Climate and Agriculture Series: Copenhagen

Government representatives from around the world--including President Obama--will gather in Copenhagen for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to talk about how to address climate change. The focus will be on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the effects of climate change.

As Climate Talks Begin, Obama's Change Mandate in Question

The potential confirmation of controversial former pesticide lobbyist Islam Siddiqui as the U.S. trade representative for agriculture threatens to further undermine this administration’s credibility in international forums by privileging U.S. corporate interests over the global public interest and common good.

WTO Ministerial fails to make progress, again

Negotiations at the World Trade Organization are intractably stalled as trade ministers find themselves stuck debating a Doha Round that has long been outdated for the times. Instead, trade ministers need to step back and chart a new course for trade, according to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Climate agreement must support shift toward sustainable agriculture

To effectively address global climate change, policy solutions must support a transition toward more sustainable agriculture systems that recognize the critical role agriculture plays in the world, concludes a series of issue briefs released today by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

Antibiotics, Animal Agriculture and MRSA: A New Threat

Widespread use of antibiotics leads to the development and spread of more antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like MRSA. When used, antibiotics kill off susceptible bacteria leaving resistant ones to multiply and spread; greater use of antibiotics—wherever that occurs—translates into greater numbers and different varieties of drug-resistant bacteria.

U.S. Groups Call for Leadership from the Obama Administration at the World Summit on Food Security

At the World Summit on Food Security in Rome, U.S. civil society organizations expressed concern with the Obama administration's support for increasing intensive, large-scale agriculture production and trade expansion as a solution to rising global hunger - failed approaches that have actually contributed to the global food crisis.

Minnesota farm to school efforts catch eye of USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan

Minnesota farm to school efforts that provide students with healthy, locally grown food are attracting national attention.

New report: Grain reserves hold promise in stabilizing global agriculture

Grain reserves could be an effective tool to address global hunger and stabilize agriculture markets.

Strategic Grain Reserves in an Era of Volatility

An analysis of current and historical uses of grain reserves and how they might be used at the international level to address volatility in agriculture markets.

Integrating Agriculture In a Global Climate Deal: Benchmarks For Copenhagen

The global agriculture system is failing both the world's hungry and the climate. A paradigm shift is needed to build a resilient system of food production, while contributing to climate change mitigation.