U.S. appeals WTO ruling on COOL

The Obama administration has dashed hopes for a rational settlement in the dispute with Canada and Mexico over a WTO ruling criticizing Washington’s mandatory country-of-origin labelling rules. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office announced March 23 that the U.S. would appeal the decision. It waited until almost the last minute to go the

More briefs, March 22

Sudan rivals step back from brink washington / reuters Sudan and South Sudan have stepped back from the brink of all-out confrontation and the world community should seize on this to win humanitarian access to food-starved regions and press for broader reconciliation, senior U.S. officials said March 14. Princeton Lyman, the top Obama administration official


Livestock briefs, March 8, 2012

Canadian beef and hog herds finally on the rise reuters / Canada’s herds of cattle and hogs rose at Jan. 1, turning around a long-term downsizing trend on the strength of high prices. Cattle ranchers benefited from prices rising throughout 2011, while hog prices reached a seven-year high in the second half of the year,

In Brief… – for Aug. 25, 2011

Correction:Due to an editing mistake, an opinion piece from Lydia Johnson which appeared in the Aug. 11 issue, contains the erroneous statement: “They did this fully knowing that they were going to ‘stuff’ this water into the already overcapacitated Lake Manitoba, which does have a proper outlet drain for the extra diverted waters to go


Plate Replaces Pyramid In USDA Food Guidelines

The pyramid guide to healthy eating that many Americans grew up with has been scrapped, and in its place the Obama administration is serving up a dinner plate icon sliced up by food groups. The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled its new icon, MyPlate, recently to help guide Americans toward eating balanced meals. The dinner

U.S. Budget May Cut Farm Subsidies

Farm subsidies could be cut as part of efforts to reduce federal spending, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid March 8, pointing to high grain, soybean and cotton prices. Reid was the latest congressional leader to say farm subsidies could be a target for budget cuts. House Speaker John Boehner said last week he was


New Diet Guidelines Say Eat More Fruit, Less Salt

Americans need to cut salt and fat and eat more fruits and vegetables, the Obama administration said in its latest set of dietary guidelines released Jan. 31. The new dietary guidelines also advise cutting out sugary drinks and drinking water instead, and eating less overall. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack released the guidelines, saying Americans

Truth In Labelling

When a nearby national grocery chain hosted a beef sale last summer, this carnivore grabbed his chequebook and motored to the store’s meatcase as fast as the Exploder’s worn wheel bearings allowed. I was greeted with a ruby wave of shrink-wrapped beef loins sporting stickers that announced their Angus origins. Nowhere, however, could I find


Vilsack Says E15 Decision Underscores U. S. Support

U. S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Oct. 13 the government’s decision to boost the amount of ethanol allowed in U. S. gasoline was a strong signal the Obama administration will establish a strong U. S. ethanol industry. “Today’s announcement on E15 for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and beyond is a positive signal that we

Fair Food, Circus Fare – for Aug. 19, 2010

As the county and state fair season spreads across America, farmers, ranchers and producer groups from Maryland and Montana will cook rib-eyes, whip up omelettes, grill chicken, barbecue pork steaks, butter sweet corn and pour thick milkshakes for their non-farming customers from Baltimore to Billings and nearly everywhere in between. This fresh, wholesome goodness will