Agriculture

Amid the torrent of terrorism news, one angle that's been overlooked is agroterrorism -- using biological agents as weapons against crops or livestock.

The Environmental Protection Agency looks determined to keep the public from knowing whether a pesticide on which it has waived safety rules may be a factor in the worldwide bee die-off known as "colony collapse disorder."

The Senate passed a five-year Farm Bill Dec. 14, 2007, that softened a provision imposing draconian penalties for publication of information from a federal database for tracking food animals.

A judge's decision has cracked open the black box of at least one genetically engineered crop: alfalfa.

According to a recent GAO report, the nation's federally subsidized crop insurance program might not be ready to manage increasing risks to US crops due to climate change.

FDA's decision on the sale of cloned meat and dairy products is expected soon.

Emerging evidence suggests another nemesis should be on the priority list of agricultural production threats - a significant decline in the animals that pollinate crops (bees, insects, birds, bats, etc.).

New language added to the 2007/08 Farm Bill by conferees at the 11th hour could create a sweeping new secrecy mandate that would prohibit the Agriculture Department from disclosing almost any information about individual US farm operations.

A new report on global agriculture can deepen your Farm Bill stories.