Turning food waste into a fashion statement

An associate professor of apparel, merchandising and design at Iowa State University is turning the waste generated by making kombucha (the SCOBY) into a leather-like fabric for shoes and bags. Read more at National Geographic...

Flint water worries seep into gardens

It's not just the drinking water part of the Flint lead crisis that's got people worried. Some are anxious about using the city's water for their gardens, even though experts say vegetables do not uptake lead from soil. An organization called Edible Flint will expand its testing of soil this growing season five-fold and distribute 150 hose filters to gardeners. Read more at The Detroit News...

How restaurants know what you want to eat before you do

Typically slow to adopt new technologies, the restaurant industry is finally joining the big data party. That's because small companies like Upserve are creating new ways to use data and analytics to enhance the restaurant experience. Read more at The Boston Globe...

USDA reports market share rise for organic bread

Organic options make up 1.3 percent of all total bread sales in the U.S., according to "Changes in Retail Organic Price Premiums from 2004 to 2010," a report from the USDA's Economic Research Service, and cost about 30 percent more than convention. Read more at World-Grain.com...

Organic farming in the UAE produces slow and steady path to profit

If you think organic food production is hard, try growing it in the desert. Yet organic farming is on the rise in the UAE, and it doesn't seem to be heading for a slowdown. Read more at The National...