Reports
Sustainability Criteria, Biofuel Policy and Trade Rules
Published August 14, 2013
Introduction Biofuels, the programs that support them, and the impacts of these policies on climate, environment and society have been subject to some of the most intense scrutiny of any areas of public policy in recent years. Public support for biofuels production has generated considerable controversy for a variety...
The Economic Benefits and Costs of Frac-Sand Mining in West Central Wisconsin
Published May 15, 2013
Executive Summary A new technology to extract oil and natural gas from geological formations that lack the porosity to allow the oil and natural gas to flow into drilled wells has dramatically increased oil and natural gas production in the United States. Horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing (“...
Nanomaterials In Soil: Our Future Food Chain?
Published March 28, 2013
Overview To feed a growing population under increasing natural resource constraints, the World Bank, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other international organizations are promoting “sustainable intensification” as the future of agricultural production.1 The application of...
Water Governance in the 21st Century
Published March 28, 2013
As water insecurities increase globally, there is an increasing emphasis on demand management approaches, which for the most part emphasize market mechanisms as a means to ensure water security for all. Water trading is one of the market-based mechanisms that helps transfer water from one user to another. This...
Land Grabs and Fragile Food Systems
Published February 20, 2013
Executive Summary IATP has worked on trade and agriculture for more than 25 years. In all that time, we have consistently argued that trade agreements need to respect and promote human rights, not drive a process of globalization that privileges commercial interests and pushes public interests aside. This paper...
Managing Small Urban Farmers Markets:
Published February 4, 2013
Overview While some Minneapolis neighborhoods enjoy a bountiful supply of healthy foods, others do not. Mini farmers markets help address this challenge by bringing fresh, locally grown foods into Minneapolis neighborhoods. In 2006, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) began working with neighborhood-...
Networking Small Urban Farmers Markets
Published February 4, 2013
Overview While some Minneapolis neighborhoods enjoy a bountiful supply of healthy foods, others do not. Mini farmers markets help address this challenge by bringing fresh, locally grown foods into Minneapolis neighborhoods. This manual shares IATP’s experience building and managing a network of these small...
Frozen Local: Strategies for Freezing Locally Grown Produce for the K-12 Marketplace
Published December 11, 2012
Executive summary Farm to School programs, linking children in K-12 schools with locally grown foods and the farmers who produce them are growing by leaps and bounds across the United States. In 2012, more than 12,400 schools were engaged in Farm to School activities.1 In Minnesota, where the Institute for Agriculture...
Soil Carbon and the Offset Market: Practices, Players and Politics
Published September 17, 2012
A summary version of this piece is available in another IATP publication, entitled A Climate-smart Idea? Understanding the Politics, Practices and Players of the Agricultural Soil Carbon Market. The arcane topic of soil carbon sequestration has become an item of significant political debate around the edges of the U.N...
Grain Reserves and the Food Price Crisis: Selected Writings from 2008-2012
Published July 16, 2012
Foreword IATP is pleased to present this reader of recent writings on grain reserves. Storing food in times of plenty for use in times of scarcity is a prehistoric idea that still has relevance and importance today. In 2009, IATP decided to renew and refocus its work on grain reserves in light of the 2007-08 food...
