The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

9/26: Minnesota News Connection. Shopper's Offered Safe Plastics Tips

9/25: Twin Cities Daily Planet. A 21st Century New Deal?

9/24: Twin Cities Daily Planet. New Consumer Guides to Safe Plastics and Children's Products

9/19: The Mac Weekly. Global Food Crisis Awareness

9/16: Twin Cities Daily Planet. Agriculture in Need of a Little Innovation?

9/12: MinnPost. Rural Resistance Slows Corn Ethanol's Dazzling Growth

9/01: Biomass Magazone. Is Biomass Harvesting Sustainable?

8/20: Star Tribune. Minneapolis Energy Consultant Pedals His Services

IATP Ideas for the Next Administration

During the last year, IATP has been part of an ambitious project to define the next presidential agenda. The Progressive Ideas Network, a collection of progressive think tanks and advocacy groups from around the country with a diverse range of policy expertise, believes that the next administration must aim for transformative change in the direction of the country.

In September, the Network published a collection of essays called New Progressive Voices: Values and Policies for the 21st Century. The essays propose new approaches for job creation, health care, the green economy, education, civic participation and income inequality. IATP’s Jim Harkness and Alexandra Spieldoch contributed the article “Rejoining the World,” which charts a course for how the United States can support international cooperation in addressing global challenges facing the environment, the economy and our food system.

IATP is also participating in the Backbone Campaign’s effort to elevate the political discourse this election season by posing questions to candidates on the issues that are most important. You can hear IATP’s President Jim Harkness share his thoughts on the challenges facing our food and farming system and his questions for candidates.

New Smart Guides for Safer Plastics and Children's Products

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the health risks from the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), found in many plastic and children's products, highlights the challenge for consumers to find safer plastics. To help consumers navigate the myriad of choices they face in the marketplace, IATP has released two new consumer guides. The Smart Plastics Guide: Healthier Food Uses of Plastics, an updated version of our most popular consumer guide, includes information on all seven labels for plastic products, health and environmental risks of chemicals used in plastics, the latest on green chemistry and 10 tips for the safer use of plastics in storing food. The Guide to Safe Children's Products, co-produced with the Minnesota-based public health coalition Healthy Legacy, helps parents learn about synthetic chemicals commonly used in children's products (and how to avoid them). It includes a full-page insert on safer children's products ranging from baby bottles, utensils, pacifiers, teethers and more.

"Ultimately, consumers shouldn't need these safe product resources,” says IATP's Kathleen Schuler, the author of both new guides. “But as we are eagerly anticipating government regulation of these toxic chemicals, we wanted to provide consumers with a way to make smart and safe choices for their families."

Finding Solutions for the Food Crisis

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization reported last month that 923 million people around the world were undernourished in 2007—an increase of 75 million from 2006. IATP has been urgently pushing for action to address the food crisis at multiple levels. Our new Global Food Price Crisis fact sheet breaks down what is causing the food crisis.

Last month, IATP convened a high-level panel at the WTO Public Forum titled: “The Food Price Explosion: What Can the WTO Do?” Participants included representatives from the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, Asia Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty and the Canadian Dairy Farmers. While WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and World Bank President Robert Zoellick have argued that the WTO’s Doha Round will help address the food crisis, IATP and other civil society organizations argue that the model promoted by the Doha Round is partially responsible for the food crisis. You can listen to the discussion here. IATP’s Geneva team is organizing another major conference on the food crisis in late November (see Events below for details).

At the fifth European Social Forum in Malmö, Sweden, IATP’s Alexandra Strickner worked with other civil society organizations to organize a European movement for food sovereignty that focuses on a food and farming system that supports farmers, farmworkers, consumers and the environment, both in Europe and around the world. Throughout the week, Alexandra blogged about the meeting. A statement from civil society organizations will be released soon.

Last month, IATP staff presented at a number of conferences on the food crisis. In Adelaide, Australia, IATP Senior Advisor Sophia Murphy spoke as part of the One Just World series on why trade is not the solution to food security. You can read Sophia’s speech and her blog about the event. IATP’s Alexandra Spieldoch spoke on the food crisis and the need for global rules that promote, rather than undermine, local food systems at the Politics of Food conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can read more about the food crisis at tradeobservatory.org or IATP’s Think Forward blog.

IATP Launches Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy

IATP is excited to announce the launch of the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy headed by Dr. Cecilia Martinez. The Center will promote sustainable and equitable energy, environmental, and economic development locally and globally. Its work is organized primarily around three areas: energy policy and climate change; sustainable community and economic development; and environmental justice locally and globally.

Dr. Martinez received her Ph.D. from the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Delaware. She has conducted research and directed a variety of projects on sustainable energy and environmental policy; Native community development; and environmental justice. Dr. Martinez will also help coordinate climate change initiatives at IATP. Shalini Gupta, a 2008 Archibald Bush Leadership Fellow, will be a Fellow in residence at the Center and will support work in local and global energy policy initiatives. Shalini received her master's degree in Environmental Policy and Management from Yale University.

The Center will also be supported by an Advisory Board comprised of community representatives. Currently the Advisory Board includes LeMoine Lapointe (Director of Healthy Nations, Minneapolis American Indian Center), Liza O'Reilly (Minnesota Department of Human Rights) and John Burton (Professor at Metropolitan State University). In addition, Dr. John Byrne (Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy) serves as an expert adviser.

In September, the Center held a workshop at the Minneapolis Urban League on how people living in North Minneapolis can lower energy costs, sponsored by the Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota and the Women's Environmental Institute. Look for more on the Center soon.

Mini Farmers Markets End Successful Season

During this past growing season, IATP helped organize six mini farmers markets in low-income Minneapolis communities where healthy, local food is hard to find. The 2008 season saw the addition of a new market in the Camden neighborhood in North Minneapolis, along with markets hosted by the Brian Coyle Community Center, Sabathani Community Center, Stevens Square/Plymouth Congregational Church, Ebenezer Park Apartments and Ebenezer Tower Apartments. Buyers were able to use government food assistance benefits at all of the mini farmers markets. Vendors at three of the markets donated to food shelves throughout the 2008 season. Many thanks to the farmers, customers and market managers at all locations who helped make this success possible!

Planting a Renewable Energy Garden

In late August, IATP planted its first renewable energy garden on the grounds of our Stevens Avenue building. The energy garden is part of IATP’s outreach and education program for agriculture and natural resource professionals who want to learn about alternative energy crops and sustainable energy crop production practices. The biomass section of the garden is composed of a plot of native prairie grasses and nitrogen-fixing legumes including big bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass, purple prairie clover, and white prairie clover, and a small plot of Miscanthus, a non-native high-yielding grass that is being researched as a potential biomass crop. Native perennial grasses can produce large amounts of biomass for energy and potentially fuel, while providing many environmental benefits such as preventing soil erosion, reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, improving water quality, providing wildlife habitat, sequestering carbon, and controlling pest and disease problems. In addition to these biomass crops, we have also planted hazelnuts and perennial flax, two perennial oilseed crops. Next spring, IATP will plant the rest of the sustainable oilseed section of the garden, including camelina, perennial sunflowers, canola and safflower, as well as other potential energy crops such as hybrid willow, Jerusalem artichoke, and sweet sorghum. The garden was designed by Paula Westmoreland of Ecological Gardens, who is working with IATP on this project.

October is Fair Trade Month!

IATP’s 100 percent organic and fair trade coffee company, Peace Coffee, will celebrate Fair Trade Month on October 16 at the Common Roots Café in Minneapolis. Products that are certified fair trade guarantee a fair price for producers, fair labor conditions, democratic and transparent organizations, and environmental sustainability. Peace Coffee’s head roaster Keith Tomlinson will report on his trip to Northern Peru where he met with the coffee farmer cooperative Cenfrocafe. You can read more about Keith’s trip to Peru, or come to Common Roots Café on October 16 and hear from him directly.

Think Forward Blog

IATP staff have been blogging on food safety, the financial crisis, chemical regulation and a path for the next U.S. administration at Think Forward. You can subscribe to Think Forward through RSS and get your regular dose of IATP.

Radio Sustain

In a special WTO edition of Radio Sustain, we interview Sophia Murphy on the history of the WTO, Anne Laure Constantin on the recent collapse of WTO talks and Alexandra Spieldoch on the future of the WTO. You can subscribe to Radio Sustain through RSS or iTunes.

Upcoming Events

Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy—October 8—Spooner, Wis.
This field tour and bioenergy discussion is for farmers, rural landowners, greenhouse owners, and others interested in growing, harvesting, and/or utilizing bioenergy crops for renewable energy. The focus will be on non-oilseed perennial crops including switchgrass, Miscanthus and short rotation woody crops. IATP is co-sponsoring this event along with University of Wisconsin-Agriculture Extension and North Central Region SARE. You can find more details here.

The Global Food Crisis and Agricultural Policy Alternatives—October 9—Washington, D.C.
This discussion is being organized by The Heinrich Böll Foundation North America and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Trade, Equity and Development Program. Held on the eve of the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting, the discussion will focus on the impacts of high food prices on the poor in developing countries and will present some alternative agricultural policy proposals. IATP’s Steve Suppan is among the presenters.

First Rural African Summit—October 26 and 27—St. Cloud, Minn..
Africans living and working throughout the Midwestern United State will come together in St. Cloud to discuss their experiences living in rural America, with a focus on successes and opportunities. With over 20,000 Africans already living in rural areas of Minnesota, this first annual summit will provide a forum for African community leaders, officials, providers, religious leaders, educators and business people to learn from each other about the economic and social benefits, and challenges, of rural life for African immigrants. You can register and find more information here. Contact IATP's Garat Ibrahim for more details.

The Climate Challenge: Building Minnesota’s Path to a Sustainable Future—November 18—St. Paul, Minn..
St. Paul’s Westside Citizens’ Organization is hosting a discussion on climate change and its effect on Minnesota featuring Dr. John Byrne of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Delaware and IATP’s Dr. Cecilia Martinez. The meeting will take place at the Clarence W. Wigington Pavilion on Harriet Island in St. Paul. For more information, call 651-293-1708.

Confronting the Global Food Challenge—November 24-26—Geneva, Switzerland.
IATP and a group of civil society organizations will meet to explore the impact of trade and investment on the right to food, and to develop new approaches that put human rights at the core. The conference is held under the auspices of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. You can read a draft conference program in English, Español or Français.

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. For 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.

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. 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