The UC Food Observer chooses a handful of important stories for you to read as you finish your work day. Typically, we offer this on Fridays, but with so many important and wonderful stories out there, we’ll be providing a wrap several days a week.

On the menu, in no particular order: Global food security will improve, but perhaps only briefly, the USDA’s Economic Research Service reports. Sardines may be vanishing; we include a new post from National Geographic’s The Plate, and an ICYMI from Yale 360. California’s drought is impacting all aspects of life … including cooking, via the New York Times. NPR’s The Salt features a piece on how mechanization is changing rice production in Borneo. And when politics meets plate: The Washington Post reports on a prominent congresswoman who has started cooking and “eating clean.”

1. The USDA’s Economic Research Service (@USDA_ERS) issues a report on global food security. Food security will improve in 2015; however, the long-term outlook is not as promising. The full report is available here.

2. Sardines may be vanishing. Maryn McKenna (@marynmck) writes an important piece for National Geographic’s The Plate. In case you missed it, check out Elizabeth Grossman’s (@lizzieg1) article on sardines; it appears in Yale Environment 360 and was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network. These are complementary reads.

3. The California drought is impacting all aspects of life in the Golden State. The New York Times Kim Severson (@kimseverson) writes about how drought is impacting habits in the kitchen.

4. Mechanization is changing rice production – and culture –  in Borneo. Karen Coates (@RamblingSpoon) writes a fascinating piece for NPR’s The Salt.

Debbie_Wasserman_Schultz
Credit: Вени Марковски

5. Prominent Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has started cooking and “eating clean.” Why? Annie Groer explores the answer in this profile published in The Washington Post.