Recession bites into organic sales: Soil Association

Everyone wants to know how the recession will hurt organic produce sales. Well, this report from the UK reveals the latest on organic food sales in the UK. From the story in The Guardian:

The Soil Asociation, which certifies about eight out of ten products on sale in UK shops, said the value of sales in 2008 rose by 1.7% to a little over £2bn, but inflation in food prices masked a slump in sales by volume.The rise in income compared to a 7% increase in overall food prices, said the organisation. "We're inferring from this 7% rise that volume has probably gone down," said a spokeswoman.Hardest hit were premium brands and prepared foods, such as frozen meals, while popular fruit and vegetables - two of the three biggest selling organic lines - both saw declines.

Remittances drop in Guatemala Allgov

The financial crisis in the United States seems to be having a direct effect on Guatemala's economy. Remittances from Guatemalan migrants in the United States to their native country in Central America have dropped dramatically in the past year. According to the Central Bank of Guatemala, remittances dropped 11.4 percent in February from a year before, to $282 million for the month. Jobs most dominated by migrant workers, such as landscaping, have been among the sectors hardest hit in the United States.Few economies in the world are tied as directly to the United States as that of Guatemala's. Although in recent years Guatemala has taken steps to open its economy to foreign investors, in 2008 remittances alone still accounted for $4.3 billion or roughly 12 percent of the nation's GDP, while only $724 million was spent by foreign investors and Guatemala's famous coffee crop brought in only $646 million..

Tracegains Webinar April 14 Open Press

It's difficult for young drivers to get trucking PE.com

The call of the open road cannot be answered by teenagers looking for work behind the wheel of a big rig. A person must be 21 years old to get a commercial driver's license, which is required to drive a commercial truck across state lines, or transport passengers, hazardous materials or waste. While California law permits drivers to operate trucks if they are 18 and stay within the state, the reality is that young drivers are not in demand. "People 18 to 20, if they are being hired, they are not going to be driving," said Julie Sauls, vice president of external affairs for the California Trucking Association. "It's legal to drive at 18, but companies are usually going to have drivers that are a few years older because of insurance."

Puzzling through geopolitical implications of financial crisis FP
The thing is, an awful lot of the short-term crisis steps are not moving in that direction. The United States is trying to boost its consumption spending. China appears to be boosting pursuing fiscal expansion as well, except a closer look at what they are doing shows that they're doubling down on an investment strategy that increases their export dependence. Furthermore, the head of China's central bank doesn't think that Chinese consumption is going to rise anytime soon, because Confucian cultures value, "thrift, self-discipline, zhong yong or Middle Ground (low-key), and anti-extravagancy."


Fighting the recession with seeds KOAA

Ag tycoon James Boswell dies at 86 AP
James G. Boswell II, the intensely private businessman who transformed his family's cotton holdings into California's first giant agribusiness and one of nation's great farming empires, has died. He was 86.

Food safety reform on the table LAT

Indiana study indicates possible pesticide link to birth defects China View

Mexico modifies ag tariffs USDA FAS