Document Library
March 2012
Coalition Letter to Legislators on Competition Issues in 2012 Farm Bill
Posted March 30, 2012
The undersigned 164 organizations strongly urge you to make the issues of increased market transparency, fairness, and access for farmers and ranchers a top priority as Congress crafts agricultural competition legislation and the next Farm Bill. We believe that agricultural market competition issues are a...
Organizational Sign-On Letter in Support of the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act
Posted March 30, 2012
Local Food, Food Justice, Agriculture, Farm Bill
Over forty Minnesota organizations signed on to this letter to Senators Amy Kobuchar and Al Franken in support of The Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act. The Act offers opportunities to expand local food access to school children, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, and seniors; helps...
Disadvantaged Farmers: Addressing Inequalities in Federal Programs for Farmers of Color
Posted March 28, 2012
Farming is a business fraught with financial risks, including severe weather, pest and disease outbreaks, and dramatic fluctuations in both costs and prices paid to farmers and ranchers. It’s reasonable that federal policy would reduce some of the risk of agriculture and support a safe and abundant food system....
Everyone at the Table: Local Foods and the Farm Bill
Posted March 28, 2012
The local foods movement in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, but still represents a small portion of the overall food system. How can local food systems continue to grow and remain sustainable?
Every five years, Congress revisits farm and food policy in the U.S. through debate and...
Local Foods, Global: Food Aid and the Farm Bill
Posted March 28, 2012
The U.S. food aid program is hugely important at the global level. At $2.3 billion in 2010, the U.S. provides just over half of emergency food aid deliveries to millions of beneficiaries around the world suffering from famine, natural disaster and conflict.1 There is little doubt that food aid has saved countless...
A Risky Proposition: Crop Insurance in the Face of Climate Change
Posted March 28, 2012
Agriculture, Climate Change, Farm Bill
In the last year, the U.S. has experienced some of the most severe floods and droughts in recent history. According to climate scientists, the future holds more droughts, more floods and more heat waves. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that in the run-up to the 2012 Farm Bill most farm lobby groups have made...
What's at Stake in the 2012 Farm Bill?
Posted March 28, 2012
The 2012 Farm Bill comes amid an increasingly fierce public debate over food and farming. The industrial model of agriculture and food production is continuing a decades-long drive toward fewer farmers, more factory-style meat production and more processed food—largely to benefit a handful of powerful...
Resistant fungi are a ticking time bomb
Posted March 27, 2012
The Dutch Center for Agriculture and the Environment (CLM) reports an emerging threat to public health from fungicide resistance. This is a challenge for agriculture and horticulture world-wide.
a guide for civil society
Posted March 26, 2012
This is a guide for civil society organisations (CSOs) to the Committee on World Food Security – known as the CFS.
It explains what the CFS is, why it is important, and how civil society organisations worldwide can monitor, influence or get involved in the work of the CFS at the global, regional and the national...
Food Labeling Complaint to the FDA
Posted March 22, 2012
Center for Food Safety Consumers' Choice Council
Consumer Policy Institute/Consumers' Union
Edmonds Institute Friends of the Earth Greenpeace
Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy Organic Consu.,;_us'A soctatiotict
Organic Independents Organic Trade Association
Pesticide Action Network North America .Sierra...
The "De-coupled" Approach to Agriculture
Posted March 21, 2012
Agriculture, World Trade Organization (WTO)
BACKGROUND.
Although the concept of 'de-coupling'' was widely debated as far back as the 1940's, it disappeared from most domestic and internaUonal farm policy discussions during 1910's and early 1980's. It has recently been revived, spearheaded by Senator Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN) on the domestic front and U.S. GATI...
Impact of GATT on World Hunger
Posted March 19, 2012
Food security, World Trade Organization (WTO)
IMPACT OF PAST GATT RULES ON FOOD SELF-RELIANCE
GATT, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, was the first attempt by nation states to establish a ''code of conduct'' for regulating the activities of multinational trading enterprises. Its purpose was to establish specific rules for the companies engaged in...
Farm to School in Minnesota
Posted March 16, 2012
Local Food, Food and Health, Agriculture, Food
About this survey
Aimed at educating children about where and how their food is grown, strengthening local economies and supporting healthy eating habits, the Farm to School (F2S) movement is rapidly growing. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) has supported Farm to School efforts locally and...
Grower Perspectives on Farm to School
Posted March 16, 2012
Local Food, Food and Health, Agriculture, Food
About this survey
As part of our work on Farm to School, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) conducted our second annual survey of growers interested in Farm to School in Spring 2012. This survey was designed to assess growers’ perceptions of Farm to School, challenges, aspirations and...
Over a half million students statewide offered farm-fresh, local food last year
Posted March 16, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS – Schools serving over 558,000 students—or more than 68 percent of the state’s K-12 student population—are now engaged in Farm to School according to a pair of surveys released today by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and the Minnesota School Nutrition...
Towards an integral approach to sustainable agriculture and healthy nutrition
Posted March 14, 2012
Summary
Sustainable agriculture and healthy nutrition are high on the social agenda. Work is now
being done to face both challenges, often with measurable success. However, huge changes
are still needed and some problems have even been exacerbated. Although agriculture and
nutrition are closely linked, both issues are...
Call to action for the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation
Posted March 13, 2012
Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Development, Water
We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned that the 6th World Water Forum plans to adopt a Ministerial Declaration that fails to commit States to the realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. The 6th World Water forum is held under the slogan “It’s...
Green Economy: Commoditization of the Commons
Posted March 13, 2012
Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Development, Environment, Water
Summary
The shift from a focus on “sustainable development” at the first Earth Summit in 1992 to that on the “green economy” at the upcoming Rio+20 summit is more than changing terms. It reflects a fundamental change away from recognizing the need to limit some kinds of economic growth. The new...
Flyer: FAME Workshop: Internationalisation of water battles; empowering local stakeholders
Posted March 13, 2012
Globalization and a neoliberal policy climate allowed some actors to concentrate water and decisionmaking power at the expense of less powerful ones, threatening their water and food security while also causing environmental degradation. Resulting water conflicts happen over access to resources, contents of rights and...
Program: Moving Forward to Achieve Water for All: A Consultation with Civil Society
Posted March 9, 2012
Program for Moving Forward to Achieve Water for All: A Consultation with Civil Society. Download this document.
