Agriculture

"Antibiotics Pose Concern for Ethanol Producers"

"The ethanol industry must be wondering where the bottom is. Profits are slim or non-existent and about 20 percent of all U.S. plants are shut down. In addition, ethanol's main by-product, which is sold as livestock feed, has raised potential food safety concerns.

Agriculture

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: Minnesota Public Radio, 03/25/2009

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Obscure Farm Bill Provision Blacks Out Agricultural Data

The USDA is interpreting a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill so broadly that it may amount to a FOIA exemption for most information about individual agricultural operations.

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Toolbox: USDA Releases New Census of Agriculture

Data range from the very big picture, such as the total acreage devoted to agriculture in the country, and each state and county, to myriad details.

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EPA Mulls Loosening Limits on Atrazine in Drinking Water

Atrazine, one of the most commonly used pesticides on crops ranging from corn to trees, may not be as dangerous to humans as previously thought.

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Terrorism Down on the Farm

Amid the torrent of terrorism news, one angle that's been overlooked is agroterrorism -- using biological agents as weapons against crops or livestock.

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EPA Hides Data on Pesticide Link to Bee Die-Off

The Environmental Protection Agency looks determined to keep the public from knowing whether a pesticide on which it has waived safety rules may be a factor in the worldwide bee die-off known as "colony collapse disorder."

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Senate Passes Farm Bill With Softened Secrecy Language

The Senate passed a five-year Farm Bill Dec. 14, 2007, that softened a provision imposing draconian penalties for publication of information from a federal database for tracking food animals.

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Judge Forces USDA to Disclose Fields of Roundup Ready Alfalfa

A judge's decision has cracked open the black box of at least one genetically engineered crop: alfalfa.

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Federal Crop Insurance: Can It Keep Up With Climate Change?

According to a recent GAO report, the nation's federally subsidized crop insurance program might not be ready to manage increasing risks to US crops due to climate change.

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