Vegetables with Pedigrees

This post from Grub Street: As we learned (or will learn!) during the chef-bio presentations, it is now common practice for a restaurant to list on the menu the source of their ingredients. The writer of the article wonders, "Is putting the names of suppliers onto the menu a way of making us concentrate more on the ingredients, or a way of getting pretentious about some of the most basic and commonplace foods in the world?" I pose the same question to you.

Banning Kosher and Halal Slaughtering Practices

The Dutch government political party, The Party of the Animals, whose focus is animals rights, recently introduced a bill (which was supported and will soon take affect), that would mandate that all animals slaughtered in the Netherlands would need to be stunned before slaughter, a practice that is not allowed under Kosher and Halal dietary law (both require that an animal must be conscious at the time of slaughter). Dutch Jewish and Muslim citizens decry the move, which they see as limiting their religious freedom, while animal rights activists claim there is no motive outside of humane considerations. Here is the article -- what do you think about this?