‘There must be a mountain of bones under the sea’
The Associated Press won the Pulitzer Prize for public service with its year-long investigation "of severe labor abuses tied to the supply of seafood to American supermarkets and restaurants, reporting that freed 2,000 slaves, brought perpetrators to justice and inspired reform."
Unprecedented saltwater intrusion in Mekong Delta
Low water levels in the Mekong Delta has allowed seawater to penetrate 56 miles inland, ruining vast swathes of cropland, says Reuters.
Squabble over poultry ‘rider’ expected at USDA budget markup
Maryland Rep. Andy Harris is expected to try to block the USDA from issuing new fair-play rules today for poultry farmers who raise birds under contract for large processors, said a small-farm advocacy group.
Community eligibility cutback would hit 7,000 schools
In only its second year of availability nationwide, more than 18,000 schools in high-poverty areas are utilizing the Community Eligibility Provision to provide free breakfast and lunch to all of their students, a total of 8.5 million pupils.
Nutrient budgets — a European idea for U.S. farmers?
"Scientists in the Chesapeake Bay have been looking at nutrient budgets for close to three decades. But to date, no state has implemented one .... Nevertheless, the idea continues to percolate," reports the Bay Journal, ahead of a Chesapeake Bay Summit to be broadcast on Maryland Public Television on Wednesday.
Turkey imposes anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton
The National Cotton Council said it will try to reverse Turkey's decision to assess anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton, including steps such as a WTO complaint and a lawsuit.
Full-fat dairy may protect against Type 2 diabetes
Eating full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese may help protect against Type 2 diabetes, says a study of 3,333 adults published in the journal Circulation.
Oil and gas is top methane emitter, not agriculture
The jokes about bovine belches melting the polar ice caps can be shelved for the moment, according to a new EPA annual report on U.S. greenhouse-gas production.
As organic sales grow, so does discord within the industry
For years, organic food has been the fastest-growing segment of U.S. agriculture, with a sales total of nearly $36 billion a year at latest count. "A deepening divide" is splitting the industry and "sparking litigation and allegations that the well-known label marking foods as organic no longer assures consumers that foods are free from chemicals and other materials, or that organic meat was raised naturally," says Huffington Post.
Iowa counties spend $1.1 million in Des Moines water lawsuit
Three counties in northwest Iowa have spent $1.1 million on attorney fees to defend themselves against a lawsuit by the Des Moines Water Works that blames the counties for high nitrate levels in river water, said the Des Moines Register.
Dietary Guidelines, a tug-of-war between science and self-interest
The original edition of the Dietary Guidelines, issued in 1980, was a three-fold pamphlet "with seven easy-to-comprehend rules, such as avoid sugar and saturated fat," says Eating Well magazine. The 2015-2020 edition is 53,000 words covering 211 pages.
What does ‘cage-free’ mean? ‘More space — relatively speaking’
Dozens of food companies have pledged to switch to cage-free eggs over the next few years, including Walmart, the largest U.S. grocery retailer.
Thieves are stealing California’s nuts
Criminals impersonating shipping companies are stealing millions of dollars worth of California’s high-priced nuts, says The Christian Science Monitor.
Putting more money into the doomsday vault for seeds
The Crop Trust, which runs a seed bank in the Arctic, "secured a doubling of its core funds" from national donors at a pledge meeting in Washington, enough to boost its endowment to $300 million.
Ag outlook dour, wrong time to cut farm supports
In preview of issues for the 2018 farm bill, the leaders of the two largest U.S. farm groups argued against cuts in farm subsidies as the agricultural sector endures years of low commodity prices and income that is a fraction of the record set in 2013 at the end of a seven-year boom.
California farmworkers face high rates of food insecurity, obesity
Nearly half of the farm workers in Yolo County, California, face food insecurity, three times the rate of farm workers in the rest of California and in the United States, says a new report out by the California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS).
GE mushroom that resists browning free of USDA biotech rules
USDA said a mushroom whose genes were edited is not subject to its biotechnology regulations because it contains no added genetic material.
FDA approves folic acid in corn masa flour
Corn masa flour is a common part of Latin American foods, used in making tortillas, tamales, taco shells, corn chips and tortilla chips. Now, foodmakers have FDA approval to fortify masa with folic acid,
Fast-spreading wheat rust diseases pose threat
The fungal diseases called wheat rust "have the capacity to turn a healthy-looking crop, only weeks away from harvest, into nothing more than a tangle of yellow leaves or black stems and shriveled grains at harvest," says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Small financial impact when schools sell healthier meals and snacks
A study of 11 school districts in Massachusetts, where requirements for healthier school meals and snacks took effect at the same time, saw a 6.6 percent drop in food service revenue in the first year but revenues rebounded in the second year to nearly the same level as before, says the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.