For most people, fair trade means making sure South American and African farmers get paid a reasonable wage to grow coffee and chocolate. But in Israel, fair trade is much more local. Two companies have emerged in the last few years to provide a living wage for farmers in the region. The first, SAHA, is […]
The word “organic” can be applied to many things in our modern day lives. Most commonly, it applies to food that has been grown organically (meaning without pesticides). But as a quick search in Webster’s dictionary showed us, the term organic means “of, relating to, or derived from living organisms.” And Tel Aviv’s “Don’t Panic […]
Tel Aviv, for those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting the city, is a city of coffee drinkers and cafes. (Some would say bums and people who don't work in the middle of the day... but we say coffee drinkers and cafes.) It is not unusual to step out in the middle of a work day and spot people happily sitting out on sidewalk cafes drinking some form of coffee drink.
Environmental and social change don’t always go together in green organizations, but the truth is that you can’t really make green changes without effecting society. Alternatively, some socio-economic groups just don’t have the resources to make costly (yet positive) environmental changes. As Jeff recently pointed out in his reaction to Tel Aviv’s farmers market, it […]
Summer has, without a doubt, arrived in Israel. School is about to end, summer vegetables and fruits are in season, and there’s a greater desire to be outdoors. Enter the Adam and Eve farm (or, in Hebrew, Hava & Adam) in Modiin, which offers lots of great ways to celebrate summer. This educational-ecological center integrates […]
I was so anxious on Monday as I awaited word of delivery of my very first Israeli community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery to its drop spot in Tel Aviv. I was nervous, not because I thought the vegetables wouldn’t be good or because I was unsure if I was getting a good deal (the veggies […]
We’ve covered the environmentally conscious window display in Tel Aviv designed by Shulayim Studio, but the store that the window belonged to – Cotton – is news worthy as well. Cotton started making a limited line of clothes in 1992 with the goal of creating pieces that are unique, comfortable, woman-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and entirely designed […]
Writer and part-time pig farmer, Jeff Yoskowitz, was at the recent Shavuot Slow Food market in Tel Aviv – and had mixed feelings about the artisan cheeses, meats and organic veggies on offer. The Carmel Market shuk in Tel Aviv that so many travelers love — the idyllic market which people see as representative of the […]
I hate to admit it (especially since I’m a vegetarian and like to think of Shavuot as my holiday), but sooner or later the cheese thing is gonna get old. And not in a French, moldy blue cheese kind of way. More of in a self-induced lactose intolerance kind of way. Which is why it […]
With the Shavuot holiday coming up next week, harvest and cheeses (okay, mostly cheeses) are on everyone’s mind. Shavuot is related to ancient grain harvest customs in Israel, making it one of the more significant agricultural holidays in Judaism. And agriculture has a big effect on the environment. Non-organic agricultural practices, such as using pesticides […]
In one of our past prophecies we wrote about Israeli clothing company, Bagir, and their men’s suits made out of recycled PET plastic bottles. But the EcoGIR suit is not the only environmentally friendly product that this company has up its sleeve. They’re always thinking of ways to make their suits greener. I talked with […]
Nachalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv is famous for its weekly market of local, handmade arts and crafts – a market that is very environmentally friendly. But it is also home to some of Tel Aviv’s hippest bars and restaurants. For the sixth time, these restaurants and bars are getting together for the annual Nachalat […]
Israel is celebrating 60 years of independence this week, and we’ve come a long way, baby. Long enough to have organic falafel on Tel Aviv’s Ibn Gvirol Street next to the City Hall. Introducing Hippo, the hip falafel joint that ensures that every bite you take out of the national snack is pesticide free and […]
The organic trend has definitely hit Tel Aviv, and in all of the expected ways. With small organic markets, imported organic wines, organic goat cheeses, and organic gourmet foods. But organic foods usually appeal to a certain type of food shopper, and not always the kind who sits down on a busy street to eat […]
Most people know that organic produce is good and that pesticides are bad. Not only do pesticides have negative effects on human health, having been linked to neurological problems, various cancers, Parkinson’s disease, kidney damage, and reproductive disorders, to name a few, but pesticides have negative effects on the environment as well. The toxic pesticides […]