When fishermen are slaves, labor audits mean nothing
“We found men in cages and being beaten,” said AP reporter Robin McDowell over Skype at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sustainable Food Institute in Monterey, Calif. McDowell, along with her colleagues, helped rescue more than 2,000 Southeast Asian men from slavery during a months-long investigation into labor abuses in the global fishing industry, especially in Indonesia and Hawaii.
Sultan urges attention to high obesity rate in Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei, where nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, "called for swift action to address the issue of unhealthy lifestyles and diet," said The Brunei Times. The new edition of Global Nutrition Report by the think tank IFPRI named the country as having the highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia.
Lower prices, brisk sales point to record soymeal exports
Strong demand in the opening weeks of the marketing year and lower market prices are forecast to result in record exports of U.S. soybean meal, said USDA. It estimated sales of 12.8 million short tons, up 10 percent from 2013/14.