the ability of honey bees to cope with multipleforms of environmental stress can be compromised.Beyond losses in quantity of food resources through outright habitatloss, honey bees also must cope with reductions in food quality throughhabitat degradation. Widespread contamination of landscapes byagricultural chemicals exacerbates the problems presented by decliningan electrostatic charge, honey bees are built to collect, retain, andtransport pollen grains, but the same morphological and behavioralattributes predispose them to collect contaminants and bring them tothe hive. The extent to which agricultural landscapes are contaminatedwith agrochemicals is dramatically illustrated by the discovery of pollen, and the bees themselves. 15 The most frequently encountered hive deliberately by beekeepers desperate to control the ectoparasiticvarroa mite, which kills bees directly by sucking hemolymph and whichweakens colonies by acting as a vector for more than a dozen viralpathogens. Although these two acaricides are individually safe forbees when used at therapeutic concentrations, when encountered atthe same time they synergize each other – that is, each enhances thetoxicity of the other. Thus, the virtually complete contamination of waxfoundation by these two pesticides renders honey bees vulnerable topesticide toxicity even in the absence of agrochemical contaminants.Almost as ubiquitous in the hive environment as acaricides arefungicides, widely used by farmers to cope with plant fungal diseases.Although designed to interfere with biochemical targets of fungi, unexpected) ways. The so-called ergosterol-biosynthesis-inhibiting an enzyme in the cytochrome P450 superfamily that regulates thebiosynthesis of ergosterol. Because animals rely on a structurally Although direct toxicity may in fact be low, it has long been knownCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 47

Succumbing to environmental stress:large-scale honey bee loss has a directquantities for human populations.

that these compounds interfere broadly with other cytochrome bee genome project revealed that honey bees have a dramatically is that there are few cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enzymesequipped to detoxify xenobiotics. 16 When two potential substratescompete for access to the same catalytic site of an enzyme, neither isalmost every class of insecticide introduced in the intervening years 17 Fungicidecontaminants thus have the potential for rendering other residuessubstantially more toxic.Fungicide contaminants in pollen can also render honey bees morevulnerable to their own fungal pathogens. Pettis et al. 18 examinedpollen brought back to hives by foraging bees and found high fungicideloads; moreover, bees consuming pollen heavily contaminated withfungicides were more susceptible to infection by the fungal pathogenN. ceranae. Two fungicides predictably found as contaminants inbeehives, chlorothalonil and pyraclostrobin, were associated with atwofold to threefold higher risk of Nosema infection. In addition tothat are potential inadvertent targets for fungicide contaminants.Honey bees do not eat substantial quantities of raw pollen; rather,pollen is processed in the hive via fermentation and converted to astorable form called beebread. Some of the fermentation is performedby lactic acid bacteria that are found in the “honey stomach”; thesebacteria likely colonize the stored pollen via regurgitated nectar thatis added to pollen during processing. 19 Beyond the endosymbioticmicrobial communities, bees also depend on fungi for processingpollen and making beebread. Over 20 years ago, Gilliam et al. 20species are symbiotic and which are environmental contaminantshas not yet been determined. What is known, however, is that beesthat forage in agricultural landscapes in which multiple fungicidesare used have vastly reduced fungal diversity in their hives. 21 Theimportance of fungal diversity to hive health is suggested by thephenomenon of “entombed pollen” – cells with pollen and beebreadthat are capped and never used as food. Such cells contain beebreadheavily contaminated with fungicides. 22CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 49

Neonicotinoids are neurotoxic pesticides formulated for systemicapplication that, although rarely present as contaminants in hives theUnited States, have nonetheless attracted the most attention from thegeneral public as problematical for bees. Some of the neonicotinoids impacts on survivorship and reproduction. Irrespective of theexposure risks and the sublethal and lethal impacts of these systemicpesticides, what is perhaps most troubling about them, in the contextof honey bee health, is not that they are used but how they are used.Neonicotinoids are widely used in conjunction with fungicides as seedand, through systemic distribution throughout the plant, against sapfeedingpests. Bees have clearly experienced mortality through directformulation), and, at least in theory, they can ingest potentially lethalamounts through contaminated nectar, pollen, and guttation water.Clearly, neonicotinoid pesticides that dislodge from the seeds to whichgrowers, who are paying a premium for a product that does not performas advertised. In addition, the use of systemic pesticides irrespectiveof whether pests are present violates long-established principles ofintegrated pest management, according to which pesticides are usedwhen pest pressures reach a level at which pest control treatments 23 They concluded that “these seedin most situations. Published data indicate that in most cases there isneonicotinoids versus not receiving any insect control treatment.Furthermore, neonicotinoid seed treatments as currently applied arePage 50 » Across the Divide » Berenbaum

of planting, which does not overlap with typical periods of activity forsome target pests of concern.”loss and degradation due to agricultural expansion to feed a hungryworld; although use of insecticides and other pesticides to combat practices present real-world risks to pollinator partners, which are thebest insurance Americans have for food security in the future.MAY R. BERENBAUM, PH.D.May Berenbaum graduated summa cum laude, with a B.S. degreeand honors in Biology, from Yale University in 1975 and received aPh.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell Universityin 1980. Following graduation, she joined the faculty of theDepartment of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has served as department head since 1992 andas Swanlund Chair of Entomology since 1996. Her research hasfocused on chemical mediation of interactions between insects andchemicals, and on applications of ecological principles in sustainablemanagement practices for natural and agricultural communities.and 35 book chapters. In November 2014,Professor Berenbaum was awarded theNational Medal of Science for her“pioneering studies on chemicalcoevolution and the genetic basisof insect-plant interaction, and forenthusiastic commitment to publicengagement that inspires othersabout the wonders of science.” TheNational Medal of Science is thenation’s highest honor for achievementof science and technology.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 51

REFERENCES1. National Academy of Sciences. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America.Washington, DC, National Academies Press.of world agriculture confronted with pollinator decline. Ecol Econ 68:810–821. 2009. The global stock of domesticated honey bees is growingslower than agricultural demand for pollination. Curr Biol 19:915–918. 2015. Where is the value in valuingpollination ecosystem services to agriculture? Ecol Econ 109:59–70.5. Morse RA, Calderone NW. 2000. The value of honey bee pollination in the UnitedStates. Bee Culture 128:1–15. 2010. Global pollinator declines: trends,impacts and drivers, Trends Ecol Evol 25:345–353.7. Naug D. 2009. Nutritional stress due to habitat loss may explain recent honey beecolony collapses. Biol Conserv 142:2369–2372. 2012. Honeybee nutrition islinked to landscape composition. Ecol Evol 4:4195–4206. 2007. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report.Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report ofthe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, p 104. Geneva, Switzerland,immunocompetence. Biol Lett 6:562–565. 2012. Nutritional limitation andresistance to opportunistic Aspergillus parasites in honey bee larva. J Invertebr Pathol111:68–73.12. Di Pasquale G, Salignon M, Le Conte Y, et al.honey bee health: do pollen quality and diversity matter? PLoS One 8:e72016. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072016. 2014. A National Survey of ManagedHoney Bee 2012-2013 Annual Colony Losses in the USA: Results From the Bee InformedPartnership. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/49861. Accessed January 28, 2015. 2013. Honey constituents upregulateProc NatlAcad Sci USA 110:8842–8846. 2010. High levels of miticides andagrochemicals in North American apiaries: implications for honey bee health. PLoSOne 5:e9754. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009754.Page 52 » Across the Divide » Berenbaum

pesticide sensitivity and environmental response in the honey bee. Insect Mol Biol15:615–636. 2013. The synergy of xenobiotics in honey bee Apis mellifera:Acta Biol Slov 56:11–25.2013. Crop pollination exposes honeybees to pesticides which alters their susceptibility to the gut pathogen Nosemaceranae. PLoS One 8:e70182. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070182. 2012. Symbionts as major modulators of insecthealth: lactic acid bacteria and honeybees. PLoS One 7:e33188. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033188. 1989. Microbiology of pollen and bee bread:taxonomy and enzymology of molds. Apidology 20:53–68.21. Yoder JA, Jajack AJ, Rosselot AE, et al. 2013. Fungicide contamination reducesmellifera, colonies. J Toxicol Environ Health A 76:587–600.condition in honey bee colonies associated with increased risk of colony mortality. JInvertebr Pathol 101:147–149.23. Myers C, Hill E.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 53

A MICROBIALFUTURE FORFOOD SECURITYby: RUSTY RODRIGUEZ, PH.D.

The coming of a new year bringsreflections on past events and thoughtsof the future. This new year, much ofthe focus has been on human conflictsand potential conflicts around theglobe. Although there are many goodreasons to be concerned with globalconflicts, there are much larger issuescivilization will deal with in the comingyears, such as climate change, naturalresource limitations, forced humanmigrations, and food security.The development of civilization over the millenniahas been driven by two fundamental needs: foodand water. Food production and water availabilityare inextricably linked, and inconsistencies in foodavailability have plagued humans throughouthistory. During the 1996 World Food Summit, food food to maintain a healthy and active life.” 1Moreover, food security is recognized as a criticalelement of political, social, and economic stability.Concerns over food production and water availabilityare well documented throughout historical recordsbased on the gods that societies recognized. Oncehumans transitioned from hunter/gatherer toagrarian lifestyles, they began to document manygods responsible for climate and crop production.From the Mesopotamians to Native Americans, godsplayed an important role in how people perceivedtheir world with a strong focus on agriculturalCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 55

sustainability and food security. So important were the deities ofagriculture, that, after the Romans brought home the spoils of wara plant disease caused by a fungal pathogen. This resulted in thegeneration of a new god, Robigus, to protect crops from disease. 2Concerns over food and water security continue as world foodproduction is being impacted by abiotic stresses such as drought,soil salinization, decreased water quality and availability, andtemperature extremes, all of which are being exacerbated by climatechange. 3 In addition, hurricanes/typhoons, tidal surges, and tsunamishave a devastating impact on agricultural productivity because ofsoil salinization. Considering the fact that less than ten plant speciessustain human life, the decreased production of any one speciesproduction is very sensitive to nighttime temperatures and, for everydegree increase above 24°C, production falls by 6 to 10%. In recent decrease rice production around the world.An obvious solution for mitigating climate-related impacts onagricultural production is to generate abiotic stress-tolerant cropplants that can endure exposure to drought, salt, and temperatureextremes. This should be feasible, because there are many examplesof plants in natural ecosystems that have adapted to abiotic stresses.It is interesting that all plants can perceive and respond to abioticstress, but very few plants in natural ecosystems are able to adapt tostress. Based on the known adaptive potential of native plants, twobasic approaches have been taken to generate stress-tolerant crops: these strategies, they have not been very fruitful and the generationof stress-tolerant crops remains a great challenge in agriculture. Thelack of success from these approaches may be due to an oversightregarding the role of microorganisms in plant ecology.Microorganisms have been instrumental in the development ofplant and animal life on earth. More than 3.5 billion years ago, lifeemerged on earth as anaerobic microorganisms. The geologicalrecord suggests that microbial photosynthesis played a crucial role inthe development of an atmosphere conducive to aerobic respirationPage 56 » Across the Divide » Rodriguez

1 to 2 billion years ago. That led to an explosion of biological diversityin the past billion years resulting in the emergence of land plants. Thefossil record indicates that when plants moved onto land 400 to 450 intimate associations as symbioses and that these associations span clear that all plants and animals are symbiotic with communities ofmicroorganisms and that the vast majority of these interactions arenonpathogenic. In fact, it appears that plants and animals cannotsurvive without their microbial communities, which play importantroles in their ecology, adaptation, and health. In short, symbiosiscan be viewed as fundamental to the development of complexmulticellular life on earth. microorganisms are able to confer one or more of the following1. Improve the nutritional health of plants either by directlyproviding nutrients or solubilizing chelated nutrients in soil,2. plant defense systems or directly attacking pathogens,3. vimeo.com/118646294)4. CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 57

FIG 1:STRESS TOLERANCE CONFERREDBY FUNGAL ENDOPHYTESHeat Tolerance to 70°FWATERMELONSalt Tolerance to 500mMTOMATOSYMBIOTIC38° - 42° - 50°38° - 42° - 50°Drought ToleranceTOMATODisease ResistanceCOWPEASYMBIOTIC14 DAYS6 DAYSNON-SYMBIOTICSYMBIOTICNON-SYMBIOTICPHYTOLACCA AMERICANAμg/ml)NATIVE BROME GRASSSYMBIOTICNON-SYMBIOTICSYMBIOTICNON-SYMBIOTICSYMBIOTICNON-SYMBIOTICNON-SYMBIOTICEACH PANEL DEPICTS STRESS TOLERANCE CONFERRED BY FUNGAL ENDOPHYTES.Redman et al. 2002, Science | Marquez et al. 2007, ScienceRodriguez et al. 2009, | Redman et al. 2011, PLoS OnePage 58 » Across the Divide » Rodriguez

with plants through complex developmental structures. Othersymbiotic microbes, such as bacterial and fungal endophytes,live either within plant cells or in the nonliving apoplastic spacesbetween plant cells. The bottom line is that plants are associatedwith a functionally and taxonomically diverse microbial communitythat resides inside plant tissues, on plant surfaces, and in the soilsurrounding plant root systems.More recently, it has become clear that certain groups of symbioticstudies in Yellowstone National Park demonstrated that plants growingin hot geothermal soils were not actually adapted to those temperatures.Instead, they formed symbiotic associations with fungal endophytesthat conferred heat tolerance. When the plants and fungi were grownindividually, neither was able to survive temperatures above 38°C.However, when the fungus was reintroduced into the plants, they wereable to grow at temperatures up to 65°C. Additional research revealedthat there was also a double-stranded RNA virus involved in the processof fungal-conferred heat tolerance. Other studies have demonstratedthat, in high-stress habitats, plants do not commonly adapt themselves tostress and depend on fungal endophytes for stress tolerance and survival.Can our knowledge of plant-microbe interactions be used to developnew technology for enhancing agricultural sustainability and foodsecurity? There are at least four areas where microorganisms can beused to improve food security:1. Symbiotic and free-living microorganisms can providenitrogen and phosphorus to plants.These two nutrients are required for crop production and areconsidered major limiting factors for increased productionowing to limited synthetic sources and costs of production.2. Symbiotic and free-living microorganisms can providedisease protection.Plant diseases have been a problem throughout history anddisease-resistant plants.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 59

3. Symbiotic microorganisms can alter plant physiology andSome symbiotic microorganisms improve nutrient useThis may result from symbiotically induced increasedchlorophyll levels, phenolic compounds, photosyntheticincreased root and shoot biomass, and greater yields. Inaddition, some microbes produce plant hormones thataccelerate root and shoot growth.4. Symbiotic microorganisms can confer abiotic stresstolerance to plants.Food production and water availability are inextricably linked,and most agriculture depends on annual rainfall, somethingthat continues to become less dependable with climate change.The ability of microbes to decrease plant water consumptionplants to be more drought tolerant and has the potential forallowing agricultural production on marginal lands. Symbioticallyconferred temperature tolerance could provide strategies tomaintain the production of key crops like rice when plants areexposed to elevated nighttime temperatures. The ability of somesymbiotic microbes to confer salt tolerance to plants may allowfor production in saline soils and irrigation with saline water, bothof which are increasing around the planet. of microorganisms in agriculture and many commercial products As with most new technologies, there is a need for new regulatorythese aspects of microbial technology will develop rapidly and allowfor agriculture to maintain production levels necessary to sustain arapidly growing human population.The full potential of microorganisms in agriculture is, at this point,unknown, because so many aspects of plant-microbe interactions arepoorly understood or unknown. However, it is clear that microorganisms both intracellular and intercellular; leaf, stem, and root surfaces; andrhizosphere soil surrounding root systems). More importantly, thePage 60 » Across the Divide » Rodriguez

limited number of crop species that sustain the world population and ourcurrent understanding of plant-microbe interactions make it possible todesign strategies for preempting the disruptions in food security caused other unforeseen problems. Small communities of indigenous plantassociatedmicroorganisms can be designed at regional geographic levelsfor important crop varieties to reinitiate production after disruptionsin food security. However, such strategies require a paradigm shift incurrent views on agriculture to include microorganisms as a requirement preserving plant seeds for future production, genetic diversity, and thein preserving the microorganisms necessary for plant health and survival.In the coming years, it will become common knowledge that foodsecurity depends on the interaction between crop plants and acommunity of microorganisms. It will only be the lack of creativethought that limits the potential of microbial technology for sustainingfood security in the future.REFERENCES Food security. http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story028/en/. Accessed January 2015. 1967. Famine on the Wind. Rand McNally & Co., Chicago, IL. Climate change 2013: thephysical science basis. http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/ Accessed January 2015.RUSTY RODRIGUEZ, PH.D.Rusty Rodriguez is a microbiologist who has studied symbioticinteractions between plants and endophytic fungi for more than 25years. He obtained a Ph.D. in Microbial Physiologyfrom Oregon State University before workingwith the Fish & Wildlife Service in Seattle,Washington. In 2012, he left the government toto pursue basic symbiosis research andexpand his company Adaptive SymbioticTechnologies to apply symbiotictechnologies to real-world problems.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 61

WITHDr. Jane GoodallINTERVIEWED BYEDITOR-IN-CHIEF JASON RAO

JASON: You are best known for your work withthe Gombe chimpanzees and the world over hasbeen moved by the images and impact of thatwork throughout your career. But what peoplemay not know is that you continue to travel nearly300 days a year, advocating not only for animals, but for sustainablefoods and, more broadly, our environment. Many people may notrecognize the importance of these issues; what is it that drove you toaddress them?DR. GOODALL: I left Gombe when I realized, at a conferencein 1986, “Understanding Chimpanzees,” that their numbers weredecreasing at an alarming rate across their range in Africa becausefor food) and killing mothers to take infants for pets – entertainment,medical research, and being caught in snares set for other animals. Ifelt I had to do something to help. I visited various range countries toraise awareness and, in so doing, learned about the terrible povertyof so many people living around wilderness areas. A few years laterto see that, whereas the tiny national park had been part of acontiguous stretch of forest along the east shore of Lake Tanganyika,it was now an oasis of forest surrounded by almost completely barehills. Population growth, more people than the land could support,overused farmland, people too poor to buy food elsewhere, werevery visible issues. I knew that we could not even try to save thelast chimpanzees there unless we could improve the lives of theseGeorge Strunden who supported my passionate belief that there wasno point in addressing agriculture without also addressing healthand – especially – education. We worked with the local Tanzaniangovernment to improve village clinics and schools, and we providedmicrocredit programs for women, scholarships to keep girls in school,improves, family size tends to drop.)CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 63

A Few of Jane’s MajorAccomplishments:ESTABLISHED THEJANE GOODALL INSTITUTE(JANEGOODALL.ORG) IN 1977NAMED THECHIMPANZEESSHE WASSTUDYING(NORMALLYNUMBERS WERE ASSIGNED INORDER TO REMOVETHE POSSIBILITY OF THERESEARCHER BECOMINGATTACHED TO THE SUBJECTS)DISCOVERED THAT CHIMPANZEESHAVE THE MENTAL CAPACITY TONOT ONLY USE SIMPLE TOOLSBUT TO ACTUALLY MAKE THEMAS WELL, SOMETHING THAT HADPREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BEUNIQUELY HUMANNAMED A UNITED NATIONSMESSENGER OF PEACE IN 2002NAMED DAME COMMANDEROF THE ORDER OF THEBRITISH EMPIRE IN 2004WON THE FRENCH LEGIONOF HONOR, JAPAN’SPRESTIGIOUS KYOTO PRIZE,THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MEDALIN LIFE SCIENCE, THE GANDHI-KING AWARD FOR NONVIOLENCE,AND THE SPANISH PRINCE OFASTURIAS AWARDSThe farming methods developed fertility to the soil without theuse of chemical fertilizers andgrowing food without chemicalpesticides and herbicides. Ibecame extremely enthusiasticabout small family farms, and waysof using the land so as to producemore food per acre without theneed to cut down the remainingtrees. And, as the people came totrust us, they began setting asideland for regeneration, particularlyin areas where it would protect thewatershed. The forest is returningto steep slopes, the chimpanzeeshave more habitat, and the peopleJASON: In your book, Harvest forHope, you talk about chimpanzeesand other species that are subjectto overcrowding and scarcity ofresources. While humans arequickly becoming subject to the realize the looming threat offood insecurity. What can we learnfrom chimps?DR. GOODALL: In undisturbedhabitats, chimpanzees neveroverpopulate their environment.A female seldom has more reproductive age because spacingbetween live infants is around5 years and infant mortality isquite high. The size of the mainstudy community at Gombe hasremained remarkably stable over55 years. This is how things work

Young researcher Jane Goodall with David Greybeard at hercamp in Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanganyika.in hunter-gatherer societies. Now that humans are “domesticated,”we have to learn to use common sense to limit the number ofchildren per family.JASON:The Jane Goodall Institute has set out to inspire and empoweryoung people to make the world a better place for all. Indeed, JGIhas done some powerful work toward addressing climate change,reducing deforestation, and promoting sustainable agriculture.Our readers come from 160+ countries, spanning a wide range ofbackgrounds, and many are young biologists interested in helping.DR. GOODALL: the consequences of what we buy – for the purpose of this interview,what we eat. Where did it come from? How far did it travel? Did itslabor? Cruelty to animals? In order to make wise choices, we willprobably have to learn more about the issues so we can make evenwiser decisions. The main problem is that people think their ownthousands, then millions of people can make wise, educated choices,we will make massive change.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 65

JASON: This issue explores the daunting topic of global foodsecurity, recognizing science as the key to meeting the challenge weall share. In your view, what role can science play in catalyzing thechanges needed for food production to ensure the health of futuregenerations – but also the planet as a whole?DR. GOODALL:nature. The methods used in agroecology and permaculture, for example,involve working with rather than against nature and maintaining thehealth of the soil without the use of damaging agricultural chemicals.I believe in the real importance of small family farms and listening tothe wisdom of local farmers, recognizing how they have often developedstrains of crops most suitable for local conditions.of storing grain and preserving foods. Cell phones enable farmers tocheck on the market situation so that they know the best time to delivertheir produce to the nearest market. And farmers can make betterdecisions about when to plant or harvest, because it is now possible tomore accurately predict weather conditions. Science has also developedthe remarkable technologies of aquaculture and aquaponics.the environment. The development of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanekinds of animals and led to human health problems: it was Rachelin country after country.The spraying of various pesticides and herbicides today can have around the globe working to prove the link between the use ofcertain chemicals with various human diseases.It was science that promoted the introduction of hormonesthe humans eating it. And science advocated the useof antibiotics to keep livestock alive in the barbaricconditions of the factory farms around theworld, so that bacteria have increasingly builtup resistance. The introduction of genetically organisms, GMOs) is, to me, very frightening.Page 66 » In Conversation

“The mainmessage of ouryouth program isevery individualmakes aevery day.”– DR. JANE GOODALLCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 67

From left to right: Young researcher JaneGoodall in Gombe Stream ChimpanzeeReserve in Tanganyika.Dr. Jane Goodall with LaVielle at the JGITchimpounga Chimpanzee RehabilitationCenter in the Republic of Congo.Dr. Jane Goodall in Gombe National Park. that have developed resistance to herbicides) is a growing problem.Genetically engineered food plants were supposed to mean thatfarmers used fewer chemical herbicides, but in many places they arenow using considerably more: to deal with some resistant agriculturalweeds, farmers are advised to use a cocktail of herbicides, includingthe main ingredient of agent orange.Moreover, tests of GMOs on animals have shown many harmful animals fed non-GMO diets of the same foods. I learned a good dealabout the subject during my research for both Harvest for Hopeand Seeds of Hope. A new book by Dr. Steven Drucker, Altered GenesPage 68 » In Conversation

and Twisted Truth description of faulty science, deception, and bullying by the powerfulagribusiness industry.JASON: In your book, Seeds of Hope, you provide examples ofsustainable farming cooperatives with three of your favoriteCultures). Whatingredients from those success stories can be applied globally inother food production settings?DR. GOODALL: All of those operations involve small family farmsand enthusiastic cooperation with local people. All of them areconcerned with the health of the environment – which in some casesinvolved restoring forest cover. And – particularly in the case of thelivelihood of the local people and of education.JASON: never know, including eating food from virtually every corner of theworld. Can you share one experience with us that changed the wayyou thought about food?DR. GOODALL:As I traveled around, I realized that something eaten with relish inone place is viewed with revulsion in another. And I realized that, ofcourse, it all depends on what you are fed as a child.If I had grown up eating beetle grubs, or sea cucumber or raw brain a delicacy, whereas, in fact, just the thought turns my stomach!I grew up, from the age of 5, in wartime Britain. Food was rationed.Families with children received occasional food parcels from “thecolonies” and ours included dry egg powder that was used inmaking scrambled eggs and omelets. After the war, I wasutterly revolted by “real” eggs. If I was presented with a softboiled egg or a sunny-side-up fried egg, I was – and still am– made nauseous. So when I brought my son up I fed himfeel sick to feed the soft eggs to him). As a result he enjoys both.JASON: Certainly you are not blind to the stark reality of globalfood security. What inspires you to believe we can collectively meetthis challenge?CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 69

DR. GOODALL: solutions. In fact, they are out there. The question is – will we embracethose solutions? So long as agribusiness is so powerful, destroying theneed to move away from factory farms, GMOs, monocultures, and heavyreliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.We have to think in terms of permaculture and agroecology. We have tohappening in more and more countries) for urban farming. This was howmany Cubans managed to survive after the American sanctions. We needaquaculture and aquaponics. We have to create more allotments in ourcities and towns. We are fortunate to have a garden attached to our housemany vegetables. Indeed, this is a growing trend. And more and morepeople are growing food on their verandas, their window boxes, and soon. We should make more use of vertical space – there is a growing trendfor green walls and, while they are mostly decorative, there are manytypes of foods that can be grown on green walls.We must eat less and less meat. Given that climate change is going CO 2 , it is important to realize that huge areas of forest are destroyedeach year to grow grain to feed the increasing number of livestockworldwide or to graze livestock. Given that shrinking supplies of freshwater pose another threat to agriculture, it is important also to realizethat it takes much more water to turn vegetable protein into animalprotein than to grow crops. And given that methane is a more potentgreenhouse gas than CO 2 , it is important to understand that vastamounts of methane are produced by the belches and farts of food cruelty to millions of animals.)We must alleviate poverty, increase awareness, and address theunsustainable, greedy, and materialistic lifestyle of the “western” and support farmers markets.We must realize the extreme importance of wise family planning. For,way that food production will be able to meet demand.Page 70 » In Conversation

JASON: We have to ask...what is your favorite fermented beverage?DR. GOODALL: A good organic red wine such as those produced byMarais Vineyards in the south of France, where biodynamic technologiesare used. Also, scotch whiskey with a splash of water.WHAT JANE GOODALL EATS FOR BREAKFASTWE ASKED JANE & OTHER CULTURES READERS WHAT THEY EAT FOR BREAKFAST:“The bread and cheese slices are saved from last night’s dinner and are best paired withSEE RESPONSES FROM OTHER READERS IN VOICES, STARTING ON PAGE 72.BIODr. Jane GoodallJane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE - founder of the Jane Goodall Instituteand UN Messenger of Peace. World renowned primatologistand conservationist best known for her landmark study onthe behavior of wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park inTanzania. Learn more at www.janegoodall.org.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 71

Page 72 » Voices

In this issue, CULTURES asked ourreaders to share a photo of a typicalbreakfast in their country. We receivedsubmissions from 22 countries! Somestaff favorites are included here, and allthe submissions can be seen online atasm.org/cultures.THAILANDKHAO TOM GOONGSUBMITTED BY: P ONGPAN LAKSANALAMAI1. RICE2. SHRIMP3. BONITO FISH SOUP STOCK4. FRIED GARLIC5. CILANTRO6. RED PEPPER7. LIGHT SOY SAUCEThis Thai rice soup is traditionally served warm. It is a good wayto use up left over rice from the day before. The shrimp can besubstituted for any meat of your choice.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 73

INDIANEER DOSAINDIAN RICE PANCAKESUBMITTED BY: GISELLE RAISA DSOUZA1. GROUND RICE BATTER2. GREEN GRAM SPROUT3. MIXED VEG CURRY(CARROT, BEANS, SPINACH, CORN, CURRY LEAF)4. CUCUMBER SALADNeer dosa, a Karnataka breakfast fare, literally means ‘water crepe’since the batter is of flowing water consistency. This dish should alwaysbe served hot with fried chicken masala / fish / mutton which adds toits taste. Vegetarians enjoy Neer dosa with spicy tomato chutney orcoconut chutney, green gram gravy, sambar, rasayana (mango withcoconut milk) and a sweet mixture of jaggery and fresh coconut.Page 74 » Voices

EGYPTF OOL DISHSUBMITTED BY: TANIA KURBESSOIAN1. FAVA BEANS2. ONIONS3. PARSLEY4. TOMATOES5. OLIVE OIL6. LEMON JUICE7. SALT AND PEPPERThis meal has many variations and is seen mainly in Egypt and Arabiccountries. We usually eat this dish on Sunday. The beans are usuallymashed or served with chickpeas, cucumbers, and crunchy green orred peppers chopped up into it. Personally, I add my beans and soakthem up in lemon juice and olive oil and mash down the beans; otherslike to retain the bean. Wealso add pita, either driedthrough baking it, or softand fresh to scoop up the mealwith. Many people, likemy father, like to sliceonions and use themas the scoop -which is prettyintense in myopinion.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 75

USAEGGS ON A CLOUDSUBMITTED BY: CATHY NGUYEN1. EGGS2. BACON (OPTIONAL)3. TOAST (OPTIONAL)4. BUTTER FOR GREASING PANThough eggs on a cloud takes a bit more time than the typical eggdish, it’s fun to make! Its unique texture can be enjoyed as is, withcrispy bacon strips, or fresh avocado slices.Page 76 » Voices

NEPALKHANA SETSUBMITTED BY: SHISHIR SHARMA1. STEAMED RICE2. PULSE SOUP3. GREEN BEANS WITH POTATO & CABBAGE4. CHICKEN EGG OMELET5. YOGURT WITH HONEYThis breakfast is best served with balanced ingredients (1 partrice or roti, 2 part vegetable, 1 part pulse soup) on a brass plate (atraditional practice) with freshly prepared homemade yogurt and agenerous drizzle of honey to counter the sourness. It can be servedvegetarian as well as non-vegetarian by adding mutton or chicken.The addition of achar (a type of pickle), green salad (optional), anda glass of milk or fresh fruit juice makes it an ideal lunch or dinneroption as well.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 77

AFRICANWOMEN INAGRICULTURALRESEARCH ANDDEVELOPMENT(AWARD)PG. 79BIOVERSITYINTERNATIONALCONCERNWORLDWIDEPG. 81As a multi-faceted challenge, food security demandsmulti-faceted solutions. This section highlights thediverse approaches organizations are taking to ensurefood security in communities around the world.INDIGENOUSFOOD AND AGINITIATIVESALT FARM TEXELPG. 83SHIDHULAISWANIRVARSANGSTHAPG. 85SUSTAINABLEAGRICULTURETANZINIAPG. 87Page 78 » On the Ground

AFRICAN WOMEN INAGRICULTURAL RESEARCHAND DEVELOPMENT (AWARD)AWARD is a career development program that equips top womenagricultural scientists across sub-Saharan Africa to accelerateagricultural gains by strengthening their research and leadership skillsthrough tailored fellowships. AWARD is a catalyst for innovationswith a high potential to contribute to the prosperity and well-being ofAfrican small-holder farmers, most of whom are women.WEBSITE: www.awardfellowships.orgWhat can the world do to improvefood security for all nations?As citizens of the global village, wecan all ensure that participatory youth) are put in place at all levelsof food production, i.e., researchand development, food production,resource distribution, and even policyand decision making so that there isinput from all concerned parties inensuring consistent food production,and eventually food security. It is alsoimportant for nations to realize thatthrough collaboration, by knowledge,skills, and information sharing, therewill be greater success in eradicatingAWARD Fellow Bettie Kawonga, one ofFoundation/Tony Blair InitiativeFellowship worth $150, 000.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 79

BIOVERSITYINTERNATIONALOur mission is to deliver scientific evidence, managementpractices, and policy options to use and safeguard agriculturaland tree biodiversity to attain sustainable globalfood and nutrition security.WEBSITE: www.bioversityinternational.orgWhat can the world do to improvefood security for all nations?Until recently, the focus of mostnutrition work has been to fortifyfoods with single nutrients, or to focus diets – e.g., low fat, low sugar, low salt.We believe that this is a very medicalapproach to nutrition. At BioversityInternational, we focus on the wholeof diet, which is an approach that willserve people throughout their lives.There are sure to be successes and failures,but nonetheless 2015 will mark amilestone for goals set forth by the UnitedNation’s Millennium DevelopmentGoals. What advice can you give ourreaders on what it will take to ensurewe meet similar goals in the future?The idea is to promote a world withmore equity. The solution lies in these types of policy decisions, bridgingagriculture and conservation solutions.Page 80 » On the Ground

CONCERN WORLDWIDEFor more than 45 years, Concern Worldwide has partnered with localpeople to do whatever it takes to help them improve their conditions,and to create communities that can thrive without our ongoingsupport. We provide humanitarian assistance in the midst of war,famine, natural disaster, and outbreaks of disease, and we stay afterthe crisis subsides to work with communities to create sustainablechange and drive long-term development.WEBSITE: www.concernusa.orgThere are sure to be successes andfailures, but nonetheless 2015 willmark a milestone for goals set forthby the United Nation’s MillenniumDevelopment Goals. What advice canyou give our readers on what it willtake to ensure we meet similar goalsin the future?When we look at hunger, it is criticalthat we focus on the quality of food,not just the quantity. Nutrition is thefoundation for development and yet,according to the 2014 Global HungerIndex, which we coauthor each year,a staggering two billion people getinsufficient essential vitamins andminerals from the foods they eat,so they remain malnourished. This“hidden hunger” is often hard todetect, but the effects are devastatingand can lead to mental impairment,poor health, and even death.This “hidden hunger” also wreakseconomic havoc, locking countriesinto cycles of poor nutrition, lostproductivity, poverty, and reducedeconomic growth.Proven interventions to combat hungerexist, but, because malnutrition hasmany causes, the only way to trulytackle it is for a number of sectors towork together. As the framework forthe Sustainable Development Goalsis being developed,nutrition willneed to beconsideredacross anumberof relatedgoalsthat canhave animpacton it.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 81

GARDENS FOR HEALTHINTERNATIONALGardens for Health works to provide lasting agricultural solutionsto chronic malnutrition by partnering with government healthclinics to provide families with the education, seeds, and supportto grow nutritious home gardens and overcome malnutrition forthe long term. We also partner with the Government of Rwanda toadvocate for policies and programs that use agriculture as a driverof improved health outcomes.WEBSITE: www.gardensforhealth.orgWhat can the world do to improvefood security for all nations?A lack of access to nutritious foods anda lack of education about what to eatand how to prepare it drive high ratesof food insecurity and malnutrition.We can address these twin challenges policies that recognize the agency offamilies, make healthy food available,and provide education aroundpurchasing decisions and cookingpractices that will improve diets.Page 82 » On the Ground

INDIGENOUS FOOD ANDAGRICULTURE INITIATIVEThe Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative focuses onbuilding strong tribal government governance structures in foodand agriculture; strategic business and community developmentin food and agriculture; food resiliency and food recovery;professional development in critical areas important to thesustainability and strength of indigenous food and agriculture;and educating the next generation of tribal leaders.WEBSITE: www.law.uark.edu/ifai/Which food security issue is mostcritical to your country or region?In Indian Country, daily challengesinclude: high unemployment, highrates of diabetes and other healthchallenges, high suicide rates, and lackof basic infrastructure. Many of ourcommunities lack access to healthy,of Indian Country is in what is knownas a “food desert.” One of the mostimportant things we can do in IndianCountry to improve our communities isto focus on food access and productionof healthy, nutritionally dense foods.are at a critical time and if we excludethese young people, we only challengetheir and our own future.What can the world do to better toimprove food security for all nations?We have to focus on our youth rightof all types must incorporate the mindsand energies of our young people. Weat the Indigenous Food andAgriculture Initiative

SALT FARM TEXELSalt Farm Texel is dedicated to locating, testing, and breedingnormal crop varieties that have a high saline tolerance. Thisincludes a wide variety of vegetables and fruits from cabbagesto strawberries. Currently, we have a potato variety that is fourtimes more saline tolerant than other potato varieties. Followingsuccessful field tests at Salt Farm Texel, the next phase of testingfor this potato is currently underway in Pakistan, where brackishgroundwater is affecting crop yields and quality.WEBSITE: www.saltfarmtexel.comWhat is the most critical food securityissue the world is facing?The availability of fresh water will bethe greatest problem in the future. Thatis why we are developing salt-tolerantcrops that also taste good. We view thesalinization from around the worldas an opportunity to developnew business models.Page 84 » On the Ground

SHIDHULAISWANIRVAR SANGSTHAIn Bangladesh, flooding has become more severe. ShidhulaiSwanirvar Sangstha designed a “floating garden” with a duckcoop, fish enclosures, and a vegetable garden moored to theriverbank to help landless farmers live with rising waters.WEBSITE: www.shidhulai.orgWhich food security issue is mostcritical to your country or region?The demographic pressures andincreased urbanization have caused thecultivated area to decline. Nearly 40%of the rural population is landless, andThere are sure to be successes andfailures, but nonetheless 2015 will marka milestone for goals set forth by theUnited Nation’s MillenniumDevelopment Goals.What advice can yougive our readers onwhat it will take toensure we meet similargoals in the future?Connect globalinnovators with thelocal communityleaders to createequitable partnershipsto solve problems.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 85

SUSTAINABLEAGRICULTURE TANZANIASustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) is a grassroots organizationworking directly with small-scale farmers in the Morogoro region.Our area of focus has been on the use of locally available materials,mostly from plant sources, to produce useful inputs such as fertilizersand botanical extracts for use in the farm during crop production.The center has accommodated more than 600 farmers on weeklongcourses that range from organic agriculture basics, permaculturedesign, conservation agriculture, food processing, value addition, andnatural medicine to animal production. At SAT, we work hand-inhandwith farmers to see together the opportunities and strengthsthat make sustainable agriculture a huge success.WEBSITE: www.kilimo.orgWhich food security issue is most critical to yourcountry or region?In Tanzania, access to inputs and knowledge is stilla major challenge in food production. The majorityscale producers and depend on agriculture fortheir livelihoods.Page 86 » On the Ground

SLOW FOODSlow Food was founded to counter the rise of fast food and fast lifeand the disappearance of local food traditions and to encourage peopleto be aware of the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes,works to protect food biodiversity and to create a more sustainablefood system by launching projects and campaigns, organizing events,raising awareness about the downsides of our current food system,and proposing better consumption and production models.WEBSITE: www.slowfoodusa.org / www.slowfood.comThere are sure to be successes andfailures, but nonetheless 2015 willmark a milestone for goals set forthby the United Nation’s MillenniumDevelopment Goals. What advice canyou give our readers on what it willtake to ensure we meet similar goalsin the future?A paradigm shift and a reversal of thecurrent situation are possible if peoplestart looking at the bigger picture and peoplein othercountries.We needto makesure that we manage limited resourcesresponsibly, start consideringenvironmental factors and product originin our choices, consume local and diversefoods, and limit meat consumption, aswell as favor artisanal and local productsover imported and industrial foods wherepossible. We all have our part to play!CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 87

WHATWEDON’TKNOWCAN WE EAT OURWAY TO A CANCER-FREE WORLD?Read the full article online atasm.org/cultures

THE INTERSECTION OFNUTRITION AND CANCER:THE HIDDEN ROAD MAP TO A CANCER-FREE EXISTENCEREVEALED WITHIN NATURE’S MEDICINE CABINETCancer research continues toevolve, not only seeking to fightand cure cancer post diagnosis, butalso prevent the disease from everstarting. Central to this paradigm arelifestyle changes, with nutrition, dietand exercise as the foundation forimproving our chances. Understandingthe role of fructose, in particular, isessential. In order to battle cancer withnutrition, we must better understandits role in both the development andprevention of cancer.by: Richard T. Arkwright, Paige MarieHayes, and Q. Ping Dou

Cancer is a ubiquitous and insidious malady that has increased regardless of race, background, or socioeconomic status. However, and biological factors that predispose distinct groups to developingcancer. These include genetic variations, carcinogen exposure “hallmark” set of characteristics, described by Drs. Hanahan andWeinberg that allow cancer to initiate, invade, and metastasize.1Most research on the role of nutrition in cancer has centered around [HFCS]), and many more. Although the studies on “cancer initiationand carcinogens/carcinogenesis” are important with respect to thedevelopment of targeted drug design and to the understanding of should avoid, we must also contemplate the opposite, and seek toidentify activities, nutritional plans, and supplements that can preventcancer, either through deterrence or by actively and selectively killingthe initial cancerous cells. Dietary products with such attributes have foods.” Cancer imposes a tremendous economic burden on society, want to identify and deter the consumption of high-risk dietarycabinet” into our diets via policy and regulation. The ultimateresponsibility, however, lies with the individual to integrate the vastknowledge that biological science has produced to generate andmaintain a healthy lifestyle utilizing nutrition, exercise, and avoidanceof lifestyle-associated carcinogens to help decrease his/her individualrisk of developing cancer.The biological mechanisms and pathways associated withcarcinogenesis are beyond the scope of this article. However, thecorrelation between cancer, nutrition, and obesity are well-known andand it is believed to be the result of an overall increase in systemic individual countries have variable rates, and several confounding have their own distinct cultures and diets that provide epidemiologistsPage 90 » On the Ground

etween countries relative to nutritional composition. By studying identify the risk factors associated with increases in cancer incidence,as well as identify nutritional factors thatmay lead to a decreased risk of cancer.The Western diet is associated with ahigher-than-average risk for both cancerand obesity. According to the AmericanCancer Society2 and the NationalLeague of Cities,3 cancer and obesity the health care system and society as awhole, estimated at a combined $407billion per year in the United States alone billion). Research has demonstratedthat certain diets are associated with agreater risk of cancer than others, andthe portions of Western society thatconsume a “high caloric and nutrientpoor diet” are at an increased risk ofboth cancer and obesity relative to thosewho eat a more “balanced,” calorically are cultural, while others are the resultsand well-balanced diet can be relativelyexpensive, and oftentimes the availabilityand access to these “functional foods” islimited because of their expense. successful in protecting the American farmer, as well as increasingthe availability and decreasing the cost of corn and corn by-productsnatural sugar alternatives), and have consequently decreased thecost of these foods to the consumers. However, a recent editorialpublished in Nutrition4 shows that the steep increase in the amountof HFCS consumed over the past 35 years in the United States iscorrelated with concurrent increases in the rates of both obesity andCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 91

cancer. Interestingly, the consumption of fats in the United States hasindicates that a high sugar and carbohydrate diet may be a greaterrisk factor for obesity than the consumption of fat in the diet alone. Insweeteners, is immediately and directly converted into fat by theliver, while glucose is maintained at stable levels in the blood stream brain can process; consequently, it cannot process fructose. Althoughthe consumption of glucose is also associated with an increased riskof obesity and cancer, the kinetics are far more tolerant with regardto the safe amounts of sugar or carbohydrates necessary to elicitOverall, consumption of carbohydrates and sugars should also belimited, but the composition of the sugars we do consume is alsoimportant to consider. For example, it has been shown that increasedsugar concentration is associated with increased resistance tochemotherapeutic agents such as metformin.6 In addition, it has beenshown that tumors are more aggressive when exposed to fructoserelative to glucose.7 Furthermore, fructose, especially HFCS, hasa variety of enzymes and genes associated with cancer progression.Page 92 » On the Ground

Also, fructose has been shown to promote protein synthesis due tocycle,” which indirectly increases tumor growth through the inductionof protein synthesis. One of the key “hallmarks of cancer” is knownallow for rapid cell division. The enhancement of protein metabolism HFCS. In fact, HFCS has been shown to promote obesity, type 2diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and more aggressive tumorphenotypes. As the Nutrition editorial states, “…Fructose has becomeubiquitous in the food supply, with the largest groups of consumersbeing teens and young adults. Therefore, understanding the potentialhealth consequences of fructose and its role in the development ofchronic disease is critical.”6 To battle cancer with nutrition, we mustbetter understand its role in both the development and preventionof cancer.Another important component to battling cancer through nutrition iseducation. Many people are confused, misinformed, or uninterested necessary to help the average individual make economically andbiologically sound decisions when it comes to nutrition and diet.Avoiding carcinogens and incorporating “super foods” or “functional incidence and quality of life. Health-conscious initiatives aimed atencouraging the production and incorporation of functional foodscould help to decrease the burden of obesity and cancer on the healthcare system. To achieve this goal, we must encourage a healthy dietand utilize natural solutions. enhanced synthetic analogs) inhibits cancer cell growth, associatedwith activation of a protein known as adenosine monophosphate Our results indicate that green tea polyphenols inhibit cancer CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 93

have been shown to suppress cancer-stem cell population in humanbreast cancer cells, which are believed to be the cells responsible forcancer chemoresistance, invasion, metastasis, and recurrence.Other potent natural compounds found in nutrient-rich functional through the inhibition of key genes involved in cell growth, and the from our laboratory has indicated that DIM also activates AMPK inhuman prostate cancer cells, resulting in inhibition of cell growth and DIM may also be used as an anticancer agent for the prevention andtreatment of prostate cancer regardless of androgen status. Anotherpotent natural compound that activates AMPK is resveratrol, a dietary plants including grapes, berries, and peanuts. Resveratrol has beenreported to activate AMPK and may also be useful in the treatment ofdiabetes mellitus and metabolic syndromes. Interestingly, resveratrol exercise substitute by inducing metabolism.Other ways to incorporate these anticancer natural compoundsmost popular herbal medicines worldwide. Ginseng has been shownphysical and sexual performance, as well as treating cancer, diabetesmellitus, and hypertension. Other supplements with reportedanticancer properties include dandelion-root extract, vitamins D andK, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and lycopene. Spices with purportedanticancer attributes include garlic, oregano, cayenne, and turmeric, tomechanisms, and further research is necessary to determine theprecise mechanisms of anticancer/cancer-preventive activities thatthese products may possess. However, the integration of the knowninformation on carcinogenesis, food, nutrition, supplements, andspices could be used to construct an ideal diet, which could be utilizedbefore initiation. Furthermore, research on the active ingredientspresent in these compounds could be used to create syntheticallyPage 94 » On the Ground

enhanced derivatives, which may beuseful in the treatment of cancer asnovel chemotherapeutics.“EDUCATIONALEFFORTS ARENECESSARY TOHELP THE AVERAGEINDIVIDUAL MAKEIn conclusion, many of the earlydiscoveries pertaining to cancerconcerned its origins and sought todevelop treatments for the diseasepost initiation. The new paradigmECONOMICALLYis to prevent the disease from everinitiating through the incorporationand integration of the combinedknowledge in the development of ahealthy lifestyle and diet plan. WeWHEN IT COMEShave only recently begun to look atthe potential of natural compounds TO NUTRITIONas a source for novel anticancer/cancer-preventive therapies, evenAND DIET.”though they have been used in herbalremedies and medicine for centuries. Countless compounds have cabinet.” Yet, even armed with the knowledge to develop a healthierdiet, many sociological and economic hurdles exist with regardto the accessibility of these resources to the masses. The issue ofworldwide hunger and access to nutritious foods is a complex andtitanic task to tackle. One potential solution to this problem is toencourage local growing initiatives that would provide the producefor the surrounding community, possibly utilizing hydroponic and of functional food production. In addition, government policies likethe farm bill and corn subsidies could be used to incentivize theproduction of functional foods to help increase their availability.Although the nuances of agricultural policies and regulations arebeyond the scope of this article, the success of the corn subsidiesis clear, and it is possible that, through the combination of localgrowing initiatives and government intervention, the socioeconomicaspects of access to nutrition could be improved. Integration of the chemistry techniques may allow for the development of enhancedcancer treatments and potentially prophylactic dietary programsand/or pharmacological regiments to decrease the incidence ofcancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, andAND BIOLOGICALLYSOUND DECISIONSCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 95

a number of other potential diseases. The intention of this article isto draw interest toward the overall improvement of human health insociety through public policy and nutrition. Ultimately, all that we asscientists and physicians can do is to identify risk factors and suggestthe strategies to treat, cure, and prevent cancer, but the burden lieson the individual to implement this knowledge and impose healthylifestyle choices with the hopes that we can reduce the risk ofREFERENCES1. Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. 2011. Hallmarks of cancer: the nextgeneration. Cell, 144:646–674. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/economic-impact-ofcancer,Accessed January 12, 2015. http://www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org/learn-the-facts/economiccosts-of-obesity/,Accessed January 12, 2015.4. Das UN. 2015. Sucrose, fructose, glucose, and their link tometabolic syndrome and cancer. Nutrition 31:249–257. breast cancer cells is highly dependent on glucose concentration:implications for cancer therapy and prevention. Biochim BiophysActa 1840:1943–1957.6. Kumar A, Jeengar MK, Naidu VG. 2015. Re. “Sucrose, fructose,glucose and their link to metabolic syndrome and cancer.”Nutrition 31:258–259.7. Hirahatake KM, Meissen JK, Fiehn O, Adams SH. 2011.expression and intermediary metabolism in HepG2 liver cells.PloS One 6:e26583.Page 96 » On the Ground

RICHARD T. ARKWRIGHT IIIRichard T. Arkwright III is a Ph.D. candidate in Wayne State program in association with the Barbara Ann KarmanosCancer Institute located in Detroit, MI. He is in theDepartment of Oncology under the mentorship of Dr. Q. PingDou. He currently studies the role of BCA2 in metforminresistance in breast cancer cells and the development ofnatural product-derived, targeted therapies.Q. PING DOU, PH.D.Dr. Q. Ping Dou is Professor of Oncology, Pharmacology andPathology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI. Dr.Dou obtained his B.S. degree in chemistry from ShandongUniversity in 1981, his Ph.D. degree in chemistry fromRutgers University in 1988, and postdoctoral training atthe Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard MedicalSchool from 1988 to 1993.PAIGE MARIE HAYESPaige Marie Hayes is an undergraduate at Wayne StatePolicies with a minor in Business Administration, afterwhich she plans to pursue a law degree. She is currentlyage of retirement at Wayne State University. Paige alsoCenter as a supplemental tutor for Principles ofMicroeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 97

SHARING THEVISIONEnding Hunger: Mapping Needs andActions in Agriculture & NutritionBY: HOMI KHARAS+ GEOFFREY GERTZBrookings InstitutionABOUT: The Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Developmentprogram aims to shape the U.S. and international policy debate on howto leading scholars from around the world, who use their expertise ininternational macroeconomics, political economy, international relationsand development, and environmental economics to tackle some of today’smost pressing development challenges.In September 2015, global leaderswill debate and agree on a new setof international goals to galvanizedevelopment cooperation overthe next 15 years. The SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs), whichwill be the successors to theMillennium Development Goals, areexpected to identify food security asa top priority for global action. Theproposed SDGs include a formidablelist of targets related to food security,including ending hunger andmalnutrition around the world anddoubling the agricultural productivityand incomes of small-scale farmers– all by 2030.The ambition in the proposed foodsecurity SDGs is impressive. The goalsdo not simply call for a decreasein the global rates of hunger andmalnutrition, they call for the end ofhunger and malnutrition. These are, entobjectives. If the goal were, say,Page 98 » Sharing the Vision

halving global hunger over a set period – as it was in the MillenniumDevelopment Goals – the surest path to success would be to ensurethat countries home to the largest number of hungry people achievedrapid progress. But the goal of ending hunger cannot be achieved simplywith a high average rate of progress; ending hunger demands thatno country – indeed no person – is left behind. Aggregate progress atthe global level will not be enough.A commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the drive to endhunger thus requires a new comprehensive understanding of the globalfood security landscape: across all developing countries, where arethe greatest needs, who is doing what, and what still needs to be done?It is only by bringing together data on all the key actors engaged in thenors,foreign investors and private philanthropies, scientists and civilsociety – that we can identify the gaps that will need to be addressedif we are to meet this ambitious goal. We cannot simply highlight afew success stories, or track where the latest famines and crises areemerging; we need a thorough, up-to-date mapping of food securitychallenges and opportunities around the world.At the Brookings Institution, we have recently launched a new initia-Nutrition – to help meet this requirement. The project, funded by theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to build the evidence basethat will allow for informed decision making in the drive to end globalin a report and an easily accessible online database, will help donors,governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private actors toidentify priorities and organize and coordinate their activities so thattheir collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts. we are bringing together as much data as possible to understandthe needs, policies, and resources critical to ending hunger andmalnutrition in every developing country. We have built an index framework, which allows for meaningful comparisons across countries.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 99

The purpose of the index is to identify the gaps, both within andacross countries, that stand in the way of ending hunger. Thegaps could be technological, such as a lack of enhanced seedincluding not enough funding for agricultural development fromeither the domestic government or international donors. Theycould be the result of bad policies, such as a poor investmentclimate or a lack of a national strategy to promotenutrition. Or gaps could be related to the physical THESE ROADBLOCKSinfrastructure. These roadblocks to ending hungerTO ENDING HUNGERvary substantially from one country to the next, asVARY SUBSTANTIALLY FROM ONE COUNTRY TO THE NEXT, and economic institutions. Our index will allow theAS COUNTRIES international community to identify the country-PRODUCEensure that no one is left behind in the push to endDIFFERENT CROPS,global hunger.HAVE DIFFERENTGEOGRAPHIES, Second, we are assessing the contributions of richAND ARE HOME countries around the world to the collective goal ofTO DIFFERENT ending global hunger. Crucially, this is about muchmore than just how much aid money they give toPOLITICAL ANDsupport agriculture, nutrition, and food security inECONOMICdeveloping countries. It is about how they spend theirINSTITUTIONS. aid – whether they are targeting the right countries whether their actions are in line with developing extent to which they distort global markets by subsidizing theirown domestic farmers and whether or not they impose high highlighting who scores well and poorly along these dimensions,our goal is to encourage a richer dialogue and more coherentpolicy discussion about what it will take to end hunger, both withgovernments around the world and with the citizens, advocates,and journalists who hold them to account.Third, we are evaluating how the international communityis organized globally to promote food security, seeking toPage 100 » Sharing the Vision

understand which actors take responsibility for what priorities and howassortment of international institutions, bilateral donors, multilateraldevelopment banks, private companies, and nongovernmentalorganizations and philanthropies working on issues related to foodsecurity, yet they do not always have forums to communicate andthe strengths and weaknesses of this decentralized approach, anddiscuss options for new forms of global partnerships that could helpfoster cooperation among communities of diverse actors seekingto tackle similar challenges; for example, how to bring together businesses that all have an interest in developing new drought- andUltimately, our goal is to encourage strong, sustained, data-driven,evidence-based support for achieving the SDG food security goals,have the greatest impact. The SDGs are ambitious not only becausethey call for the end of hunger and malnutrition, but also becausecycles: interest and concern peak along with reports of famines or foodprice spikes, and then subside when the international headlines havemoved on to another topic. This approach will not deliver an end tohunger and malnutrition by 2030. We need a prolonged and sustainedglobal commitment to ensure that agricultural systems can meet thechallenges of providing food security and nutrition in family farms andof overcoming threats posed by climate change. At Brookings, it is ourthe vision of a world free of hunger by 2030 identify how and wherethey can best contribute to this goal.HOMI KHARASGEOFFREY GERTZHomi Kharas is Senior Fellowand Deputy Director of theGlobal Economy and Developmentprogram at Brookings.Research Fellow in the GlobalEconomy and Developmentprogram at Brookings.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 101

SHARING THEVISIONUC Global Food Initiative: HealingHunger, Nurturing NutritionBY: JANET NAPOLITANOPresident of the University of CaliforniaThe quest to establish global foodsecurity has never been so urgent.A billion people – most of them in chronic hunger or serious nutritional– primarily in industrialized nations– are obese, and diabetes mellitus isan epidemic. Against this backdrop,climate change and populationgrowth fuel additional uncertaintyabout how the world will feed itselfin the years ahead.Recognizing that the University ofCalifornia (UC) is uniquely positionedto play a leading role in addressingfood security and the related challengesof nutrition and sustainability,we launched the UC Global FoodInitiative in July 2014.Our goal is audacious and far reaching.We aim for nothing less than thedevelopment and export of solutionsfor food security, health, and sustainabilitythroughout California,the United States, and the world. already underway, and creating newcollaborations among our 10 cam- ries,and the Division of Agricultureand Natural Resources, UC looks toput the world on a pathway to feeditself in ways that are both nutritiousand sustainable.WHY UC?UC is California’s land-grant universityand has played a key partin helping California become thenation’s leading agricultural state. InPage 102 » Sharing the Vision

the late 1800s, UC research showed how to remove salts from the alkalisoils in the Central Valley, turning what was once barren land into oneUC has continued to play a pivotal role in food over the years. Ourstudent farms at UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz have provided innovativelearning opportunities since the 1970s. UC San Diego researchers,whose work has linked air pollution with reduced crop yields, arestudying ways to achieve global food security and mitigate climatechange. Our agricultural division has collaborators in more than 130problems at home and abroad. We have been a pioneer in sustainableample,is now grown by more than 10 million farmers.It is intrinsic to our role as a public research university that we addresspressing societal problems such as global food security. Our campuses,agricultural division, and laboratories are equipped to tackle thefood challenge across multiple disciplines. UC is deeply engaged inthe knowledge export business – rooted in California, but with a globalpublic policy, social science, biological science, humanities, arts, andlaw, among others.tainableoperations, with the Global Food Initiative complementing our-and share that education and research with other communities. Lastyear, UC sustainable food procurement practices shifted more thanfair, ecologically sound, and humane food sources. We have set a systemwidegoal of zero waste by 2020 and pledged to become carbonneutral by 2025.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 103

The UC Global Food Initiative is a collaborative endeavor, involvinghave launched projects developed by multicampus working groups toidentify best practices and develop toolkits to implement them in curriculum,operations, policy, research, and service. From increasing localfood security to enhancing the availability of healthy eating choices, weare working to improve nutrition and sustainability on our campusesand then share those ideas with schools and communities in California,across the country, and around the world.EXTENDING OUR REACHThrough food, we are making new connections. We have launched theUC Food Observer blog, a daily selection of must-read news on foodpolicy, nutrition, agriculture, and more to help inform conversationsaround food. UC San Francisco launched SugarScience, a research andeducation initiative designed to highlight the most authoritative scien-as Mark Bittman, Marion Nestle, and Michael Pollan, is expanding itsaudience by making the lectures available to the public by live stream.The UC Global Food Initiative is reaching out to partner with otherstions,and the private sector.These partnerships can be profound. For example, UC Davis, withmore than two dozen centers focused on food and agriculture, hashad a longstanding collaboration with Mars Inc. that continues to blossom.UC Davis, Mars, and other global partners are part of the AfricanOrphan Crops Consortium, which is sequencing 100 African cropspecies and training the next generation of plant breeders to increaseJanuary, UC Davis and Mars launched the Innovation Institute for Foodand Health, designed to deliver big-impact, Silicon Valley-type breakthroughsin food, agriculture, and health.Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory engineers have designed ato address food security issues posed by displaced persons in Darfur.Berkeley Lab scientists also developed a system for removing arsenicfrom groundwater, which an Indian company has licensed, to help providesafe drinking water for people in India and Bangladesh.Page 104 » Sharing the Vision

California State University and community college campuses, and communityand food agency leaders, to discuss food access, security, andjustice. This Global Food Initiative event was organized by students, aninspiring example of what we can accomplish when we work togethertoward a common purpose.MOVING FORWARD their way to a sustainable food future.We are enhancing campus gardens, integrating food issues into morecourses, reforming vending machine practices to increase the availabilityof healthy choices, and leveraging food-purchasing power toencourage sustainable farming practices and to serve nutritious fare incampus dining halls. Along with identifying best practices and sharingthem, we plan to use the power of UC research and extension to help research to help shape, impact, and drive policy discussions aroundfood issues at the local, statewide, national, and international levels.Finding solutions to the food crisis, one of the most critical problems ofour age, is within our reach. We hope that by making global food issuespath to sustainably and nutritiously feed itself.JANET NAPOLITANOAs the president of the University of California, Janet Napolitanoand natural resources program. Previously, Napolitano served asSecretary of Homeland Security from 2009-2013, Governor of Arizonafrom 2003-2009, Attorney General of Arizona from 1998 to 2003, andU.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona from 1993-1997.CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 105

CULTURES GOES DIGITAL!FOOD SECURITY ANDSUSTAINABILITY INCOLOMBIA:THE POWER OF FUNGALGENETICS FOR IMPROVEDCASSAVA PRODUCTIONCultures traveled to Colombia for the food issue to capture itsfirst digital multimedia story. The full video and story can befound online at www.asm.org/cultures.Page 106 » Cultures Goes Digital

BEHIND THE SCENES biotechnology project that is producing exciting results. Theinternational Swiss – Colombian collaborative research team fromthe University of Lausanne – Switzerland, the Universidad Nacionalde Colombia, and the Universidad de la Salle – Utopia campushas been working to create and test novel strains of arbuscularAMF forms symbiotic relationships with the majority of the security crops. By colonizing internal structures within the plantand extending its root system, AMF transports nutrients such asphosphate to the plants from inaccessible areas and sources in thesoil. In exchange, the plant provides carbon to AMF species thathave colonized the plant. of certain AMF strains, only half of the necessary phosphateamendments are needed in nutrient-poor tropical soil to producean equal or greater amount of cassava yield. On a large scale, thistechnology could potentially provide a more sustainable approachto resource management, allow small shareholder farmers toreduce their input costs, and help create a food secure futurefor many. In fact, an early model for this success is already beingrealized by graduates of the Utopia campus, all of whom come in agronomy in conjunction with this technology, they can beginrebuilding their home communities while ensuring a food securefuture for Colombia and the greater global community.1Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Partnership formedto improve cassava, staple food of 600 million people. November 5, 2002.http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2002/10541-en.html. AccessedFebruary 9, 2015.Page 108 » Cultures Goes Digital

DID YOU KNOW?1 2 3Yucca fries andtapioca are madefrom cassava.Cassava is the thirdmost importantsource of calories inthe tropics behindrice and corn.More than 600million peopledepend on cassavain Africa, Asia, andLatin America.

NEXT ISSUE’S THEME:FROM YESTERDAY’S LANDMARKFOUNDATIONS IN MICROBIOLOGY,TO DISCOVERING NEW FRONTIERS TODAY.Send us a photo along with a short 100-wordstatement of your perspective on this theme.Submit your response to cultures@asmusa.orgor tweet or Instagram @ASMicrobiologyusing the hashtag #ASMCultures for achance to be featured in the next issue!

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UESTIONS,OMMENTS, &ORRECTIONSFIYINFOLUWA ADESIOYE NIGERIA“I am very pleased with the quality of information presentedin Cultures and its goal of inspiring next-generation scientists. Iwas particularly inspired by The Youth Issue. Manu Prakashis very right about sharing the microbial world with everyone.viewed microorganisms under a microscope as a microbiologyundergraduate student. Microbiology is an extremely interestingdiscipline and I am passionate about teaching, researching, andinspiring undergraduates to be proud of being microbiologists.Nigerian Fiyin Adesioye, which speaks to the fact that thereCulturesinspired me to put a little bit of my experience in writing. I hope itinspires others to pursue microbiology and raise next-generationscientists against all odds.”Page 112 » Questions, Comments, & Corrections

ON PAGE 7 OF THE AUTUMN2014 ISSUE, THE BACTERIUMBACILLUS ANTHRACIS WASINCORRECTLY CALLEDBOTULINUM TOXIN.Thanks for readingthe food issue ofCultures!BOTULINUM TOXIN CAUSESBOTULISM, NOT ANTHRAX,AND IS PRODUCED BY THEBACTERIUM CLOSTRIDIUMBOTULINUM. THE DISEASEANTHRAX IS CAUSED BYANTHRAX TOXIN PRODUCEDBY THE BACTERIUMBACILLUS ANTHRACIS.DO YOU HAVESOMETHING TOSAY TO CULTURES?We’d love to hearfrom you! Wasthere an article youparticularly enjoyed?Or something youwant to read moreabout? Maybeyou saw a mistake(hey, we’re human)!Reach out to us atcultures@asmusa.org.ON PAGE 91 IN THEAUTUMN 2014 ISSUE, TIMDONOHUE’S LAST NAMEWAS INCORRECTLYSPELLED AS DONAHUE.The views andopinions expressed inthis publicationare those ofthe individualauthors and do notnecessarily representthe American Societyfor Microbiology.

Photography + Art CreditPage 5: Courtesy of ChristineMacapagal ReevesPage 5: Courtesy of Jason RaoPage 8: Courtesy of Will Allenand Growing PowerPage 11: “Growing Power,Page 13: “Iron Street Farm” byPage 14: Courtesy ofMr. Orlando BritoPage 14: Courtesy of Cecilia DoNascimento NunesPage 15: Courtesy of May R.BerenbaumPage 15: Courtesy ofRusty RodriguezPage 15: untitled by Bianca FerrariPage 15: bee) on Symphyotrichum pilosumPage 16: “Svalbard landscape”by Global Crop Diversity Trust isedited by Tim SkirvenPage 20: “potato crops in testtubes” by Cary Fowler/Global CropDiversity Trust is licensed under CCBY-NC-SA 2.0Page 20: “CIAT beans shippedto Svalbard Global Seed Vault”by Global Crop Diversity Trust islicensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Page 20: “Bean Diversity atCIAT” by Cary Fowler/Global CropDiversity Trust is licensed under CCBY-NC-SA 2.0Page 21: “Tim Fischer, Marie Haga,and Sally Norton Outside the Vault”by Global Crop Diversity Trust islicensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Page 21: Haskins for the Global CropDiversity Trust is licensed under CCBY-NC-SA 2.0Page 23: “two broccoli heads” byBY-SA 3.0) edited by Tim SkirvenPage 23: “Regeneration Project inMongolia” by Global Crop DiversitySA 2.0) edited by Tim SkirvenPage 24: “Syrian Wheat” by GlobalCrop Diversity Trust is licensedTim SkirvenPage 24: “Adult Bessbug” byBY-SA 3.0) edited by Tim SkirvenPage 27: “Global Seed VaultCrop Diversity Trust is licensedPage 28: “trash dump” by zen isedited by Made by WePage 31: “life & death” byPage 31: “bad apples” by DaveBY-NC-SA 2.0)Page 31: “Rotten Tomatoes andRotten Apples” by major_clanger isPage 32: Courtesy of Cecilia DoNascimento NunesPage 33: “Portland Metro TransferStation” by jbloom is licensedPage 114 » Citations & Art Credit

Page 40: “Flowers” by Anderson2.0) edited by Made by WePage 45: “Stages of development- Dwarf Honey bee” by Vipin BaligaPage 48:Page 53: Courtesy ofMay R. BerenbaumPage 54: Stalks #5” by mikebeuselinck isPage 57: Courtesy ofRusty RodriguezPage 62: “Jane Goodall Visits theWorld Bank” by World Bank PhotoCollection is licensed underPage 65: Courtesy of JGI/Hugo van LawickPage 67: Courtesy ofMichael NeugebauerPage 68: Courtesy of JGI/Hugo van LawickPage 68: Courtesy of JGI/Bill WallauerPage 68: Courtesy of JGI/Fernando TurmoPage 71: Courtesy of theJane Goodall InstitutePage 72: Texture IMG_1092” by SalvaBarbera is licensed underPage 78: “Community seedbank in India” by BioversityInternational / P.Bordoni underPage 78: Courtesy ofConcern WorldwidePage 78: Courtesy of IndigenousFood and Ag InitiativePage 78: Courtesy of SaltFarm TexelPage 78: Courtesy ofShidhulai SwanirvarPage 78: Courtesy ofSustainable Ag TanziniaPage 79: Courtesy of AWARDPage 80: Courtesy ofCommunity Seed BankPage 82: Courtesy ofGardens for HealthPage 85: Courtesy of ShidhulaiPage 87: Courtesy of Slow FoodPage 88: cell carcinoma, combined, withsquamous cell carcinoma Case119” by Yale Rosen underPage 91: Courtesy Richard T.Arkwright IIIPage 92: Courtesy ofQ. Ping DouPage 97: Courtesy of Richard T.Arkwright IIIPage 97: Courtesy of Q. Ping DouPage 97: Courtesy ofPaige Marie HayesPage 90: Courtesy ofPage 90: Courtesy of theBrookings InstitutionPage 94: Courtesy of JanetNapolitanoPage 99: Courtesy Jason RaoPage 101: Courtesy ofPeter GeoghanCULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 115

AcknowledgmentsCitations + SourcesSHARON AKNINLIZ ROSE CHMELAEVE DEVEAUTIM DONOHUETAMMY ENEVOLDLENI MARTINEZCAROLYN MCMILLANJEFF MILLERKARA MILLERJUDITH OLANGNEIL O’REILLYJACOB PETERSENMOHAMMED REZWANNANCY SANSALONETIM SKIRVENSIMONE RIBEIRO SOARESREMKJE VISSERNANCY WACHTERCRYSTAL WELLSCAMILLA ZANZANAINIFor more information onreuse of any photographsor art featured in this issue,please contact us atcultures@asmusa.org.Edited by: CPS CommunicationDesigned by: madebywe.orgPrinted By: © 2015 AMERICAN SOCIETYFOR MICROBIOLOGYISSN 2332-0907INFOGRAPHIC (PGS 6-7)1. http://science.time.com/2013/12/16/the-triple-whopper-environmentalimpact-of-global-meat-production/2. http://science.time.com/2013/12/16/the-triple-whopper-environmentalimpact-of-global-meat-production/3. http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2456e/i2456e00.pdf4. http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/how-much-of-worlds-greenhousegas-emissions-come-fromagriculture-1782/5. http://www.borgenproject.org/the-cost-to-end-world-hunger/6. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.7. http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats8. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/9. http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sc1.html10. http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sc1.htmlcom/2014/02/24/water-to-growfoods-infographics_n_4848161.htmlcom/2014/02/24/water-to-growfoods-infographics_n_4848161.htmlcom/2014/10/13/food-waterfootprint_n_5952862.htmlcom/2014/10/13/food-waterfootprint_n_5952862.html

HI THERETHANKS FOR READING CULTURES!Did you know that you can read Cultures’ interactiveversion as well as additional content on your Webbrowser or on an app on your tablet device? Tolearn more, visit us at www.asm.org/cultures.A PUBLICATION OF ASM | VOL 2 | ISSUE 1 | 2015HAPPENING NOWWill Allen P. 08A PUBLICATION OF ASM | VOL 2 | ISSUE 1 | 2015ACROSS THE DIVIDERusty Rodriguez P. 54HAPPENING NOWWill Allen P. 08ACROSS THE DIVIDERusty Rodriguez P. 54IN CONVERSATIONJane Goodall P. 62IN CONVERSATIONJane Goodall P. 62NEW DIGITAL CONTENTA Cultures Short Film ImprovingNEW DIGITAL CONTENTA Cultures Short Film ImprovingCassava Production in Colombia P. 98

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