Court curtails California water limits: An appeals court ruled that California lacks the authority to interfere with so-called “senior” water rights holders and curtail their diversions of water from rivers, complicating the state’s efforts to deal with its historic drought. (Sacramento Bee)
QR codes won’t fly for GMOs: A U.S. District Court ruled that the USDA’s decision to allow genetically engineered foods to be labeled with only a “QR” code was unlawful, and that the agency must include additional disclosure options with those foods. (Center for Food Safety)
Forest-focused carbon project: The USDA is funding a major effort to store more carbon in New England’s forests that will include large commercial producers as well as small woodlot owners. (AP)
Ukraine grain storage hit: Russia has destroyed, damaged, or seized control of 14 percent of Ukraine’s crop storage capacity since invading in February, jeopardizing the global food supply and threatening future harvests. (Bloomberg)
Swiss to vote on factory farms: Switzerland will vote next week on whether to ban factory farming as part of an initiative that also demands that the dignity of farm animals be constitutionally protected. (Vegconomist)