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 new items will be in?green at bottom of sections). ?Be sure to check in regularly!
TRADE, TRADE RELATED, INFRASTRUCTURE:
Trump Abandons Trans-Pacific Partnership, Obama?s Signature Trade Deal – New York Times – By Peter Baker (Jan 23)
Link:?https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/tpp-trump-trade-nafta.html
President Donald Trump Makes Revised Trade Deals an Early Priority – Wall Street Journal – By William Mauldin (Jan 23)
“Two days after taking office, Nafta renegotiation and a potential bilateral pact with the U.K. are on the agenda”
China says can resolve trade disputes with new U.S. government – Reuters (Jan 19)
“China and the United States can resolve any trade disputes through talks, the government said on Thursday, as a Chinese newspaper warned U.S. business could be targets for retaliation…”
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-china-idUSKBN153082
Trade MEPs give green light to Canada-EU trade deal CETA?- Food Navigator – By Louis Gore-Langton (Jan 24)
“The EU Trade Committee (INTA) has approved the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) this morning, marking a major step toward the deal between EU and Canada becoming reality.”
Link:?http://www.foodnavigator.com/Policy/Trade-MEPs-give-green-light-to-Canada-EU-trade-deal-CETA
Mexico?s Potential Weapons if Trump Declares War on Nafta – New York Times – By Eduardo Porter (Jan 24)
Redefining a ‘special relationship’: Trump and May to talk trade – Reuters – By Elizabeth Piper (Jan 25)
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-britain-idUSKBN15925W?il=0
AG, AG TECH, PRODUCTION, RELATED ISSUES:
The smart way to help African farmers tackle climate change – IRIN – By Sophie Mbungua (Jan 20)
Link:?http://www.irinnews.org/feature/2017/01/20/smart-way-help-african-farmers-tackle-climate-change
East Africa: Irrigation Farming ‘Only Way to Food Security’ – The Citizen via allAfrica – By Alawai Masare (Jan 23)
Link:?http://allafrica.com/stories/201701230039.html
Ctrl, Alt, Delete to Better Yields – AgWeb – By Sonja Begemann (Jan 24)
“For farmers, precision gene-editing technology could mean faster advancements and more precise focus on issues that plague their crops.”
Link:?http://www.agweb.com/article/ctrl-alt-delete-to-better-yields-naa-sonja-begemann/
How GM crops can help us to feed afast-growing?world – The Conversation – By Stuart Thompson (Jan 24)
Link:?https://theconversation.com/how-gm-crops-can-help-us-to-feed-a-fast-growing-world-71112
The apple that never browns wants to change your mind about genetically modified foods – Washington Post – By Caitlin Dewey (Jan 23)
“While genetic modifications have in the past been mainly defended as a way to protect crops, the Arctic Apple would be one of the first GMOs marketed directly to consumers as more convenient…
…GMO critics say they are hopeful, however, that consumers will continue to show skepticism about the produce. Despite a growing consensus in scientific circles that GMOs pose little risk, environmental and consumer groups have successfuly mounted campaigns against GMOs over the past 30 years, successfully limiting the practice to commodity crops like soybeans and corn.”
POLICY, REGULATORY, ACTIVISM, OTHER:
FDA & USDA push forward plan to update how genetically modified organisms are regulated – Food Navigator – By Elizabeth Crawford (Jan 23)
“FDA and USDA push forward a strategy to modernize how genetically modified organisms are regulated that was created in part with the Executive Office of the President under the Obama Administration even as President Trump took office with the promise to undo much of what his predecessor advanced.”
Memorandum: Regulatory Freeze Pending Review – The White House via Politico (Jan 20)
Link:?http://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000159-be8f-da97-a9dd-becf15ae0001
US feed and grower orgs find potential in proposed biotech rules?- Feed Navigator – By Aerin Einstein-Curtis (Jan 19)
“Proposed biotech rules offer chance for educational outreach, trade discussions and practical regulation, say feed and crop grower organizations.”
Link:?http://www.feednavigator.com/R-D/US-feed-and-grower-orgs-find-potential-in-proposed-biotech-rules
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweighs the risks of pesticides – Washington Post – By Cara Rosenbloom (Jan 18)
“When you shop for groceries, do you carry a copy of the Environmental Working Group?s ?Dirty Dozen,? list with you?… These annual reports generate a lot of media coverage, and their presence seems to influence our grocery shopping habits. But research shows that the lists ? which are being questioned for their scientific validity ? may be doing more harm than good.”
Research agency says Kenya set to lose millions for blocking GM crop trials – Business Daily – By Gerald Andae (Jan 16)
New GMO apples could show if QR code labels work – Food Dive – By Keith Loria (Jan 20)
Link:?http://www.fooddive.com/news/grocery–new-gmo-apples-could-show-if-qr-code-labels-work/434376/
These Moms Say The Girl Scouts’ Newest Cookie Rejects Science, Conflicts With Its STEM Advocacy – Forbes.com – By Kavin Senapathy (Jan 20)
GMOs are key to ending perennial drought, say MPs – Daily Nation (Kenya) – By Dennis Odunga (Jan 21)
Link:?http://www.nation.co.ke/news/consumption-of-GMOs/1056-3781070-xewjfwz/
China Moving Towards Commercialization of Its Own Biotechnology Crops – USDA’s GAIN report – Prepared by Gene Kim (Dec 2016)
“The ?13th Five-Year Plan for Science and Technology Innovation? aims to push forward the commercialization of a new domestic type of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, Bt cotton, and herbicide-resistant soybeans by 2020. At the same time, delays in import approvals continue to worsen, causing unpredictability for traders and delaying the adoption of needed new varieties in exporting countries such as the United States.”
Link:?Click for link to PDF