A deadly fight to protect natural resources (Huffington Post): In some countries, environmental activists protesting the spread of large-scale farming and deforestation are targeted for harassment, abuse, and violence.
Pepsi CEO to step down (AP): Indra Nooyi, who has been CEO of PepsiCo for 12 years, will step down from the post this fall.
Ethanol exports head for record (RFA): U.S. data show ethanol exports of 927.7 million gallons for the first half of this year, up by one-third from the same point in 2017 and on track to break the record for exports, 1.38 billion gallons, set last year.
The last dairy cow in Hawaii (The New Food Economy): In a quarter-century, Hawaii went from 17 dairy farms to one, Naked Cow Dairy, on the leeward coast of Oahu. It survives by turning its milk into butter and cheese with Hawaiian twists.
Fraley, GMO godfather and evangelist (Bloomberg): Robb Fraley has retired as chief technology officer of Monsanto, but remains an evangelist for genetically modified crops, a technology he helped invent and which netted him the World Food Prize.
Sales of plant-based foods up 20 percent in a year (PBFA): A Nielsen “data scan” of grocery sales commissioned by the Plant Based Food Association showed sales of plant-based foods, a category that includes meat and dairy alternatives, are up 20 percent in a year, with annual sales topping $3.3 billion.
News groups skeptical of USDA crop-report plan (The Hagstrom Report): The USDA decision to release its monthly crop reports in a free-for-all scramble “is ill-advised, contrary to the law” and likely to create chaos rather than provide a level playing field for traders, farmers and the public, say three news organization and two journalists’ groups. The August crop report will be released on Friday.
Losing a culinary giant (Eater): The lauded French chef Joël Robuchon passed away after a long battle with cancer.