News items related to ag tech, biotech, trade ? and perhaps some other interesting topics out there related to agriculture ? will be posted on this page throughout the week (as the week progresses newest items will be in?green?at bottom of sections). ?Be sure to come back and check the page during the week.  

TRADE, TRADE RELATED, INFRASTRUCTURE:

Even Trump supporters say trade is good for the U.S., new survey shows - Washington Post, Wonkblog - By Ana Swanson (Aug 14)

"Even though politicians as disparate as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders deride free trade these days,?a?record number of Americans say international trade is good for the United States, according to a new poll by a nonpartisan think tank." - Link

US-Africa Trade Talks End With No Decision, Waning Enthusiasm - VOA/Reuters (Aug 10)

"It is not clear whether the U.S. wants to change the deal before it expires in 2025 or extend it." - Link

The ?Belt and Road? projects China doesn?t want anyone talking about - South China Morning Post - By He Huifeng (Aug 8)

"Yunnan authorities obscure location of refinery at end of pipeline from Myanmar and order media to stop mentioning ?Trans-Asia Railway? - Link

U.S. talks tough as NAFTA negotiations get under way - Yahoo!Finance / Reuters - By?Lesley Wroughton and David Lawder (Aug 16) - Link

 

AG, AG TECH, RESEARCH, PRODUCTION, PROTECTION, RELATED ISSUES:

To Feed the World, Improve Photosynthesis - MIT Technology Review - By Katherine Bourzac (Aug 14)

"By reworking the basic metabolism of crops, plant scientists hope to forestall devastating food shortages." - Link

Amazon looks to new food technology for home delivery - Reuters - By Jeffrey Dastin (Aug 11)

"...exploring a technology first developed for the U.S. military to produce tasty prepared meals that do not need refrigeration..." - Link

Scientists trial charged-water irrigation system to boost food safety - Food Navigator Asia -?By RJ Whitehead (Aug 8)

"Technology that allows vegetables to be cleaned with electrically charged water before harvest is being trialled in Australia." - Link

How a US company plans to use Australian sugar to help heal the world - ABC (Australia) - By Kallee Buchanan (Aug 11)

"It is now developing sustainable replacements for ingredients that used to come from petroleum or rare animals and plants, and uses milled sugar in the process." - Link

Opinion: Eliminate the double standard in conventional and organic pesticide perceptions - AgDaily - By Ryan Tipps (Aug 7)

"...reports from the USDA itself that show that even organic foods?have pesticide residues on them... Feel comfortable, though, because that same USDA data showed safe levels for consuming both commercial and organic products." - Link

Tech-savvy farmers a new hope for Japan's shrinking agriculture sector - Reuters - By Kaori Kaneko (Aug 8) - Link

Nanocoating spray shows promise in extending fruit shelf life - Food Navigator -?By Will Chu (Aug 14)

"A plant-derived sprayable nanocoating could not only prolong the shelf life of fruits but also provide additional nutrients in a timesaving technique that allows the mass coating of perishable produce." - Link

Bayer joins battle against citrus greening disease - MarketWatch/Wall Street Journal - By Arian Campo-Flores (Aug 16) - Link

 

POLICY, REGULATORY, ACTIVISM, OTHER:

Why we fell for clean eating - The Guardian -?By?Bee Wilson?(Aug 11)

"The oh-so-Instagrammable food movement has been thoroughly debunked ? but it shows no signs of going away. The real question is why we were so desperate to believe it." - Link

Global: Engineering the Future of Our Food - Stratfor, Worldview (Aug 9) - Link

Food Industry Faces Communication Gulf - AgWeb - By Nate Birt (Aug 10)

"?A black-and-white world doesn?t solve sustainability issues..." - Link

Disney paying at least $177 million to settle 'pink slime' lawsuit - CNNMoney - By Tom Kludt (Aug 9)

"That figure refers only to the amount that the company will pay; the rest will presumably be covered by insurance." - Link

Why environmentalists want Impossible Burger's meatless patties to be pulled off menus - Los Angeles Times - By David Pierson (Aug 8)

"...these companies aren?t necessarily finding support with environmentalists eager to wean the world off its meat habit. " - Link

Donald Trump is making American farming great again, says David Farley - The Land (Australia) - By Colin Bettles (Aug 13)

"...experienced Australian and US agribusiness consultant David Farley says a major contrast is occurring at grass roots level in regional America, where lived reality is contradicting the media?s constant, frenzied attack on the US president." - Link