In Hawaii, TPP question is breakthrough or break down?
Trade officials from the 12 nations involved in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations are in Hawaii in hopes of reaching final agreement on a free-trade pact encompassing 40 percent of world economic outlook, says Politico.
Cannibalism may not stop the spread of the lionfish
"Cannibalism may seem like nature’s way of coping with Florida’s growing lionfish invasion, but it is unlikely to offer a cure," says National Geographic.
Manage wildlife to reduce bird-flu risk, USDA tells producers
In a new flyer on biosecurity, the USDA tells poultry producers, "The addition of simple wildlife management practices around your farm" can enhance the biosecurity shield against avian influenza.
Two COOL vehicles could collide in the highway bill
Congress is clearly on its way to repealing the law that requires packages of beef, pork and chicken sold in supermarkets to carry labels that say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered. But there are rival plans on how to do it.
California considers permits for farmworkers in U.S. illegally
After waiting fruitlessly for Congress to act, "California lawmakers are considering a measure to allow work permits for farmworkers living in the country illegally," reports the Los Angeles Times.
Add a barley gene and rice emits less methane
Rice is a staple of half the world's population and also a potent emitter of greenhouse gases. But the Los Angeles Times reports that scientists say genetic engineering may help solve the grain's methane problem.
Farmer-owned co-op CHS earnings down 26 percent
The largest farmer-owned cooperative, CHS Inc., said earnings were down by 26 percent for the first nine months of its fiscal year, "primarily due to lower average prices for the refined energy products, grains and fertilizer that make up a significant portion of CHS business."
USDA approves GE cotton that tolerates 2,4-D weedkiller
The USDA said it has decided to approve cultivation of cotton that has been genetically engineered by Dow AgroScience to tolerate the weedkiller 2,4-D as well as glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, said Agri-Pulse.
Food-stamp enrollment is lowest in nearly four years
Enrollment in food stamps, the premiere U.S. antihunger program, at latest count was the lowest since July 2011, according to USDA data. Some 45.4 million people received food stamps in April, the most recent month for which figures are available.
Life sentence urged in salmonella outbreak in peanut butter
The U.S. Probation Office, in a pre-sentencing report, recommended life in prison for Stewart Parnell, the former chief executive of Peanut Corporation of America, says Food Safety News.
House Agriculture takes the lead against GMO food labels
The House Agriculture Committee, a stronghold for conventional agriculture, will act first in Congress to prevent states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
After House hustle, a Senate lull for GMO pre-emption bill
The House passed, by a 2-to-1 margin, a bill to pre-empt states from requiring special labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms and sent the legislation to the Senate, where its chief backer says "it's a work in progress" and far from ready for action.
Only a few miss deadline for conservation compliance
Some 98.2 percent of farmers met the June 1 deadline to show they practice soil and water conservation on their land. By filing the document, form AD-1026, producers are eligible for premium subsidies on crop insurance.
U.S. hen total plunges again, as bird-flu fallout continues
The inventory of hens laying eggs for table consumption dropped by 5 percent in June, says the monthly Chicken and Eggs report. It was the second month in a row that the total plunged and a sign of the swift spread of the avian influenza epidemic.
In farm state, urbanites wary of livestock farms
City dwellers are more likely than rural residents to regard livestock operations as environmentally harmful and to have concerns about impacts on water quality, say Purdue researchers who surveyed 797 Indiana adults during July 2014.
As TPP endgame nears, major differences persist for U.S. and Canada
Only days away from a meeting of trade ministers to try to wrap up the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, Canada and the United States are at odds over access to Canada's dairy and poultry market.
Oregon to warn of arsenic in softshell clams
Oregon state officials plan to warn the public of elevated levels of arsenic in softshell clams along the Pacific coast, and to suggest consumption limits, says the Salem (Ore) Statesman Journal.
As House votes on GMO pre-emption, Senate in spotlight
By all accounts, the Republican-controlled House will pass HR 1599 today to pre-empt states from requiring special labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms.
After generations on the move, nomads are settled into town
China is in the final stages of a 15-year drive to relocate millions of nomadic herders into life in town, says the New York Times, which called it "one of the most ambitious attempts made at social engineering."
Salty irrigation water is a peril for California almond growers
The drought in California is creating an unexpected threat to the state's almond growers. Water drawn from wells on the west side of Central California is high in salt, says Valley Public Radio in Fresno, which could adversely affect crop yields.