News items related to ag tech, 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 newest items will be in?green at bottom of sections). ?Be sure to check in regularly.
TRADE, TRADE RELATED, INFRASTRUCTURE:
Trump’s Trade Plans: What’s At Stake For Farmers – AgWeb – By Susan Skiles Luke (Feb 6) – Link
Trump may ‘restore’ US pork trade with Russia?- GlobalMeatNews – By Vladislav Vorotnikov (Feb 7)
“Russia?s National Meat Association (NMA) has claimed that a lifting of the country?s food embargo could lead to US pig farmers reinstating supplies to the country, pushing out Brazilian exporters.” -?Link
Rewiring the WTO – The Hindu (India) – Comment by Biswajit Dhar (Feb 7)
“Growing disenchantment with the existing model of globalisation is also a historic opportunity to frame new rules granting equal opportunities to all in the global marketplace” -?Link
South Korea Seeks to Avert Trump Criticism of Free Trade Pact – Bloomberg – By Sohee Kim and Kanga Kong (Feb 7)
“South Korea?s trade minister said his country will seek to explain the benefits of its free-trade agreement with the U.S. to the Trump administration, as the pact enacted in 2012 comes under fresh scrutiny.” -?Link
MEPs vote to protect European banana growers from imports?- Food Navigator – By Niamh Michail?(Feb 6)
“Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) gave the green light to measures aimed at protecting European banana producers from import surges last week as one of the biggest global producers, Ecuador, signed up for more trade with the EU.” – Link
The hardships of doing business in Africa – The Economist (Feb 4)
“What a century-old German ship says about trade in the modern continent” – Link
Brazil, Argentina push for closer trade with Mexico in Trump era – Reuters (Feb 7)
“Some local trade experts say a potential rift between the United States and Mexico could open up space for Latin American nations.” – Link
The TPP Is Dead. Spare the TTIP. – RealClear Policy – By Simon Lester (Feb 8)
“There are many viable options here; the important thing is to keep pushing forward.” – Link
AG, AG TECH, PRODUCTION, RELATED ISSUES:
Is Africa really undergoing a smallholder agricultural revolution? – The Conversation – By Brendan Brown and Ian Nuberg (Feb 5) -?Link
Crop destroying caterpillar rapidly spreading across Africa; maize production endangered – MercoPress (Feb 6) -?Link
Is genetically modified wheat safe? – BBC World Business Report (Feb 2) – Link
New, Aggressive Rust Imperils Wheat Crops in Europe, Africa, Asia – IPS (Feb 5)
“Preliminary analysis suggests the new race is related to a family of strains that are aggressive and better adapted to higher temperatures than most others.” -?Link
A New Non-Browning Apple Foreshadows More GMOs In The Produce Section – KUNC – By Grant Gerlock, Harvest Public Media (Feb 7)
?So you?re going to see more and more, I think, traits coming out that are really consumer friendly, designed to respond to consumer demand…” – Link
Quinoa gene tinkering key to meeting worldwide food demand?- Food Navigator – By Will Chu (Feb 9)
“Quinoa has the potential to provide a highly nutritious food source to the world?s growing population and a new genetic map can help researchers to breed in useful traits.” – Link
POLICY, REGULATORY, ACTIVISM, OTHER:
Franken-food myths slayed by humble truth-seeker Leon Bradley – The Land (Australia) – By Colin Bettles (Feb 5) -?Link
Despite Rise in Hunger, Zimbabwe Continues Ban on Some Genetically Modified Products – Big News Network – By Tatenda Kanengoni (Feb 4) -?Link
Opinion: Biotech regulations must be based on facts, not fears – Agri-Pulse – By Dr. Nina Fedoroff (Feb 6)
“Regulation must focus on the product, not the process by which it was created. And it?s time to regulate only real hazards, of which there is a small number.” -?Link
Science should make the point on GMOs and not scaremongers – My Joy Online (Ghana) – By Alexander Wireko Kena (Feb 1)
“Our politicians continue to evade the real issues warranting the need for the adoption of GMOs into our agriculture, and in doing so, inadvertently pander to the irrational and absurd demands of the anti-science scaremongers.” – Link
Indonesian Farmers are Ready to Adopt Biotech Corn – Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA (Feb 8) – Link
Plague of Locusts Leads Bolivia to Issue State of Emergency – Associated Press, via New York Times (Feb 8) – Link?