Agribusiness

Supreme Court rules For Monsanto In Key Battle With Sask. Farmer Over Seed

OTTAWA (CP) - The Supreme Court of Canada sided with the U.S. biotech giant Monsanto on Friday in the firm's lop-sided patent fight against Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser.

USDA Allowed Canadian Beef In Despite Ban

The Agriculture Department allowed American meatpackers to resume imports of ground and other "processed" beef from Canada last September, just weeks after it publicly reaffirmed its ban on importing those products because mad cow disease had been found in Canadian cattle.

Wheat Board Won't Be Scrapped

International Trade Minister Jim Peterson said Thursday he won't agree to scrap the Canadian Wheat Board as part of trade liberalization negotiations. "We are prepared to subject our Canadian Wheat Board to all sorts of disciplines to ensure that it isn't trade distorting, but the institution itself is not on the table," Peterson told The Associated Press in an interview.

US Says Trade Talks Need Support Of Developping Countries To Succeed

US trade representive Robert Zoellick called Wednesday on big developing countries to play their part in getting stalled global trade liberalisation talks off the ground. "To take on the challenges of global trade, especially in the Doha negociations, we will need the support of the developing economies", Zoellick said at a press conference at the French senate.

Analysis of the Central American Free Trade Agreement Concerning Agriculture

The provisions in the Central American Free trade Agreement (CAFTA) that pertain to agricultural trade and agribusiness investment are spread through several chapters of the CAFTA text.

Poultry on Antibiotics: Hazards to Human Health

The first study to examine brand-name poultry products prominent in grocery stores for the presence of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including resistance to important antibiotics relied upon to treat human infections like Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Synercid, and Tetracycline. This report is a joint effort by the Sierra Club and IATP.  

Trade, Agriculture and Climate Change

As the world's nations consider strategies to tackle climate change, little attention has been given to the intersection of energy intensive industrial agriculture and global distribution systems combined with trade agreements.

Antimicrobial Use in Animal Feed: An Ecological and Public Health Problem

Antibiotics arguably constitute one of the most important medical discoveries of the last century. Unfortunately, many antibiotics now are rapidly losing effectiveness as bacteria increasingly acquire resistance to multiple medicines. Routine feeding of antibiotics to animals raised for food promotes overuse and is one of the key drivers contributing to antibiotic resistance.

Labeling and Traceability of Bioengineered Foods

With advances in agricultural biotechnology, it would behoove the United States to enhance existing food regulations and launch across-the-board pre-market safety testing, labeling, and traceability requirements for all food products and animal feed. Includes French and Spanish translations.

Group Letter to Poultry Producers on Antibiotics Used in Poultry Production

This letter was included in a packet of information sent to poultry producers urging them to reduce antibiotic use and contained the names of the major restaurant chains who will no longer buy poultry raised on antibiotics and poultry producers who have publicly stated they will no longer use medically important antibiotics in production.  