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July 28, 2010
Time for health professionals to get active on food and farm policy PDF
Health professionals are on the front lines of America’s broken food system, linked to the current obesity epidemic as well as a surge in related, costly diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. While the health community sees the downstream impacts of the food system every day, it often gets left out of national debates about food and farm policy in Washington. A new website, Healthy Food Action, sets out to change that.

July 27, 2010
Midwest Rural Assembly to bring together community and government leaders PDF
Rural community leaders and government officials will gather at the 2010 Midwest Rural Assembly (MRA) to exchange ideas and strategies for rural prosperity.

July 26, 2010
Mini farmers markets expand to bring local produce to Minneapolis neighborhoods PDF
Located primarily in Minneapolis neighborhoods with limited access to healthy foods, the mini farmers markets feature five or fewer farmers selling locally grown vegetables, fruits and flowers at community centers, senior housing facilities, hospitals, churches and other neighborhood hubs. Since 2008, the mini farmers market initiative has grown from six markets to 21 scattered around the city.

July 21, 2010
Wall Street reform bill signed today will limit excessive speculation in agriculture PDF
The Wall Street reform bill signed today by President Obama will severely restrict excessive speculation on agriculture commodity futures markets that has harmed U.S. farmers and countries battling hunger, according to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

May 21, 2010
Senate vote on historic financial reform critical for agriculture PDF
The Senate’s approval of an historic financial reform bill last night is a first step toward preventing the excessive financial speculation that has wreaked havoc in agricultural commodity futures contracts over the last several years, according to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

May 17, 2010
Food reserves needed to respond to global food crisis, civil society groups say PDF
Civil society organizations today called on governments and United Nations bodies to honor previous commitments to explore the potential of food reserves to address hunger and stabilize agricultural markets.

April 15, 2010
Biomass Crop Assistance Program needs clarification, improvemement, says IATP PDF
The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) must undergo revision and refinement before the program's next phase is launched, said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in comments submitted on April 8 to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)

March 9, 2010
Farm to school efforts double in Minnesota PDF
The number of Minnesota school districts purchasing fresh food from local farms has more than doubled in the last 15 months, according to a survey released today by the Minnesota School Nutrition Association (MSNA) and IATP.

March 4, 2010
CFTC should impose tough limits on Wall Street speculators PDF
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) should act immediately to limit excessive speculation by Wall Street firms on energy derivatives trades, a move that will help address extreme volatility in both energy and agricultural markets, IATP said in a comment submitted to the agency.

March 3, 2010
Agriculture and rural groups defend EPA’s ability to protect climate, public health PDF
Over 25 organizations representing agriculture organizations and rural communities sent a letter to the Senate yesterday urging Senators to reject attempts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ability to enforce the Clean Air Act.