Agriculture

A Farm Bill idea that helps farmers and consumers

Agriculture, like the rest of the economy, sits in the midst of a marketplace dominated by a handful of big corporations. Farmers and most livestock producers have little to no say in what prices they are paid (regardless of costs), and similarly grocery store prices for consumers are non-negotiable.

Submission of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to the UNFCCC on issues related to agriculture for consideration by the SBSTA in the context of Article 4.1(c) on cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions

The COP, in its decision 2/CP.17, requested the SBSTA to consider issues related to agriculture at its 36th session, in the context of deliberations on Cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions, in order to enhance the implementation of Article 4, paragraph 1(c), of the Convention.    

A bitter fight with labor in a sugar co-op

You’ve got to believe something has gotten into the water up in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota when a proud, farmer-ownedsugar cooperative is locking out the union. Sugar co-ops and their unions have together built a strong regional industry that is valuable to all concerned.

Q&A: Why an agriculture work program at the UNFCCC is the wrong approach for farmers, animal welfare and development

There is global consensus that the agricultural sector is severely affected by climate change and also contributes to it. Debates are on in numerous national and multilateral forums about the right ways to address these challenges.

WEBINAR: A Risky Proposition: Crop Insurance and Climate Change

In 2011, a year of record floods and droughts, federal spending on crop insurance outpaced commodity crop subsidies. What does it mean to make crop insurance the largest source of federal support for farmers with the growing threat of climate change?

New study highlights need to regulate arsenic in food

MINNEAPOLIS – Dr. David Wallinga, senior advisor for science, food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), issued this statement following the release of a new study published online from Environmental Health Perspectives which found arsenic in infant formula and cereal bars.

Corporatizing Water: India's Draft National Water policy

Learning from the indirect land use change debate

When land previously used for producing food is transformed into land for producing ethanol, what impact does its change have on the environment and global food supply? Does the net difference in food production spur development in other parts of the world—often meaning deforestation to make way for increased acreage—that ultimately increases global greenhouse gas emissions?

Learning from the Indirect Land Use Change Debate

For the last few years, environmental advocates and ethanol producers have been mired in a debate over something known as indirect land use change (ILUC), a measure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by, but not directly associated with, biofuel production. The controversy centers on these questions: Does ethanol demand in the U.S.

'Wir haben es satt' (We’ve had enough!)

On January 23, over 20,000 people poured into the streets of Berlin to say that they have had enough of industrial agriculture. The demands made in Germany can be heard all over the world starting with fair treatment of farmers and consumers, safe food, an end to food speculation and a respect for nature and the welfare of animals.