Will the world give up trans fats? (Vox): The World Health Organization is asking countries for the first time to banish an ingredient, trans fat, from the global food supply.
Foodmaker fortifies land (Minneapolis Star Tribune): General Mills, with a portfolio of organic and natural products, moves into “regenerative agriculture” with investments to fortify the land where its food is grown.
‘Prompt conclusion’ of NAFTA is discussed (Reuters): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump discussed the possibility of a “prompt conclusion” of negotiations for the new NAFTA following an inability by senior officials to reach agreement last week.
Second strong week of corn planting (USDA): Growers planted one-fourth of the U.S. corn crop, slightly more than 20 million acres, last week on top of 19 million acres the preceding week. They are now back on track with their usual pace for mid-May planting, with 62 percent of the crop in the ground.
Administration stalls report on water (Politico): The White House and EPA intervened to block release of an HHS report that shows a class of toxic chemcials can imperil water supplies at lower levels than are now considered safe.
The Chinese play book (CARD): An examination of previous U.S.-China trade disputes shows China targets U.S. agriculture exports as a way to flex its muscles without escalating a dispute and because “they see the affected US producers to be politically powerful,” says an Iowa State University think tank.