Press Releases
September 2010
Special UN Food and Agriculture meeting should put food reserves on the table
Posted September 22, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS/GENEVA – When the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) holds a special meeting on increasing volatility in agriculture prices on Friday in Rome, governments should consider the establishment of food reserves to help stabilize the marketplace, according to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade...
Minnesota school districts to showcase local food and farmers during Farm to School Week
Posted September 12, 2010
Minneapolis – Schools throughout Minnesota will showcase fresh, locally grown foods and their relationships with nearby farmers during the first annual Farm to School Week. Farm to School Week, which runs from September 20–24, is designed to increase awareness about the multiple benefits of rapidly...
August 2010
Innovative Program Provides Incentive for Low-Income Minnesotans to Shop at Three Minneapolis Farmers Markets, Eat Healthy
Posted August 17, 2010
[MINNEAPOLIS] Recipients of food assistance can now use their EBT cards to purchase affordable, healthy and tasty food at the Midtown, Minneapolis, and Northeast Farmers Markets in Minneapolis. These markets will also encourage EBT users to eat well by offering an incentive—Market Bucks coupons, which will match...
July 2010
Time for health professionals to get active on food and farm policy
Posted July 27, 2010
Minneapolis – 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...
Midwest Rural Assembly to bring together community and government leaders
Posted July 26, 2010
Minneapolis – Rural community leaders and government officials will gather at the 2010 Midwest Rural Assembly (MRA) to exchange ideas and strategies for rural prosperity. The MRA will be held on August 16–17 in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Along with rural community leaders from throughout the region,...
Mini farmers markets expand to bring local produce to Minneapolis neighborhoods
Posted July 25, 2010
Minneapolis – The number of mini farmers markets that provide fresh, local produce to Minneapolis neighborhoods has more than tripled in the past two years, announced the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) today. Located primarily in Minneapolis neighborhoods with limited access to healthy foods,...
Wall Street reform bill signed today will limit excessive speculation in agriculture
Posted July 20, 2010
Minneapolis – 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). “This landmark bill is a first...
May 2010
Senate vote on historic financial reform critical for agriculture
Posted May 20, 2010
Minnnneapolis – 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...
Food reserves needed to respond to global food crisis, civil society groups say
Posted May 16, 2010
Minneapolis/Dublin – 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. The letter, signed by 60 groups, was presented at a UN meeting being held in Dublin on May...
April 2010
Biomass Crop Assistance Program needs clarification, improvemement, says IATP
Posted April 14, 2010
Minneapolis – The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) must undergo significant revision 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). BCAP, a 2008 Farm Bill program, was...
