EU’s carbon trade deficit: To reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 55 percent by 2030, the EU is planning to divert croplands to bioenergy, though doing so will increase food and biofuel imports. Already the EU uses one hectare of land abroad for every four it uses in Europe, creating a “land carbon trade deficit.” (Nature)
Braun for Indiana governor: First-term Sen. Mike Braun, a member of the Agriculture Committee, filed paperwork to run for Indiana governor in 2024, complicating Republican hopes of gaining a Senate majority. (Indianapolis Star)
Hormel’s turkey sales plunge: Hormel Foods said turkey sales plummeted 15 percent during the fourth quarter of its fiscal year because of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza on farms that supply its processing plants. (Hormel)
Small gains for ethanol: The EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard for 2023 and beyond is expected to raise the corn ethanol mandate to 15.25 billion gallons a year in 2024 and 2025, a 250-million-gallon increase, and offer provisions to lure more advanced biofuels onto the market, sources said. (Reuters)
USDA tribal council: For the first time, the USDA will form a permanent Tribal Advisory Council, authorized by the 2018 farm bill, to advise the agriculture secretary on issues important to Native American producers. (USDA)