Today's news - 16 January 2013

 “There is an international scientific consensus that farm animals form a major reservoir of antibiotic resistance in food poisoning bacteria and there is now overwhelming evidence that they also contribute significantly to a number of other serious resistant infections in humans, particularly those caused by non-food poisoning forms of E. coli.” 
Richard Young, policy advisor for the Soil Association
Farmers Guardian (15 Jan)

Insecticide 'unacceptable' danger to bees, report finds
Campaigners say the conclusion by the European Food Safety Authority is a 'death knell' for neonicotinoid pesticides.
Guardian (16 Jan)
Read about the Soil Association Keep Britain Buzzing campaign

'Horsemeat beefburgers' investigated in UK and Ireland
Investigations are under way to try to find out how beefburgers on sale in UK and Irish Republic supermarkets became contaminated with horsemeat.
BBC News online (16 Jan)

Businesses are not just agents of consumerism but also of society
Given that the constituent human parts of a business are themselves citizens, businesses also have a vested interest in originating new ways of thinking about consumption.
Guardian (15 Jan)

Antibiotics debate rumbles on after Parliamentary hearing
The use of antibiotics in agriculture was cast into the spotlight once again when MPs held a debate at Westminster. Including comment from the Soil Association’s Richard Young.
Farmers Guardian (15 Jan)
The Soil Associations position on Antibiotics

EC launches consultation on future of organic sector
Does organic, by definition, have to mean GM-free? That is the one of the questions the European Commission is asking in a new EU-wide public consultation on the future of organic food production in Europe.
The Grocer (15 Jan)

Food security to be debated in Wales
Food security will be top of the agenda at an event being held by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes-Wales today.
Farmers Guardian (16 Jan)

Should you smell food before throwing it away?
Half of the world's food is wasted, a new report says. Consumers typically use the "best-before" or "use-by" dates to decide when to throw food away. But should the "sniff test" be used instead?
BBC News online (9 Jan)

It's seed catalog season: Explore, but don't buy too much
10 tips to help you keep your seed catalogs orders in line with the actual size of your garden beds and get the best value.
Mother Nature Network (15 Jan)

The New Organic China
After years of food scandals across China, Ms. Yang is part of an effort to bring healthy and organic food to Kunming, a city in the Yunnan Province of China.
Huffington Post (15 Jan)

Slaughterhouse fears of small organic producers
An organic meat producer has warned Scotland’s livestock farmers that the disappearance of small-scale slaughterhouses is threatening their diversification attempts.
Scotsman.com (8 Jan)

More babies squeezing organic food from pouches
In the USA, organic baby food represents an impressive 21 percent of the baby food category.
Daily News Los Angeles (15 Jan)

Cheap Weekly Organic Food Sale launches in the Hive (UEA)
The People and Planet society of the University of East Anglia have launched a weekly ‘Food Co-op’ which allows students to buy cheaper organic and ethically sourced foods.
The Norwich Tab (10 Jan)

Why organic gardening is good for everyone
As organic growing has been under the horticultural spotlight lately, Dave Allan explains why he believes the organic approach is best.
The Herald Scotland (12 Jan)

Quinoa brings riches to the Andes
Bolivian and Peruvian farmers sell entire crop to meet rising western demand, sparking fears of malnutrition.
Guardian (16 Jan)

£5m up for grabs for English dairy farmers
The Dairy Fund is now open for applications from eligible projects that will deliver transformational change to multiple English dairy farm businesses.
Farmers Weekly (15 Jan)

Farming Today
Milk may be labelled with an amber warning for sugar content. Will shoppers be put off?
BBC Radio 4 (16 Jan)

And finally… Beijings pollution seen from outer space!
NPR (Jan 15)