IATP Articles and Reports

The problem with betting agriculture on exports

An unspoken assumption in the Farm Bill is that in most years, farmers will lose money from the market. Congress should check its assumptions and not simply accept financial hardship for farmers as a given.

Locally-grown energy solutions in the North Woods

This blog overviews the 2018 Itasca County Rural Energy Dialogue in Grand Rapids, MN.

Food Safety Foes? Digital Ledger Technology vs. Confidential Business Information

As of June 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that they could not determine the site-specific origins of the contamination by the E. coli (STEC) 0157 of romaine lettuce that began in late 2017.

Uprooted Episode 35: SNAP

Josh talks with Katie Costello about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The nutrition title of the Farm Bill makes up nearly 80% of its total cost, helping to feed over 46 million people.

States Must Lead in Adapting to Big Weather Events

The following op-ed was first published in The Oklahoman on May 16, 2018.

U.S.-China Sorghum Fight Puts Ag Dumping in the Spotlight

The announced and since-canceled Chinese tariffs on sorghum threw the grain's market into chaos. But the question of sorghum dumping into export markets remains, and what it means for farmers in the U.S. and abroad.

Uprooted Episode 34: Meat Inspection in the US

Josh talks with Steve Suppan about meat inspection in the United States and proposed rule change that would allow companies to do self-inspection, potentially leading to higher line speeds and greater safety concerns in an industry that already has a history of unsafe conditions.  

Uprooted Episode 33: The NAFTA Endgame

Today, May 17th, is the deadline set by House Speaker, Paul Ryan, to have a NAFTA agreement on paper for Congress to take it up in 2018. Earlier this week, Josh talked with Sharon Treat and Karen Hansen-Kuhn about what the endgame might be for NAFTA and if anyone actually knows what is happening in this incredibly secretive process. 

Protect Farm to School and Early Care

Farm to School and Early Care funding is under attack, despite Minnesota having a budget surplus. Find out how you can help this crucial program for kids, farmers and rural communities.

NAFTA 2.0: New genetic engineering techniques and agricultural trade

Industry demands that NAFTA 2.0 'does no harm' to U.S. exports. But go a step further, intending to force other governments to accept genetically engineered agricultural exports that have not been risk assessed in the importing nation.