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, TRADE ISSUES:

Trade Deals- Hard Bargain - The Economist (Oct 1)

"Lacking clear American leadership, the global trade agenda is floundering"

Link:?http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21707940-lacking-clear-american-leadership-global-trade-agenda-floundering-hard

How Did Foreign Trade Emerge as Bipartisan Bogeyman? - Times of San Diego - By Chris Jennewein (Oct 1)
"Study after study has shown that trade?s benefits are widespread, but its harm is targeted." Link:?http://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2016/10/01/how-did-foreign-trade-emerge-as-a-bipartisan-bogeyman/
How TTIP Lost Steam - Trade's Headwinds - Foreign Affairs - Tyson Barker (Sep 28)
Link:?https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-09-28/how-ttip-lost-steam
Froman: Making the strategic and economic case for TPP - Houston Chronicle - By Michael Froman (Sep 27)
Link:?http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Froman-Making-the-strategic-and-economic-case-9304595.php
Trump Says He'll Renegotiate Trade Deals, Not Kill Them - AgWeb - By Debra Beachy (Sep 30)
Link:?http://www.agweb.com/article/trump-says-hell-renegotiate-trade-deals-not-kill-them-naa-debra-beachy/
Hoping Hillary Clinton changes her mind on the Trans-Pacific Partnership - The Seattle Times, Editorial (Sep 30)
Link:?http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/hoping-hillary-clinton-changes-her-mind-on-the-trans-pacific-partnership/
EU and US trade negotiators seek to get TTIP talks back on track - The Guardian (UK) - By Jennifer Rankin (Sep 30)
"Officials will rush to ?lock in progress? on controversial trade deal before Barack Obama leaves White House in January" Link:?https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/sep/30/ttip-eu-and-us-trade-negotiators-seek-to-get-talks-back-on-track
White House's Last TPP Pitch to Congress: ?What's the Alternative?? - Roll Call - By John T. Bennett (Sep 3o)
"McConnell, however, says vote will wait for next president"
Link: http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/white-houses-last-tpp-pitch-to-congress-whats-the-alternative#sthash.vMRK5vFa.dpuf
Yeutter says Pacific trade pact big U.S. win - Lincoln Journal-Star (Nebraska) - By Don Walton (Oct 1)
Yuetter said it is "most unfortunate to be engaging in all this demagoguery over international trade" when U.S. economic, foreign policy and national security interests are at stake. Link:?http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/federal-politics/yeutter-says-pacific-trade-pact-big-u-s-win/article_1d146bf1-f770-5d91-ac59-96495118559e.html
Brexit Is Chance to Spur Biotechnology, May?s Policy Chief Says - Bloomberg - By Alex Morales (Oct 3)
Link:?http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-03/brexit-is-chance-to-spur-biotechnology-may-s-policy-chief-says
Opinion: Trade Is win-win - The Oklahoman -?By Benjamin Powell (Oct 5)
"Nothing promotes economic fallacies better than a presidential election." Link:?http://newsok.com/article/5521009
Merkel says EU, U.S. should keep talking on free trade deal - Reuters (Oct 5)
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-usa-ttip-germany-idUSKCN1251HZ?il=0
Why is globalisation under attack? - BBC -?By Mark Broad (Oct 6)
Link:?http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37554634
U.S. Agriculture Officials Advocate Trade Deal - Wall Street Journal - By Jacob Bunge (Oct 6)

"Farmers, ranchers, food companies are beneficiaries of exports, officials say"

Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-agriculture-officials-advocate-trade-deals-1475785889
China eyes progress at APEC for China-backed free trade area - Daily Mail (UK) / Reuters (Oct 6)?
"China fears the TPP is being used by the United States to either force it to open markets by signing up or else isolate it from other regional economies as trade is diverted to TPP signatories." Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3824714/China-eyes-progress-APEC-China-backed-free-trade-area.html#ixzz4MPukhtKw
Obama says protectionism no answer to inequalities of globalization - Reuters (Oct 6)
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-economist-idUSKCN1260WJ

AG, AG TECH, PRODUCTION:

Food Security: Biotechnology To The Rescue - Leadership (Nigeria) - By And Chika Mefor (Sep 27)
Link:?http://www.leadership.ng/features/552116/food-security-biotechnology-to-the-rescue
Ethiopia soil map arms farmers with new fertilisers in climate fight - Thomson Reuters Foundation - By Pius Sawa (Sep 29)
"The project in the Horn of Africa nation is already achieving results, with new fertilizer combinations boosting wheat yields from around 1 tonne to 3 tonnes per hectare on more than 40 percent of its agricultural land last year." Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-climatechange-agriculture-idUSKCN11Z197
Ultra-modern hog barn opens in Iowa - Feedstuffs - By Krissa Welshans (Sep 26)
"The facility is equipped with all of the newest technology available in pig farming and is uniquely designed to be animal friendly, environmentally friendly and neighbor friendly." Link:?http://feedstuffs.com/story-ultra-modern-hog-barn-opens-iowa-45-147116
GMO Answers Kicks Off Annual "Get To Know GMOs" Month - Yahoo!News / PRNewswire (Oct 3)
Link:?https://www.yahoo.com/news/gmo-answers-kicks-off-annual-know-gmos-month-140000023.html
GMOs Are a Necessity?for Farmers and the Environment - Wall Street Journal - By Robert T. Fraley (Oct 3)

"After 20 years, the data are in: Genetic modification boosts crop yields by 21% and cuts pesticides by 37%"

Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/gmos-are-a-necessityfor-farmers-and-the-environment-1475537025

Cows Engineered with Human Genes Could Stop Our Next Disease Outbreak - MIT Review - By Emily Mullin (Oct 4)

"Cattle that can crank out human antibodies are being tested as a first line of defense against infectious diseases."

Link:?https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602530/cows-engineered-with-human-genes-could-stop-our-next-disease-outbreak/

Jack and the non-GMO beanstalk - Marketplace - By Annie Baxter (Oct 4)
"[S]ome farmers don?t even see the financial incentives as worth it, given all the extra work non-biotech soybeans entail." Link:?http://www.marketplace.org/2016/09/22/sustainability/non-gmo-soybeans-are-lot-work
Tanzania?s First Genetically Modified Crop Trial Has Begun - MIT Technology Review - By Jamie Condliffe (Oct 5)

"Many African countries have been reluctant to permit GM foods to be grown or imported, but opposition has softened amid a punishing drought."

Link:?https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602560/tanzanias-first-genetically-modified-crop-trial-has-begun/

REGULATORY, POLICY, ACTIVISM:

Walmart and Others Are Being Asked to Stop Selling as Much Meat - Fortune / Reuters (Sep 26)
"Among the companies targeted were Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Unilever, Tesco and Walmart, a statement by the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return Initiative, which organized the investor group..." Link:?http://fortune.com/2016/09/26/walmart-meat-sales/
Nobel laureate Richard Roberts: Opposition to GMOs is an ?indulgence of the affluent? - Genetic Literacy Project - By?Kavin Senapathy (Sep 29)
"Roberts condemns the European Union?s legislation and blocking of GMO cultivation in Africa. He?ll be speaking at the European Parliament in a couple of weeks." Link:?https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/09/29/nobel-laureate-richard-roberts-opposition-gmos-indulgence-affluent/
Late 2017 expected completion of Bayer/Monsanto purchase - Southwest Farm Press - By Ron Smith (Sep 29)
Link:?http://southwestfarmpress.com/regulatory/late-2017-expected-completion-bayermonsanto-purchase
Farmer?s Daughter: New York PTA misguided on GMOs - AgDaily - By Amanda Zaluckyj (Sep 30)
"After years of priming the pump with false studies, scary headlines, and social media graphics, those opposing biotechnology finally feel as though the climate is right for such a ridiculous proposal." Link:?http://www.agdaily.com/features/farmers-daughter-n-y-parents-group-misguided-gmos/
Glyphosate has become lightning rod for environmental activists - Delta Farm Press -?by Forrest Laws in Farm Press Blog?(Oct 3)
Link:?http://deltafarmpress.com/blog/glyphosate-has-become-lightning-rod-environmental-activists
The poor suffer most from runaway regulation - The Hill -?By Henry I. Miller (Oct 2)
Link:?http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/298797-the-poor-suffer-most-from-runaway-regulation
On a mission to 'agvocate' - Farm Industry News - By Willie Vogt (Oct 4)
"We are moving from a science-based conversation to a discussion with folks that oppose what we do and help them bridge to the benefits of what [farmers] do."
Link:?http://farmindustrynews.com/biotechnology/mission-agvocate
Could California's attack on agriculture be fatal blow? - Western Farm Press - By Todd Fitchette in Farm Press Blog?(Oct 3)
"How much longer can California agriculture legitimately continue to remain in business under current political climate?"
Link:?http://westernfarmpress.com/blog/could-californias-attack-agriculture-be-fatal-blow
'Advocacy Research' Discredits Science And Aids Unprincipled Activism - Forbes.com - By Henry I. Miller and Robert Wager (Oct 5)

Link:?http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2016/10/05/advocacy-research-discredits-science-aids-unprincipled-activism/#627fafb868d3

Glyphosate in wine and cereal? Why dubious detection methods undermine GMO scare claims -?Genetic Literacy Project - By?Andrew Porterfield?(Oct 5)?
"So has glyphosate ?infiltrated?our food supply? as anti-GMO and anti-chemical campaigners claim?" Link:?https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/10/05/glyphosate-wine-cereal-dubious-detection-methods-undermine-gmo-scare-claims/
Chinese National Jailed for Stealing Corn, US Trade Secrets - VOA (Oct 6)
Link:?http://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-businessman-sentenced-in-trade-secret-theft/3539871.html