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November 5, 2009
· Greenies attack Obama farm trade nominee
· Canada closes border to many organic veggies
· US farm groups differ on climate change bill
· Cucumber genome sheds light on cucurbits
· Cubans fear government takeover of free markets
Greenies attack Obama farm trade nominee
(Reuters
via Yahoo! News)
Islam "Isi" Siddiqui, a senior farm trade official during the
"All the allegations ... and attacks which I have seen are directed at the trade association that I worked for for eight years," Siddiqui said at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.
"There is no evidence in my public service of 32 years where I made any disparaging remarks against organic or sustainable development," he said.
The chief agricultural trade negotiator works in the U.S.
Trade Representative's office on issues affecting
More than 80 groups -- including small-farm, organic, and environmental organizations -- have asked the Senate committee to reject Siddiqui's appointment because he is too close to businesses that make chemicals and genetically modified crops.
"Siddiqui's record and statements ... show his clear bias in favor of chemical-intensive and unproven biotechnology practices that imperil both our planet and human health while undermining food security and exacerbating climate change," the groups said in a letter to the committee.
Siddiqui worked for the
He was a registered lobbyist for the group from 2001 until 2003.
Siddiqui has strong support from mainstream agricultural groups, 46 of which signed a letter backing him for the job.
Senator Blanche Lincoln, head of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said she would vote for Siddiqui's nomination, and urged other senators to do the same.
Senator Pat Roberts, a Republican from
If confirmed, Siddiqui said he
would work on technical issues that have prevented
"I have found that scientific evidence can be a powerful tool in breaking down trade barriers," he told senators.
He also said we would try to engage the European Union to
accept more genetically modified crops, and would pursue more access for
Canada
closes border to many US
(Canada.com) OTTAWA — Organic produce will likely be pricier this winter and some vegetable bins could even be empty because the Canadian border is now closed to "organic" veggies containing sodium nitrate, the organics industry is warning.
But the sector is split on whether the development is a good thing for consumers.
The use of sodium nitrate is permitted under
But the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an
immediate decree to its growers that it can no longer export this produce to
Laura Telford, national director of the Canadian Organic
Growers, applauds the USDA's hard-line approach, saying consumers are better
off knowing produce certified as organic in
"It runs contrary to organic principles. It's a quick fix, an easy way to get nitrogen into the
system," said Telford, whose group lobbied Agriculture
"But most of us were surprised that when the Americans
got together with the Canadians to negotiate it, there was no phase-in period.
And we're really shocked by this because things usually go in the
Telford said the likely short-term effect on consumers will
be higher prices on organic produce throughout the winter months; 80 per cent
of all vegetables sold in
Penelope Marrett has a more
pessimistic take on the situation, calling it an "impeding crisis" in
the organic products industry in
The president of the Canadian Health Food Association, which represents businesses in the entire supply chain in natural and organic foods, said empty store bins are a likelihood this winter. And that's bad for consumers and retailers, said Marrett.
"We want to ensure that Canadian retailers really feel confident in their ability to continue to provide customers with organic produce without a loss of business."
That's why Marrett is calling on
Agriculture
Ann Clark, a specialist in organic farming in the
"This is a particularly interesting situation because
it is the USDA that has taken the opportunity to revisit the issue and decided
to tighten up the standards for export to
US
(theindependent.com) – The National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation are differing on climate change legislation pending before the U.S. Senate, though both organizations are making sure agriculture's interests are protected.
In a hearing last week before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said his organization is committed to see climate change legislation address the unique role America's family farmers and ranchers can play when it comes to combating global climate change.
"We are committed to constructively working with members of the Senate to ensure the interests of agricultural producers are met as the debate moves forward," Johnson said.
He said while he is pleased to see the Senate begin to
consider climate change legislation, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power
Act currently lacks the robust and flexible agriculture offset program
necessary for
"According to USDA, producers will economically benefit from an agriculture offset program. In the short term, all cost increases are offset and in the long term, agriculture will see returns of $4 to $5 for every dollar of new costs incurred," Johnson said.
He is urging committee members to take into account the costs of inaction.
"Models of climate change scenarios demonstrate increased frequency of heat stress, droughts and flooding events that will reduce crop yields and livestock productivity," Johnson said. "Estimates provide that for every one degree increase in temperature, Celsius, we will see up to a 10 percent reduction in agriculture production worldwide."
He said NFU supports a national mandatory cap-and-trade system to reduce nonfarm greenhouse gas emissions if the following conditions are met:
-- USDA is granted control and administration of the agriculture offset program.
-- Early actors are recognized.
-- No artificial cap is placed on domestic offsets.
-- Carbon sequestration rates are based upon science.
-- Producers are permitted to stack environmental benefit credits.
Johnson also said that if Congress doesn't address the issue, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
"A purely regulatory approach will bring all of the downsides of increased energy inputs without the upsides of carbon offset opportunities," he said.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, who also testified before the committee, said one of the major failings of the House version of the climate change legislation was its failure to provide a cost-effective blueprint to transition to a clean energy economy. He said the Senate bill "exhibits the same shortcoming."
Stallman said cap-and-trade legislation would result in higher fuel, fertilizer and energy costs to farmers and ranchers. Cost increases incurred by utilities and other providers resulting from climate change legislation would ultimately be borne by consumers, he said.
"The impacts of the legislation go far beyond just the farm and ranch community," said Stallman. "Families will be hit hard with higher energy costs under any cap-and-trade program, an amount that could total up to $200 billion a year for American taxpayers. That will put enormous strain on family budgets."
Stallman said there should be two essential components to any policy that seeks to transition from one source of energy to new sources:
-- A mechanism that removes the old source.
-- A means to "plug the hole" that is left when that energy source is removed with a readily available, cost-effective new source of energy.
"The principal bills in the House and Senate would accomplish the first element by capping emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by limiting the use of fossil fuels," said Stallman. "However, there is little in either bill that would provide an alternative source of energy to the fossil fuels that will be lost."
The Senate bill, according to Stallman, does not make economic sense for agriculture.
According to the latest Environmental Protection Agency
report, "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks:
1990-2005," updated in 2008, agriculture and forestry emit between 6
percent and 7 percent of the total GHGs emitted in
the
Stallman said the same EPA report indicates that agriculture
and forestry have the potential to sequester between 15 percent and 20 percent
of total
"It stands to reason that any climate change policy should seek to maximize these contributions from agriculture, not punish them," said Stallman.
Regarding offsets, Stallman said that unlike the House bill, the Senate bill does not specifically provide a place for agriculture and forestry in its offsets program. While the bill provides a pool of 1.5 billion tons of domestic offsets, he said the bill does not specify who is eligible to provide those offsets. Instead, the president may choose which sector is eligible.
"This uncertainty creates a number of problems both for farmers and ranchers and the offsets program itself," said Stallman.
He said the Senate legislation places the entire offsets program at the complete discretion of the president, with no sector being assured that any of the offset opportunities they might provide will even be eligible to participate in the program.
"Agriculture and forestry can play a key role in any future national energy policy," concluded Stallman. "But S. 1733 fails to recognize this role and would in fact penalize the very sectors that have the best opportunity to reduce greenhouse emissions in the most cost-effective manner for all."
Cucumber genome sheds light on cucurbits
(UC Davis) – The genome of the cucumber has been sequenced
by an international consortium lead by Chinese and
The cucumber genome will give insight into the genetics of the whole cucurbit family, which includes pumpkins and squash, melon and watermelon, and be a platform for research in plant biology, said William Lucas, professor and chair of the Department of Plant Biology at the University of California, Davis. Lucas helped with the development and management of the project.
"This is going to help a large community -- we can now go ten times faster than we could before," Lucas said.
Lucas studies the vascular transport systems, phloem and xylem, that plants use to move nutrients, minerals and signaling molecules throughout the body of the plant. Pumpkins and cucumber are model plants for studying vascular transport, because their vascular system is large and easy to access.
The Lucas research group has shown that plants use both proteins and RNA -- molecules copied or transcribed from DNA -- as signaling molecules that are transported around the plant through the phloem. These signals can affect plant growth, coordinate activity through the plant and help it fight infection. For example, in 2007 they showed that "florigen," the signal that tells the growing tips of plants to make flowers in response to seasonal changes, is a protein transmitted through the phloem.
The new study identified 800 phloem proteins in the cucumber genome. With the help of the genome data, researchers will be able to rapidly identify and characterize all the protein, RNA and other molecules in the phloem sap, Lucas said.
Cubans fear government takeover of free markets
(AP
via detnews.com)
So when the Communist Party served notice that it plans to
impose price controls at those agros -- ending one of
Police were called to one farmers market last month when customers shouted and chanted at state workers conducting a routine inspection.
"It's going to be a mess. There will be less
merchandise," said Antonio Gutierrez, whose farm cooperative outside the
capital sells vegetables to vendors at
Price controls would end one of the country's few private business initiatives just as Cubans hoped the economy would loosen up under Raul Castro, who took power from his ailing brother, Fidel, in February 2008.
"Control is now what the Cuban government is trying to lock
up more than ever," said Bill Messina, an agricultural economist at the
The free-market agros, where the
state allows vendors to set prices based on supply and demand, have been very
successful in getting food into people's hands,
"But it does reduce government control of food," he added.
With the proposed change, shoppers accustomed to tables piled high with lettuce, spinach, grapes and green peppers fear either the empty shelves or unbearable lines that are routine at government-controlled produce markets.
At one such market last week, a chalkboard read "there are potatoes," meaning spuds could be purchased with Cubans' monthly ration cards. Besides that, a single produce stand sold only plantains, taro root and onions.
"They want to make all the markets like this. Sad," the lone vendor said.
Producers, sellers and customers said they heard from party officials that new price controls were set to begin Nov. 1 -- but were postponed until January after a public outcry unheard of under the totalitarian government.
The government has not commented. But a member of
The would-be takeover is part of President Raul Castro's overall crackdown on corruption -- in this case on farmers who are required to meet government quotas but instead sell to free-market vendors through unlicensed truckers because they make more money.
By law, small producers and cooperatives can sell leftover fruits and vegetables at their own prices after they meet production quotas -- usually around 70 percent of everything they grow.
But the state often takes more than six months to pay farmers, while the truckers offer cash on the spot, said Ismael, a cabbage vendor who only gave his first name because he admitted flouting the law.
"We are bandits," he said. "But without us, none of this works."
Bringing trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables into
The agros first appeared in the 1980, when food shortages forced a reluctant Fidel Castro to allow farmers to sell produce at prices driven, at least in part, by the free market. Castro shuttered them six years later to improve foundering state agriculture.
End Transmission