False start on Canada and China trade talks – news for week of Dec 4
News items related to ag tech, biotech, trade – and perhaps some other interesting topics out there related to agriculture – will be posted on this page through...
Canada
There are Economic Consequences to GMO Labeling
The worst thing we can do for people who struggle to feed their families is to make food more expensive. We can all agree on this, right? Here in Vermont,...
It Takes Political Courage and Statesmanship to Advance Trade Deals
The big winner in Canada’s national elections this week wasn’t the Liberal Party or the Conservative Party. Instead, it was the Trans Pacific Partnership, a 12-...
COOL isn’t cool anymore
The recent theatrics over Trade Promotion Authority suggest that our political leaders in Washington aren’t serious about international trade. Amid the fight...
For the Girl Scouts “Acting Like a Girl” Means Standing Up for Science and GMOs
If the Girl Scouts were to give out badges for courage in the face of controversy, they could award one to themselves—for fending off a smear campaign that targ...
Farmers, We Must Take It To The Public
When Norman Borlaug died five years ago, he uttered his famous last words: “Take it to the farmers.” That’s good advice, but I’ve spent a lot of my time doin...
COOL’s Collateral Damage
Among the many tragedies of war is collateral damage: deaths and casualties of non-combatants who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as well as t...
Canadians Have a Right to Know: Technology is a vital part of our food security
The best thing to happen for Canadian food last year took place in California. Voters there rejected Proposition 37, a badly flawed ballot proposal that woul...
Where’s the Beef From?
“Where’s the beef?” was a catchphrase in the 1980s. “Where’s the beef from?” is a question for our own times--possibly an important one for consumers, but al...
Chinese Trade Policies That Limit U.S. Agricultural Imports
China will be the largest importer of U.S. agricultural products this fiscal year according to estimates by the Foreign Agricultural Service of USDA. Despite...