The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and fisheries "have nearly doubled over the past 50 years and could increase an additional 30% by 2050," says Feedstuffs.

Farm groups, seed companies and equipment manufacturers met in Kansas City to discuss common rules for gathering, use and ownership of Big Data without reaching a conclusion, says Reuters.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of irradiation to kill pathogens in shellfish. In a step requested by the National Fisheries Institute, FDA said there are no health risks so the process can be used...

Ahead of the annual meeting of the World Bank, the United States is calling on other nations to contribute to a fund that supports local food production worldwide.

"For decades, farmers across the country have been dying by suicide at higher rates than the general population" -- nearly double the U.S. average, says Newsweek.

Quinoa, a resilient and nutritious grain, is gaining popularity worldwide. It is a complete protein and contains significant amounts of iron, calcium, fiber and fatty acids.

The Agriculture Department said it will release the full results of the Census of Agriculture on May 2, after more than a year of work.

The 2014 farm law ended the direct-payment subsidy and made crop insurance the major farm support. For most states, there is little difference in the state's share of the receipts.

The National Weather Service sees an increased likelihood of an El Nino weather pattern developing by this summer and through the rest of the year.

Members of the House Agriculture Committe quickly approved their chairman's proposal to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission while creating additional protection for customers' funds...

The nation's largest water district ramped up its spending on Washington lobbyists as drought deepened in California, says a story by Southern California Public Radio and the Center for Responsive Politics.

Strong overseas demand for U.S. corn and soybeans will mean smaller than expected stockpiles in coming months, the government said in a monthly update of crop output and usage worldwide.

Last week, the Ag Insider reported AgSec Vilsack's comments on working with a nonprofit group on a potential mentoring project for beginning farmers.

There are 121 food banks at colleges, up from four in 2008, says a Michigan State University group in a Washington Post story that says high costs and limited funds force some students to go hungry.

Advocates of mandatory labeling of foods made with GMO ingredients say they are not deterred by a U.S. House bill that would keep labeling voluntary and would pre-empt states from enacting labeling laws.

Sen Debbie Stabenow and Rep Collin Peterson told NAAJ they were optimistic the administration will set a higher mandate for biofuels consumption this year than it initially proposed.

Reps Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina will unveil a bill today to set a federal standard for labeling genetically engineered foods and block states from adopting labeling laws of their own.

The heat-and-eat "spat" could lead to Republican attempts to end the Low Income Energy Assistance Program and so-called categorical eligibility for food stamps, especially if the GOP gains control of the Senate...

Ag economist Art Barnaby of Kansas State University created a 13-page summary of the crop subsidy and federally subsidized crop insurance provisions of the 2014 farm law.

Mike Conaway of Texas, chairman of the House Ethics Committee, said he began the footwork last year to succeed Frank Lucas as chairman of the Agriculture Committee in 2015.