AgClips
Recent AgClips
Study: GMO Ban Would Hurt Economy And Environment
Growing Produce | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Agriculture NewsFood prices could rise by more than 2% and greenhouse gas emissions would increase substantially according to a paper to be presented at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting in Boston. “There are people that would like to ban GMOs,” said Wally Tyner, a Purdue University economist. “We wanted to see what the result of a ban would be when it comes to food prices and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” “Total welfare losses associated with loss of GMO technology total up to $9.75 billion.
Dirty to drinkable: Novel hybrid nanomaterials quickly transform water
Science Daily | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Rural NewsA team of engineers has found a way to use graphene oxide sheets to transform dirty water into drinking water, and it could be a global game-changer. Graphene oxide has been hailed as a veritable wonder material; when incorporated into nanocellulose foam, the lab-created substance is light, strong and flexible, conducting heat and electricity quickly and efficiently. The new approach combines bacteria-produced cellulose and graphene oxide to form a bi-layered biofoam. "The process is extremely simple," Singamaneni said.
Nottingham Dollies prove cloned sheep can live long and healthy lives
Science Daily | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThree weeks after the scientific world marked the 20th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the sheep, new research has shown that four clones derived from the same cell line -- genomic copies of Dolly -- reached their 8th birthdays in good health.
6 Big Nutrition Myths, Debunked By Experts
Huffington Post | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Food NewsWe live in a society where many people tend to gravitate toward “black and white thinking” and extremes. The health and wellness industries are fraught with examples of extremism in many forms. Everyday a new headline pronounces a certain food as “bad and ruining our health,” while exalting another food and praising it’s “amazing benefits.” These lists of proclaimed “superfoods” and “harmful foods” seem to change on a weekly basis- leading many people to be confused as to the mixed messages they are receiving.
Better seed for a better life: the Senate should ratify the plant genetics treaty
Agri-Pulse | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in NewsPreserving and improving global food security smartly creates economic opportunity here by alleviating poverty overseas. Recently Congress passed and President Obama recently signed into law the Global Food Security Act which authorizes U.S. efforts on international agricultural development. While it seems increasingly difficult, but important, to find areas of bipartisan support, we applaud Congress for acknowledging the problems of global hunger and coming together to solve those problems.
Farmers fight for the right to repair their own tractors
Fox Newa | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Agriculture NewsFarmers in Nebraska, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York are staging something of a mechanical revolt. They're attempting to get legislation passed in their states that would enable them, for the first time since the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, to repair their own tractors or get an independent mechanic to help. At the root of the morass is the software that helps run modern tractors and their sensors, diagnostic tools, and other high-tech elements.
Food labeling has little to do with knowing what is in your food
Forbes | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Food NewsI feel bad for the USDA. Congress has just assigned them the thankless task of overseeing a compromise law on GMO labeling. The compromise was possible even for our fractious political system because the alternative was to allow the state of Vermont to demand a food labeling, segregation and tracking system that would severely disrupt the national food system. That was a clear-cut violation of the interstate commerce protections in the Constitution, but it would have taken years to be resolved in the courts.
Nebraska city selected for Costco poultry plant sued
Watt Ag Net | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Agriculture NewsA lawsuit has been filed against the City of Fremont in Nebraska, which is being accused of allegedly blighting farmland illegally for tax incentive financing (TIF) for a proposed poultry plant. Three members of the citizens group Nebraska Communities United (NCU) filed the suit, alleging that Nebraska law does not provide for blighting large portions of agricultural land for the use of TIF money, and that the disputed area must be urban or suburban, and not rural. The city earlier annexed and blighted nearly 1,000 acres for the proposed plant.
EIA Releases Energy Outlook
DTN | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Energy NewsIn its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook released today, the U.S. Energy Information Administration maintained its outlook for ethanol production and demand for this year. EIA reiterated ethanol production averaged almost 970,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2015 and once again projected production for 2016 and 2017 at about 980,000 bpd. The agency repeated that ethanol consumption in 2015 averaged about 910,000 bpd, while holding firm its forecast for 2016 and 2017 to about 930,000 bpd.
Farm to Fork Bicycle Event Draws 450 Cyclists to Vermont
Granfondo Guide | Posted onJuly 28, 2016 in Rural NewsOver 450 cyclists set out on a farm-to-table bicycle ride through Central Vermont, stopping at nine local farms to refuel with chef-prepared food made with ingredients from the farms. The event, Farm to Fork Fondo – Vermont, is a recreational ride that draws athletes of all abilities.