Agriculture

IATP has been advocating for fair and sustainable agriculture and food systems for more than 35 years. Learn more about our agriculture work on our Agriculture & Food Systems page.

Gearing up for agribusiness concentration workshops

For those who feel that the excessive market power of agribusiness companies is a big part of what's wrong with our food system: it's on. And it's historic. For the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice will hold a series of public workshops on market competition in agriculture. The series kicks off on Friday in Ankeny, Iowa.

Farm to school numbers up—and rising

A new survey, released today by the Minnesota School Nutrition Association (MSNA) and IATP, can serve as both encouragement for farm to school advocates and as a road map for schools, administrators or farmers looking to get involved in the growing movement.

Follow-up on cheap food policy

Last week, we wrote about the lastest issue of Health Affairs, which zeroes in strategies for addressing childhood obesity.

CFTC should impose tough limits on Wall Street speculators

Minneapolis – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) should act immediately to limit excessive speculation by Wall Street firms on energy derivatives trades, a move that will help address extreme volatility in both energy and agricultural markets, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) said in a comment submitte

IATP comment to CFTC on speculative position limits

This comment to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regards a proposed rule to implement speculative position limits for energy contracts.

Farms in the balance: Countering attacks against EPA on climate

Attacks on the EPA have been coming fast and furious in the past few months. In contrast to Congress’s limp attempts to pass comprehensive climate legislation, the EPA has begun taking steps to address climate change.

Agriculture and rural groups defend EPA’s ability to protect climate, public health

Minneapolis – Over 25 organizations representing agriculture organizations and rural communities sent a letter to the Senate yesterday urging Senators to reject attempts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ability to enforce the Clean Air Act.

Cheap food policy contributing to childhood obesity

Minneapolis – A decades-old “cheap food” policy has helped create a broken U.S. food system where unhealthy foods are both cheaper and more available to children than are healthy foods, writes the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s David Wallinga, M.D.

Agricultural Policy and Childhood Obesity

The March, 2010, Vol. 29, No.3 issue of the influential Health Affairs journal comes out blazing with editor-in-chief Susan Dentzer writing that “America is guilty of child abuse.” The issue focuses on childhood obesity and includes a series of articles related to kid's snacks, school lunches, food marketing and strategies for prevention.

What's so radical about family farming?

In mid-February, the third Farmers' Forum was held just prior to the 33rd Governing Council meeting of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome. IFAD is a specialized agency of the UN that funds agriculture production projects in developing countries.

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