Trade deals, renegotiations, issues, speeches – news for week of Jan 29

624
0

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 throughout the week (as the week progresses newest items will be in?green?at bottom of sections). Check the page during the week for updates.

____

TRADE, TRADE RELATED, INFRASTRUCTURE:

NAFTA negotiators still divided, but cite progress in talks – Reuters – By David Ljunggren and David Lawder (Jan 29)

“…the bid to salvage the $1.2-trillion free trade pact will continue well beyond the original March deadline as elections loom in Mexico.” – Link

President Trump Hints at Retaliation Against EU for Unfair Trade Policies – Wall Street Journal – By Wiktor Szary and Emre Peker (Jan 28)

“U.S. president said ?I?ve had a lot of problems with European Union…from a trade standpoint?” – Link

See also😕 The EU?s distortion of public health unfairly hurts US agricultural produce

Trump Won?t Announce Nafta Withdrawal in State of Union, Sources Say – Bloomberg Politics – By Josh Wingrove and Jennifer Jacobs (Jan 27) – Link

Rasmussen Reports – Americans Still Favor Use of Protective Tariffs (Jan 26) – Link

Davos: DG Azev?do calls on members to match words of support for the WTO with deeds – World Trade Organization (Jan 26) – Link

Forget about NAFTA and Korus; TPA could be the spoiler for U.S. trade – Farm Press – By Logan Hawkes (Jan 22)

“TPA renewal could be crucial for U.S. trade agreements” – Link

EU and Mercosur execs meet to clinch controversial trade deal – GlobalMeatNews.com -?By Oscar Rousseau (Jan 31)

“Senior officials from the EU and Latin American trade bloc Mercosur ? comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay ? have met in Brussels to push a divisive free trade agreement over the line.” – Link

Trump Says US Has Turned Page on Trade – Roll Call – By Ellyn Ferguson and Hugh T. Ferguson (Jan 30)

?The era of economic surrender is totally over? – Link


AG, AG TECH, RESEARCH, PRODUCTION, PROTECTION, RELATED ISSUES:

Louis Dreyfus in industry first: blockchain based soy deal – Feed Navigator -?By Jane Byrne (Jan 25)

“Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), Shandong Bohi Industry (Bohi), ING, Societe Generale and ABN Amro have completed the first full agricultural commodity transaction using a blockchain platform.” – Link

Tanzania: New Maize Variety for Drought Prone Regions – allAfrica / Tanzania Daily News – By Fatma Abdu (Jan 26)

“The variety has been developed in understanding that drought has become a serious threat to maize production in Tanzania and across Africa…” – Link

How China Plans to Feed 1.4 Billion Growing Appetites – National Geographic – By Tracie McMillan (Feb 2018 issue)

“As more Chinese crave Western-style diets, the booming nation rushes to industrialize an agricultural economy long built around small farms.” – Link

China pushes technology development to modernize agriculture – Xinhua (Jan 29)

“The future of China’s agriculture sector lies in agricultural modernization, and the key to advancing agricultural modernization lies in the development of technology” – Link


POLICY, REGULATORY, ACTIVISM, OTHER:

How Do You Assess if a Chemical Causes Cancer? – Slate – By Guy-Andre Pelouze (Jan 24)

“Years of testing glyphosate, part of the most widely used herbicide in the world, has shown us that the chemical is not carcinogenic. Why can?t we believe it?” – Link

Stonyfield Slammed for Using Children to Scare Consumers About ?Monstrous? Technology – Center for Science in the Public Interest – By Gregory Jaffe (Jan 26) – Link

See also😕https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2018/01/31/Stonyfield-Organic-under-fire-over-portrayal-of-GMOs-in-YouTube-video

Today’s Food: A Modern Agricultural Miracle – The Heartland Institute – By Steve Goreham (Jan 24)

“Environmentalists label modern farming as unsustainable, blaming farming for polluting the planet and destroying the climate. But today?s food is abundant and nutritious…” – Link

EU review of Bayer’s Monsanto bid postponed further – Reuters – By Ludwig Burger, Foo Yun Chee (Jan 30) – Link

Stop the Food Label Fear-Mongering – US News & World Report – By Tom Vilsack (Jan 30)

“We all lose when food manufacturers create labels that play on consumers fears.” – Link

Coffee may come with a cancer warning in California – CNN – By Jen Christensen (Jan 31)

“The state keeps?a list of chemicals?it considers possible causes of cancer, and one of them,?acrylamide, is created when coffee beans are roasted.” – Link

USDA and FDA sign agreement on oversight of food – Food Quality News (

“The US FDA and USDA are to look at ways to streamline regulatory responsibilities, reduce inspection inefficiencies and use government resources more efficiently.” – Link

Leave a Reply