The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.

12/15: Topeka Capital Journal, Growing corn for ethanol has limits

12/14: Minnesota Public Radio, E. coli outbreak puts spotlight on handling of produce

12/12: Brownfield Network, Think tank: money for WRDA should be spent elsewhere

12/9: The Guardian, Old Black Eyes is Back

12/8: Grist, Keep it Green

12/5: Star Tribune, Pesticide: A Safer Bet?

11/28: Reuters, GMO rice found safe, but trade still fettered

11/15: KTVU TV (San Francisco Bay Area), Arsenic in Chicken

Sow the Seeds for the Holidays

For gift procrastinators among IATP News' readership, there is still time. And there is no better gift than a new organic, fair-trade coffee that helps support local food systems in the Midwest.

IATP's 100 percent organic, fair trade coffee company, Peace Coffee, has generously created a brand new blend to benefit the Sow the Seeds Fund—an innovative nonprofit whose mission is to conserve at-risk farmland, support sustainable farmers, and strengthen a local food system in the Upper Midwest.

When you buy the Sow the Seeds Blend, $2 from every pound purchased will go to Sow the Seeds. IATP and the Wedge Community Co-op, the largest single-store supermarket co-op in the U.S., launched Sow the Seeds Fund earlier this year.

• Info on Sow the Seeds Coffee
• Sow the Seeds Fund Web site
• IATP's Peace Coffee

Corn exports to drop due to ethanol growth

If only a quarter of proposed new Midwest ethanol plants come on-line, up to half of corn currently exported from the Midwest could be diverted to domestic ethanol production, according to a new report issued by IATP.

"Staying Home: How Ethanol Will Change U.S. Corn Exports," by IATP's Heather Schoonover and Mark Muller, looks at the stunning growth planned for ethanol plants in the Midwest and their potential impact on corn exports. The report includes data on how corn exports for individual Midwest states could be affected by new ethanol plants.

"Over the last few decades, U.S. farm policy has driven overproduction in a few commodities in order to increase exports," said Muller. "We are entering a new era, where domestic uses are more important drivers of U.S. commodity markets. Instead of focusing on exports, policymakers should focus on building and diversifying opportunities for renewable fuels and energy; promoting farm practices and cropping systems that build soil health and improve water quality; and ensuring that farmers and rural communities benefit from these new opportunities."

• Video interview with Mark Muller on the report (requires RealPlayer)
• Staying Home report (PDF)
• Press release: U.S. Corn Exports to Drop Dramatically Due to Ethanol Growth (PDF)

New research on factory farm
health and environmental risks

Factory farm feedlots pose health and environmental risks and are poorly regulated, according to six new studies published in the latest issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. The peer-reviewed papers were written by three dozen scientists from the U.S. Midwest and Europe, including IATP's David Wallinga, MD.

"This new research really demands a precautionary approach to regulating factory feedlots," said Dr. Wallinga. "The health of our rural communities is simply too important. It's time to take a step back and make sure we have strong safeguards in place before approving any more of these operations."

The EHP studies looked at the risks factory feedlots pose to water supplies, air pollution and the health of workers and neighbors. Among the scientists' recommendations was a ban on antibiotics use to promote animal growth, and limiting drug availability to farmers only through prescriptions. One study outlined the need for more stringent regulations and surveillance of water and air near feedlots. Approximately 15,500 medium to large livestock feedlots operate in the U.S.

Wallinga co-authored "The Potential Role of CAFOs in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance."

• Read the studies at ehponline.org

In the Field: IATP's new blog

As an introduction to her new blog "In the Field," IATP's Amy Stratton writes: "America began as a rural place with small towns where most people farmed. Still today there are entrepreneurs and hardy people who have close connections to the land and live on the rural landscape—these are whose stories I wish to tell. I will be out in the field working with leaders of rural communities to help them develop strategies and take advantage of opportunities to keep their communities strong and resilient. As I travel the countryside meeting people and hearing their stories I will share them here."

• Read the latest from In the Field
• Subscribe via RSS

The November elections: What happened?

In the latest edition of Radio Sustain, award-winning agriculture columnist Alan Guebert and Mark Ritchie, Minnesota's Secretary of State-elect, talk about what November's elections mean for farm and trade policy in Congress and rural communities around the country.

• Dec. 18 Radio Sustain (MP3)
• Radio Sustain archives
• Subscribe with iTunes
• Subscribe via RSS

The Democrats and Doha

The election of a new Democrat-led U.S. Congress will have major implications for the U.S. Farm Bill, the renewal of fast track and the resumption of talks at the WTO, writes Alexandra Spieldoch, Director of IATP's Trade and Global Governance program.

The new Democratic led Congress will bring a new perspective, focused much less on furthering trade liberalization at all costs. For a number of reasons the elections signal a major blow to the Doha Agenda, writes Spieldoch.

• Commentary: Democratic Sweep in U.S. Congress and the Doha Round (PDF)

EC drops the ball on WTO Biotech ruling

The European Communities elected not to appeal a WTO dispute panel decision on regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops brought by the United States, Canada and Argentina. The decision not to appeal leaves intact a controversial ruling that a United Nations environmental treaty did not apply in regulating GE crops, according to IATP.

"The EC's unfortunate decision could be used to undercut international environmental treaties across the board," said IATP's Steve Suppan. "The decision says that WTO members cannot keep their commitments to multilateral environmental agreements [MEAs] if measures to do so are challenged under WTO rules. The ruling sets a terrible legal precedent that will be used to attack regulations that comply with MEA commitments."

• Press release: EC Drops the Ball on WTO Biotech Ruling Press release (PDF)
• The WTO’s EC-Biotech Products ruling and the Cartagena Protocol (PDF)

International farm groups
go to Washington

"Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally" is a campaign dedicated to expanding public debate on trade and agriculture policies and linking the interests of U.S. farmers with their international counterparts. In December, the campaign brought together representatives from farm groups in Africa, Latin America and the U.S. in Washington, DC to present new research and policy approaches. Looking toward a new Farm Bill in 2007, speakers outlined proposals to promote sustainable biofuel production, ensure fair commodity prices for farmers, redress economic and social inequalities, and reform U.S. food aid. Speakers included: IATP's Dennis Olson; Victor Quintana of Frente Democrático Campesino (Mexico); Themba Phiri of National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi; Cornelius Blanding of Federation of Southern Cooperatives; and Karen Hansen-Kuhn of ActionAid USA.

Congressional briefings and a press conference preceded the daylong meeting of workshops, unveiling a comprehensive policy platform that focuses on issues where the farm bill intersects with international trade policy. A roundtable discussion held after the conference with other organizations and networks identified areas of consensus for the 2007 Farm Bill, and resulted in commitments to continue work together on common goals.

• Building Sustainable Futures for Farmers Globally Web site

Invasive plants of Minnesota forests

In November, IATP's Community Forestry Resource Center held two "train the trainer" workshops on invasive plants in Minnesota forests. Between the two workshops there were 75 people in attendance. The goal of the workshops was to develop a base of local natural resource professionals with knowledge of invasive species—identification, management and control—who can share knowledge with their colleagues and the public. In the next phase of the project, IATP will be supporting these "trainers" in putting on their own workshops in their local communities. The project is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Forest Stewardship Program.

• Invasive Plant Species of Minnesota Forests (PDF)

Healthier fish for WIC

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program targets low-income mothers and children under the age of five. A number of nongovernmental organizations including IATP sent a letter asking the USDA to make healthier fish available under the WIC program.

• Letter to WIC (PDF)

Donate to IATP! You can help. IATP does very important work to keep family farmers on the land, to ensure the safety of our food supply and to preserve biodiversity and the environment for future generations. We cannot do this work without you. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us secure a sustainable world. Please make your tax-deductible contribution today. If you would like more information about our programs, or if you would like to discuss different contribution options, please contact Kate Hoff, Development Director, at khoff@iatp.org or (612) 870-3404. We appreciate your interest in our work. Thank you for your support.

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IATP News is an occasional publication reporting on recent events and activities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). It is sent to board members, supporters, partners and friends. To manage your subscription—including removing your name from this list—visit: IATP's listservs. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Jim Harkness, President
2105 First Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404 USA
Tel. 1 (612) 870-0453 Fax. 1 (612) 870-4846
Email: iatp@iatp.org Web: iatp.org