This week Jackie bakes bagels for Ukraine, and shares food stories from around the web.
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Hi friends,
Just a quick compilation of fresh links this week. All excellent reads.
But first, if you are looking for a place to donate funds to help Ukrainians, World Central Kitchen is an excellent option. They are currently feeding thousands of Ukrainian refugees a day.
If you want an edible way to help, see if your local baker is hosting a Bake for Ukraine fundraiser in your area (or encourage them to do so!). I raised $650 with my fundraiser this week! On Saturday, I’ll be baking 100+ bagels and 60 cinnamon rolls, and donating all of the money to World Central Kitchen.
love,
Jackie
FRESH LINKS
🪲The loss of insects is an apocalypse worth worrying about | Vox
While it’s easy to get animated by the extinction of majestic creatures like bald eagles or whales or tigers, Oliver Milman thinks it’s the less charming critters we really need to be most worried about. Over the last few decades, 40% of insect species around the world have declined by at least 70%. This is a major problem for us humans, because insects do a lot for us by pollinating the plants we use for food and medicine. This interview with Milman, author of the new book “The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World”, explores what is causing these declines and disappearances (climate change, industrial agriculture, overdevelopment of our wild spaces), and what we might do to reverse the crisis.
Selfishly, to save ourselves it would be a good idea to save insects. As much as it would be a terrible shame if we lost rhinos or elephants or orangutans — these big charismatic creatures — it wouldn’t trigger a food security crisis. It wouldn’t cause the loss of potential medicines that could save us from antibiotic resistance. It wouldn’t cause whole ecosystems to collapse. That is what would happen if we lost insects.
While it will be much more complicated to tackle the structural problems that have led to insect decline, there is something we can do to help. Or rather, we can do less of certain things. One scientist who Milman spoke with called it an inaction plan: “Maybe don’t rake the leaves in your yard, or don’t apply as much or as many insecticides. Maybe let the grass grow a little bit — because insects love that.”
🍰Will Baking Make You Happy? | Eater
Over the last couple years, many folks attempted to stave off pandemic-fueled sadness and anxiety by channeling their energy into baked goods. One Instagram account asks the important questions — did it work? @will.this.make.me.happy, an account run by Brooklyn-based party chef Tanya Bush, takes a whimsical if cynical approach to whether or not a person can find fulfillment in the creation of delicious and elaborate carbs. She posts photos of her beautiful baked goods, and in the caption answers whether or not they cured what was ailing her. The answer is usually no.
“We know that baking can be immensely pleasurable, or meditative,” Bush said, “but is ultimately an implausible antidote to the ails of our moment.”
Baking passes the time. Baking is a relief. Baking is fun sometimes and frustrating sometimes. And in general the past few years, baking did exactly what I wanted it do: make the time pass faster and keep me away from reading the news.
But occasionally, Bush’s baked goods do bring her genuine joy — particularly when her baking “becomes a forum for meaningful connection and mutual appreciation.” As with most things– it is our relationship with others that tends to bring us the most satisfaction.
🌾Russia's war on Ukraine is dire for world hunger. But there are solutions | NPR
While the invasion of Ukraine creates an obvious humanitarian disaster for Ukrainians, it could also lead to a massive hunger crisis around the world. Combined, Ukraine and Russia account for a large share of the world’s food supply — more than 30% of wheat, 30% of barley (one of the main crops for livestock), 80% of sunflower oil, and 15% of fertilizer. Sky-rocketing costs and short supply were already being felt around the world because of the pandemic and climate change-fueled extreme weather. The Russian invasion will worsen what was already a crisis to begin with. And unfortunately, several of the countries that will be hit hardest — those that rely on Ukraine and Russia for over half of their food supply like Egypt and Bangladesh — are already in a precarious position when it comes to hunger.
There is plenty of food being grown on the planet. No one ever should go hungry. The question is whether nations — particularly UN members which fund the World Food Programme — will contribute the funds needed to divert food to where it needs to go. Currently, member nations have contributed just 50% of the $18 billion needed to end global hunger. With a rising refugee crisis in Ukraine (and many other nations that get less attention from the press), it is unlikely we will rise to the occasion.
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Sunshine + Microbes team
Jackie Vitale is a cook and kitchen educator based in Stuart, Fla. She runs Otto’s Bread Club and is co-founder of the Florida Ferment Fest. Her newsletter explores the intersection of food, culture, environment and community.
Matt Levin is a communications strategist at the ACLU of Texas. He edits Sunshine + Microbes and contributes other scraps to each issue.