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

TRADE:

China and Argentina agree landmark beef deal?- GlobalMeatNews.com -?By Mark Godfrey (Aug 5)

"Argentina is celebrating the renewal of a beef deal with China, despite a crackdown on antibiotics contamination which saw a large shipment of its meat destroyed by China.

Link:?http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Safety-Legislation/China-Argentina-beef-business-grows-but-antibiotic-fears-remain

Brexit could mean UK gets more fruit and vegetables from Africa - The Guardian - By Tom Levitt (Aug 5)

"More than a third of British supermarkets expect more imports from African countries following the vote to leave the EU" Link:?https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/aug/05/brexit-uk-fruit-vegetables-africa-kenya Obama roots for better US-Africa trade deals - The Star (Kenya) - By Gilbert Koech (Aug 6) "US President Barack Obama has signed executive order to support American companies interested in doing business in Africa." Link:?http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/08/06/obama-roots-for-better-us-africa-trade-deals_c1398653

Trump Gets It Wrong: Trade Is a Winner for Americans - Wall Street Journal - Commentary by Robert B. Zoellick (Aug 7)

"Lower taxes on imports from trade deals save the average U.S. household about $10,000 a year."

Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-gets-it-wrong-trade-is-a-winner-for-americans-1470606915

Killing Free Trade Deals Won?t Magically Bring U.S. Jobs Back - Fortune - Commentary by Wendy Cutler (Aug 6)

"The Trans-Pacific Partnership isn?t perfect, but that?s the nature of negotiating."

Link:?http://fortune.com/2016/08/06/free-trade-tpp-unemployment-jobs/

Editorial: Still backing TPP deal - Boston Herald (Aug 7)

"The agreement provides for reductions in or elimination of tariffs on 18,000 U.S. products. This can only help U.S. exporters, who employ almost 12 million people at wages 18 percent above average."

Link:?http://www.bostonherald.com/opinion/editorials/2016/08/editorial_still_backing_tpp_deal

UK could clinch trade deal with EU within two years, says expert - The Guardian - By Jennifer Rankin (Aug 8)

"Roderick Abbott, former ambassador to WTO, says Brussels is very unlikely to offer any concessions on freedom of movement" Link:?http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/08/uk-could-clinch-trade-deal-with-eu-within-two-years-says-expert
Trade Minister Steven Ciobo mounts full-throated defence of TPP, plans to give India talks another push this year - ABC Rural (Australia) - By Anna Vidot (Aug 10) Link:?http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-10/ciobo-mounts-defence-of-tpp-stocktake-on-india-talks/7717880

Support for TPP Grows as Americans Become More Familiar With Trade Deal - Morning Consult - By Ryan Rainey (Aug 11)

Link:?https://morningconsult.com/2016/08/11/support-tpp-grows-americans-become-familiar-trade-deal/

See also:

Poll: Support for TPP grows - The Hill - By Jessie Hellmann (Aug 11)

"Support for one of the largest trade deals in a generation is growing as more people learn about it, according to a poll released Thursday."

Link:?http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/291085-poll-support-for-tpp-grows

Clinton suddenly sounds a lot like Trump on trade - CNNMoney - By Heather Long (Aug 11)

"Now, Clinton says she's ready to impose tariffs too."

Link:?http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/news/economy/hillary-clinton-trade/

BIOTECH, AG TECH, AG RESEARCH:

US finds GMO mosquitoes won't harm environment - Jamaica Observer / AFP (Aug 6) Link:?http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-finds-GMO-mosquitoes-won-t-harm-environment

Crushing Zika via genetically modified mosquitoes - CNBC - By Annetta Miller (Aug 8)

Link:?http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/08/crushing-zika-via-genetically-modified-mosquitoes.html

Bt corn mainstreamed - Sun Star (Philippines) - By Ace June Rell S. Perez (Aug 7)

"The heavily-maligned Genetically Modified (GM) crop, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, is actually mainstreamed now with corn growers using this in scales bigger than any other corn variety."

Link:?http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2016/08/07/bt-corn-mainstreamed-490019

Body wants agriculture to go hi-tech - The Citizen (Tanzania) (Aug 8)

Link: http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Business/1840414-3336192-2kx6y6z/index.html

Wheat Follies - The Innovation Files - By L. Val Giddings (Aug 2)

We have seen this movie before, in 2013 and 2014. Spoiler alert: It turns out the monster isn?t scary.

Link:?http://www.innovationfiles.org/wheat-follies/

Study Shows Acceptability of GM Foods Among Pakistani Consumers - Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA (Aug 10)

Link:?http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=14658

Does the anti-GMO foods movement go against science? - Aljazeera (Aug 7)

"Independent scientists and the 'big six' go head to head with a distrustful consumer base in the battle against GMOs."

Link:?http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/techknow/2016/08/anti-gmo-foods-movement-science-160803083735422.html

________ Nancy Kavazanjian: Why I grow genetically engineered crops - Wisconsin State Journal - Guest Column by Nancy Kavazanjian (Aug 7) "[I]t?s frustrating to see so many misconceptions ? and outright lies ? being spread about a modern, seed-breeding technology that holds so much potential to fight disease, improve nutrition, allow for more precise pesticide use..." Link:?http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/column/nancy-kavazanjian-why-i-grow-genetically-engineered-crops/article_e5a56f03-2927-53e1-ae5c-87d1aab20712.html **Note - Nancy is also a member of the Global Farmer Network

China backs genetically modified soya beans in push for high-tech agriculture - South China Morning Post / Reuters (Aug 10)

Link:?http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2001890/china-backs-genetically-modified-soya-beans-push-high

Kenyan seed storage facility to bolster maize R&D -?SciDevNet - By Sam Otieno (Aug 12) Link:?http://www.scidev.net/global/farming/news/kenyan-seed-storage-facility-boost-maize-r-d.html

POLICY, REGULATORY, ACTIVISM, OTHER:

How eggs became a victory for the animal welfare movement - Washington Post -?By Karin Brulliard?(Aug 6)

"[I]t also amounts to one of the animal advocacy movement?s biggest victories in decades ? one brought about by ballot measures, campaigns against companies, foodie culture and, above all, the power of the Internet."

Link:?https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/08/06/how-eggs-became-a-victory-for-the-animal-welfare-movement-if-not-necessarily-for-hens/

Why Big Pharma Wants to Switch Billions of Farm Animals to Vaccines From Antibiotics - Bloomberg - By Jared S. Hopkins (Aug 5)

?There are going to be more alternatives than ever before.?

Link:?http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-05/big-pharma-eyes-7-2-billion-down-on-the-farm-for-superbug-risk

Chinese Regulators Visit U.S. to Study Its Regulatory System - Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA / NCGA (Aug 10)

Link:?http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=14669

The Ethics of "Antibiotic-Free" Meat - The Cow Docs, blog (Aug 9)

"[A]s food consumers we have to ask the question, ?Are we comfortable with providing an economic incentive to withhold medical treatment in food animals??"

Link:?https://thecowdocs.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/the-ethics-of-antibiotic-free-meat/

Non-browning Fuji apple set to gain APHIS approval - Agri-Pulse -?By Stephen Davies?(Aug 10)

Link:?http://www.agri-pulse.com/Non-browning-Fuji-apple-set-to-gain-APHIS-approval-08102016.asp