Agriculture

Penicillin in Peril

The reckless use in animals of tried-and-true human antibiotics has contributed to the development of serious antibiotic-resistant human disease. The most straightforward way to address resistant diseases such as CA-MRSA is to curb unnecessary use of all antibiotics important to human medicine in U.S. livestock operations, including penicillin and tetracycline.

Food Assistance and Food Security

Over 27 million Americans received food stamps in March, an increase of over 1.5 million from the previous year. In Minnesota, food shelves are seeing a 20 percent increase in demand.

WTO and Farm Bill Stick to Status Quo

Now seven years after the Doha Round of negotiations were launched, the WTO continues its sisyphean effort to sell further trade deregulation to the world. During the week of July 21, trade ministers will gather in Geneva and take yet another last shot at moving the Doha talks toward conclusion. 

The 2008 Farm Bill and the Doha Agenda

The U.S. Congress voted a new Farm Bill into law on May 22, 2008. The legislation was greeted with a resounding thumbs down in Geneva, where the WTO has its headquarters. The negotiators reaction echoed that of President Bush, who promptly vetoed the legislation, saying the Farm Bill would impede a conclusion to negotiations on the Doha Agenda at the WTO.

La Farm Bill 2008 et l'Agenda de Doha

La Farm Bill y La Agenda De Doha

Lessons from Forest Biomass

The "chicken or the egg" challenge of expanding renewable energy based on biomass has to do with finding a reliable source of biomass itself. We can't make the transition to using more biomass without a reliable supply. But it's difficult to find the supply, without the facilities to send it to?