This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show held in Chicago which showcased products and services geared towards the restaurant/hospitality industry. While there were many intriguing and interesting product/service offerings, what intrigued me was how little attention was given to efficient use and conservation of space within a restaurant environment where oftentimes, every inch matters. Some of them also surprisingly did not take into account the matter of maintenance, waste, nor the emerging technologies that are increasingly being integrated within the restaurant/hospitality environment.
Some of my favorite products that were encountered included a very well-designed tower dish rack that used minimal form to hold dishes securely - in fact, they demonstrated just how well the dishes were held by mounting their tower dishrack on a rocking mechanism (similar to an earthquake), a beautiful sugar crystal stirring stick, an antimicrobial mat which would kill bacteria the moment it lands on it (used within bathrooms), advancements in biopolymers along with sustainable green materials, simple looking minimal packaging with an amazing array of features (like a thin piece of clear plastic that could withstand high oven temperatures along with layers of alternating perforations to act as insulators to keep contents like bread crispier on the outside/softer on the inside), ceramic oven racks and cutlery, and last but not least, a very elegant outdoor umbrella that was collapsible, back lit, and had a funnel to collect/drain water. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of being able to take pictures to share here, however, I will write more entries in the future about individual products and service offerings I'd encountered at the NRA show this year.
It also struck to me that there seemed to be a general lack of enthusiasm and even attendance compared to say - the CES show in Vegas - where the energy and enthusiasm was incredibly intoxicating and electric. In fact, even my friend had remarked on the crowd and how attendance seemed to be 'thinned out' compared to the NRA events he had attended before. It certainly begs the question of whether the days of tradeshows are fast becoming numbered and obsolete. In any case - it was a great show to attend to gain a general sense of both current and emerging trends within the industry.
What? Too busy to wish your mom a Happy Mother's Day? At long last, the days of receiving completely undeserving guilt trips from hard-to-please moms is now a problem of the past - thanks to MomSourcing.
On a sidenote - why do people on social networking sites seem to continue wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day when they themselves do not have their mothers within their own networks - and even cringe at the thought of having their mom on there?
With so much going on in the world today, you hear certain seemingly 'usual' stories being repeated time and again. Like the one about how Indian Farmers commit suicide when their crops fail.
But why am I including this on my design blog?
Because of its connection to Monsanto along with how it exemplifies bad 'innovation' that claims to be safe, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly. However, reality is that it is none of these. Infact, its lack of foresight leads to extinction of crops along with its farmer in some instances - and creates even larger issues in the long run.
For those of you who may not be familiar with Monsanto, it is a giant American-based biotechnology corporation with a global outreach. Monsanto is the leading producer of Genetically Engineered (GE) and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds. Their website claims that Monsanto's goal is to "meet farmer demand by offering seeds with the best possible germplasm, or improved genetics, for a higher yield" and how they "are working to meet the needs of farmers in two ways. First, through our work in breeding, we are delivering superior genetics that allow farmers to get more out of each seed, resulting in the potential for higher yield. In addition, by inserting one or more genes in the seed — a biotechnology trait — we're able to provide farmers with a novel way to combat insects and control weeds, so yield is preserved throughout the growing season." They also claim that their GMOs are safe.
Sounds like quite the miracle, so where is the controversy?
The issue is not only does the promised not happen with these hybrid seeds, but their deliberately short-life span creates a vicious cycle leading to debt, extinction of local plant biodiversity, and for some people - suicide. Click here to watch a short video explaining the dilemma. More videos from youtube:
Below is a recap of some of the problems which despite being few, describe the severity and enormity of the problems that come with Monsanto seeds. The scary part is that this is just a partial list.
Seeds that contain pesticides A trait within Monsanto seeds is inherent pesticides. These, of course, are not that effective in killing off the targeted pests and actually risk killing the helpful species of insects, creating more trouble for nearby plants which become increasingly infested. Moreover, if you continue onward with the natural food chain cycle that take place from thereon (the bird that eats the insect, the snake that eats the bird, etc. or even when the decomposed remains enter the soil), the situation becomes very ugly very quickly with a problem that magnifies severity and difficult of being resolved.
Seeds that lack natural resilience acquired over a period of time A noticeable trait with Monsanto seeds was their inability to withstand water shortages, heat, and even the very pests it claims to be resilient against- something that native seeds were able to withstand better. With India being right on the equator line coupled with water shortages along with water contamination, the Monsanto seeds cannot match the natural resilience acquired by native plants that develop the means to withstand environmental challenges over a period of time - and pass this on to the next generation. In short, Monsanto seeds require more water than native seeds do to produce "optimal results" and risk spreading these shortcomings to other native plants.
Seeds designed to fail In 2007, Monsanto acquired Delta & Pine Land Company, a company that had patented a seed technology nicknamed "Terminator." This technology had not been used commercially before Monsanto, and it basically produces plants with sterile seeds that won't flower or grow fruit after their initial planting. This designed 'failure' forces farmers to repurchase seeds to ensure business for Monsanto along with a sort of 'patent protection' because it renders the farmers helpless and dependent on the Monsanto seed supplier. As mentioned in the Seeds of Suicide video, these sterile seeds will then attract rodents to their crops and suddenly they have to purchase something to repel the rats. Sadly the expenditure does not end there because then they have to repurchase more seeds. Though Monsanto pledged in 1999 to not commercialize terminator technology, the results are proving to be otherwise. God forbid if cross pollination occurs, because then normal seeds could potentially inherit the "Terminator" gene that could render them useless, too, which could spell out a huge famine problem for the world in the near future. Like the point mentioned before, even if generations of native plants develop the means to overcome environmental challenges, they would be unable to pass it on to the next generation if the begin to produce sterile seeds. Moreover, imagine the impact this would have on the natural food chain cycle.
Failure Scapegoat: The Farmer With an increasing pressure to supply growing demands despite water shortage, water toxicity, climatic changes, population demand, and lack of government support along with adequate unbiased awareness, the farmers are persuaded to invest in Monsanto 'Miracle Seeds' with hopes of higher yields which in reality lead to a downward spiral of profit-loss, debt-increase, societal humiliation, leaving farmers at the mercy of the money-lenders. Eventually this leads the farmer and their family members being hired by neighboring farmers - and eventually, a complete annihilation of their own crops because aside from their financial problems, they now lack the manpower to continue maintaining their fields. As the Seeds of Suicide video mentioned, though the blame should realistically be shared by multiple parties including the Government, Seed Dealer, and Seed Manufacturer, sadly it is the farmer who shoulders the risk, consequences, and then holds the sole blame as the primary scapegoat when crops fail. In fact, many times - they are not even aware that because Monsanto seeds are patented, that they cannot grow their own seeds produced from Monanto seeds (but the 'Terminator' gene prevents that as it is). Even now, the guilty parties fall short in addressing this issue.
Though this blogpost along with many related articles do largely mention Indian Farmers, the issue is not confined to India alone - in fact, it ought to be noted that farmers across the world, including America, are facing similar problems. For detailed information, please watch the video link for 'The World According to Monsanto' provided in the related links below.
This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show held in Chicago which showcased products and services geared towards the restaurant/hospitality industry. While there were many intriguing and interesting product/service offerings, what intrigued me was how little attention was given to efficient use and conservation of space within a restaurant environment where oftentimes, every inch matters. Some of them also surprisingly did not take into account the matter of maintenance, waste, nor the emerging technologies that are increasingly being integrated within the restaurant/hospitality environment.
