Drop in Food-borne Illness

The U.S. government on Thursday reported steep declines in the incidence of food-borne infections since 1996.

Perhaps most significant of all, the number of infections from the potentially deadly E.coli O157:H7 pathogen, often associated with undercooked beef, dropped 36 percent between 2002 and 2003. The overall incidence of infection from this pathogen has gone down 42 percent.

Also infections from other sources, including campylobacter, Cryptosporidium parvum, Salmonella, and Yersinia enterocolitica also declined.

Even so, challenges remain. Yesterday, for example, Excel Corporation, a subsidiary of Cargill, recalled approximately 45,030 pounds of ground beef over fears of possible E.coli O157:H7 contamination. Some of the meat was sold to distributors in Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Alabama, Illinois, Texas and Minnesota.

Also, Taiwanese doctors have identified a potentially fatal strain of salmonella bacteria that is resistant to two antibiotics widely used to treat serious infections.

Wanted: Low-Fat Milk in Nation’s Schools

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is lobbying Congress to ensure that that less high-fat milk is offered as part of the school lunch program.

Legislation passed the U.S. House this year with language that requires schools to offer milk with "variety of fat contents."

CSPI, however, says this isn’t good enough. The center’s nutrition policy director, Margo G. Wootan, argues that this would result in schools offering at least one kind of high-fat milk to meet the bill's definition of "variety."

Jean Ragalie, dietitian with Dairy Management Inc., on the other hand, contends that CSPI’s policy is a recipe for disaster. By limiting milk choices, she said, students will turn to high-calorie sodas, which will only make the obesity problem worse.

Subsidy System in No Present Danger, Says House Ag Chairman

Monday’s ruling by the World Trade Organization that U.S. cotton subsidies are trade distorting may ultimately threaten these subsidies but not for the foreseeable future, said Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

“This litigation is the beginning, not the end, of the process,” he said. “It is certainly not the end of farm programs.”

Even if the WTO ultimately decides against the United States, the U.S. government would still have plenty of time to get into compliance, said Robert Zoellick, U.S. trade representative.

Indeed, Brazil, which brought the case against U.S. farm subsidies, may have done itself more far more harm by choosing to submit the issue to a panel of judges instead of negotiating as part of ongoing world trade negotiations, Zoellick said.

For now, he said, the U.S. government’s strategy will be to appeal the decision while negotiating a worldwide agreement to lower agricultural subsidies and tariffs.

Some policymakers aren't as optimistic – or sparing – in their public statements.

“I think we need to tell the WTO to go to hell,” said Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner bob Odom. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes to keep our people in business.”

The Shape of Things to Come?

While U.S. policymakers remain optimistic about the future of U.S. farm payments despite the recent WTO ruling, one still can’t help wondering how this process ultimately will play out.

One can only assume that if the current subsidies were eliminated, U.S. lawmakers would adopt a payment system designed to cause little, if any, trade distortion --- so-called Green box subsidies.” Yet, even this approach, already being seriously considered by the European Union, has drawn the ire of developing countries.

Devinder Sharma, writing in Bangladesh’s The New Nation had this to say:

“Developing countries need to worry about the 'green box' subsidies because it actually operates like 'income insurance' scheme for the farmers in the industrialized countries. They remain insulated from the volatility of the global markets. Whether the international prices slump or go on a meteoritic rise, they remain unruffled, as their life style has already been protected by the state subsidies. Take the case of US farmers. 'It's a welfare check,' a Chicago Tribune report sometimes back quoted Robert Johnson, 57, who farms 500 acres of corn and soybeans. 'I don't like welfare and I know other people don't either--but you have to take it to survive." He said prices for his crops are too low for him to make a living. He drives a truck at night and his wife drives a school bus to make ends meet.'"

Why Aren't We Irradiating?

Irradiation is safe and effective. So why aren’t food manufacturers doing more of it?

The authors of an article published in the most recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine ask the same question. They point out that if 50 percent of food were irradiated, there would be 900,000 fewer cases of food-borne illnesses annually and 352 fewer deaths.

Ironically, Europeans, the people who are so frightened of bioengineered foods, have largely embraced food irradiation with open arms. In terms of preventing food-borne illness, the payoffs have been huge.

"Basically, this is a lifesaving technology that is readily available today and, unfortunately, it is being used only in a very sparing way," said article co-author Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease, Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. "This is akin to what we saw in the 1920s and 1930s with milk pasteurization. Today we wouldn't think of providing milk without pasteurizing it."

The Snail from Hell

It’s a veritable cat in the hat as far as exotic invasive species go, and federal officials are making sure, darn sure, none of these critters are left to cause the sort of pestilence that occurred almost four decades ago in Florida.

Federal health officials have seized several giant snails, known as Giant African Land Snails, from Wisconsin school classrooms and have begun a nationwide search to find others.

The snails not only reproduce rapidly but can make minced meat out of an ecosystem, going through plants like a rabbit in a cabbage plant. If that isn’t bad enough, the snails’ mucous may harbor meningitis.

Florida officials learned this lesson the hard way in 1966 after a Miami boy smuggled three of these giant snails into the country. His grandmother eventually released them into a garden. Within only 7 years there were more than 18,000 of them. Eradication efforts took more than 10 years.

Officials are concerned the snails, as large as a person’s hand, could escape into warm climates and cause the same sort of environmental havoc.

No-Till Farming May Slow Climate Change

Scientists are discovering no-till farming may bring more environmental benefits than merely preserving soil. No-till, which involves planting crops without plowing the soil, may even help slow global climate change by trapping carbon in soil rather than releasing its byproduct, carbon dioxide, into the air. Increased levels of carbon dioxide have been associated with global warming.

The Ohio State and Carnegie Mellon university researchers who conducted the study published their findings in the journal Science.

A Strong Kick In Spite of the Hard Licks

U.S. agriculture has taken a licking in recent months, thanks to trade disputes over BSE and other issues, but that apparently will not prevent U.S. exports from reaching near record levels in FY 2004, according to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman.

Ag exports are expected to reach a near-record $59 billion --- $2.8 billion above full export values. The strong export sales are attributed to higher prices and demand, strong growth in U.S. and world economics and a lower-valued U.S. dollar.

Speedy Resolution Not Expected on WTO Ruling

Following the World Trade Organization ruling on U.S. cotton subsidies, Dr. Jim Novak, Alabama Cooperative Extension System economist, has been trying to get a handle on what effect this decision ultimately will have on the U.S. cotton industry.

The good news: It may be a year before a settlement is in place, providing the initial ruling is not contested. If appealed, the dispute may take as long as 15 months to resolve. But that’s an optimistic project, Novak says. The case involving a gas dispute between the U.S. and Venezuela, for example, took almost 3 years to resolve.

One thing seems certain: U.S. policymakers do not intend to go gently into the night. Yesterday, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on trade negotiations, receiving pledges from USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick that they will pursue all possible appeals of the case. Both officials said they want to assure that the U.S. farm programs remain as they were designed to be, adding that these programs are fully consistent with WTO obligations.

It is a view shared by House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte:

"Changes to countries' agricultural policies should come through the give and take of negotiations, not through decisions that do not appear based on WTO rules," Goodlatte said. "World trade in agriculture is highly competitive and barriers, such as high tariffs are rampant. Countries regularly deny access for U.S. agricultural products for many reasons, including non-scientific barriers for U.S. beef, grains and fruits and vegetables. I have repeatedly said that gaining access for U.S. agricultural products is the most important objective of the ongoing WTO negotiations."

Fallout on WTO Ruling

U.S. farmers fear developing countries smell blood after last Monday’s WTO ruling, which supported Brazil’s claim that U.S. cotton subsidies are trade distorting.

"The programs we have for cotton are also used in other commodities," said Paul Drazek, a former adviser in the US agriculture department. "Any rulings that would call into question the legitimacy of how they're operated would also apply to other commodities."

However, trade experts say a flood of cases are not likely to come soon. For one thing, the WTO panel ruled that U.S. subsidies caused “serious prejudice to Brazilian cotton producers.”

Following the ruling, the White House vowed that it will work with Congress and the farming sector to defend subsidies.

"We believe that United States farm programs were designed to be and are fully consistent with our WTO obligations," said the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, after the WTO ruled in favor of Brazil's complaint that U.S. cotton subsidies lower world prices and price developing nations' goods out of markets.

"We will be defending U.S. agricultural interests in every form we need to," he said, "and have no intention of unilaterally taking steps to disarm when it comes to this."

Pushing Ahead with Animal ID's

Taking its first step toward its ultimate goal of a nationwide animal ID system, the USDA plans to issue “premises” identification numbers to ranchers, feedlots and packing plants later this year.

Quick response in the event of animal disease exposure is the purpose behind the new system. USDA Secretary Ann Veneman said the system is designed to identify any agricultural facility threatened by exposure so the disease can be quickly contained and eradicated.

The White House budget office agreed in the past few days to let USDA use $18.8 million in emergency funding to launch the program.

Sticking to Its Demands

Japan may have reached an agreement with the U.S. to resolve differences over BSE by the summer, but it’s still sticking to its demand that the United States check all slaughtered cattle for the disease.

On Saturday, the two countries agreed to try and hammer out a solution by the middle of the year. In the meantime, they plan to establish a working panel by mid-May to iron out some of the remaining points of contention. The panel, comprised of experts and government officials, will meet at least once a month.

Still, while conceding his country is eager to work out differences, Japanese agricultural Vice Minister Mamoru Ishihara said he still cannot predict what form this consensus will take.

He reiterated that Japan’s position on BSE testing has not changed.

"It is important not to harm the faith of consumers," he said. "We have no intention of altering our current policy.

Point/Counterpoint on Obesity

Two interesting columns offering different views on the obesity issue…

Columnist John Feffer takes issue with with the “Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2003 pending in Congress that would ban all lawsuits linking the food industry to obesity.

First of all, he argues, the claim that obesity-related lawsuits will wreck the food industry really is a red herring. That’s because the tort system is “relatively effective in screening out nonmeritorious cases.” Besides, he adds, obesity is too complicated an issue simply to pass off as a matter of personal responsibility.

“Let's for the moment forget knee-jerk libertarianism and its ‘get your dirty laws off my paunch’ battle cry. Obesity is a problem, if not for you then at least for an ever increasing number of ever-increasing Americans. One-third of the population is obese, two-thirds are overweight, and the Journal of International Obesity warns of an ‘epidemic.’ It's a problem particularly among children, the less affluent, new immigrants, and women of color. The costs are staggering: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate America's annual price tag for obesity at $117 billion. And it's not just America. In 2000, to underscore the growing global divide of haves and have nots, the number of overweight finally matched that of the undernourished at 1.1 billion each.’”

Libertarians, on the other hand, beg to disagree. Writing for the libertarian Cato Institute, Michael I. Krauss and Robert A. Levy contend obesity is a “private, not public, health problem.” “Public,” in this case would apply only to cases requiring collective action where individual harm can’t be resolved except through a social solution.

“Excessive food consumption, for example, would be a public health problem if it were contagious. But it isn't. Similarly, fat does not infect us as it crosses state borders. So far, cholesterol has not been mentioned as a biological weapon that might be used by our enemies. Decisions about nutrition, for us and our families, are voluntary, entirely private matters. We do not need government—much less federal government—making those decisions for us. “

Another Blow to Cotton Subsidies

It is a landmark ruling by every measure --- one that will have a major and lasting effect on U.S. cotton subsidies, perhaps all farm subsidies.

The World Trade Organization has upheld a complaint filed by Brazil claiming that U.S. payments to cotton farmers guarantee unfair trading advantages over other countries. This marks the first time a country has been challenged over its domestic cotton subsidies and the first case that looks at the effect of export subsidies on agricultural products.

U.S. farmers, Brazil contends, would not have been able to maintain their second-place ranking in world cotton production without these payments. Indeed, it claims U.S. cotton production would have fallen 29 percent and that American exports would have dropped 41 percent. This would have led to a rise in international cotton prices of 12.6 percent, which would have helped Brazilian farmers.

Solution by Summer?

Japan insists that the U.S. test all cows for evidence of BSE. That, the U.S. says, is a bad idea -- too costly and without any scientific backing.

The result is stalemate -- a very costly one for the U.S. cattle industry, considering that Japan has posed a complete ban on U.S. beef imports until the issue is resolved.

Nevertheless, both sides agreed to resolve their stalemate by the summer. How? They don’t know yet, though they’re confident a solution will be worked out by the appointed deadline.

Much is at stake. Last year, Japan bought nearly $1.4 billion worth of U.S. beef of the $3.8 billion shipped worldwide.

Blue Skies for Biotech?

After years of trans-Atlantic haggling, is Europe finally willing to open its markets to U.S. biotech products? Maybe. The European Union is considering the import of genetically modified sweet corn --- a change that could lead to openings for similar U.S. biotech products in the future.

"This is a significant step, and we believe this will lead Europe to finally start approving products that the scientific community has long said were safe," said Simon Barber, director of the plant biotechnology unit at EuropaBio which represents Europe's biotechnology industry.

Roughly 34 gene-modified products are waiting for EU approval.

Nevertheless, a number of sticking points remain -- most notably the European mindset. Europeans are far more conservative about their food --- a view that has hardened even more following the first U.S. detection of BSE last year. They also don’t like Americans telling them what to eat.

Hi-Tech to the Rescue

The nation's food processors are increasingly looking to hi-tech to safeguard the food supply against possible bioterrorism threats.

One quality control manager, for example, boasts that he can track the exact source of any ingredient in any of his company’s products within 15 minutes --- a far cry from the five to six hours it took using the previous system. As any food safety expert would attest, five to six hours is an eternity from the standpoint of food-poisoning or bioterrorism.

Even so, there is a downside to the added vigilance that has followed 9/11. A group of scientists maintain that safety measures put in place following the attacks are having a chilling effect on scientific research --- a problem that ultimately may undermine U.S. scientific preeminence.

“To win the war on terror, we may lose our scientific preeminence,” warned David Heyman, director of the Homeland Security Program's Center for Strategic and International Studies, speaking at an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting recently.

Part of the problem, they say, stems from visa delays and restrictions. Also, roughly 50 percent of the graduate schools reported declines in applications for programs in agriculture or the biological sciences, according to a recent survey.

The Fuss over High Fructose Sweeteners

Food manufacturers are being taken to task once again over the effect corn syrup and other kinds of refined foods is having on the worldwide obesity epidemic and the steep rise in type II diabetes.

Scientists have noted the spike in obesity rates that occurred at about the time consumption of a popular soft drink sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, leapt by about 1000 percent. The fact that the two trends occurred virtually simultaneously is no accident, they contend.

The food industry, though, is not taking these allegations lying down.

"Diabetes rates are rising in many countries around the world that use little or no high fructose corn syrup in foods and beverages. This supports findings by the Centre for Disease Control and the American Diabetes Association which states the primary causes of diabetes are obesity, advancing age and heredity,” commented Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association in a statement.

Obesity Summit

Convinced that obesity, especially childhood obesity, is one of the challenges of our age, Time and ABC News is sponsoring a nationwide obesity summit featuring some of the nation’s leading health experts.

The meeting, scheduled for June 2 to 4 in Williamsburg, Va., will also correspond with extensive coverage on the obesity issue by Good Morning America, World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and Nightline.

Additional coverage will be provided by Time.com and ABCNews.com.

Alabama's Pecan Ambassador

Ken Buck not only is a highly successful and diversified farmer. He’s also accomplished an amazing feat for his region of the state --- running a thriving pecan business with almost 1000 trees.

"The amazing thing is Mobile and Baldwin counties are difficult sites to grow pecans," said Alabama Cooperative Extension System pecan specialist and Auburn University horticulture professor Dr. Bill Goff.

For his efforts, Buck was honored with the Southeastern Pecan Growers Association's gold ribbon for outstanding growing.

"For Ken to win the prize for some of the best quality pecans that are produced anywhere is a remarkable achievement," Goff said, who describes Buck an ambassador for Alabama pecans and growers.

Ultimate Weed, Ultimate Strategy?

Not quite, though University of Florida researcher Dr. S. Chandramohan believes he and other researchers are onto something.

The scientists are using a biologically friendly approach to control what has been described as the ultimate nuisance weed – congongrass. The strategy involves the use of the fungus Drechslera gigantean as a bioherbicide to control the grass.

So far so good, Chandramohan says. Fungus-treated cogongrass emerging after winter appears much less dense than untreated grass.

Chandrahohan and the others are going to continue studying the fungus for a few years to determine its long-term effect.

ABC’s of Biotech

A rather fascinating account of how one biotech firm is raising genetically altered tobacco plants as remedies for two common ailments – tooth decay and the common cold.

Several interesting points…

The company has found tobacco is especially well-suited to transgenic work because, unlike rice and corn, it’s not a food crop. Engineers also know a lot more about its genetics.

The radically lower production costs associated with plant-based biotech is another factor. With plant-based genetics, for example, companies need only increase the size of the crop following a spike in demand --- a lot less expensive than manufacturing a new facility.

Drought in the Southeast

It’s official: The NOAA Climate Prediction Center reported this week that the Southeast is under moderate drought.

"For months, many people have been focused on the drought situation in the West and the Plains, but last month was the driest March in more than 100 years for the Southeast," said Douglas LeComte, NOAA drought specialist.

Animal ID System Now

Federally mandated animal ID programs are more than a year away from implementation, but that’s no excuse for farmers and ranchers not to begin implementing this system on their own, said one of the featured speakers at a recent East Texas forage and beef field day.

Tim Niedecken, information director for eMerge Interactive, one of several Texas companies marketing electronic ID tags and related services, said farmers have every incentive to adopt this technology before the mandatory system is in place.

"Having animals ID'ed won't increase your liability, it will decrease it," Niedecken said, speaking to the more than 200 East Texas farmers and ranchers who attended a field day held April 15 at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Overton.

More Wetlands

As part his Earth Day 2004 celebration yesterday, President Bush commended farmers for their gains in wetland preservation, while pointing out they could be doing an even better job.

U.S. farmers and ranchers have produced a net gain of more than 130,000 acres of wetlands, through participation in programs such as the Wetlands Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Program and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

The bad news is that while almost 183,000 acres were returned to wetlands, some 50,000 acres were lost last year, resulting in the net gain of approximately 130,000.

The President's goal is to restore, improve and protect at least three million additional acres of wetlands over the next five years.

Decline and Fall of Cotton Subsidies?

European Union trade negotiators were the first to blink recently in a toe-to-toe confrontation with counterparts in underdeveloped countries over the thorny issue of farm subsidies, particularly cotton subsidies.

EU has unveiled an ambitious plan for a new system that weakens the link between subsidies and production. Supporters of the trade measure claim the new measures will be less trade distorting, though some negotiators in developing countries aren’t convinced.

While only slightly reducing the amount of money producers receive, the measure, in theory at least, will reduce EU cotton production by 10 to 20 percent. A similar measure is on the table for tobacco production.

The thinking behind this new proposal is based on a simple premise: Forcing farmers to base their production decisions on market prices will prompt many of them to diversify.

Developing countries aren’t the only critics of Western farm subsidies. Appealing to the U.S. government to increase spending on high-tech research, Intel Corp. CEO Craig Barnett called on policymakers to reduce subsidies for “industries of the 19th century” --- agriculture and highways.

Draconian Dieting = Long Life?

More evidence that dieting – draconian dieting – can prolong life…

The first study of people who voluntarily adopted draconian lifestyle habits provides the strongest evidence yet that they may be onto something --- something akin to a fountain of youth.

The study found their cholesterol levels, blood pressure and other problems associated with heart disease plummeted, along with other risk factors, such as diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

New Food Safety Web Site

Surfing the web for safety information about meat and poultry just got easier. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recently launched a new web site designed to make it easier for the public to find this kind of information.

Site users can consult "Karen," the agency's "virtual hotline representative," for consumer information, the agency said in a news release. "Karen" answers questions about preventing foodborne illness and safely storing, preparing, and handling meat, poultry, and egg products. People can still call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-674-6854, to ask questions as well.

Debunking the Cluster

Mad Cow debunker Steven Milloy weighs in against amateur public health sleuth Janet Skarbek’s claim of having discovered the first cluster of medical cases in the United States associated with the human equivalent of BSE. Thirteen deaths form the brain disease occurred among people who either worked at or visited Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s Garden State Race Track, from 1988 to 1992, Skarbek (pictured left) contends.

As further proof, she claims that the recent death of an elderly man brings the total number of CJD-related deaths in the two-county area of northern New Jersey (where the track was located) to five in only the past 15 months.

There are several major flaws in Skarbek’s claim, Milloy argues. First, none of the deaths even involve the type of Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with BSE. Rather, the cases appear to be another form of the disease, known as sporadic CJD, which results in distinctly different brain abnormalities than those associated with BSE-related variant CJD.

Furthermore, Skarbek has failed to come up with any hard evidence that any of the victims actually ate meat at the race track restaurant.

Finally, while the five CJD deaths within the two counties during the last 15 months vastly exceed the rate at which they should have occurred, statewide numbers have not been affected. Bottom line: The five deaths in the two-county area may simply be a fluke, Milloy argues.

Still Aren’t Budging

Despite what appeared to be a slight backing down several days ago, Japanese officials now appear to be standing firm on their demand that the U.S. test all of its cattle for BSE.

The disagreement between the two countries basically boils down to two points of contention…

First, Japan appears to be considerably more edgy about BSE than their American counterparts after turning up 11 confirmed BSE cases since October, 2001, several of them in animals that did not appear to be displaying symptoms.

Age is another bone of contention. American officials argue that market cows under 30 months are unlikely to contract BSE. However, Japanese officials claim they have found BSE in two animals under 30 months --- a fact disputed by Americans who claimed more rigorous testing turned up nothing in the two young cows.

Recently National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jan Lyons released a statement outlining NCBA’s position on trade negotiations and private testing.

Keeping “Killer Bees” at Bay

Africanized bees will have to run a deadly gauntlet through Louisiana and Mississippi before they manage to gain permanent residence in the two states.

Agriculture officials in both states are waiting for them with bait traps. Any that are caught will be destroyed and state officials will try to determine where they originated.

“We’re being proactive,” said Craig Roussel, director of horticulture and quarantine programs for the Louisiana agriculture department. “We don’t want them to sneak up on us.”

If Pigs Could Talk

University of Missouri scientists paint a gloomy picture of trans fatty acids and how they may be affecting your cardiovascular health.

Data collected from dietary research with pigs suggest that a diet high in trans fat may promote the rapid development of cardiovascular disease in swine models. There are implications for humans as well.

Trans fatty acids are found in some margarines, crackers, candies, baked goods, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, salad dressings, and many processed foods. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a regulation requiring food manufacturers to list trans fatty acids, or trans fat, on the Nutrition Facts panel of foods and some dietary supplements. They have until Jan. 1, 2006 to comply.

Just a Mouse Click Away

Valuable information about everything from soil makeup to the location of federally protected sites will be just a mouse click away, compliments of a national geographic research facility that will soon open at West Virginia University.

The Center, which is scheduled to open in June, was made possible by a $3.4 million grant added to federal legislation by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.

Minnesota Ponders Ban on Obesity Suits

If you plan to sue a food manufacturer for causing you to be obese, you may not want to do it in Minnesota. Under bills introduced into the Minnesota House and Senate, such suits would be prohibited under state law.

“It’s a personal responsibility thing,” said GOP Rep. Dean Urdahl, who sponsored the House bill. “You can’t blame the food retailers because you ate too much, which is the essence of the bill.”

Similar legislation has already passed in 19 states.

Swarm of the Cicadas

With a deafening buzz, Cicadas will soon make their presence known by the trillions throughout a large swath of the United States, reproducing and dying within only a few weeks.

Researchers have received a $300-dollar grant from National Science Foundation to study this batch, known as Brood X, the largest of the 17-year broods.

Have Farmers Taken to Transgenic Crops Too Well?

U.S. farmers have taken to transgenic crops like moths to a flame --- and for the most part, that’s good. In many crops, particularly cotton, it has literally meant the difference between solvency and bankruptcy.

Still, argues Delta Farm Press’ Forrest Laws, “it might have been better if farmers had not taken to the transgenic crops so well.” Because so many U.S. crops are transgenic, Laws says, farmers may have a harder time exporting them to EU countries, which have imposed a strict labeling law on all genetically engineered crops.

Avoiding Recipes for Disaster

New York Times science and biology writer Jane Brody harbored doubts about the fastidious kitchen habits of an acquaintance recently. But after reviewing the USDA’s recommendations on safe food handling, she’s now a true believer.

Fiscal Measures to Fight Obesity

The World Health Organization is still advising governments to use the power of taxation to combat the rising tide of obesity. It’s efforts, however, are opposed by the U.S. and the world food industry who contend WHO’s efforts are too far-reaching.

In the final version of its draft, WHO says governments should use fiscal measures to discourage over-eating of sugar, salt and saturated fat, though it stops short of advocating specific fat taxes or subsidies for healthy foods.

Enhanced Drought Tolerance

University of California, Riverside researchers have discovered a way to improve drought tolerance in plants.

It's done by reducing an enzyme involved in the recycling of vitamin C. This results in the plant becoming more drought tolerant through improved water conservation. The feat was accomplished, researchers say, by using the plant’s own gene to decrease the amount of the enzyme three fold.

The researchers, biochemist Daniel R. Gallie and research group member Zhong Chen, believe their discovery is applicable to most if not all crop species.

Their findings were published in the May issue of The Plant Cell.

FDA May Widen BSE Regulations

The Food and Drug Administration is considering a significant expansion of regulations to prevent the introduction of BSE in the nation’s food and animal feed supply.

The material banned from poultry and swine feed would be widened to include brain, spinal cord and other central nervous system tissue from cattle aged 30 months and older. On Jan. 26, the FDA announced that it would ban animal blood and poultry litter from cattle feed, while ensuring that certain cattle parts were not used in the manufacture of dietary supplements and cosmetics.

Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said his agency was “getting fairly close” to publishing the new rules.

Debate Intensifies Over BSE Testing

A statement by one prominent cattle industry leader underscores the intense debate ensuing within the industry over Kansas meat packer Creekstone Farms efforts to test every animal for BSE:

"Japan did not ban beef just from one company. It banned all beef from the United States. If one market requires 100 percent testing, all cattle in the US would have to follow this standard. This is unwarranted testing would become the standard for doing business and the cost will be borne by US cattle producers."

Creekstone Farms is considering legal action against USDA following its decision not to let the company test on its own for BSE.

A Paleolithic Approach to Dieting

The Zone Diet is based on the very simple premise that our genes have changed very little within the last 10,000 years.

Therefore, our bodies need the same sorts of things our ancient ancestors consumed --- lean protein and natural carbohydrates like fruits and fiber-rich vegetables.

The problem, say proponents of the Zone Diet, is that we don’t eat the way our genes have programmed us to do. We eat too many high density carbohydrates and suffer obesity, diabetes and a host of other ills as a result.

There are plenty of positives associated with diets based on those of our ancient ancestors, many experts say. Nevertheless, they contend, what has been learned shouldn’t be construed as a green light to abandon the conveniences of modern foods entirely.

Processed foods, after all, are a fact of life – the earth’s 6 billion people couldn’t survive without them.

Incorporating a high-fiber diet, rich in fruits and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables) would be a good place to start, says Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science. Another step would be to replace highly processed white bread with unrefined products such as stone-ground, whole wheat bread.

"As a general rule, the darker the color and heavier the bread, the less processed it tends to be," Keith says.

Raisin Bran, whole and shredded wheat products also are good alternatives, he says. Another good place to start would be substituting meat and pork with more baked and broiled poultry and marine products, he said.

76 Million and Counting

It’s estimated that roughly 76 million people get sick from food-borne illnesses each year. More than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die as a result of these illnesses.

Ironically, the stunning progress made in recent decades in preventing certain food-borne illnesses, such as typhoid and cholera, has led to complacency with other, more insidious forms of illness. It’s a problem compounded by other factors --- new eating habits, technological and industrial advances, and increased international travel.

With this in mind, the American Medical Association and other sponsors have developed a new edition of an exhaustively detailed manual dealing with food-borne illness. It can be downloaded free with Adobe Reader.

New Dynamics of Free Trade Negotiations

“The first problem for Brussels and Washington is that the days are long gone when agreement between the world’s two largest trades was sufficient to wrap up a trade round,” writes The Guardian’s Charlotte Denny.

While conceding that “transatlantic harmony” is a key ingredient of free trade, Denny says the dynamics have completely changed, thanks to the emergence of a new power bloc within the World Trade organization --- the “G20” group of developing countries led by Brazil, India and China.

G20 wants --- demands --- progress on agricultural trade. Predictably, the bloc is running up against determined opposition from the West, which does not want to give up its longstanding practice of supporting its farming sector.

That, she said, is only part of the problem.

Blue Skies?

Some Canadian and American producers finally may be getting the breaks they’ve been hoping for.

Canadian beef producers received word that U.S. authorities will lift remaining import restrictions on beef from younger animals. Effective today, new USDA-approved import permits will cover all edible beef products from Canadian cattle under 30 month of age.

Lately, Canadian/American exchanges following the BSE detections in Canada last year have grown increasingly sharp. On Friday, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein accused 10 U.S. senators of protectionism for trying to keep the U.S. border closed to Canadian cattle. The senators claim Canadian testing standards for BSE do not meet American standards.

Meanwhile, U.S. poultry growers learned that Mexico will lift restrictions on poultry imports from four states --- North Carolina, Maine, Virginia and West Virginia --- that were imposed following outbreaks of avian flu.

However, the ban will remain in place on imports from six other states --- Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas.

How Much Personal Is Political?

“We’re just too darn fat, ladies and gentlemen, and we’re going to do something about it.”

With this simple, straightforward, characteristically Midwestern quip, U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Tommy Thompson sparked a moral, social and political crusade that has permeated every facet of American life.

Predictably, the call has stirred rancorous debate: Just how much of a role should government play in our personal lives? When does personal become political?

From Organic to Sustainable

A Chesterton, PA., farming couple, fed up with what they see as the politicization of organic farming, has opted for sustainable agriculture instead.

There are major differences between organic and sustainable farming, says farmer Jeffrey Frank. While organic farming is a method of growing produce free of synthetic chemicals and pesticides, sustainable farming seeks to farm within a closed loop that, in theory at least, supports itself indefinitely.

Simple? Not by a long shot, said Frank’s wife, Kristin Illick. She’s the first to concede that sustainable agriculture is an almost unattainable ideal.

Still, they grew disillusioned with what they perceive as a process in which standards were being compromised for the benefit of corporations.

NFU to USDA: Better Reconsider

The National Farmers Union is urging USDA to reconsider its decision that prohibits meat processors from privately testing for BSE, so-called mad cow disease.

Earlier this year, in an effort to resume its beef exports to Japan, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, a small meat processing company, agreed to comply with a Japanese requirement to test all of its animals for BSE. The USDA, however, later denied their request to test.

NFU President Dave Frederickson says he finds it “troubling” that USDA has denied the company a chance to regain access to the Japanese market, a major outlet for U.S. beef.

USDA’s decision, he said, “prevents excellent marketing opportunities for farmer-owned beef cooperatives and other small processors of quality US-grown beef.”

Meanwhile, former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum, wife of U.S. Ambassador Howard Baker, has called on the USDA to lift its ban. However, she said she was speaking as a private cow-calf producer rather than as a representative of the U.S. Embassy.

Happy Meals, Healthy Meals

In what could be described as part happy meal, part reality check, McDonalds is rolling out new food fare for adults aimed at driving home the serious risks associated with obesity.

Adult Happy Meals will feature salad, bottled water, pedometer and advice to walk more.

The restaurant chain will introduce its new food fare on May 6 at all of its 13,500 U.S. restaurants.

California Derails Rice Planting

California officials have derailed a small company’ plans to grow commercial quantities of transgenic rice.

The company, Ventria Bioscience, hopes to manufacture the transgenic rice, engineered with human genetic material, into an effective over-the-counter drug for iron deficiencies, diarrhea and other ailments.

State officials say the public needs more time to comment on the proposal. The question of planting the genetically modified rice in California has turned out to be an especially contentious issue for the state’s $500-million rice industry. Growers fear the transgenic rice will turn public perception against their conventionally grown rice.

Ventria, which already has permission to grow the rice experimentally on small plots, must now wait at least until next year to expand production.

Gray Clouds Parting?

Are gray clouds parting now that Japan has agreed to restart beef talks?

U.S. officials aren’t sure, but they remain hopeful.

Vice President Dick Cheney announced yesterday that Japanese officials have agreed to meet with U.S. counterparts to discuss ways to break the current impasse over beef.

A few sticking points remain. USDA Secretary Ann Venemen wants to submit the Japanese ban on U.S. beef for international mediation before a panel of experts of the World Organization for Animal Health --- a proposal that until now has been rejected by Japanese officials.

Meanwhile, Creekstone Farms, which recently was denied permission by USDA to test every one of its cows for BSE, apparently is determined not to be outdone. It has proposed shipping brain stem samples of cattle to Japan for mad cow testing in a bid to resume beef experts to the Japanese market.

The company also claims it can test its animals for BSE much more cheaply than USDA. It has even built a private laboratory at its Arkansas City, Kansas plant, claiming it can test for $18 per head, compared with USDA tests at $325 per head.

Economic Growth Accompanied by Inflation

Robust economist growth may come with higher prices, especially food prices.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday (April 14) that its most closely watched measure of inflation rose a half percent in March. In the first three months of the year, the consumer price index climbed at an annual rate of 5.1 percent compared with the 1.9 percent rise for all of last year.

During the last six months, food has become steadily more expensive, according to government reports. During that period, the year-over-year rise in seasonally adjusted prices for groceries has averaged more than 3.9 percent, the biggest sustained increase in eight years.

In the U.S., beef is fetching 12.8 percent more than it did a year ago, despite fallout from BSE, popularly known as mad cow disease and the subsequent ban on U.S. exports by Japan and other major trade partners. Chicken costs more than 6.5 percent than a year ago.

A Growing List

Medical experts have identified even more obesity-related disorders to add to an already growing list.

Obese people also are at increased risk for a wide array of gastrointestinal diseases, including fatty liver disease, gastroesophageal reflux, gallbladder disease, severe pancreatitis and some gastrointestinal cancers.

The growing list reflects how much scientists are learning about visceral fat --- the fat in the body we can't see but that may present all sorts of health risks.

Promoting Agri-Tours Near Decatur

Agri-Tourism: It’s the hottest new trend in tourism, and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau is determined to profit from it.

"In talking to tour operators and group tour leaders, they want something different," said Christy Dudley, the Bureau's group sales leader. "They don't want to just come and look. Some of them are from Northern states and they want to pick cotton or milk cows. They want to know how you process cotton."

The bureau has enlisted Alabama Cooperative Extension System Agent Heath Potter to locate farmers who will open their operations to tourists.

EU Expansion No Boon for American Farmers

The presumption is that bigger markets translate into greater demand for U.S. products. Not necessarily.

Trade experts contend the absorption of the 10 mostly central and eastern European countries into the European Union, including the additions of Poland and Latvia in May, actually represents a net loss to U.S. exports.

U.S. poultry exports are a case in point. The poultry industry stands to lose about $50 million a year in sales following the merger. Due to more stringent EU regulations, many of the new member countries that previously were major buyers of U.S. poultry products will no longer be permitted to import these products.

Asked whether poultry exporters loathed the onset of the expanded European Union, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council President Jim Sumner said, "You could underline that probably a couple times."

Not as Easy as It Seems

Going organic isn’t as easy as phasing out pesticides and putting out a shingle that advertises the farm as organic.

Before qualifying as a USDA-certified farm, aspiring organic farmers must pass through lots of hoops. For starters, U.S. Department of Agriculture rules prohibit use of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers on certified land for three years.

Livestock production also requires lots of land. Dairy farmers, for example, must have a specific amount of pasture for each cow and producers may not boost production with growth hormones, according to Wright.

"Having five acres for 1,000 cows is not acceptable," said Cecil Wright, operations manager for the La Farge-based Organic Valley cooperative.

A Pact with the Devil?

Many school systems are reluctant to heed a call by pediatricians to impose a nationwide ban on soft drinks in schools. Why? Because in many cases, the money earned from sales of these beverages pay for supplies, field trips, computer software and even college scholarships.

Virginia Beach, for example, Virginia's second largest system, made $786,000 in commissions from vending sales in the 2002-03 school year.

Do school relationships with soft-drink companies constitute a pact with the devil? Some critics think so, although soft drink companies say the proposed ban is a simplistic response to a highly complex problem.

Man Arrested for Ricin Possession

The FBI’s recent arrest of a 37-year-old man accused of possessing ricin underscores the mounting concern associated with this deadly toxin in the post-9/11 era.

Agents believe Robert M. Alberg of Kirkland, Wash., was making the ricin in his apartment on a relative’s property. However, they apparently do not believe he had political motivations for making the ricin and had no plans to use it.

The criminal investigation began after Alberg ordered 5 pounds of castor seeds, a key ingredient in the manufacture of ricin.

The good news is that, ricin, despite its deadliness, isn’t considered as effective a killing agent as many biological substances such as anthrax spores, says Dr. Jean Weese, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System food scientist and Auburn University associate professor of nutrition and food science. Unlike ricin, anthrax spores are easily lofted into the air and multiply rapidly in the lungs if inhaled in sufficient numbers.

Even so, it’s one of several naturally occurring, readily available toxins that federal investigators fear could be refined into killing agents. Two other substances closely monitored by the FBI are solanine, a substance which is produced by sun exposure in potatoes, and nicotine, which can be lethal in doses exceeding 40 milligrams.

The World's Most Controversial Grass

In an unmarked site on the edges of an Oregon community of berry farmers, a company is testing what has been described as the “world’s most controversial grass.”

From the standpoint of golfers, though, it is a technological marvel – the very embodiment of perfect turf.

The turf is a genetically modified version of the creeping bentgrass popular on golf-course greens and fairways. Tested by Scotts Co., the grass is resistant to a common weed-killing chemical. That is precisely what makes the weed so promising from the standpoint of golfers: Resistance to weeds ensures the grass remains silky smooth without the occasional interruption of weeds.

Predictably, the grass has been targeted by numerous environmentalists, some of whom have even tried to sabotage test plots elsewhere. In this case, though, they are joined by two federal agencies urging caution --- the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Emerald Ash Borer - A New Tree Pest

A new pest threatens green, white and black ash trees, and Alabama Cooperative Extension System experts are working with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service officials to determine whether it is present in Alabama.

The emerald ash borer, a native of Asia, has damaged or killed millions of ash trees in infested areas, says Dr. Wayne Brewer, Extension entomologist and Auburn University professor of entomology, who is marshaling efforts to monitor the pest's possible presence in Alabama. The beetle was discovered in Michigan in the summer of 2002. Although previously restricted to southeastern Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, emerald ash borers have recently been found in Maryland --- apparently introduced there by nursery stock.

Quarantines already are in effect to prevent the borer’s further spread by wood from infected areas.

Ephedra Ban Begins Today

Sales of the herbal stimulant ephedra become illegal today.

The FDA banned ephedra in December and urged consumers to steer clear of the substance, which has been linked to 155 deaths.

At Auburn University, Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science, said the problems associated with supplements such as ephedra and similar potentially harmful substances demonstrate why an overhaul of the of 1994 is long overdue.

“Supplement makers should be held to the same exacting truth-in-labeling standards as drug manufacturers, though they aren’t under the current law,” Keith said. “Congress also should consider requiring warning labels on supplement products to remind consumers that the health claims associated with many of these products simply aren’t true or haven’t been scientifically tested.”

Currently, the FDA has a higher standard to meet for supplements than for drugs. Drugs must be tested and shown to be safe and effective before they are allowed on market shelves. With supplements, on the other hand, the government must show they are harmful before they can be removed from shelves.

Changing Face of Agriculture

Stark reminders of the times…

Agricultural programming has been a hallmark of WILL AM 580, an Urban, Ill., radio station, for as long as anyone can remember.

However, budget cuts, coupled with the death of long-time farm broadcaster Charles Lindy, threaten this tradition.

The management of WILL has looked at ag broadcasting efforts at similar stations throughout the Midwest for insight into how to chart their own programming future. What they have learned does not bode well for the future of farm programming.

"We looked at the trend of other radio stations, in the region we serve, and many were reducing their ag programming," Pearce said. "I think WGN stated it very clearly, when they discontinued their ag show, that it’s a matter of revenue."

Meanwhile, budget cuts also threaten the Pecatonica School District’s longstanding FFA program. If the district fails to reinstate agriculture clases by the 2005-06 school year, the FFA chapter will die.

Several financially strapped Illinois school districts have cut agriculture classes, but Pecatonica is the first district threatening to cut the program entirely.

Fate of the Farm Bill

Most farmers considered the 2002 Farm Bill an established fact when it was passed and signed into law two years ago. Now, in an age of increasing fiscal austerity, Congress is taking a second look at the legislation.

U.S. Rep.Charles Stenholdm, D-Abilene, has predicted that these budgetary pressures will crack open the farm bill and subject it to change --- a change, he fears, that will be highly detrimental to the nation’s producers.

"I don't argue that agriculture's not going to have to take its fair share of cuts, but I will argue that the budget that Randy (U.S. Rep. Randy Neuberger, R-Lubbock) supports is going to ask agriculture to do more of its fair share and will have an effect on West Texas," Stenholm said.

The obvious solution, Neugebauer said, will be cutting out the fat rather than the muscle of farm programs.

"One of the things I have said all along is that Congress does not have an income problem, it has a spending problem," he said. "So it is incumbent upon the House of Representatives to go through the budget and eliminate those programs in areas that spend money where we shouldn't."

Neugebauer said $1 billion is spent annually on food stamps for ineligible people and that fixing administrative errors in the program could save another $1 billion.

Facing Up To Obesity

It was bound to happen: The increasing prevalence of obesity is now too significant for life insurance companies to ignore, a Swiss study concludes.

Companies, the report contends, no longer can overlook the life-threatening conditions associated with obesity --- hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer --- factors that will have to be accurately assessed and rated to ensure subscribers are charged a premium commensurate with the risk they represent. The result, of course, will be higher premiums for overweight subscribers.

Ironically, the rising levels of obesity run counter to an overall decline in mortality rates within most developed countries --- declines that have been heavily influenced by medical advances, reductions in heart disease and declining tobacco use.

However, the study surmises it's possible that these advances have been slowed by the spikes in obesity levels occurring. One expert has even speculated that poor lifestyle habits will reverse these gains within the next few years.

Rice Decisions

Joe Carrancho doesn’t exactly qualify as a run-of-the-mill environmentalist. He’s a self-made immigrant entrepreneur with a passion for duck hunting who sports a picture of George Bush by his desk. He generally wants to be left alone.

Yet, as a rice farmer, he’s worried --- worried that a proposal by a California biotech company will threaten his crop. The company has chosen California to grow the first crop genetically engineered to produce a medicine --- rice modified with human DNA.

Carrancho fears the loser will be conventional rice. It’s not the weird science associated with the crop insomuch as its public perception that concerns him. If a batch of conventional rice later is found to contain the genetically modified variety by mistake, it could spell the end of rice exports --- and with it, California's $500-million rice industry.

Betting The Farm

Canadian cattle producers literally are betting the farm on the hope that the U.S. cattle industry will open the border to Canadian beef sometime this year.

However, they shouldn’t hold their breath according to some industry observers. U.S. producers want a lengthy closure to ensure more BSE cases don’t turn up in the United States. But Canadian producers say waiting is a luxury they no longer can afford.

"One of the misconceptions that they have is that we have a very large industry and a big backlog," said Brad Wildeman, a Saskatchewan feedlot operator and chair of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association foreign trade committee.

USDA Rejects Creekstone Farms Proposal

USDA officials have rebuffed a meatpacker’s frantic pleas to allow wholesale testing of cattle for mad cow, setting to rest a debate that has raged within the U.S. beef industry for weeks.

"We are looking at what the consensus of international experts is when it comes to testing, and that consensus is that 100 percent testing is not justified," Agriculture Department spokeswoman Alisa Harrison said late Thursday.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, a small Kentucky-based meatpacking company, intensely lobbied USDA for permission to privately test each animal at its Arkansas City, Kan., plant. The company claimed it had had assurances from its Japanese buyers that they would resume imports of U.S. beef following implementation of wholesale testing.

The company has repeatedly claimed that the future of more than 700 jobs at the plant depends on a resumption of Asian trade.

On a recent trip to Japan, Bill Fielding, the company's chief operating officer, said he saw the effects of the discovery of BSE ---- popularly known as mad cow disease --- first hand. Grocery stores display signs above meat counters assuring consumers the beef has been BSE-tested. Workers wearing "Aussie Beef" aprons gave away free samples of Australian beef.

Insects of Mass Destruction?

What began as a sort of perverse joke between two Kansas State University entomologists about how flies could be enlisted to combat terrorism quickly developed into a growing concern over how insects could be used as bioterror weapons.

Many insects, after all, can carry all sorts of pathogens --- and spread them. This has led to a growing fear among scientists that four-legged creatures could be introduced into the United States with just this purpose in mind --- unleashing pathogens that spread human disease or wreak environmental havoc.

Case in point: the Asian soybean aphid, a flying aphid whose populations have increased at alarming rates since its introduction into the United States several years ago. No one is suggesting this insect was intentionally introduced. Still, in many respects, it possesses characteristics tailor-made for bioterrorism, experts say.

Above, Right: After being introduced from Asia four years ago, the soybean aphid has devoured thousands of square miles of crops. Entomologists are fasincated with the aphid because it possesses many of the traits terrorists would seek in a bioterror weapon (Photo: Courtesy of USDA)

Never Too Early

It doesn’t take a doctorate in fitness to encourage toddlers to exercise --- just a little imagination.

Nor does it take a rocket science to understand that something must be done to ensure future generations of Americans avoid the obesity problems besetting their parents and grandparents. An estimated 64 percent of all adults in the United States are overweight or obese. Ten percent of children age 2-5 and 15 percent of older children are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

With this in mind, The National Association for Sport and Physical Education has developed a brochure to provide parents with imaginative ways to keep their toddlers physically active.

Lots Of Hurdles For Medicinal Rice

A small company with a big goal has stirred up a hornet’s nest and the issue, predictably, centers around biotech.

Ventria Bioscience of Sacramento is pushing hard to gain government okays to expand its planting of rice engineered with human DNA. Special rice indeed: The company eventually hopes to manufacture the rice into over-the-counter treatments for iron deficiencies, diarrhea and other ailments.

However, the company faces the twin hurdles of approval from both the federal government and the state of California. California, as it turns out, is a state where opposition to biotech crops is hardening.

As Close As Your Backyard

That plant you’re nurturing in your backyard may pose a dire environmental nuisance ---precisely why The Nature Conservancy is advising Americans to check their yards and gardens for plants that can escape cultivation and cause tremendous harm not only to the environment but to the national economy.

Some of these plants include purple loosestrife, kudzu, giant salvinia, multiflora rose and tree of heaven. All have been used widely in horticulture and landscaping and are found in backyards and businesses throughout the country. They’re known as invasive because they are transplants from distant places. Once free from their native habitats, these plants gain a toehold and quickly spread out of control, hoarding light, water and nutrients and, worst of all, altering entire ecosystems by changing soil chemistry.

AIDS, HIV Rising Fastest In South

The number of people with HIV or AIDS has risen faster in the South than any other region of the country, and the problem will grow worse without changes, say the authors of a new study.

The report, which examined 17 Southern states and the District of Columbia, was prepared by Michelle Scavnicky, community relations director for the AIDS Institute, and Kim Williams, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Columnist To The Japanese: Don’t Have A Cow Over Mad Cow

Providence Journal columnist Froma Harrop's offers some pointed advice to Japan: Don’t have a cow over mad cow disease.

She raises several points for the reader's consideration:

U.S. packing plants slaughter roughly 35-million cows each year. The number of U.S. cows tested positive for BSE: one. (And that cow originated in Canada).

The number of Europeans stricken with the human equivalent of BSE (presumably caused from eating tainted beef): 147. The number in the United States: Zero.

Cows presumably develop BSE from eating the contaminated parts of infected animals. However since 1997, there has been a U.S. ban on the use of “ruminant-derived feed.” This means only the oldest animals are vulnerable to the disease.

In assessing risks, it’s also important to remember that even if people ate meat from diseased animals, there’s little likelihood that exposure to BSE occurred because Americans almost never eat any part of the cow other than muscle meat. Variant Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease, associated with BSE, has been linked with consumption of brain and spinal tissue.

Are The Clouds Lifting?

Are the clouds lifting on the Japanese beef ban?

Japan stated recently it will not end its ban on U.S. beef imports before May unless the United States implements a beef inspection system similar to that of Japan. That's the bad news.

Even so, in a letter to USDA Secretary Ann Venemen, Japanese Minster Yoshiyuki Kamei, while emphasizing the need for the two countries to reach consensus on beef inspection, did not repeat his country’s previous demand for testing all U.S. beef.

American officials have stressed repeatedly that wholesale testing is unnecessary because BSE is found only in older animals. U.S. beef, they maintain, is safe because animal scraps are banned in cattle feed and meat packers are required to keep brains, spinal cords and other central nervous system tissue from cattle over 30 months of age out of the food supply.

Sudden Oak Death In Georgia

Georgia Department of Agriculture officials say the fungal disease that has caused so much turmoil in California has been found in plants sold by five state nurseries.

Georgia Ag Department Commissioner Tommy Irvin says about 500 samples from more than 50 nurseries have been tested for sudden oak death. However, he fears the handful of positive detections of the disease in nursery plants are only the beginning.

Georgia Department of Agriculture officials are advising consumers not to remove suspected plants from their landscape because of the chance this could spread the disease. They’re also advising them not to put any suspected plants with other yard clippings consigned municipal waste disposal, since most of this is chopped in mulch and applied to landscapes.

Multi-Agency Effort Against Obesity

A collaborative effort involving four federal agencies --- the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency --- will work with leading research universities to address major food and health concerns related to the U.S. obesity epidemic.

The effort will focus on how food, agriculture, nutrition and health knowledge affects consumer and producer social behavior. What is learned through this effort, officials hope, will shed light on what steps need to be taken to prevent food- and health-related epidemics.

The effort is based on a report released recently by the National Academies’ Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The report, titled Exploring a Vision: Integrating Knowledge for Food and Health, stresses the need to explore collaborative solutions to prevent food- and health-related issues at home.

FDA Warns Against Calf-Growth Hormones

In an effort to keep sex hormone supplements out of consumer’s veal, the FDA is warning farmers to stop giving cows certain supplements to promote their growth.

The three female and two male hormones cited by FDA are illegal for use in calves, and producers who use them may be prosecuted.

The warning was issued after inspectors from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found hormone implants in veal calves from three separate lots at two slaughter plants in Wisconsin, according to FDA.

Leveling the Playing Field

“Leveling the playing field.” How many times have farmers heard this phrase within the last twenty years?

Still, it remains the cornerstone of U.S. trade policy and a goal worth pursuing, says Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, no matter how elusive.

One of the greatest obstacles to a level playing field, Crapo says, is sovereignty. Nations don’t like giving it up, though they must in the end for fair trade to become to be realized. A good example involves the often endless debate over pesticide harmonization. Reaching agreement inevitably involves one country agreeing to live with the other country’s health or environmental standards.

“Anything agreed to in a trade agreement gives up a nation’s sovereignty,” Crapo said. “It’s a conundrum we haven’t solved yet, but we will.”

Niche Crop Phenomenon

Like many farmers, Arkansas producer Mark Luebke relies on traditional row crops --- in his case, rice and soybeans --- for the bulk of his income. But increasingly, he, like many others, is hedging his bet and planting niche crops.

Luebke’s specialty crops are popcorn, pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns, green beans and even a bean popular in Japan.

Specialty crops, expert say, are giving many conventional producers like Luebke more control over their future. Sagging prices for conventional row crops are cited as a major factor driving this trend.

Teen-age Dieting: A Losing Proposition?

It is a practice repeated time and again by an increasingly overweight generation of teen-agers: Dieting produces frustration, followed by more weight gain, followed by more dieting.

Indeed, new research suggests that teenage children who diet often end up gaining more weight than those who don’t. The possible factor: Teens who diet start out by greatly restricting how much they eat. They eventually abandon these diets out of sheer frustration and resort to overeating --- not only failing to lose weight but putting on even more pounds.

Water Conservation Working

Finally, some good news on the environmental front: Since the mid-1980s, America’s water use has stabilized despite population pressure --- a sign that conservation efforts have worked, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Water use in the United States totaled 408 billion gallons per day in 2000, the same as in 1990 and down from 440 billion gallons per day in 1980, the agency said.

“The message is that humans are adaptable creatures,” said Robert M. Hirsch, the Survey’s chief hydrologist. “To me that is a very positive message.”

Through the Glass Ceiling

Women appear to be breaking through another glass ceiling --- in this case, the nation’s farms.

The number of women managing American farms rose 13 percent between 1997 and 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Currently, roughly 236,269 of the nation’s farms are managed by women.

Farmers attribute this increase to several factors:

More women are operating greenhouses and vegetable farms that cater to a growing segment of agriculture that markets directly to consumers.

It's almost a requirement for many farmers to have an off-farm job for extra income and health benefits. When the husband takes that job, the wife often becomes the primary operator.

More daughters are returning home when their parents die or when they can't keep up with the demands on the farm.

Women are taking over the operations after their husbands die. Whether they do the work themselves or rent the land to a neighbor, they are still considered the primary operator.

(Above: Courtland, AL, producer Larkin Martin discusses the implications of the 2000 Farm Bill. Photo courtesy of www.cotton.org)

Setback Down Under

An Australian state government has nixed an application by Monsanto to establish a commercial trial of one of its transgenic crops.

The government of New South Wales turned down an application by Monsanto to grow 3,000 hectares (7,410 acres) of canola. NSW Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald said the Australian Wheat Board had raised concerns that the trial could hurt Australia`s multi-billion dollar wheat export market.

The rejection is the latest in a string of defeats in efforts to expand the cultivation of transgenic crops in Australia. Western Australia and Tasmania both announced plans last month for outright bans. Victoria has extended a moratorium on transgenic crops until 2008.

Although Australia’s central government supports the widespread introduction of transgenic crops, it is powerless to stop the bans.

More Oversight of Supplements?

Once again, a supplement recall underscores the risk associated with these products.

A Texas company is recalling 1,600 bottles of a dietary supplement sold nationwide after reports that people who took the capsules were hospitalized.

The product, Solutions IE Ageless Formula II, contains the lot numbers P2207 and P2221. Aloe Products Inc. of Carrollton, TX, the supplement maker, is asking people who bought the products to return to them to the stores from which they were purchased. In this case, the products appeared to contain far more vitamin D3 than was advertised on the label. The recalled bottles were marked as containing 400 International Units in each serving of six capsules, the FDA said, but instead were found to have 188,640 International Units.

Meanwhile, mounting public concerns about the safety of these products has prompted tennis star Andre Agassi to stop taking nutritional supplements until the ATP Tour decides how to reduce the risk of inadvertently using banned substances.

Agassi, a member of a task force formed last month to study the supplement problem in men’s tennis, joins a growing number of prominent citizens clamoring for changes in how supplement products are regulated. Following a four-year review of current supplement regulations, a panel of the Institute of Medicine called on the Food and Drug Administration to require supplement manufacturers to report serious adverse reactions linked to their products.

The panel also recommended that supplement manufacturers be required to share positive and negative results of their studies with the FDA. In addition, the panel urged Congress to appropriate more money to enable FDA to oversee the $16-billion industry more effectively.

Okinawa’s American Dilemma

Largely because of its long-term post-war occupation by U.S. forces, Okinawa, far more than the rest of Japan, has been deeply influenced by American culture --- a fact reflected in the bulging waistlines of thousands of the island’s residents.

Long distinguished for their longevity, Okinawa’s life expectancy has plunged in recent years. Long ranked No. 1 or near the top in longevity, the island’s life expectancy ranking has now declined to the bottom half of Japan’s 47 administrative regions.

Japanese and provincial government officials blame it on the residents’ easy access to American-style fast foods. In fact, the island’s sharp decline in life expectancy has corresponded with spiking obesity rates. Okinawans now enjoy the dubious distinction of being the heaviest people in Japan.

Okinawa, incidentally, also has the nation’s highest concentration of Japanese hamburger restaurants --- 8.19 for every 100,000 restaurants.

Canadian Ag Experts Call for National Livestock Registration

A reminder of how world trade has closely integrated every facet of every economy in virtually every nation on the face of the planet: Animal disease experts throughout Canada are calling on their government to implement a nationwide tracking system for all livestock – not only cattle but every chicken and pig as well --- to prevent the spread of foreign-borne disease.

“Currently we don't know how many animals are out on the landscape, or where they are, to any significant extent at all," said Terry Whiting, a veterinary epidemiologist with Manitoba Agricutlure, adding that large livestock operators believe they're taking all the risk for unregulated backyard farmers.

"If the federal minister has to make a decision and the decision is, 'I want to quarantine all the animals within five kilometres of this spot,' – pick any spot in Canada – right now, we have really no idea what that means."

Japan Rejects Beef Mediation

USDA Secretary Ann Veneman has proposed that the United States and Japan defer their argument over beef testing to the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health, but the Japanese apparently aren’t buying into the plan.

Under Veneman’s plan, the inspection system put in place following the first detection of BSE in the United States would be submitted for scrutiny to a scientific panel convened by the Organization for Animal Health. Likewise, Japan would submit its concerns. The panel would be charged with mediating between the two camps.

“We have submitted our system and measures to scrutiny by international experts, and see no reason why Japan should be reluctant to do likewise,” Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said in a joint statement.

Japan has not formally rejected the proposal, but it already has stated its opposition through the media.

"I don't think that it is appropriate" to involve the World Organization for Animal Health, Ishihara told a news conference, adding: "It's also unrealistic to seek a solution to the issue by the end of this month."

FDA Backs Walnuts Claim

U.S. walnut producers are the first beneficiaries of a new Food and Drug Administration policy that will allow certain products to carry “qualified” health claims.

Under the new policy, walnut producers will be allowed to advertise that walnuts have been shown to ward off the effects of heart disease. This marks the first time a food product has been allowed to carry a health claim based on substantial, albeit inconclusive, research.

The FDA hopes the new approach will create a competitive approach by which companies will base their claims on the real nutritional values of foods rather than on portion size or unreliable or bogus claims.

The new policy has garnered its share of critics, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"Consumers don't want wishy-washy health advice from the federal government," said Bruce Silverglade of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which along with the consumer watchdog Public Citizen sued the FDA to stop the program. "Putting out shaky scientific advice goes against 100 years of public health tradition."

McDonald’s Announces New Global Policy On Antibiotic Use

Amidst growing concern over human antibiotic resistance, McDonald’s has called on its suppliers to phase out by the end of 2004 use of animal growth promotion antibiotics that are used in human medicine.

The new policy, outlined its Global Policy on Antibiotics Use in Food Animals, creates standards for suppliers to follow in eliminating growth-promoting antibiotics and reducing antibiotic usage.

McDonald spokespersons say the company is committed to social responsibility and takes seriously its obligation to address the growing public concerns about antibiotic resistance --- a commitment, they say, will be reflected in changes in its chicken, beef and pork suppliers.

An American CJD Cluster?

A fascinating article in the New York Times on one layperson’s investigation into what she believes is an American version of the Queniborough cluster: a series of Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease cases traceable to a specific location.

Janet Skarbek’s personal discovery of what she believes is the first known American mass outbreak of the type of CJD linked with Mad Cow disease began with the death from CJD of a friend who worked at the Garden State Race Track in Cherry Hill, NJ. Subsequent studies of obituaries revealed the names of other CJD victims who had either worked or dined at the race track over a period of several years.

She is convinced her study reveals that a new strain of CJD, possibly originating in the United States, had been present in the meat served at the race track restaurant.

Still, while her research has piqued the interest of at least one prominent CJD researcher, Skarbek has many more hurdles to overcome. As the article points out, for example, for her hunch to be true, there has to be a strain of BSE (popularly known as mad cow disease) not only present in America “but rare enough and different enough to have escaped detection.” Moreover, the strain would have to be different enough to infect humans in a way that closely resembles the symptoms of non-BSE-related sporadic CJD but that differs considerably from the symptoms associated with the BSE-related variant CJD in Britain.

An added challenge is the fact that more than four million people have eaten at the track between 1988 and 1992, the years during which the CJD victims Skarbek investigated presumably were infected with the disease. Granted, the outbreaks of CJD would be very large for a number of this size, but even this eventually may turn out to be a statistical anomaly.

What Is A Subsidy?

“For some, agricultural subsidies are limited to checks that arrive in the mailbox. For others, subsidies include any costs that influence in any way the production, distribution, and consumption of an agricultural product,” writes Daryll Ray, Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy at the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center.

The problem, he says, is that the various parties involved in trade negotiations define subsidies “not on the basis of consistent analysis, but simply on the basis of which provides the desired advantage.”

So, how can we negotiate the end of a subsidy when we don't know what they are? he asks.