Food of the Gods

The cacao tree is an illustrious native of the Americas whose fame has been sustained by the massive consumption of a product much desired around the world: chocolate. But many people are unaware that this delicious food originates from a tropical tree, producer of an extraordinary fruit.

In the mid-18th century, this fruit received a formal name from botanists, 'Theobroma cacao'. The first part of the name insinuates a relation dating back to ancient times, that of "food of the Gods."

The main consumers of cacao in antiquity were the Meso-American peoples. The Olmecas, Mayans and Aztecs were well aware of the secrets possessed by this fruit, or bean. They used it as currency and consumed it as a beverage, known as 'xocolatl', the world that gave rise to the English word "chocolate".

For the Europeans it was at first a curiosity, and then a highly prized product, sought by the first merchants in the New World and demanded by the elite classes on the European continent. It was there that cacao, or cocoa, was first mixed with milk, and where the first chocolate bars were produced.

The cacao tree grows in areas of dense vegetation. The fruits, which can be of extraordinary colors, grow on branches and hold the seeds covered by a white and refreshing pulp. In the process of turning cacao into chocolate, the seeds are dried, toasted and crushed.

The Internet holds a vast array of information about cacao, ranging from its role in the world market to its history and its amazing transformation into delicious chocolate.

Air in Motion

The wind blows continuously in every corner of the globe, showing its different faces: from barely perceptible breezes to mighty hurricanes. In every case, however, we are talking about the same phenomenon, which has one single definition: "air in motion."

Despite the ubiquity of the wind in the lives of human beings, it is not easy to find information describing it on the Internet. Many searches end up at sites dedicated to its use as a source of energy, or referring to the use of the word in a figurative sense: it refers to something passing, ephemeral, something that never stops or that can swell to stormy levels.

The sites that describe wind go a bit deeper. The sun has to do with the origin of the wind, which is produced by the uneven heating of the earth's surface, which in turn generates areas of high and low pressure. The differences trigger movement in the air mass.

There are a number of kinds of wind classified by scientists, and tools like the Beaufort scale have been designed to gauge intensity, starting with a light breeze and running all the way up to devastating hurricane-force winds.

The speed of wind is measured with the help of an anemometer. This can be a sophisticated apparatus, or simple homemade instruments. The information gathered is an important input for the producers of wind power, a clean, abundant source of energy.

Wind has an enormous influence on life. In nature, one of its key functions is as a vehicle for pollination. In the case of human beings, it propels boats and windmills, and even feeds our imagination.


Beaufort scale: measuring the wind
Wind energy for kids
Measuring the wind: anemometers
Encyclopedia: wind

Food Insecurity

Hunger is one of the worst miseries, and in spite of all the technological and social advances that humanity has achieved, more than 800 million people on the planet suffer its effects today.

In slightly more technical terms, it is a matter of "food insecurity". It is when people go hungry and fear dying of starvation, according to a definition posted on the website of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, better known as the FAO.

The FAO has convened a World Food Summit for June 2002 in which the main focus will be the need to intensify the fight against hunger worldwide.

The delegates are to make an assessment of what has been achieved since the previous summit, in 1996. On that occasion the Rome Declaration was signed, a commitment to cut the impact of world hunger in half by the year 2015. But little progress has been made so far, and it will be difficult to meet that goal.

One of the objectives of this year's summit is to strengthen the political will of the world's governments to fight hunger.

The Internet holds abundant information on the issue, ranging from World Food Program news about food emergencies to proposals for political action suggested by activists and organizations with a presence on the web.

FAO
World Food Summit - 2002
World Food Summit - 1996
Rome Declaration on Food Security
The State of Food Insecurity
World Food Program
International Food Security Treaty
Educational: Feeding minds, fighting hunger
Yahoo! Directory: websites on hunger and food security