This article in The Conservation by Fabrice Etile attempts to sort out the various explanations for the rise on obesity. The conclusion: "Despite initial academic evidence then, the main drivers of the global rise in obesity levels remain, to a large extent, a black box."
A fantastic piece by Øystein Heggdal that skewers a report by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food System. Key points include spurious yield comparisons across countries, a "clever sleight of hand" in using the Rodale Institute's comparison of organic and conventional crop yields, and undue focus on pesticides and fertilizers as contributors to climate change.
In the New York Times, Stephanie Strom reports on some interesting innovations to increase the shelf life of fruits and veggies
Over at Marginal Revolution, Alex Tabarrock is optimistic about the future of cultured meat and meat replacements. He conjectures: "Animal rights will be the big social revolution of the 21st century." (He linked to this interesting paper which I'd never before read entitled, "Sparks and Prairie Fires: A Theory of Unanticipated Political Revolution").
Guy Bentley expresses skepticism over the Harvard study's claim that a 1 cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks would prevent 100,000 cases of obesity and 3,683 deaths