The soon coming end of the holiday break is palpable, with our oldest already heading back to Washington state and our other two kids leaving at the end of this week. The time has been a mixture of gift giving, festive holiday meals, scrabble games, lots of togetherness and leftover pecan pie. In the end, it was a fun and memorable time, though not free of the typical relationship tensions and newly felt concessions to the reality of a more frugal Christmas. Now, back to the world of produce and politics, of recession and retailers, of apples and asparagus.
Organic farms unknowingly used synthetic fertilizer Big story from the Sacramento Bee about company that sold organic fertilizer that was spiked with a synthetic version. The company controlled about a third of the market in 2006, story says. No farm expected to lose organic certification, new rumblings whether other fertilizer brands sold were also spiked
At Super 88, the fish man said, he was paid both by check and in cash. The check made it appear that he worked normal hours and was paid overtime. In reality, he worked 14-hour shifts six days a week - for a flat rate of $6 an hour. The cash made up the difference. Recession slices into Vegas October stats show lower numbers of visitors, hotel occupancy and conventions. Biodiesel project in Chile First commercial cultivation of jatropha trees in Chile, to produce oil for biodiesel.
Here is hoping that all Fresh Talk readers who celebrated Christmas found reason to be joyful, whether it was in the quiet hush of a candle light service, or in the joyful noise of kitchen talk before Christmas dinner, or the heartfelt expressions of love and thanksgiving that always should be part of our gathering together as families. It was all of those things to me this year.
Here are some top headlines related to our world of produce and the world at large as we have been otherwise engaged:
A safer seasonal feast? From Natural News, words of caution about fruits and vegetables... you may not want to read if you have blood pressure issues McDonald's in Japan pays 1,000 to stand in line Golden Arches admits it paid crowd, apparently to to create buzz for release of quarter pounder burger..Tsk, tsk
How to fix the California budget SF Chronicle columnists says consider this solution: If we added back 19 cents in taxes for every gallon of gasoline, we'd raise $3.4 billion, and a gallon of gas would still cost less than $2. Organic farmers and sustainability Letters to the editor on UK Times Online. One offers: could it be that sustainability and profitability are related? Another says it is high time for biotech to be embraced rather than the moving the goalposts for organic....
The year’s first shipment of winter fruit from Chile called the Port of Wilmington, Del., onboard Pacific Seaways’ chartered reefer vessel M/V Royal Klipper on Dec. 19.
Last season the port handled 150,000 pallets of Chilean fruit with a retail value of $600 million for distribution that ranged north to Canada’s maritime provinces and west to the Mississippi River.
But with hunger and obesity reaching unprecedented levels, some anti-hunger activists are beginning to soften their stance. According to a report by the Partnership for America's Economic Success, toddlers whose families have gone hungry are three to four times as likely to be obese. If the current recession resembles past downturns, the independent Center on Budget and Policy Priorities predicts, the number of Americans in poverty could rise by as many as 10 million, driving up obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"It was a very slow and difficult transition for me and my organization," said Kenneth Hecht, executive director of California Food Policy Advocates, a Los Angeles-based anti-hunger organization. "What we wanted to do was get more calories to people. Now we find it isn't more calories. It's more of the right calories."
To that end, the organization lobbied for a bill that would create incentives for recipients of food stamps to purchase healthful food. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed the bill into law in 2006, but the program never received funding.
The debate in California attracted national attention, however. In the 2008 farm bill, Congress allocated $20 million for a pilot program to explore how to create incentives to purchase fruits, vegetables or other healthful foods in order to improve the diets of food stamp recipients and potentially reduce obesity. Several nonprofit groups and foundations are experimenting with similar incentives.
FDA will also improve food safety by working more closely with the private sector — but will not turn over inspections to private companies, he said.
“We’re not in the business of contracting out FDA inspections,” he said.
Instead, the agency wants to take advantage of the private inspection data that many companies already collect. Major food retailers, for example, require their produce suppliers to meet certain standards, and they inspect those suppliers regularly. Acheson said FDA could use that information to shape its high-risk list.
FDA is working on a pilot program with several major shrimp producers. The companies will send FDA information about how they certify suppliers; Acheson said the agency would periodically send its own inspectors to “look over their shoulders.”
TK: How exactly does FDA want to utilize data from private third party inspectors to create its "high-risk" list? Surely, such a strategy would compromise the relationships between third party auditors and their customers...
Groups sues to block use of E-Verify to screen out illegal workers Lawsuit filed against Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff by Society for Human Resource Management, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Builers and Contractors Inc., the American Council on International Personnel and the HR Policy Association.
Although Mr. Obama has proposed changes in the nation’s farm and rural policies and emphasizes the connection between diet and health, there is nothing to indicate he has a special interest in a radical makeover of the way food is grown and sold.
Dec. 23 - Waiting on the weather and top headlines
We have our son flying in from Portland today (which just got about a foot of snow), so we - along with millions of others - are watching the skies today. I think of a sign I saw on MNF at the Bears-Packers game as the masses huddled in the frigid cold. Al Gore: global warming?
I’d like to see Pennsylvania organic methods applied to a few pest-infested hillsides in the Southeast. The fellow from Rodale said weeds in organic cropping are controlled with a roller/crimper device which flattens weeds into a mat of residue rather than killing them. A special planter finds enough dirt to plant a seed. Sustainability is agriculture's new sizzle Coverage of wine industry sustainability efforts Commercial real estate developers look for bailout as massive debt looms
The amount of new commercial mortgage-backed securities -- loans that are sliced, packaged and sold as bonds -- fell from $200 billion in 2007 to only $12 billion in the first six months of the year, Wechsler said. "We've gone from 55 miles per hour to zero," he said. Fresh and Easy eases off in northern California Coverage from The Packer Ag secretary can't walk away from our valley Edit from The Modesto Bee
A focus on better nutrition is also an economic opportunity for valley farmers. Better nutrition is often as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables, and who knows more about fruits and vegetables than valley growers? Thus a push for better nutrition could fuel a move toward a more sustainable economic environment for the valley's farmers.
8 million foreclosures forecast through 2012 Further, though mortgage walkaways have been important, the disease hasn’t infected the general population. However, should the downward spiral in home prices, neighborhood condition and equity deterioration continue, more and more mainstream borrowers are likely to walk away from their homes. .... That is, the deeper the foreclosure crisis penetrates into the gene pool, the greater the percentage of American consumers with impaired credit, and therefore limited ability to access credit. Therefore, foreclosures aren’t only a housing-related phenomenon and should foreclosures spread, a large percentage of of the population could suffer impaired credit, which in turn would hurt credit availability.
Be sure to check out The Packer's coverage (Don Schrack) of the Rabobank 2009 North American Food and Agribusiness Outlook. Among the nuggets:
“With this economic downturn, we may see a shift towards whole commodities or even frozen produce rather than fresh-cut,” Rijke said. “Fresh-cut is more expensive, and I think price will become more of a limiting factor in 2009.”
Editorial: childhood obesity Fort Worth Star-Telegram offer fruit and vegetable friendly editorial, reference to Aramark's Cool Caf program.... IFCO settlement announced From a press release, IFCO has agreed to pay $20.7 million in civil forfietures and penalties over four years, making this the largest corporate settlement in a work site enforcement case to date. This case related to a government investigation of IFCO in in February 2005 that illegal alien laborers at the Albany IFCO plant were observed ripping up their W-2 forms. ICE agents eventually conducted a work site enforcement actin at 40 plnats in 26 states that netted 1,182 illegal aliens at those plants.
Bending the organic rules in the UK Coverage from UK Times online that says organic farmers have asked the UK government for an easing of orgranic standards "in an attempt to survive the recession." As with consumers bracing for a recession and retreating from organic food, the instinct for self preservation among organic growers kicks in. From the story:
The drastic move by organisations including the Soil Association follows a dip in sales of organic produce and fears for the future of Britain's 5,000 organic farmers.
Sales of organic food slumped 10 per cent in the 12 weeks up to the end of November, according to the latest figures from the consumer researchers TNS. Overall food sales over the same period were up 6 per cent.
Organic certification bodies, including the Soil Association, the country's biggest campaigner for organic food and farming, asked Hilary Benn, the Rural Affairs Secretary, last week for approval to relax the rules for an indefinite period. They want their members to be able to use conventional animal feed instead of organic food concentrate, which costs double.
One of the harder to find pieces of data relating to U.S. supermarket sales is market share and changes to market share. ACNielson does not release those numbers, and I haven't been able to connect with IRI about my request.
Do any Fresh Talk readers have a link to any recent market share numbers for U.S. supermarkets? If so, email me at tkarst@thepacker.com and I'll share them in this space as well.
The Sun Bella(TM) brand sun ripening process was developed through a collaborative research program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by exposing the mushrooms to ultra violet light, thus increasing the stable level of Vitamin D to a minimum of 100% of the level recommended by the FDA. Sun Bella(TM) brand mushroom's increase in Vitamin D does not include any additives, supplements, or chemicals and the vitamin D is stable--maintaining its nutritional value even after cooking or freezing. Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain Vitamin D--obtained through sun exposure the same way humans naturally receive the nutrient. Monterey's unique process is approved as organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers.
The program -- dubbed "Cool Caf" -- is being tested in 16 schools and resulted in up to a 50 percent increase in fruit and veggie consumption at several, says Cathy Schlosberg, vice president of marketing at Aramark.
"Not only are students eating more fruits and vegetables, but our staff is, too," says Andra Gwydir, principal at Wedgwood Elementary School in Florissant, Mo., which is testing it
Top food stories of 2008 rise in food prices #1, tainted milk #2, salmonella outbreak in tomatoes #3, locally grown #4, COOL #5, big food companies nutrient standards #6 and #7 jalapenos test positive for salmonella... That ranking tells the tale; tomatoes take the brunt of salmonella outbreak, though jalapenos had the positive link.
"Read 'em and weep" was the message in an email that Steve Lutz of The Perishables Group sent me yesterday about the retail performance of some produce categories in October. More on that sobering report later...
As sleet and a winter storm prepare to descend on Kansas City, here are some top headlines snatched from the Web this morning (minus the news story about the latest fad among urban hipsters: pillow fighting):
South Carolina immigrant law to take effect next month Phased in over 18 months, the law called the toughest in nation and requires employers to check legal status by requiring either a South Carolina driver's license or an identification card from another state. Companies also can use the U.S. Homeland Security's E-verify online database.
In the UK the retail grocery market is concentrated with seventy-five percent market share inthe hands of just four supermarket chains. The remainder is scattered over hundreds of outlets. This report overviews the characteristics of UK retail outlets and how best to place US products in the UK market.
Speaking on background, one source told me that the target date for a news release concerning the long awaited sustainability/stewardship index was Dec. 18 - subject to change, of course. Still some drama to be played out between the USDA and the Leonardo Academy relative to their sustainability standard setting effort.....
As governor of Iowa, Vilsack had to engage with farm issues. But that embrace was anything but inspired. Family farm activists, fair-trade campaigners and advocates for organic foods were regularly disappointed by the stands he took. The Organic Consumers Association was blunt, declaring: "Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a shill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto." Natural and organic consumers not giving up The spin from this study by an organic and natural foods marketers is positive for the sector, though it acknowledges that 18% of consumers are planning significant adjustments to their natural and organic buying patterns. Kenya embraces biotechnology USDA FAS report Nanotechnology may be used for food safety
Reopening NAFTA would have consequences USDA FAS report translate a story in the Mexican press stating officials there believe renegotiation of NAFTA could hurt progress of tomatoes, avocados and other horticultural commodities in the U.S. market.
Food poverty soars in NYC About 3.5 million New Yorkers concerned about needing food assistance in the next year
Obesity tax stirs anger Proposed tax on sugared soda angers American Beverage Association, among others
Housing starts drop 18.9% Slowest pace in the post WWII era To have and have not: income inequality grows in U.S. Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports that the incomes of the country's highest income families has climbed substantially since the late 1980s, while middle and lower income families have only seen modest increases. The trend accelerated in the late 1990s to mid-2000s, the study says.
Things are going to be awful for everyday people. U.S. GDP growth is going to be negative through the end of 2009. And the recovery in 2010 and 2011, if there is one, is going to be so weak - with a growth rate of 1% to 1.5% - that it's going to feel like a recession. I see the unemployment rate peaking at around 9% by 2010. The value of homes has already fallen 25%. In my view, home prices are going to fall by another 15% before bottoming out in 2010.
I don't know if you hear the cheerily disturbing radio ad for "1 800 Granny 8" in your market, but the trusting "Granny" voice tells me "If ho ho ho means spend spend spend and you are spending more than you have, call Granny. I can get you $50,000 for $238 per month and no payments till April." Good grief; isn't this how our problems started in the first place? My real grandmother could have given "Granny 8" her comeuppance, no doubt. "Granny 8" never had to scratch out a life in the farmland north of Russell, Kansas; there was no 800 number to bail people out back then.
Another radio ad now playing features the "bailout" car loan, somehow using as a prop the dire credit crisis in America as a reason to come on in: "Bad credit - NO PROBLEM. Unemployed - NO PROBLEM. Just push or pull in your trade and you can get our $7,000 bailout loan."
Really, is it any wonder Americans have walked down the primrose path of debt with such perilous speed? No lessons have been learned so far.
Here are some headlines for Dec. 16: Aldi to expand operations in the U.S. From DataMonitor Aldi will open 25 stores in the Dallas Forth Worth area by spring of 2010. Currently the German chain operates in 29 states with 1,000 stores, is also constructing a $40 million, 500, square food distribution center in Denton to support stores in Texas and Oklahoma, the story says. Company spokeswoman Martha Swaney says company is doubling rate of expansion and calls 2008 a "very significant" year for growth.
Dec. 15 - The value of dissent and Monday's top headlines
As the new Congress and the new Obama Administration draw closer, I understand that the "industry" is consulting via a task force or working group towards developing a specific consensus on elements of food safety reform that may be part of of various legislative approaches. I would assume that issues like traceability standards, FDA authority for recalls, preventive controls on farms, funding options for FDA and third party inspections are among the issues the industry will grapple with.
A unified position on these food safety issues would seem to make sense. In the first place, lawmakers will look to the industry for answers about FDA reforms because the industry has been in many ways the chief catalyst for change. After all, didn't the industry say that it wants more federal food safety oversight after the 2006 foodborne outbreak linked to spinach? And as lawmakers have since marveled, when does an industry ever ask for regulation?
There is value in consensus seeking, but there also may be good reason to reserve room for dissent when it comes to legislative/regulatory solutions. For every additional legislative burden that Congress wants to add to the fresh produce industry, there should be a voice raising an objection based on cost to industry and whether broad prescriptive regulations are appropriate for less "risky" commodities like citrus and apples, for example. An essential question: should the growers and marketers of all commodities bear the food safety costs and burdens that in reality seem to to disproportionately fall to only a few?
Yes, there will be food safety reforms passed in the next Congress. But it is too much to ask for the entire industry to arrive together and join hands to embrace legislative reform when the costs are not clearly defined. It is not enough to throw in caveats such as "risk-based" and "science-based" when advocating food safety reform. These terms are overused to the point of losing their meaning.
Let every reform and prescriptive solution stand or fail on its own merit, and let there be every opportunity for dissent from every corner for every new cost added.
Make sure infrastructure spending well supported Just what kind of projects should Obama's infrastructure plan include? Author argues for litmus test based on prospective long term income effect.
Economy and organic food From the AP story, market research from NPD Group said the number of people who reported buying organic in August fell 4% in August compared with a year earlier. August data was first decline since February 2006, story says. Balancing food and play curriculum Teaches kids about fruits and veggies China's reduced output affecting Chile, others Copper exports decline sharply to China, leading to unrest and layoffs in Chile
Still haven't seen the third quarter retail numbers from United Fresh and the Perishables Group, but a discussion with Gary Lucier of USDA ERS makes me think we could see some volume declines in fresh produce movement in the third quarter and into the fourth. Of course Gary is a vegetable specialist, but one might think that fruit shipments may also be inhibited in the current economic climate. More on that later.
Also, I was browing the Foodsafe discussion group list and saw this item:
EggSell, the UK based egg marketing Co-operative has introduced an insurance scheme for producers. The policy is designed to protect producers against the loss incurred by salmonella infections and the threat of Avian Influenza. The policy has been prepared by a leading insurance business and any producer who is interested in protecting their business from these commercially damaging threats can contact the team at EggSell to arrange an assessment and quote.
A follow on comment wondered if the insurer is requiring any preventive measures from policy holders and when a policy like this will come to the U.S......
An Organic Green Revolution, using integrated farming practices such as cover crops, organic no-till and composting, not only substantially improves yields but it also protects and restores soil and environmental health."Yield data just by itself makes the case for a focused and persistent move to organic farming systems," explains Dr. Tim LaSalle, co-author of the report and CEO of the Rodale Institute, a 60-year-old research and education nonprofit. NRA Menu Trends News release covering highlights of NRA Food Trends survey. FreshDirect producing fail-safe method for choosing the best fruits and vegetables Story details rating system that give online buyers more direction. From 5 star- never better, to 4 - great, delicious, 3 - good, reliably decent, 2- average inconsistent quality, generally OK, 1 - below average, expect wide inconsistency in quality, probably out of season. I like this concept, but really, I wonder how many consumers will buy "1 star" produce and how often FreshDirect will slap that label on a luckless carton of produce?
Banana prices up AP story says banana prices in October and November rose 35% in North America on generally flat volume. Revenue from Fresh Express salads rose 8% year over year in October November and volume fell 1%.
Recession prompts some couples to delay having kids LA Times does a good job with this piece, and quotes upset and anxious parents who struggle to pay bills and don't want to think of another mouth to feed. Worst of recession is upon us Two forecasters believe the worst part of the recession is here. Should that make us feel better for 2009? U.S. recession to span 2009OECD says housing finance needs to be reformed. High income countries will contract by 0.1% next year; developing countries will grow 4.5%. Britain a worse credit risk than McDonald's In Big Mac we trust. From the story in The Independent:The cost of buying insurance against default on UK five-year government debt became more expensive than the equivalent cover for the US burger chain U.S. economy may trump Obama immigration pledge Rising unemployment could make the issue dicey, though some believe the Obama Administration will make a hard run at the issue at the end of next year. Ag gets ignored in this SF Chronicle article, amazingly. Krogers warns of decline in fourth quarter profit One of better performing retailers forecasts growth next year from 3 percent to 5 percent, down from earlier projections of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent. Roubini and the liquidity trap Deflationary expectations have caused investors to accept zero returns on T-bills, being satisfied with merely getting their money back. He write the government's TARP program has been ineffective: Nevertheless, banks continue to hoard all the liquidity the central bank is injecting directly instead of lending it out (i.e. Fed is 'pushing on a string'). Housing market will roar back in 2009 So says one research report... Regulators scratch head over housing crisis On the other hand.... Australian market open again to NZ tomatoes, peppers
Snatched from the Web this morning...another morning edition Fresh Talk headlines... EU scientists lobby against pesticide law Scientists say a diversity of active ingredients needed to sustain productivity as Europe more to hazards rather than risk based approach. The five least healthful value menu items According to the Cancer Project If you are interested....The Jack in the Box value burger, the MacDouble, the cheesy burrito from Taco Bell, the BK breakfast sausage biscuit and Wendy's bacon cheeseburger. More fruit/vegetable items on the dollar menu, please. NYC eatery charges surcharge for food you waste From Drudge, a story about Japanese restaurant that tacks on 3% surcharge if "your eyes are bigger than your stomach." Story says 27% of food is wasted.
E-Verify drop in ruffles feathers NPR is in the news become some groups don't want NPR to run a credit to DHS and E-Verify when they list groups that underwrite their efforts. This is a classic case of giving DHS more publicity by protesting a 10-second mention.
California's obesity rate doubles United Health Foundation study shows the state's obesity rate jumped to 23.2% in 2008, compared with 9.8% n 1990. For the U.S., the obesity rate is now 26.3%. Cali ranks 24 in overall health, survey says, while Vermont was numerouno and Louisiana was last. Find America's Health Rankings here.
Japan's recession deepens Export driven economy, second biggest in the world, will struggle at least until the first quarter of next year. Amber waves swaying again in the Northeast Grain crops sprout again in the Northeast. Local food movement in the Northeast. Chicago Tribune reports.
Monday morning's top headlines snatched from the Web.....
When good food goes bad Interesting story on just patented BARDOT quick detection method for food pathogens. Named Bacteria Rapid Detection, the system uses electromagnetic wave and "essentially instantaneous." Aquifer storage could ease water shortage The proposed Umatilla Recharge Project will transport 50,000 to 100,000 acre feet from the Columbia River to create the largest agricultural aquifer storage and recovery system. Giant Eagle open Valu King in Ohio Stripped down 28,000 square foot prototype is Aldi fighter. No further stores planned at this point, but Giant Eagle will watch its performance.
We remember Pearl Harbor today. My mother law is was in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and consequently invaded the Philippines. Then just a young teenager, she and her family were put in prison and remained their until the Americans liberated Manila years later. You will never meet a more patriotic woman than Betsy Heimke. I salute her and all who have endured much because they are Americans.
Top headlines today
Food banks feel the pinch Coverage of the issue in East Lansing, Mich. Youthfulness an American obsession, but at what cost? AP article detailing all the things baby boomers are doing to stay youthful, from human growth hormone, botox, and happily, eat more fruits and vegetables. The article points out the quest for youth is not new. In 1,500 BC, tiger gonads were consumed to tap into the fountain of youth. But is all this effort and expense worth it? Salmonella insurance policy For egg producers. What kind of coverage is offered or foodborne illness for U.S. produce marketers? Wasn't there an insurance company in Arizona offering a product like that?
Depth and severity of recession makes answers hard to come by This recession will be harder than 1990-1991 and 2001, says this story. Other recessions ocurred in 1973-1975 and 1981-1982, but this may be worse. All agree a big stimulus package is needed, because the contraction in consumer spending this year will be followed by a shrinkage in business investment next year. The other shoe will drop, but can Obama avoid a hard landing? Climate change, the Colorado River and LA water
My oldest is 25 years old today. Happy Birthday Ben - it was amazing to bring a new life into this world and it surely can't be that a quarter century has already passed...
10% of Americans in arrears or foreclosure 7.3% of homes in Florida were in foreclosure at end of September..ugg, this is depressing... Wal Mart bright spot in retailers' deep slide Most retailers do not have a month to remember in November, and Wal-Mart's better than expected performance shares headlines with the death of one the company's workers on Black Friday.
Del Monte's new CMO raises bar on fruit Del Monte Foods, not Fresh Del Monte.. but still an interesting read. Canada seeking WTO consultations on COOL law Canadian cattlemen say the law is costing them hundreds of millions per year because some U.S. meatpacking plants won't accept Canadian cattle because of extra labeling costs associated with the animals.
Safeway Inc. told investors Thursday that it will aggressively cut costs, lower prices and focus on improving its financial position in 2009.
"We are a very strong player in a very weak economy, and we think that creates a very strong opportunity to take (market share)," Steve Burd, the national grocery chain's chairman and chief executive officer, said during the company's annual investor meeting Thursday.
Traditionally, the mothers got nutrition counseling along with their food items, and they were advised to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
But until now, the program didn't cover those purchases, except for breastfeeding women -- who were allowed to buy carrots.
After Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was required to revise its list of allowed foods for the first time in 30 years.
According to documents the USDA supplied, the act attempted to comprehensively address food programs for kids ranging from school lunches to WIC. It pushed the programs to make the food healthier and more in line with current nutritional guidelines.
In December 2007, the USDA published a new provision for fresh foods that will trickle down to Michigan WIC users next fall.
"That is the best decision they could make. Not only offering fresh produce, but organic, is even better, especially with those families and children that need it most," said Jean Shepherd of Muskegon, 35 and pregnant.
Fresh Produce Consortium tackles salmonella risk in herbs
The FPC would update guidance and host a technical presentation, said communications manager Sian Thomas. Food poisoning outbreaks linked to ready-to-eat herbs were extremely rare in the UK, said researchers who found 0.5% of samples contained salmonella bacteria. The study was by the Health Protection Agency and the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, LACORS. The Fresh Produce Consortium responded that good...
Many media outlets, from the New York Times to the blogosphere, have tracked what's been dubbed the "corporate takeover" of organic farming. One of the hottest controversies in this rapidly growing $20 billion industry has been giant factory farms milking thousands of cows each in feedlots and masquerading as organic.
Since the organic community first appealed to the USDA for better clarification and enforcement of regulations requiring organic dairy producers to graze their cattle, nearly 9 years ago, the number of giant industrial dairy operations, with as many as 10,000 cows, has grown from two to approximately 15. Finally the USDA has responded with a proposed rule that they said would crack down on abuses.
The superlatives of the global economic meltdown of 2008 are, well, superlative. Professor Noriel Roubini of New York University says the current crisis is "the largest leveraged asset bubble and credit bubble in history." The International Monetary Fund says, "In advanced economies, output is forecast to contract on a full-year basis in 2009, the first such fall in the post-war period.
The percentage of people who are two months behind on their mortgages shot up in the third quarter from the same period last year, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion LLC.
For the quarter ended Sept. 30, 3.96 percent of people holding a mortgage were at least 60 days behind in payments, compared to 2.56 percent in the 2007 third quarter.
"It's nothing short of staggering," said Ezra Becker, principal consultant in TransUnion's financial services group. Becker noted the rate had hovered at about 2 percent for years, until the second quarter 2007, when it started climbing.
Moreover, the climb is not likely going to slow, he said.
"Our projections are that it's not only going to be increasing but it's increasing at a faster pace," he said.
Today, Schumer's staff will meet to explore how locally grown food can be cost-effective for farmers and school districts. School food directors from Bay Shore, Riverhead and Southampton will attend, along with representatives from the Long Island Farm Bureau, food broker companies and Stony Brook University Medical Center.
In papers filed this week in U.S. District Court, the Department of Homeland Security argued for an accelerated schedule that could allow a regulation known as the no-match rule to take effect by mid-January.
The rule, which the department first proposed in August 2007, would threaten businesses with prosecution unless they fired employees whose Social Security numbers differed from their listings in the Social Security database.
The rule has been held up by a lawsuit filed by the AFL-CIO, other unions and business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Administration lawyers said in their filing that most issues in the case have been resolved and that further delays are unwarranted.
At a hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer will consider whether to expedite the case or follow a more conventional schedule, under which a ruling would not come until at least March.
President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office Jan. 20, has not taken a position on the no-match rule. But Ana Avendano, director of the AFL-CIO's immigrant worker program, said Wednesday she is hopeful his approach will differ from Bush's.
Immigration would be one of Napolitano’s top priorities at DHS, and sources who know her say it’s also one of her areas of expertise. Napolitano signed a tough immigration law that revokes the business licenses of companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. And she opposes the Homeland Security Department’s plans to build hundreds of miles of new fencing along the Mexican border.
“You show me a 50-foot wall, and I’ll show you a 51-foot ladder,” she has repeatedly said.
Napolitano has criticized roundups of illegal immigrants by federal and state law enforcement, calling them “troublesome.”
But whether she could bring about big changes at the federal level is up for debate. Obama will face vocal opposition from Republicans, who want a more punitive approach to immigration.
The number of overweight children in the U.S. could be reduced by up to 18 percent through a fast food television ad ban, according to a paper by a Lehigh professor and a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
An article on the study, published in the Journal of Law and Economics, was written by Professor Shin-Yi Chou of the College of Business and Economics in collaboration with Professor Inas Rashad of Georgia State University and Professor Michael Grossman of the City University of New York Graduate Center.
The 18 percent refers to children ages 3 to 11 and obesity in children ages 12 to 18 could be reduced by 14 percent, according to the article. There is a higher risk in males than females, according to the article.
The researchers' goal is to try to completely ban fast food from all children's television programming, according to the article.
