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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** Tim Burrack, GFN Vice Chair, has his recent column, Protectionism: the curse that keeps on taking, appear Sept 19 in The Hill, the Washington, DC based publication that is widely read among lawmakers and decision makers.
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TRADE, TRADE RELATED ISSUES:
The Case for Trade, and Why American Leaders Need to Make It – Harvard Business Review – By?Robert B. Zoellick (Sept 19)
“The loss of American trade leadership could hardly come at a worse time. In an era when monetary policy seems to have been stretched to the limit, and fiscal policies are constrained by debt and reluctance to spend, businesses and governments around the world need to reignite the spark of trade to fuel economic growth.”
Link:?https://hbr.org/2016/09/the-case-for-trade-and-why-american-leaders-need-to-make-it
Russia may appeal WTO ruling on EU pig and pork exports?- GlobalMeatNews.com -?By Eugene Vorotnikov, in Voronezh, Russia; and Keith Nuthall (Sept 16)
“By the end of this month (September) the Russian government will appeal the recent ruling of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) opposing Russia?s swine fever-related ban on European Union (EU) exports of pigs, pigmeat and related products, according to the Russian government.”
US, EU set next round of trade talks for early October – The Hill – By Vickie Needham (Sept 15)
Link:?http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/296240-us-eu-set-next-round-of-talks-for-early-october
TPP is crucial to the United States’ and Australia’s regional security – The Australian Financial Review, Editorial (Sept 19)
Would Clinton or Trump flip-flop on trade in 2017? – Kansas City Star – By Rob Hotakainen (Sept 19)
“For backers of international trade, the 2016 presidential race carries little good news.”
Link:?http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article102778382.html
EU Official Says Trade Deal with Japan Is Still in the Works – Fortune / Reuters (Sept 20)
Link:?http://fortune.com/2016/09/20/eu-japan-trade-agreement/
Germany’s Gabriel gets green light to support EU-Canada trade deal – Reuters -?By Holger Hansen and Caroline Copley?(Sept 20)
“Germany appeared set on Monday to back an ambitious trade accord between the European Union and Canada…”
Link:?http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-europe-trade-canada-germany-idUSKCN11P15O
Milton Friedman?s Morals – Wall Street Journal – By William McGurn (Sept 19)
“As Trump and Clinton bang the drums for tariffs and renegotiated deals, where?s the popular voice for trade?”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/milton-friedmans-morals-1474329068
In China Beef Trade, U.S. Gain May Mean Australia Pain – Wall Street Journal – By Lucy Craymer (Sept 21)
“U.S. return to market spells trouble for Australia, already overtaken by Brazil as China?s No. 1 beef supplier”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-china-beef-trade-u-s-gain-may-mean-australia-pain-1474447261
Who Hates Free Trade Treaties? Surprisingly, Not Voters – New York Times – By Jackie Calmes (Sept 21)
However,??The people who are opposed to trade agreements feel more passionately about it than the people who are supportive of them”
Egypt Fungus Flipflop Has Wheat Market Saying ?You Go First? – Bloomberg (Sept 21)
“For the second time this year, Egypt changed and then quickly reversed its import standards for wheat, leaving traders skeptical about doing business with the world?s largest buyer.”
Canada and China Will Enter Trade Talks, Justin Trudeau Says – New York Times – By Ian Austen (Sept 22)
Link:?http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/world/americas/canada-china-trade-justin-trudeau.html?_r=1
Obama: Africa Wants Trade, Not Aid – VOA – By Cindy Saine (Sept 21)
Link:?http://www.voanews.com/a/obama-us-africa-forum/3519333.html
East Africa: European MPs Warn EAC to Be Cautious On EU Trade Deal – allAfrica / New Times (Rwanda) – By Colins Mwai (Sept 23)
“…European Union had pushed a hard bargain in the deal largely by ‘arm twisting’ Kenya which risked to lose access to the European market.”
Link:?http://allafrica.com/stories/201609230104.html
Austria, France to propose restarting EU-U.S. trade talks under new name – Reuters (Sept 23)
Link:?http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-usa-ttip-austria-france-idUKKCN11T07Y
BIOTECH, AG TECH, PRODUCTION:
Fla. Reps. urging feds to use GMO mosquitoes in Zika fight – NBC2 TV, Florida – By Rachel Polansky (Sept 15)
“…61 Republican and Democratic Representatives have written a letter, urging federal officials to allow the use of genetically-modified mosquitoes to wipe out Zika-carrying mosquitoes.”
Public will overcome GMO fears when they realise benefits – US expert – National Business Review (New Zealand) – By Fiona Rotherham (Sept 15)
The safety of genetically-modified crops is backed by science – South China Morning Post – By Alex Lo (Sept 17)
“Of all the genuine food scandals and crises around the world in the past two decades not a single one was GM-related”
China to invest $450 billion modernizing agriculture by 2020 – Reuters (Sept 18)
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-agriculture-idUSKCN11O0MX
CRISPR Could Usher in a New Era of Delicious GMO Foods – The Atlantic – By Sarah Zhang (Sept 19)
“Can the gene editing technique redeem the reputation of engineered crops?”
Link:?http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/09/gmo-food-crispr-cabbage/500528/
Salt-tolerance breakthrough: Animal protein also found in crops ?- Food Navigator Asia -?By RJ WhiteheadRJ Whitehead (Sept 20)
“Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in investigating salt tolerance in plants which could lead to new salt tolerant varieties of crops, and also answer unresolved questions in plant biology.”
Mainstream media begin to note folly of anti-GMO hype – Delta Farm Press – By Hembree Brandon in Farm Press Blog (Sept 19)
Link:?http://deltafarmpress.com/blog/mainstream-media-begin-note-folly-anti-gmo-hype
Quiet ‘GMO’ revolution in the Third World – The Jakarta Post (Indonesia) – By Mark Lynas (Sept 20)
“…anti-GMO ideology embedded itself in the DNA of today?s green movement, that leading voices are unable to admit to any success for the technology they have vilified for so long.”
Link:?http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/09/20/quiet-gmo-revolution-third-world.html
Largest-Ever Study of GM Crops Reveals Their Environmental Impacts – Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA (Sept 21)
Link:?http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=14775
GMO food is safe, says Greenpeace co-founder – AG Week – By Jonathan Knutson (Sept 19)
Link:?http://www.agweek.com/news/north-dakota/4118586-gmo-food-safe-says-greenpeace-co-founder
CRISPR gene edited cabbage grown and cooked for the first time?- Food Navigator -?By Natalie Morrison (Sept 22)
“Cabbages?modified with CRISPR-Cas9??genetic scissors??have been harvested and cooked for what is believed to be the first time, Ume? University says.”
Link:?http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science/CRISPR-gene-edited-cabbage-grown-and-cooked-for-the-first-time
As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes – NPR, The Salt – By Dan Charles (Sept 22)
Climate Change Threatens World?s Coffee Supply, Report Says – New York Times – By Jonah Engel Bromwich (Sept 22)
“In addition to the disappearing land on which to grow coffee, the report highlights the way warmer weather is exacerbating the threat of diseases like coffee rust and pests like the coffee berry borer…”
REGULATORY, POLICY, TRENDS:
EU approves Syngenta GM maize strains – Reuters (Sept 16)
“Although authorized for food and feed, in practice the EU-approved GM strains are exclusively used in animal feed.”
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-gmo-syngenta-ag-idUSKCN11M11F
Who funds the grassroots anti-GMO movement? -?
“These people have an agenda, and the organic food industry actually spends $2.5 billion?annually through 330 different organizations leading with fear to sell their products. Fear sells and marketers know it.”
Link:?https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/09/15/funds-grassroots-anti-gmo-movement/
Market will govern GM commercial timing – Farm Weekly (Australia) – By Mal Gill (Sept 19)
Bayer?s Monsanto Purchase Could Offset European Regulatory Concerns – Wall Street Journal – By Christopher Alessi (Sept 18)
“Europe has banned genetically modified crops; next-generation technologies now subject to review”
EPA Weighs In On Glyphosate, Says It Likely Doesn’t Cause Cancer – NPR, The Salt – By Dan Charles (Sept 16)
“Glyphosate had been considered among the safest of herbicides.”
Is your firm ready for 3 waves of disruptive food innovation??- Food Navigator -?By Niamh Michail?(Sept 16)
“In the next 10 years, the food industry will be profoundly changed by a series of disruptive innovations in three waves.?“Some say these entrepreneurs?will save the planet, others believe they will destroy our relationship with food.?I believe it is the only possible path,”?says?CEO and co-founder of Reimagine Food Marius Robles.”
Why the fight over the Bayer-Monsanto deal matters for the future of agriculture – Vox – By Brad Plumer (Sept 20)
“…I thought I?d pull out the strongest arguments from the pro- and anti-merger sides.”
Link:?http://www.vox.com/2016/9/20/12988616/bayer-monsanto-dupont-dow-agriculture-mergers-innovation
Clinton and Trump: Where they stand on ag – Prarie Farmer – By Holly Spangler and John Vogel (Sept 20)
“…we posed the following set of questions to both candidates, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.”
Link:?http://farmprogress.com/story-clinton-trump-where-stand-ag-8-146907
Mark Bittman’s Factually Challenged Column On GMOs In The New York Times – Forbes.com – By Henry I. Miller (Sept 21)
“Elite foodies like Bittman are promoting labels as a kind of Trojan horse for getting more (and more, and more?) government intervention in our food system.”
Mass Exodus Expected from Leading Organic Trade Group Over Controversial GMO Legislation – Organic Authority – By Jill Ettinger (Sept 22)
How Hampton Creek Sold Silicon Valley on a Fake-Mayo Miracle – Bloomberg Businessweek – By Olivia Zaleski, Peter Waldman and Ellen Huet (Sept 22)
“With Just Mayo, Josh Tetrick wanted to build the first sustainable-food unicorn. ?He’ll need to fend off the feds first.”
Link:?https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-hampton-creek-just-mayo/