COP28, 134 nations agree that agriculture ‘must urgently transform’
More than two-thirds of the nations in the world, representing 5.7 billion people and 70 percent of global food production, signed a declaration at the UN climate summit assigning agriculture and food systems a role in combating global warming. It was the first such linkage of food and climate action and while it was applauded, the praise was salted with “show me” skepticism.
U.S. agencies unveil food waste prevention plan
EPA administrator Michael Regan announced a U.S. plan to reduce food waste and food loss at the UN climate summit, saying the issue “is one of the most impactful actions we can take to reduce climate pollution and build a circular economy.”
AFR: THE LATEST
A cultural history of a controversial fruit
The watermelon is a generous fruit: the flesh of one can feed a dozen people and can parent hundreds of melons with its seeds. Cultures throughout the ages have, and still do, interpret the watermelon as a symbol of good luck and fertility, a plant whose great fecundity might be shared with you. But in the United States, more than a century of racial denigration has cloaked and clouded this primordial symbol of solidarity, generosity, and abundance, transforming it into something almost unpalatable for many Black people.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Tax fertilizer to reduce runoff: Voluntary programs have been ineffective in reducing nitrate runoff, so Minnesota should increase its tax on fertilizer and expand a land set-aside program to protect wellheads for drinking water, said the head of a state House environment committee. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
$53 million in egg damages: A federal jury awarded $27.7 million in damages — tripled by federal law to $53 million — to food manufacturers who sued egg producers for conspiring to limit egg supplies and drive up prices from 2004-08. (Fortune)
Who buys Nebraska farmland?: Only one foreign buyer appears in an analysis of the top 100 buyers in the past five years of farmland in Nebraska — Blackshirt Feeders, a cattle feedlot that is partially owned by Canadians. (Nebraska Public Media)
Carbon pipeline foes gear up: Foes of carbon pipelines say momentum is on their side with the cancellation of the Heartland Greenway pipeline, and they’re aiming for new controls on the pipelines in the Iowa and South Dakota legislatures in 2024. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Colorado River water deal: The Interior Department and the Imperial Irrigation District in California announced an agreement to conserve 100,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead this year, and to discuss conservation of up to 800,000 acre-feet through 2026. (Interior)
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
The House will vote on HR 1713, the DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act, under rules that limit debate and bar amendments, according to Majority Leader Steve Scalise. HR 1713 “authorizes cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities” by the departments and “will advance crop science, maximize carbon storage, enhance precision agriculture technologies, and more,” said co-sponsors Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Zoe Lofgren of California.
UN holds COP28 climate summit, through Dec. 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
National Grain and Feed Association holds 52nd annual Country Elevator Conference, through Tuesday, Louisville.
National Agricultural Aviation Association holds 2023 Ag Aviation Expo, through Thursday, Palm Springs.
International Cotton Advisory Committee holds 81st Plenary Meeting, through Tuesday, Mumbai.
Tuesday
Purdue University releases Ag Economy Barometer, a monthly gauge of the agricultural economy’s health.
House slated to vote on HR 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, according to Majority Leader Steve Scalise. The bill would block EPA from implementing a proposed “tailpipe” rule that is projected to make electric vehicles the best-selling new cars and trucks by 2032. The proposal, titled “Multi-pollutant emissions standards for model years 2027 and later light-duty and medium-duty vehicles,” is opposed by petroleum, ethanol, farm, and retail groups.
American Seed Trade Association holds ASTA’s Field Crop Seed Convention 2023, through Friday, Orlando.
Wednesday
The House Agriculture Committee holds a “member day” hearing, 9 a.m. ET, 1300 Longworth.
Friday
USDA releases monthly Crop Production and WASDE reports, noon ET. With the fall harvest nearly complete, USDA traditionally repeats its forecasts from November. The WASDE report will reflect any changes in USDA estimates of production, prices, and usage of major commodities.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases monthly Food Price Index, Rome.
