Climate a top issue despite turnover in House, says Vilsack
Food and agriculture will play an ever-larger role in climate negotiations on the world stage, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack after participating in the UN climate summit underway in Egypt. Global warming will also be a top issue for the U.S. farm sector, he said, notwithstanding skeptical views among some Republican lawmakers.
Trade group seeks 7-billion-gallon advanced biofuel mandate
The EPA should increase the advanced biofuels share of the fuel market by 1 billion gallons a year to reflect the land rush into renewable diesel production, said the trade group Clean Fuels America Alliance on Monday. The recommendation would raise the federal mandate for second-generation biofuels to 7.63 billion gallons in 2024, a 36 percent increase from this year.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Rainforest pact: Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia — the nations with the world’s largest rainforests — announced a partnership to protect forests and pressure wealthy nations to help foot the bill. (Reuters)
Cell-cultured meat soon?: The chief executive of Upside Foods, a developer of cell-cultured meat, anticipates FDA approval “in the very near future” to sell the company’s products, including a chicken fillet, to U.S. consumers. (NPR)
Fertilizer scarcity into 2023: Fertilizer shortages will persist into 2023 in many countries, threatening agricultural production and food security in Africa in particular, said a WTO-FAO study that urged G20 nations to allow open trade in the product. (WTO)
Food sovereignty supports: The USDA announced new resources in its Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, including a manual for transitioning to bison from cattle and the purchase of six seed cleaning mills for use in regional seed-saving hubs. (USDA)
Farm Aid hotline speaks Spanish: In partnership with two other groups, Farm Aid said it would provide Spanish-language assistance on its Farmer Hotline for the first time. (Farm Aid)
