House farm bill would shield Bayer from Roundup lawsuits
Tucked into the horticulture section of the farm bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee is language shielding seed and ag chemical giant Bayer from lawsuits against its Roundup weedkiller. Section 10204, running one-and-a-half pages, amounts to a “Get out of jail free” card for pesticide companies, according to an avowed guardian of victims’ rights
USDA: expect more cases of bird flu in dairy cattle
The H5N1 avian flu virus has been confirmed in 121 dairy herds to date and more infected herds are sure to be found as the search continues, said a USDA official on Monday as the outbreak in cattle entered its fourth month. The early summer heat wave will discourage farmworkers from wearing the full set of personal protective equipment recommended by health officials, said the dairy industry.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Corn, soy ratings drop: The conditions of the U.S. corn and soybean crops declined by 3 percentage points in the past week, to 69 percent good-to-excellent for corn and 67 percent good-to-excellent for soybeans, following a heat wave in the Farm Belt. (USDA)
Sustainable protein project: A fund created by billionaire Jeff Bezos gave $30 million to Imperial College in London for “design, delivery, and commercialization of alternative food products that are economically and environmentally friendly, nutritious, affordable, and tasty.” (Bezos Earth Fund)
Healthy food in underserved communities: The USDA and Reinvestment Fund offered $60 million in loans, grants, and technical assistance for food retail and supply chain projects that increase access to healthy foods in communities underserved by grocery stores. (USDA)
Drought slows China sowing: Scorching heat has baked northwest and east China, slowing springtime corn planting and darkening the outlook for this year’s crop in the world’s second-largest corn-growing and consuming country. (Reuters)
Shorter, fatter, and sicker: British children are becoming shorter, fatter, and sicker as the result of poor diets, food insecurity, and poverty, and the new generation may face a lifetime of diet-related illness, said the Food Foundation. (Guardian)
