Section » Trade

Concentration in the food industry not a concern, says new GAO report

By Marc R. aka Mental Masala • on August 5, 2009

In recent years, farmers have received an ever-decreasing share of the retail dollar, even during recent spikes in food prices. Some have argued that concentration in the food industry — the increase in the economic power of the largest firms — is the cause.

6 CommentsRead more »

More articles

U.S. and Canada forge organic alliance

By Ethicurean • on June 17, 2009

Good news, eh? Products meeting the Certified Organic standard in the United States can now be sold as organic in Canada, and vice versa, without additional certification work. Canada is the largest U.S. trade partner and largest estimated export market for U.S. organic products. (USDA

1 CommentRead more »

Germany’s list of farm subsidy recipients surprises many

By Ethicurean • on June 17, 2009

Ich bin ein Parasit: On Tuesday the German Agricultural Ministry posted a list online disclosing the names of German recipients of 5.4 billion euros ($7.5 billion) in annual agricultural subsidies granted by the European Union, under pressure from the EU. (Germany was the last country to do so, and the

No CommentsRead more »

Dispatch from NC: Notes on the food crisis

By Elanor • on September 24, 2008

It's been a whirlwind few days on the campus of North Carolina State University, where I attended "The Politics of Food," a conference organized by the Environmental Leadership Program. There's lots to report on: Panels during the three-day event ranged in

7 CommentsRead more »

WT… Oh, forget it

By Elanor • on August 5, 2008

There was little commotion in the blogosphere as the WTO's Doha Round, which had been struggling to bail out its liberalization life raft for

7 CommentsRead more »

The cost of being cool: Refrigeration energy in the food system

By Marc R. aka Mental Masala • on July 21, 2008

On my post about food miles vs. food choices, commenter Mike

Comments OffRead more »

Brazil prepares to retaliate against U.S. cotton subsidies

By Marc R. aka Mental Masala • on June 22, 2008

The U.S. Farm Bill that was finally enacted into law last week did little to change farm subsidy policies, despite

No CommentsRead more »

New European chemical safety regulations reach around the world

By Marc R. aka Mental Masala • on June 17, 2008

The European Union is changing the rules for chemicals, requiring that industry demonstrate that a chemical is safe before using it in consumer products such as cosmetics, food packaging, water bottles, and durable goods. This approach, sometimes called "the precautionary principle," is in stark contrast

6 CommentsRead more »

The enemy of my enemy: Why a Bush veto of the Farm Bill is bad for the food movement (and the world)

By Elanor • on May 12, 2008

My former boss in DC once said that if she ever found herself on the same side of an issue as the Bush Administration, it was time to go back and look more closely: there must be a hidden agenda. That was the thought that struck me as I contemplated the administration's Farm Bill veto threat on Friday.

13 CommentsRead more »

Sponsorship Information