A roundup of news, reports and research on agribusiness and related issues.
Cargill updates policies to stop deforestation. But will their actions align? | Mongabay.com
Through recent updates to company policies, Cargill aims to undertake “deforestation-free supply chains,” by the year 2030. But a new report concludes such supply chains will not be able to perform as hoped.
Along with environmentally-protective policy changes, Cargill hopes to create transparency with company soy initiatives. But in Brazil, the crop continues to spur rapid deforestation in the Cerrado.
President Trump put a stop to one climate change group. They’ve regrouped and bring a warning. | The Guardian
Back in 2017, President Donald Trump cut the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment. The Trump administration was apprehensive with the makeup of the panel and felt the Obama-era group did not include enough industry leaders.
Since then, the group reformed with the help of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, Columbia University and the American Meteorological Society. They bring a word of warning.
The Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment is calling on the Trump administration to enhance preparation for natural disasters threatening areas across the country.
The USDA aims to leave food inspections up the discretion of the pork industry. | The Washington Post
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is almost finished with a plan to change oversight measures of the pork industry, from public to somewhat private.
The plan cuts federal inspection positions by 40 percent and the pork industry will hold the responsibly of food safety oversight. After the story was published by The Washington Post, the USDA responded, claiming the story contained a few falsehoods.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently facing a lawsuit. | New Food Economy
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Back in 2014, FWS banned use of genetically engineered crops and numerous insecticides in wildlife sanctuaries. Last year, the Trump administration rolled back on the ban.
The Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group dedicated to environmental protections, stepped in with a lawsuit alleging that the agency has failed to release public record information on how the Trump administration’s decision is effecting publicly protected lands.
