Peterson on COOL and f/v baseline

Here is audio of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson on the prospects for adding a country of origin labeling fix to the 2007 farm bill. Speaking to reporters on Friday, June 29, Peterson was not enamored with adding more controversy to the farm bill.

This is a longer file, including the opening part of teleconference where Peterson describes "trueing up" the farm bill but including significant funds for fruit and vegetable priorities.

Here are more remarks from Peterson about specialty crop priorities in the farm bill, and this is another audio file from the teleconference.

July 1 headline roundup

Avoiding Chinese products is hard, journalist finds looking for Made in China items at the grocery store

Avoiding a bad bug E. coli coverage that touches on spinach

In search of leadership on the farm bill Make farm bill about future, Des Moines Register says

British growers struggle to keep up with organic demand Growth in U.K. organic food sales slowed to 9.3 percent in the year ending March 25, down from 17 percent previous year; the problem is more supply than demand, some say

E. coli and the future health of America An argument for gut resistance of pathogens: However, the human immune system and accompanying colonization resistance mechanism that is facilitated by our own natural gut bugs, makes all external attempts such as fences, increased inspections, and triple washing look like child's play. Our best defense has always been and will always be our natural resistance.

South Africa picker confronts Tesco Complaint over "breadline" pay from South Africa picker

Leveraged buyouts by private equity firms saddle firms with debt Super Valu among firms examined in this piece

Natural food titans face battle on merger plans July 31 hearing will focus on sales data that will analyse competitive impact of merger