Report: Intense pressure on land and water for agriculture
One-third of agricultural land worldwide, more than 2 million square miles in all, suffers from soil degradation caused by human use, said an FAO report on the mounting pressure on land and water for food production. "The pressures on soil, land and water are now intense and many are stressed to a critical point," wrote FAO director general Qu Dongyu in a foreword.
Another Missouri community fights the CAFO-expansion trend
Residents of tiny Lone Jack, MO, are fighting a proposal by a local ranch to expand its feedlot from around 600 cows to nearly 7,000. It is the latest in a series of communities pushing back against a national trend toward concentrated animal agriculture. (No paywall)
Rural communities get $314 million for water and wastewater
The Agriculture Department announced $314 million in grants and loans to 141 projects to improve water and wastewater systems in rural communities. The largest loan was $46 million to North Alamo Water Supply Corp. in Edinburg, in southern Texas, for a water-improvement project.