Today's News - 21 November 2012

 “We want people to constantly reproduce exchange and save seeds. Any law anywhere, that treats seed saving as a crime, and diversity as a crime, is worthy of disobeying.”
Vandana Shiva, environmental campaigner, India BBC World Service, listen again, 20 November 2012

How buy one, get one free deals fuel the obesity crisis: Offers 'favour unhealthy food'
Supermarkets have been accused of fuelling an obesity crisis with ‘irresponsible’ promotions on sugary junk food. Discounts and buy one, get one free deals are skewed towards unhealthy products, according to a study.
Daily Mail (21 Nov)

Organic food industry booming in Brazil
Brazil’s Ministry of Agricultural Development (MDA) has announced the country’s market for organic products is growing at an annual rate of 15-20%, media organization Agencia Brasil reported.
Fresh Fruit Portal (21 Nov)

Vandana Shiva, environmentalist interview
Hardtalk speaks to Vandana Shiva. Discussion includes organic cotton, agribusiness and the cause of suicide among some Indian farmers.
BBC Worldservice, listen again, (20 Nov)

Success for Glenarm Organic Salmon in Hong Kong
First Minister Rt. Peter D Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA have announced that Glenarm Organic Salmon is to supply top hotels in Hong Kong.
The Fish Site (19 Nov)

Corn a sign of Brazil's growing clout
As US cornfields withered in drought conditions last summer, Brazil's once empty Cerrado region produced a bumper crop of the grain, helping feed livestock on US farms and ease a drought-related spike in prices.
The Guardian (20 Nov)

It's time to redesign our economic system
The vital connection between economics and a healthy ecosystem is still not understood by mainstream economists and financial theorists – what will it take?
The Guardian Blog (20 Nov)

Are you a Yemmie? How Young, Educated, Millennial Mothers' demand for hipster health food is altering the face of packaging
An increasing number of Americans are demanding more simplicity from their supermarket-bought foods, and demanding Yemmies are leading the way.
Daily Mail (19 Nov)

Organic farmers condemn U.S. report, claim it favours GMO
Organic growers and food safety advocates on Tuesday condemned an advisory report to the Agriculture Department claiming its recommendations would be costly for farmers who want to protect their conventional crops from being contaminated by genetically modified (GMO), also known as genetically engineered (GE), varieties.
Reuters (20 Nov)

Fears grocery adjudicator will lack power to fine
A government bill to introduce a supermarket watchdog has completed its second reading in the House of Commons.
Farmers Weekly (20 Nov)

Crop Watch: Pests picnicking on profit
Pest pressure remains high in crops this week, say our Crop Watch agronomists, particularly now pigeons have joined in numbers to further threaten vulnerable crops.
Farmers Weekly (19 Nov)

Spain: mites could help citrus pest control
Soil-dwelling predatory mites could make a perfect ally to fight citrus crop infestations of Pezothrips kellyanus or thrips, a small insect that damages the fruits’ peel.
Fresh Fruit Portal (19 Nov)

Big Organic
For the last fifteen years, the largest multinational food corporations have been intensively buying up organic producers in an effort to enter the profitable niche market, argues Wenonah Hauter.
Boston Review (21 Nov)

Farming Today
The global food company Vion announces it is putting all of its UK business up for sale. Researchers say they are hopeful a new kind of vaccine against Foot and Mouth is only a few years away following a grant of £5million. And with only 24 hours to go before leaders from across Europe meet to thrash out the EU budget, Anna Hill talks to an Estate Manager about what subsidies mean for larger farms.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (21 Nov)

And finally…Wolves close in on Berlin after more than a century
Naturalists in Berlin have sighted a pack of wolves and their cubs just 15 miles south of the German capital for the first time in more than 100 years.
The Independent (20 Nov)