Do we have a deal?: After months of negotiations and acrimonious debate, California, Arizona, and Nevada are nearing a deal to voluntarily cut back on their use of Colorado River water. (Washington Post)
Committee advances Torres Small: The Senate Agriculture Committee cleared for a floor vote the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to serve as deputy agriculture secretary, the No. 2 post at the USDA and the official in charge of the department’s day-to-day operations. (Senate Agriculture)
BP’s biofuel strategy: BP is considering buying stakes in biofuel feedstock producers and investing directly in farming ventures to secure supplies as the global race for the low-carbon fuel gathers pace. (Reuters)
Avocado crisis: Severe drought is forcing farmers in Spain’s Malaga region, Europe’s top avocado producer, to reconsider the water-guzzling crop, despite soaring demand. (France 24)
Haddock crash: U.S. regulators have cut catch quotas of haddock by more than 80 percent to prevent the collapse of the fishery; the white fish, a staple of fish-and-chips, has been caught off the East Coast for centuries. (AP)
Goodbye, Red Dye: California’s Assembly passed a bill banning Red Dye No. 3, potassium bromate, and other harmful chemicals from processed foods sold in the state. (Food Safety News)