Fewer old hands on House Ag panel to write new farm bill
With five dozen races still to be called, Republicans were ahead in House seats in Tuesday’s general elections that also marked the departure of at least four long-time members of the House Agriculture Committee. That means the House panel will be light on farm bill experience when it overhauls U.S. food and agriculture policy next year.
Food industry plan to end deforestation ‘falls short’
A plan to end deforestation in soy, palm oil, beef and cacao production by 2025 — released by 14 major agricultural commodity companies including Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, and JBS — falls far short of what would be needed to meet global climate goals, environmental groups say.
Funding doubles for climate and ag project, U.S. says
In one year, membership in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate nearly quadrupled and funding for the project doubled to $8 billion, said the Biden administration. AIM for Climate, launched at COP26, intends to increase agricultural production and incomes worldwide, while adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Perennial rice takes root: With 36,000 acres planted, researchers at Yunnan University in China say their perennial rice requires less labor while yielding as much grain as annually planted rice. (NPR)
Seven pesticides a day: Urine samples obtained as part of the Heartland Study indicate that most people in the Midwest have been exposed to seven or more pesticides on a near-daily basis, said speakers at the American Public Health Association meeting. (Heartland Health Research Alliance)
Buy catfish, help farmers: The USDA should make a “major purchase” of domestically grown catfish to help farmers in the South cope with high feed prices and slowdowns at processing plants, said lawmakers from Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. (Boozman)
Drought in the U.S. intensifies: Below-normal rainfall and above-average temperatures intensified drought conditions in many regions of the U.S. last month. (NOAA)
Seed experiment in space: Two UN agencies are sending sorghum and arabidopsis seeds to the International Space Station in an experiment to see if the low temperatures and microgravity will produce traits that would help crops adapt to climate change. (FAO)
