Full Coverage: Agriculture

May 2008

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Farm Bill a Boon to U.S. Poor

05/16/2008 "The conference agreement on the 2008 [U.S.] Farm Bill makes numerous improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices," says policy analyst Dottie Rosenbaum.
From: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Image: Farmer. © ENS / Environment News Service (ENS)

Farm Bill Subsidies Could Instead Feed Millions

Perspectives Magazine: Farm to Table

Throwing the baby out with the bath-water

05/13/2008 David Dickson, Director, SciDev.Net, presents the critique of a recent report on the future of modern agriculture. Even as we fight the current needs of a hungry world in an environmentally sustainable way, the contributions of science and technology deserve recognition and not merely blame, he asserts.

Image: Test varieties © WWF International

Reviving community-based farming

05/12/2008 A small village in rural Kerala has successfully dealt with the onslaught of globalisation. Farmer groups and a distribution and retail network by the local community have helped producers get maximum returns for their farm produce and traditional products. The farmers are now happy with the elimination of middlemen.

Image: A villager selling farm products / Photo credit: Infochange

Poster-child of Indian agriculture, Punjab in throes of crisis

05/09/2008 Once called India�s bread basket, Punjab�s success story has been marred by pesticide poisoning, soil contamination, farmer indebtedness and drug addiction. A recent report says the production-centric approach of industrial agriculture needs to make way for environmentally sound practices that promote equitable access to food.

Image: A rice farmer in Punjab / Photo credit: Outlook

Nepal has homespun its food crisis

Lush green wheat fields in Nepal / Photo credit: Nepali Times

05/09/2008 Diverting agricultural land to produce biofuels, increased dependence on imports, hoarding by traders, ban on export of food grains by neighbours are reasons cited for rising food prices in Nepal. Experts feel the government needs to take long-term measures if it wants to save people dying of hunger.

Read more
Related: [South Asia] [Poverty] [Food]

Image: Lush green wheat fields in Nepal / Photo credit: Nepali Times

Security Council must take cognisance of food crisis

05/07/2008 UN Security Council needs to discuss the current global food crisis and take corrective measures before the situation goes out of hand. Experts feel that the UN body must recognise that war and civil strife cannot be prevented without addressing social and economic conditions.

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Related: [United Nations] [Poverty] [Food]

Reuters' mobile text message service for poor farmers

05/07/2008 New mobile text message service called Reuters Market Light has made it easier for poor farmers in western India to get farm-related information. By subscribing to the service they can get regular updates on their mobiles about weather forecasts, pest attacks and daily market prices for their produce.

Image: Farmers celebrating the harvest / Photo credit: BBC

Food systems for people and planet

05/06/2008 With food hitting the headlines like never before, the International Institute for Environment and Development has launched a web-based publication that describes how to rethink food production and distribution for environmental and social gain.

UN's Food Rights Advocate Warns Speculators

05/03/2008 UNITED NATIONS, May 2 (OneWorld) - The global food crisis is likely to persist if speculative investment by the corporate world is not reined in soon, warned a top expert responsible for reporting to the United Nations on human rights violations.

Biofuel Threat To 60 Million Tribal People

05/02/2008 Demand for biofuels is destroying tribal peoples� land and lives, according to a new report. Palm oil is one of the most destructive crops followed by sugar cane, soy, corn, manioc and jatropha.
From: Survival

Image: The Guarani in Brazil have lost their land to sugar cane �Jo�o Ripper/Survival