EPA issues emergency waiver for summertime sale of E15
For the second year in a row, the EPA said it would waive air pollution rules and permit summertime sale of E15 — gasoline with a 15 percent mix of ethanol — on an emergency basis, even though fuel prices are roughly 57 cents a gallon lower than they were a year ago.
Land values in Brazil soy belt doubled from 2019-22
Cropland prices in Brazil doubled from 2019-22, pulled up by high commodity prices and strong investor demand, and aided by low interest rates, said four University of Illinois agricultural economists.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
BIPOC farmers eye farm bill: “A growing chorus of small and emerging farmers — particularly producers of color” — hope Congress will address their specialized needs in the new farm bill. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
EU allows Ukraine grain: EU nations agreed to allow Ukrainian grain to pass through Europe on the way to export customers, such as the Middle East and Africa, while permitting Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania to keep the grain out of their domestic markets. (Associated Press)
Coffee and climate change: Farmers in Uganda are trying to popularize Liberica excelsa, a different variety of coffee than the Arabica and robusta that dominate production today, as the heat- and disease-resistant future of coffee in the age of climate change. (New York Times)
California demands clean vehicles: The California Air Resources Board approved a regulation that will require a shift to zero-emission freight trucks, school buses and delivery vans over the next 25 years, a step that could affect industries nationwide. (Los Angeles Times)
Poultry litter complaint: Environmental groups filed a complaint with the EPA alleging the North Carolina state Department of Environmental Quality discriminated against Native, Black and Latino residents in three counties by failing to adequately regulate the dry litter poultry industry. (Vermont Law)
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
May Day “just might have more holidays than any other day of the year,” says Infoplease. May 1 is a traditional day to celebrate spring, it’s a day for organized labor, it’s a day for political protests and in many countries it is a national holiday. In Hawaii, it is Lei Day, to celebrate Hawaiian culture. During the Cold War, there were attempts to cast the day, claimed by workers and activists of many types including socialists, in support of law and the established order; President Eisenhower issued a Loyalty Day proclamation for May 1, 1958. President Biden signed a proclamation this year to observe May 1 as Law Day “to acknowledge the importance of our Nation’s legal and judicial systems.”
Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Berkeley Food Institute and American University’s Center for Environment, Community and Equity and its Antiracist Research Policy Center host the “Pointing the farm bill toward racial justice” conference, Warrenton, Virginia. There will be a briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Bipartisan Policy Center holds a panel discussion, “Divided government: Advancing a conservative, pro-family agenda,” 10 a.m. ET, Washington.
The National WIC Association holds annual conference, through Thursday, San Diego.
USDA releases weekly Crop Progress report, 4 p.m. ET.
Tuesday
The leaders of the two largest U.S. farm groups, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, are lead witnesses at a Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing, “Commodity programs, credit and crop insurance — Part 1: Producer perspectives on the farm safety net,” 10 a.m. ET, 106 Dirksen.
Kansas State University and the Farm Journal Foundation host a panel discussion on “the role of innovation in supporting global food systems,” 2:30 p.m. ET, KSU. Panelists include House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson and Kansas State agriculture dean Ernie Minton.
Purdue University releases a monthly Ag Economy Barometer, a gauge of the health of the agricultural economy.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases monthly Food Price Index, Rome.
Wednesday
The U.S. trade representative’s office holds a listening session online to gather public input ahead of the third round of negotiations over the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, 9 a.m. ET.
Hartnell College Foundation holds the 18th annual Western Food Safety Conference, through Thursday, in Salinas, California. Keynote speakers are Bill Marler, a food-safety attorney, and Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department for Food and Agriculture.
Thursday
Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing, “Commodity programs, credit and crop insurance — Part 2: Industry perspectives on risk management and access to credit,” 10 a.m. ET, 216 Hart.
Animal Agriculture Alliance holds stakeholders summit, through Friday, Arlington, Virginia.
U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai speaks at 2023 Global Link Business Luncheon, Phoenix.
Friday
Cinco de Mayo, a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, has become a major celebration in the United States of Mexican culture and heritage. The origin is the victory of a Mexican army over a larger French army in the battle of Puebla de Los Angeles on this date in 1862.
U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai speaks on the resilience of Asian American and the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in the United States, and on “her personal journey towards becoming both the first Asian American and first Senate-confirmed woman of color” to serve as trade representative; University of Southern California.
Sunday
Food and Research Action Council and Feeding America hold a hybrid National Anti-Hunger Conference, through May 9, Washington.
