Agriculture

• Monday, June 18th 2012 - 01:02 UTC

  UN calls to join ‘Save Food’, an initiative to cut down on food losses and waste

  

  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and key partners called on companies and organizations around the world to join in SAVE FOOD, a global initiative designed to cut down on food losses and waste.

• Thursday, June 14th 2012 - 10:49 UTC

  Shell drops plan to buy sugar cane grown on land taken from indigenous people

  

  Shell subsidiary that makes bio-diesel in Brazil has dropped controversial plans to buy sugar cane grown on land taken from indigenous people, according to Survival International.

• Saturday, June 9th 2012 - 02:41 UTC

  FAO food price index fell by 4% in May on prospects of good cereal production

  

  United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said global food prices dropped sharply in May due to generally favourable supplies, growing global economic uncertainties and a strengthening of the US dollar.

• Friday, June 8th 2012 - 02:59 UTC

  Argentine striking farmers take to the roads; government rejects negotiations

  

  The Argentine Government warned that it has “no plans” to change the farming sector's agenda, therefore will not meet with members of the Liaison Board amid a national strike that began on Wednesday to protest against the property tax hikes in the Buenos Aires province.

• Wednesday, June 6th 2012 - 06:36 UTC

  Argentine farmers conflict expands; all trading suspended for a week

  

  Argentine farmers’ organizations under the umbrella grouping Liaison Board announced on Tuesday a national strike cancelling all trade in grains, oilseeds and livestock to protest ‘national government policies’ against the land reform and tax hike in Buenos Aires province, among other issues.

• Monday, June 4th 2012 - 06:22 UTC

  Major GM soy legal feud between Monsanto and five million Brazilian farmers

  

  Illegally smuggled into Brazil 14 years ago, transgenic soy has proved a boon to domestic farmers and now accounts for 85 percent of total production. But five million Brazilian farmers are now locked in a legal feud with US biotech giant Monsanto, the GM soy seed manufacturer, and are refusing to pay crop royalties.

• Monday, June 4th 2012 - 03:22 UTC

  Latin America holds 42% of the world’s agriculture expansion potential

  

  Latin America is one of the few regions of the world where agriculture production can expand since it holds 42% of that potential globally, said Victor M. Villalobos Director General of the Inter American Institute for the Cooperation on Agriculture, IICA.

• Saturday, June 2nd 2012 - 04:16 UTC

  Brazil expands 0.2% in first quarter; stimuli measures still have to impact, says Mantega

  

  Brazil's economy barely expanded in the first quarter as frustrated business leaders cut back on investments, casting new doubt on the health of emerging markets.

• Saturday, June 2nd 2012 - 03:42 UTC

  Buenos Aires province farmers on 9 days commercial strike against higher taxes

  

  Farmers Argentina's top agricultural province of Buenos Aires will halt sales of grains and livestock for nine days to protest against a tax hike passed by the local Congress on Thursday, threatening corn and soy shipments from a leading global exporter.

• Friday, May 25th 2012 - 22:54 UTC

  Rousseff announces veto of several Forest Code controversial amendments

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced Friday that she is vetoing some of the controversial amendments to the country’s Forest Code that would have substantially weakened the country’s forest protection and climate mitigation actions.