Agriculture

Letter to the High-level Panel of Experts (HLPE) on Food Security and Nutrition regarding the HLPE draft report on climate change

Dear Members of the HLPE,

Sign-on letter supporting the next generation of family farmers and ranchers

WEBINAR: Exporting Obesity? The Link Between Trade, Diet and Health

Global diets are increasingly facing the dual challenge of undernourishment and obesity. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, has released a new report calling for a reassessment of unhealthy food systems in both rich and poor countries. Both are increasingly characterized by an abundance of low nutrition, high calorie, processed foods.

Economic governance: A rich-country-only privilege?

You might think that the devastating impacts of commodity price volatility on global hunger would require policy debates in multiple international organizations.

Global Agricultural Policy in an Age of Land Grabs

LONDON, MAR. 5, 2012 – Last year, I was invited to speak on a panel at the European Parliament with Professor Lang to provide some international perspective for a discussion they were having about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

Sign-on letter in support of the Energy Title

A diverse coalition of 123 national and Minnesota organizations sent letters to U.S. House of Representatives and Senate leadership urging them to preserve and fund Farm Bill energy programs that are critical for national security, the environment, and rural economies.

Financing food with integrity

What is the “glue” that connects the farm and the fork? With “direct-market” channels like farmers markets and CSAs, we have the privilege of literally shaking the hand that feeds us.

Review: Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works

Many of us can remember that moment while eating fresh broccoli, sweet corn or kale and we were struck by how incredibly delicious vegetables taste. It is as if we were eating vegetables for the first time in our lives.

Public agricultural research needs to benefit the public

The importance of the Farm Bill’s Research Title is hard to overstate. It may not have a direct impact on people’s lives as the food assistance programs and farm programs do, but it is a crucial driver in the long-term direction of U.S. agriculture. Its impact goes far beyond the USDA research institutions and also drives research at land grant universities and many other entities.

Urging support for energy programs in the 2012 Farm Bill

Yesterday our Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken introduced a bill in the Senate to protect energy programs in the Farm Bill that are critically important for rural communities. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa led the bill’s introduction, and Sen. Kent Conrad from North Dakota was also a co-sponsor.