Luxury goods makers take their well-heeled boots to farms and ranches
At a time when sustainability carries cachet with consumers, companies known for top-quality products are putting their money into the farms and ranches that provide their raw materials, says Business of Fashion.
Culture, more than economics, divides rural and urban America
Two-thirds of rural Americans say people in big cities hold values that are different than theirs, and nearly half of urban Americans say the same thing—that rural values are different than theirs, said the Washington Post.
EU court rules: If it’s from a plant, it’s not milk
Thanks to strict EU legislation, only dairy products can be called milk, cream, butter, cheese, or yogurt, the European Court of Justice said in a ruling that nixes using such terms as “soy milk” and “tofu butter” for plant-based products.
New interim USDA team looks a lot like the original interim team
In the second step of reorganizing the USDA’s executive portfolios, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue named three acting deputy undersecretaries to oversee the department’s ag export, crop subsidy, and forestry arms until Trump administration nominees report to work.
Justice Dept. approves Dow–DuPont merger, with conditions
Dow Chemical and E.I. DuPont can carry out their planned $130 billion merger if they agree to sell off some of their pesticide and petrochemical business, said the Justice Department. Justice’s antitrust division said the divestitures would preserve competition in the ag chemical sector.
Dairy, beef win marketing openings in China; will U.S. accept Chinese chicken?
Following the first shipments of U.S. beef to China in 14 years, the U.S. Dairy Export Council says the United States and China have signed a memorandum of understanding “on dairy trade assurances that will allow more exports from the United States.” At the same time, a consumer group said the United States should not allow China to ship poultry products to America.
White House indicates Trump will not disturb U.S. ag exports to Cuba
President Trump will announce new trade rules with Cuba intended to keep dollars out of the hands of the country’s military and intelligence agencies, said senior White House officials in advance of a presidential speech today in Miami. The officials indicated that food and ag exports would not be affected.
One-fifth of baby food samples contain detectable lead, says study
Roughly 20 percent of baby food samples showed detectable levels of lead, says a report out by the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
Will farmers feel a chill when Trump cools the U.S.-Cuba thaw?
Nearly two decades ago, Congress exempted food and agricultural goods from the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, opening the way for modest exports to the island. The 2000 law would be somewhat of a shield for those sales when President Trump realigns U.S. policy toward Havana, scheduled in Miami on Friday.
Trump selects Doud to be chief U.S. agricultural negotiator
Gregg Doud, the head of the Commodity Markets Council for the past four years, is President Trump’s choice to become chief agricultural negotiator in the U.S. trade representative’s office, announced the White House.
Once again, judges say Philadelphia’s soda tax is legal
With judges split 5-2, the Pennsylvania Comonwealth Court upheld Philadelphia's 1.5-cent-an-ounce tax on sweetened beverages, the second win in court by the city, said Philadelphia Magazine. "Still, the ruling doesn’t conclude the soda tax war," said the magazine, because the American Beverage Association and local businesses could appeal to the state Supreme Court.
E15 is the doorway for cellulosic biofuels, says trade group
The Advanced Biofuels Business Council told the Senate Environment Committee that year-round sales of E15 would widen the market for cellulosic ethanol, made from gasses and woody plants, reported DTN. At present, E15, a 15 percent mix of ethanol and gasoline, cannot be sold during the summer because of air pollution rules.
USDA expands review of cyanide traps against predators
Following reports of dead pets and the possible exposure of a teenager to cyanide, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is expanding its review of the use of spring-loaded traps to poison livestock predators in the West.
French pastry-makers worry over butter shortage
Butter prices are soaring in France, the home of the croissant, whose flaky crust and satisfying taste rely on the dairy product, reports the Guardian. "There is a real risk of butter running out," says the federation of French biscuit and cake makers.
Palm oil industry confronts its human rights problem
In the last decade, consumers across North America and Europe have become increasingly aware of the environmental costs of producing palm oil, now the world’s most widely consumed vegetable oil. The industry’s social problems, however, have remained largely in the dark.
If the menu calls it vegetarian, people don’t want it
When researcher Linda Bacon showed 750 adults in Britain menus that included two plant-based entrees, they were half as likely to chose them if they were listed in a section called "Vegetarian Dishes." In a World Resources Institute blog, Bacon says the grouping "highlights the lack of meat or fish" and reduces interest for a variety of reasons.
Lighthizer warning: Buy GMOs or expect a fight
The Trump administration will attack overseas regulations that restrict the export of GMO crops and other products resulting from American technological innovation, said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer at the first meeting of a newly created task force on rural America.
White House officials urge Central America to keep immigrants at home
Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the Trump cabinet are holding a conference in Miami with Central American leaders, pressing them to discourage their citizens from migrating to the United States, says the LA Times. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin will be in attendance, along with officials from the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America or Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — countries known for their high murder rates, extreme poverty and violence.
U.S. sugar group says it now supports sweetener deal with Mexico
A trade group for U.S. sugar growers and processors, after objecting a week ago to a tentative U.S.–Mexico agreement on sweetener trade, said the pact was strengthened in follow-up negotiations and that it now supports the deal.
White House cancels rule to curb bycatch on West Coast
The Trump administration is canceling a proposed rule that would have shut down any gill net fishery that killed or seriously injured sensitive species like sea turtles, whales and dolphins in West Coast fishing nets. The rule — proposed in 2015 by the “14-member Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages fisheries in California, Oregon and Washington”— was deemed unnecessary and a cost burden to fishermen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.