Corn and cotton are ‘stacked’ (USDA): In 2018, 80 percent of corn and 82 percent of cotton planted in the U.S. contain multiple ‘stacked’ genetically engineered traits, a jump from 40 percent a decade ago.
Coffee giant expands into cookies (CNBC): JAB Holdings, a private equity firm that owns several coffee, fast-casual, and drink companies, will likely acquire Insomnia Cookies.
Dead-zone solutions (Minnesota Public Radio): Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota are the states with the most robust strategies to reduce nutrient runoff from farms but there is no “one size fits all” approach, says an Iowa farm group.
Smithfield Ham no more (Newport News Daily Press): The last smokehouse that produced Genuine Smithfield Ham has shut down, putting in doubt the future of the salted and smoke-cured ham that, by Virginia law, can only be produced within the city limits of Smithfield, Virginia.
Japan again open to Canada wheat (iPolitics): Japan joined South Korea in ending a temporary suspension of imports of Canadian wheat after a review showed the wheat was free of GMO grain.
French candidate for FAO (Reuters): France nominated Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, head of the European Food Safety Agency from 2006-13, for director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. No European has headed FAO in 40 years and it has never had a female chief.
Spotting giant sea bass (Los Angeles Times): There may be only 500 giant sea bass, one of the largest fish in the world, and scientists along the Southern California coast are using the spot patterns on the flanks of the sea bass like a natural bar code as they study the species’ recovery from overfishing.