The UC Food Observer chooses a handful of important stories for you to read as you start your work week.

On the menu, in no particular order:

1. Technology: The Queen Bee of food tech. When Google, Amazon and the White House want to talk food and technology, who do they call?  Danielle Gould (@dhgisme), CEO and founder of Food + Tech Connect. Brian Halweil (@BrianHalweil) pens a lively profile of Gould for Edible East End. A must read. More tech: As patents expire, farmers plant generic GMOs. How does this impact Monsanto? Antonio Regalado (@antonioregalado) writes a fascinating piece for MIT Technology Review.

2. A record amount of money is flowing into food delivery startups. Will Silicon Valley’s cash make grocery stores and cookbooks obsolete? Max Taves (@maxtaves) pens an important piece for CNET.

3. Read a UC Food Observer Q&A with farmer and theologian Sarah Nolan. She’s providing leadership for The Abundant Table, a unique faith-based farming and education enterprise in Southern California.

4. Derek Beres (@derekberes) writes about our evolving ethics regarding animals. Appearing in Big Think. Suggested pairing: this piece on aquaculture from Grist. Amelia Urry (@ameliainahurry) tells us everything we wanted to know about fish farming (but were too afraid to ask). Urry’s piece is part of the Grist series on meat; don’t miss any of it.

5. Zimbabwe’s economy is in shambles. Once known as an important agricultural producer in Africa, the country is now a net importer of food. To improve the situation, the government is considering changing policy direction and leasing farmland to some of the farmers who were required to cede their land fifteen years ago. An important piece (with audio) by Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) from NPR’s Weekend Edition.

6. ICYMI … The Economist explains why palm oil production is going green. And from June: What does farm-to-table mean anymore? We read this piece again this weekend. Worth it. Corby Kummer (@CKummer) for Vanity Fair.

Have a great day!