Agriculture

China’s Biggest Organic Store?

IATP President Jim Harkness is blogging from China through June 14. (Due to internet access problems, Jim sent this blog via e-mail. I am posting it for him - Ben)

Organic Food in China

IATP President Jim Harkness is blogging from China through June 14. After a restful overnight train ride down to Shanghai from Beijing, I was able to check into my hotel and still make it to the opening of the BioFach China 2008 International Organic Trade Fair and Conference.

A Global Liability System for Biotech Companies?

The battle over genetically engineered (GE) crops continues to be fiercely fought and shows no sign of easing up.

British Prime Minister's Plan on the Food Crisis

This week, the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a “Special Meeting on the global food crisis” at the UN headquarters in New York. The meeting's goal was to help move the international community towards action in addressing the causes of the food crisis.

USDA to Eliminate Pesticide Tracking

One of the main promises made by supporters of genetically engineered crops was that the technology would reduce pesticide use. Unfortunately, the data didn't back up the rhetoric. A backgrounder by the Center for Food Safety found that herbicide use to fight weeds in the U.S.

Bush Administration Prioritizes Trade Over Food Safety

The Bush Administration's Interagency Working Group (IWG) is pushing a flawed food safety system that prioritizes trade considerations over public health. Many of the IWG's recommendations and actions are designed to reduce import inspection and testing and instead emphasize safety certification of foreign import facilities.

Import Food Safety in the Twilight of the Bush Administration

In 2007, 30 million pounds of ground beef was pulled off the U.S. market in a series of twenty recalls because of contamination concerns. The recalls highlight serious concerns in our deregulated food safety system. Over the last decade we've reduced the number of food safety inspectors and instead rely more on the food industry to regulate itself.

Farm Bill Perpetuates Market Deregulation and Volatility

The 2008 Farm Bill coming to the House and Senate floor includes incremental gains for conservation, renewable energy, food aid and healthier local food systems.

Puede la Ronda de Doha de la OMC resolver la Crisis Alimentaria Mundial?

Los lideres de las instituciones financieras y del comercio mundial - Organizacion Mundial del Comercio (OMC), el Banco Mundial, el Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) y la Organizacion Economica para la Cooperacion y el Desarrollo (OECD) - estan promoviendo el logro de la conclusion de la Ronda de Doha de negociacion de acuerdos comerciales de la OMC, como una manera de solucionar la actual

7 Reasons Why the Doha Round Will Not Solve the Food Crisis

Leaders at the WTO and World Bank are pushing for a Doha Round to help solve the food crisis, but here are seven reasons why they are wrong.