The U.S.-Colombia trade agreement: A volatile agenda on agriculture

Washington, D.C., April 14, 2011 — The new Obama trade policy, as embodied in its free-trade agreement with Colombia, sadly resembles the old Bush trade policy: promoting growth in exports and investment at the expense of local economies and resilient food systems.

Water Security and the Right to Food in Climate Challenged Countries: Women at the Center

On April 13, 2011, The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in cooperation with the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, the ACP Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development (Concord) and other partners, organized a Brussels Bri

Five Reasons Carbon Markets Won't Work for Agriculture

Carbon markets are viewed as a primary source of climate financing. The experience to date demands a reevaluation of their ability to exact real, sustainable change, particularly in relation to agriculture. This fact sheet gives five reasons why poorly designed and regulated carbon markets should not be part of a global climate treaty.

IATP welcomes LaDonna Redmond to lead food and justice project

Minneapolis – The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy announced today that LaDonna Redmond will lead a new project focusing on health, justice and the food system.

Farm to School in Minnesota: Third Annual Survey of School Food Service Leaders

About this survey

Minnesota schools embrace Farm to School

Minneapolis – Participation in Farm to School is growing exponentially among Minnesota K-12 school districts, benefiting students and local farmers, according to the third annual Farm to School survey published today by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

What Does the Right to Water Entail?

This article by Shiney Varghese was published February 28, 2011 on Alternet Given that nearly three quarters of the "water poor" belong to rural communities, it's time that international deliberations around the right to water focus on rural communities access to safe water.

APHA applauded for urging action on hormone-disrupting chemicals

Washington, D.C. – The American Public Health Association (APHA) recently announced an important new policy calling for government action to protect the public from hormone-disrupting chemicals in the food supply. The policy was applauded by Healthy Food Action, a project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

Food safety going global

Minneapolis, February 22, 2011 — Many argue that globalized trade creates a “race to the bottom,” where the country with the weakest regulations or lowest wages ultimately sets the standards in the global marketplace. Something different may now be happening around food safety: Global forces are putting pressure on U.S.

Submission by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy on the cost-effectiveness of "market-based mechanisms" and their promotion of mitigation actions

The focus on market mechanisms is a dangerous distraction from the real work of finding agricultural practices that reduce emissions while ensuring food security, environmental integrity and rural livelihoods.