Fairfood Friday #59

Every Friday we round up the most interesting, inspiring or funny stories we came across while conducting research for our news stories. This week: On the first Saturday of July each year, the UN International Day of Cooperatives is observed. What´s more, 2012 has been recognised as the UN International Year of Cooperatives. To raise awareness of these enterprises, the UN has launched the International Year of Cooperatives Short Film Festival, with the following theme: “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”.

Have you read something we should know about? Please let us know in the comments.

UN Launches International Year of Co-operatives Short Film Festival
The theme of the festival is “Co-operative Enterprises Build a Better World”, and the aim of the festival is to raise awareness about co-operatives and the basic co-operative principles.

Small Farms Creating a New Business Model as Agriculture Goes Local
With an aging farm population and a looming shortage of migrant workers, local growers band together for collective organic clout.

FT Foodies: Catherine Gazzoli, CEO of Slow Food UK
The CEO of Slow Food UK tells Natalie Whittle about the importance of engaging with food – and recalls dipping into her aunt’s fresh pesto with a spoon.

Beyond Rio´s Disappointment, Finding a Path to the Future
The Rio+20 Summit produced a largely meaningless document that failed to address the daunting environmental challenges the world faces. But many at the conference looked to an alternative approach they called “green economics” — using market forces to help nations achieve sustainable development.

Cities Get So Close To Recycling Ideal, They Can Smell It
Places like Portland, Ore., and Seattle are cutting back on garbage collections, but the quest for “zero waste” comes at a pungent cost.

How Fair Trade Supports Children´s Rights to a Safer Environment
Fair trade can boost the standard of living of farmers and provide their children with access to healthy land and water.

Fighting For the Next Billion Shoppers
The eternal battle between Procter & Gamble and Unilever is intensifying in the developing world.

Dirkje Koene is a Copywriter for Fairfood International.

Image: Stuck in Customs (CC License)