States Ask To Stop Limits on Food Stamps – January 17, 2020

States ask federal court to stop Trump limits on food stamps

 

A Trump administration regulation that would eliminate food stamps for 688,000 people is being challenged in U.S. district court by 14 states and the District of Columbia. Their lawsuit, filed on Thursday in Washington, asks for the rule to be overturned as unlawful and for an injunction to keep it from taking effect on April 1.

 

Oceans could provide far more food in the future, reports say

 

Oceans could provide far more protein for the world’s food supply than they do now, especially from aquaculture, but aggressive action is needed to better manage fisheries and mitigate the impact of climate change, according to two reports released Thursday.

 

As Senate passes USMCA, Trump tells farmers to remember the trade war money

As President Trump scored his second trade victory in two days, Senate approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, he asked farmers on Thursday to remember the billions of dollars they had received in trade war payments.

 

Farmers borrow less, and tariff payments may be why

Agricultural lending declined during the second half of 2019, and while that reflected lower production costs, it “likely also was due to an increase in revenue from government payments (Market Facilitation Program) connected to trade disputes that lingered through the year,” said the Federal Reserve on Thursday.

Talks & Eats – Manhattan – Surf ‘n’ Turf: Can our seafood survive Big Ag and climate change?

As oceans warm, our major fisheries are shifting. At the same time, farm runoff is contributing to dead zones from the Gulf of Mexico to Long Island. Both of these issues – climate change and farming practices – affect the health of ocean ecosystems and, ultimately, the seafood that winds up on our plates. Join moderator and best-selling author Paul Greenberg for a stimulating discussion Feb. 10, 2020, 7:30 p.m., at Subculture in Greenwich Village. VIP reception with drinks and bites beforehand.

 

TODAY’S QUICK HITS

Earp out as USDA civil rights chief (Fudge): Naomi Earp, who ran the USDA’s anti-discrimination office while awaiting a Senate vote on her nomination to be assistant secretary for civil rights, has resigned. Rep. Marcia Fudge, chair of the House subcommittee that oversees the office, called on the administration to nominate someone who understands “the importance of strong civil rights enforcement.”

When herbicides don’t mix (DTN/Progressive Farmer): The proliferation of GE crops that tolerate dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides is bringing new attention to the problem of “herbicide antagonism,” in which a combination of weedkillers produces poorer results than when the chemicals are used individually.

EU ag scandal includes organized crime (Guardian): Prosecutors say Sicilian mobsters have fraudulently collected more than 10 million euros in EU agricultural subsidies since 2010, including payments on “ghost” farmland that either did not exist or was government-owned.

Guardia to lead anti-hunger group (FRAC): The board of directors of the Food Research & Action Center has selected Luis Guardia, a veteran of social advocacy, as president effective March 1.

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