Following on previous efforts to make information available to the public using visual interfaces, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released the Food Desert Locator this week. This new tool provides population characteristics of areas considered food deserts according the definition by the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group. The HFFI, a partnership between the […]
Archives for May 2011
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Jury Award to Poultry Growers
On Monday, May 2, the U.S. Supreme Court declined, without comment, a petition of certiorari to review a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case O.K. Industries v. Been. The Appeals Court upheld a federal jury award of $14.5 million to poultry growers from a poultry processor because of the processor’s violations of […]
Don’t Sign This
A small handful of giant meatpackers and processors have been underpaying and unfairly treating farmers and ranchers for decades. 10 months ago USDA issued a proposed livestock and poultry rule (also called the “GIPSA” rule) that would rein in some of their worst practices The big meat packers and processors have lobbied hard against these […]
AGree?
On Tuesday, May 3, a new federal food, agriculture, and rural development policy initiative was launched by eight major foundations at a press event in DC. The new eight-year project will be aimed at “transforming US food and agriculture policy” with an equal focus on domestic and international impacts. It will be known as “AGree,” […]
Stop Cuts to Conservation
Think this might be a good time to cut spending on soil conservation? Think Again. The New York Times recently reported that higher prices for corn and soy coupled with severe storms fueled by climate change were producing unsustainable levels of soil erosion in Iowa and other Corn Belt states. That same week Congress approved […]
Friday Update: Congress Returns with Budget Front and Center
At the conclusion of the May 5 meeting at Blair House between Vice President Biden and six congressional leaders, all parties to the talks said progress had been made toward a deal that would lead both to a deficit reduction budget deal and a positive vote in Congress to raise the federal borrowing limit. Beyond […]