News items related to ag biotech, trade ? and perhaps some other interesting items out there related to agriculture ? will be posted on this page throughout the week (as the week progresses newly added items will be in?green at bottom of sections). ?Be sure to check in regularly!
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Suffice it to say, a major news week has transpired with the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union, and the agreement among key U.S. Senate members to bring a national standard on GM labeling before Congress.
Britain votes to leave the EU: What now??- Food Navigator -?By Niamh Michail (June 24)
“Britain has voted to leave the European Union and Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned as a result. Across Europe and the UK, the food industry is coming to terms with the outcome.”
Link:?http://www.foodnavigator.com/Policy/Britain-votes-to-leave-the-EU-What-now
**Breaking News as of Thursday 23 June:
Roberts, Stabenow reach deal on GMO labeling – Agri-Pulse – By Philip Brasher (June 23)
Link:?http://www.agri-pulse.com/Roberts-Stabenow-reach-deal-on-GMO-labeling-06232016.asp
Senate lawmakers reach deal on labeling foods with GMOs – Des Moines Register – By Christopher Doering (June 23)
TRADE:
The Panama Canal Expands – Wall Street Journal – By Costas Paris, Robbie Whelan and Kejal Vyas (June 19)
“The giant Panama Canal expansion opens June 26 amid much fanfare and one of the worst shipping industry slumps ever. While it won?t do anything to help the dire state of the industry near-term, the changes are critical to Western trade in the long run.”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-panama-canal-expands-1466378348
United States could be left behind on TPP: NPPC expert – Iowa Farmer Today – By Jeff DeYoung (June 17)
?The world is not going to wait on the U.S. We have a lot of skin in the game, and we wanted to see this passed by Congress this year…”
Creeping protectionism in EU – New Strait Times (Malaysia) By Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron (June 18)
“Sadly, the experience of many industries exporting to Europe is that the rhetoric on trade does not match the reality.”
Link:?http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/06/152730/creeping-protectionism-eu
Obama touts trade, TPP as global peacekeepers – Washington Examiner – By Nichole Duran (June 20)
Link:?http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-touts-trade-tpp-as-peacekeepers/article/2594364
Brexit fallout: seven ways the EU referendum could damage US interests – The Guardian (UK) – By Dan Roberts (June 20)
Link:?http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/20/european-union-referendum-brexit-us-world
Latest EU protected meat names revealed?- GlobalMeat News -?By Kitty So (June 17)
“The European Commission has protected four more meat traditional products from Croatia, France, and Spain by adding them to the EU?s list of protected ?geographical indications?.”
Link:?http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Safety-Legislation/Latest-EU-protected-meat-names-revealed
EU protected origin is ‘high priority’ in trade talks: Agriculture commissioner?- Food Navigator -?By Niamh Michail?(June 21)
“Eight new products have been given geographical indication (PGI) and protected origin (PDO)?status, showing how?Europe gives?“high priority”?to protecting its foods in international trade talks, said the agriculture commissioner last week.”
British Farmers Crave Independence But Fear Cost of EU Exit – AgWeb.com / AP (June 20)
WTO report: ?G20 trade restrictions reach highest monthly level since the crisis? – World Trade Organization (June 21)
Link:?https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news16_e/trdev_21jun16_e.htm
NAFTA architect articulates the global story at the core of the Brexit vote – Yahoo! Finance – By Nicole Sinclair (June 22)
“Mack McLarty said the popularity of the ?leave? camp in the UK fits in with a broader aversion to globalization across the world…global economic uncertainty has exacerbated fears and calls for more protectionism.”
Trade After Brexit – Wall Street Journal -?By Jason French, Jovi Juan, Jason Douglas (June 22)
“If Britain decides to leave the European Union, it could face a raft of new tariffs”
Link:?http://graphics.wsj.com/trade-after-brexit/
Poll: Trade is popular in swing states, among Democrats – The Hill – By Vicki Needham (June 22)
Link:?http://thehill.com/policy/finance/trade/284539-poll-trade-is-popular-in-swing-states-among-democrats
Queensland banana growers paying hefty price for battle against Panama disease – ABC (Australia) – By Nancy Notzon (June 17)
Link:?http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-18/banana-growers-paying-hefty-price-for-panama-disease/7522240
The irrational GMO war must be fought with emotion – The Packer – Opinion by Greg Johnson (June 17)
Link:?http://www.thepacker.com/news/opinion/irrational-gmo-war-must-be-fought-emotion
Debates arise over use of genetically modified crops in light of Queensland wheat infestation – ABC, The World Today (Australia) (June 20)
Link:?http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2016/s4485141.htm
Wang: stop polarising communities over GM crops – The Land (Australia) – By Colin Bettles (June 21)
Link:?http://www.theland.com.au/story/3983204/wang-stop-polarising-communities-over-gm-crops/
Tanzania is ready for GM crops, affirms Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agri – Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA (June 22)
Link:?http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=14523
War against HLB advances with new acoustic tool – Southwest Farm Press – By Logan Hawkes (June 20)
Link:?http://southwestfarmpress.com/vegetables/war-against-hlb-advances-new-acoustic-tool
Colony Collapse Disorder: Science and Pseudoscience – Skeptoid – By Brian Dunning (June 21)
“And as we see so often, as soon as ideology enters an equation, all kinds of wacky misinformation gets invented by those hoping to leverage a real-world misfortune and use it to promote their ideology.”
Link:?https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4524
EU heads for glyphosate showdown – The Land (Australia) – By Gregor Heard (June 23)
Link:?http://www.theland.com.au/story/3987561/eu-heads-for-glyphosate-showdown/
?Use of biotechnology in agriculture?can help alleviate food insecurity? – The News International (Pakistan) (June 22)
Mustard set to become 1st GM food crop to get nod – The Times of India (June 21)
ANIMAL AG, RELATED TOPICS:
Over one million cattle protected from killer diseases?- GlobalMeatNews -?By Oscar Rousseau?(June 20)
“Beef producers in Uganda?s Karamoja region have benefited from a livestock vaccination plan, spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).”
Link:?http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Livestock/Over-one-million-cattle-protected-from-killer-diseases
Zika is the ‘virus from hell,’ and US isn’t prepared for it?– Yahoo! Finance / CNBC – By Robert Ferris (June 20)
Link:?http://finance.yahoo.com/news/zika-virus-hell-us-isnt-191130045.html
Florida Keys Delays Residents’ Vote on GMO Mosquitoes – ABC News / AP (June 23)
Link:?http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-keys-delays-residents-vote-gmo-mosquitoes-40079763
GMO salmon needed to help feed the world – San Diego Union Tribune – By Hank Campbell (June 22)
Link:?http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/22/agriculture-gmo-salmon/
REGULATORY, POLICY, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, OTHER:
Ninth Circuit Digs In on Hawaii GMO Rules – Courthouse News Service – By Nicholas Fillmore (June 17)
Link:?http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/06/17/ninth-circuit-digs-in-on-hawaii-gmo-rules.htm
Monsanto Files Lawsuit Over Stolen Computer Data?– Wall Street Journal – By Jacob Bunge (June 17)
“When Monsanto asked Mr. Chen about the removed files, he attributed it to a ?hacker? but also said he was considering a job offer at a seed company based in Wuhan, China, court papers said.?According to the lawsuit, he?said he had previously been in contact with Mo Hailong, a Chinese citizen who earlier this year pleaded guilty to?participating in a long-running plot to steal genetically pure corn seeds developed by Monsanto and DuPont Co.”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/monsanto-files-lawsuit-over-stolen-computer-data-1466201337
Stand Up for GMO Foods by Labeling Them – Wall Street Journal – Opinion by Richard Sexton and Steve Sexton (June 20)
“A sticker on genetically modified groceries may debunk irrational fears.”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/stand-up-for-gmo-foods-by-labeling-them-1466465085
Food Labels Should Do No Harm – Forbes.com – By John W. Bode (June 20)
Today, anti-biotechnology activists are advocating GMO labeling. They know that they can?t prevail by directly opposing agricultural biotechnology. The benefits are simply too large. Instead, they are advocating ?consumer right to know? labeling that is intended to scare consumers. They are well-funded by elements of the organic food industry. Why are some organic food industry interests involved? Money. If they can force a pejorative label onto the products of their competitors, organic sales volume will surge.”
Link:?http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/06/20/food-labels-should-do-no-harm/#67f28b087aa9
Food activists are ruining?Costco – New York Post – By Bethany Mandel (June 17)
“Despite the fact that many of the scientific beliefs about food are later overturned, we still let the same scientists and now, unfortunately, untrained activists make decisions that affect not only our diets, but also our bottom lines.”
Link:?http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/food-activists-are-ruining-costco/
Coalition calls for GMO solution as Roberts, Stabenow meet – AgWeek -?
“Leaders of the Coalition for Safe, Affordable Food?on Thursday?called yet again for the Senate to come up with a bill to preempt the Vermont law requiring labeling of genetically modified foods from taking effect.”
Link:?http://www.agweek.com/policy-and-politics/4058496-coalition-calls-gmo-solution-roberts-stabenow-meet
‘GMO’ Regulation: After 30 Years, Let Science Finally Show The Way – Forbes.com – By Henry I. Miller (June 22)
“The current approach to the regulation of genetic engineering serves only special interests, bureaucrats and anti-technology activists”
Link:?http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2016/06/22/gmo-regulation-30-years/#2615ffe2baf8
Argentina Strikes Deal on GMO Seeds – Wall Street Journal – By Jacob Bunge and Ryan Dube (June 23)
“Argentina will oversee crop testing to ensure biotech companies like Monsanto get royalties for genetics”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/argentina-strikes-deal-on-gmo-seeds-1466715667
Senator?s bipartisan agreement on GMO labeling comes under attack from activists -?Genetic Literacy Project – By?