Rise of robots a boost to small, diverse farms
The miniaturization of farm machinery may be the ag-tech counter-trend that actually encourages smaller, more diverse farms.
Monsanto eyes Hawaii’s sugar fields as the last harvest comes in
Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company (HC&S) is facing a $30 million revenue loss from 2015 with worse projections to come, says The Guardian.
FDA starts countdown to May 2017 calorie-count menu mandate
‘A major part of the food business’ is hostile to GMOs, says McConnell
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he hasn't given up on passing a bill to pre-empt states from requiring special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
El Niño droughts may test world rice reserves
The world may be headed for its first tight rice supply since the spike in global food prices nearly a decade ago, says a social scientist at the International Rice Research Institute, part of a network of agricultural research centers.
Short of seeds to plant crops in Ethiopia
The food security situation in Ethiopia is worsening, says the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, and as the main growing season approaches, 10.2 million people are affected by successive crop failures and livestock deaths caused by drought since 2015.
Prices most important factor in grocery shopping, trade group says
Shoppers consistently say price is their most important consideration in grocery shopping. And with the small profit margin for grocers, "we focus so intensely on food prices because our consumers demand that we do," says Andrew Harig of the Food Marketing Institute.
Iowa bill would gut Des Moines’ seats on water board
In a step that its sponsor says involves political pay-back, Republicans in the Iowa state House added language to a budget bill that would dramatically re-organize the board of the Des Moines Water Works, which is suing rural agricultural counties over water pollution.
Varroa mite more prevalent than thought among honeybees
A five-year survey of parasites and diseases affecting honeybee colonies found the varroa mite, regarded as a major factor in population declines, "is far more abundant than previous estimates indicated and is closely linked to several damaging viruses," says Feedstuffs.
Bison will soon be America’s first national mammal
The bison will soon join the bald eagle as America’s national animal—and its only mammal, says The Guardian.
Decline in rural population easing
The first-ever overall decline in the number of people living in rural America may be ending, says USDA, drawing on Census Bureau estimates of population by county.
World soybean stockpile to shrink in year ahead
Adverse weather in South America - harvest-time rain in Argentina and drought in Brazil - will reduce the global soybean crop by 1.5 percent in the current crop year, says the International Grains Council.
Like U.S., British farmers pummeled by lower crop prices
Farm income in Britain fell by 29 percent during 2015, according to a government estimate, to the smallest amount in eight years, reported Bloomberg.
Farm groups seek to exempt gene editing from biotech rules
Two decades into the era of agricultural biotechnology, the United States is updating its regulatory system, in which USDA, EPA and FDA are the gatekeepers for commercialization of genetically modified crops and livestock.
Milk producers draft standards for certified grassfed dairy label
A national group of largely organic milk producers has reached consensus on a draft proposal for a new certified 100 percent grassfed dairy label, hoping to define the term before it gets diluted.
Crop shortfall in North Korea will worsen food security
Yogurt maker Dannon says it will use GMO labels nationwide
With $2.6 billion in annual sales, Dannon is the latest entry on the list of large U.S. food companies that will put GMO labels its products nationwide "to ensure full transparency for consumers."
Ugly produce might be better for you
“Ugly” fruits and vegetables might actually be more nutritious than blemish-free produce, says NPR. Scabs and scars on the skin are a sign that the plant fought off invaders, whether pests or fungus.
Dissenting bloc tries to stall TPP momentum
While most U.S. farm groups favor the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, "agriculture is not unanimously supporting this," says Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union.
Low commodity prices mean farm income stress
Based on average yields and costs, Corn Belt farmers would barely make money at the corn and soybean futures prices now offered for this year's crops, says economist Gary Schnitkey of U-Illinois.