Most recent documents

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Title A-Z Z-A	Author A-Z Z-A	Date 1-9 9-1
Get Juiced, Sustainably!	IATP	June 10, 2009
252k Document summary A training workshop focused on the past, present and future of sustainable biofuels in Minnesota at IATP on July 8, 2009.
Food Policy: Check the List of Ingredients	Elise Golan, Lisa Mancino and Laurian Unnevehr	June 1, 2009
503k Document summary Policies targeted directly at consumers such as nutrition information and education programs, along with labeling regulations, can spur the reformulation of products with healthier ingredients.
Faith Communities and Healthy Eating: Issues and Opportunities for Moving Forward in Minnesota	IATP Local Foods program	May 12, 2009
324k Document summary This report explores the potential for faith communities to be change agents in supporting healthy eating in Minnesota communities.
Report finds faith organizations building community, improving health through healthy foods	IATP and Bluecross Blueshield of MN	May 6, 2009
103k Document summary Case studies highlighted in a new report by IATP and funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota demonstrate a growing nationwide movement within the faith community to put into practice the belief that healthy foods will help feed the body and soul.
China: Draft Food Safety Standards	China's Ministry of Health	May 6, 2009
67k Document summary Ministry of Health published two draft regulations designed to implement certain aspects of the Food Safety Law related to imported products. These two regulations relate to imported foods that do not have Chinese safety standards and the licensing of new food related products.
Pilot program gives families a new reason to check their child’s backpack – healthy food!	St. Paul Public Schools	May 1, 2009
28k Document summary For 30 Webster Magnet Elementary School families the grocery store is as close as their child’s backpack. Through a pilot program operated in partnership with Whole Foods Market, the City of Saint Paul, and Saint Paul Public Schools, 30 families will receive a variety of food – sent home in their child’s backpack. Families started enjoying grocery items through this service on April 24.
SEU 101 - Shalini Gupta (pdf)	Shalini Gupta	April 30, 2009
1037k Document summary Presentation put together by Shalini Gupta on the basics of an SEU for the community of Milan, Minnesota.
Identifying Our Climate Foodprint	IATP	April 14, 2009
359k Document summary Based on a longer IATP report, this fact sheet covers the climate impact of the food chain and offers recommendations for climate-friendly improvements.
Identifying Our Climate Foodprint: Assessing and Reducing the Global Warming Impacts of Food and Agriculture in the U.S.	Jennifer Edwards, Jim Kleinschmit, Heather Schoonover/IATP	April 6, 2009
395k Document summary A breakdown of how different parts of the U.S. food chain impact climate, and recommendations for how to make each step more climate-friendly.
How to Build a Climate-Friendly Food System	IATP	April 6, 2009
152k Document summary Sustainable practices in agriculture, combined with the development of local food systems, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. food system, finds a new paper by IATP.
Relocating Energy in the Social Commons: Ideas for a Sustainable Energy Utility	John Byrne, Cecilia Martinez and Colin Ruggero	April 1, 2009
202k Document summary This article describes a new institutional and community strategy called a Sustainability Energy Utility. The SEU looks to reduce energy use and seeks to support remaining energy needs by community-scale renewables. To accomplish deep energy change, the authors show how an SEU can move society from an energy commodity to energy commons regime. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
The Minneapolis Mini Farmers Market Project	IATP	March 24, 2009
1173k Document summary A description of the Minneapolis Mini Farmers Market project.
Sen. McCaskill to Vilsack on NAIS	Claire McCaskill	March 12, 2009
469k Document summary Letter from Missouri senator McCaskill questioning USDA on plans for a National Animal Identification System.
Sow the Seeds Announces Grants to Support Local Food Systems in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa	IATP/Sow the Seeds	March 3, 2009
128k Document summary Sow the Seeds, a project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in partnership with the Wedge Co-op, announced a series of small grants today to support farmer education and outreach on season extension for fruit and vegetable production in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Voices From Africa: African Farmers & Environmentalists Speak Out Against a New Green Revolution in Africa	Anuradha Mittal with Melissa Moore	March 2, 2009
1059k Document summary A new report from the Oakland Institute on threat of a new Green Revolution in Africa.
Failure to Yield	Doug Gurian-Sherman	March 1, 2009
1798k Document summary Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops For years the biotechnology industry has trumpeted that it will feed the world, promising that its genetically engineered crops will produce higher yields. That promise has proven to be empty, according to report published by the Union of Concerned Scientist.
MN School Food Service Director Survey: Farm to School	JoAnne Berkenkamp and Dayna Burtness	February 13, 2009
984k Document summary This survey was developed by the Minnesota School Nutrition Association (MSNA) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy�s (IATP) Local Foods Program to gauge the interest of Minnesota�s K�12 Food Service Directors in serving locally grown food. The results, summarized below, will inform the work of the MSNA Farm to School Task Force. A joint effort of IATP and MSNA, the Task Force was launched in fall 2008 to advance Farm to School efforts in Minnesota.
Vilsack's Big Shoes	Jim Harkness/IATP	February 6, 2009
201k Document summary Barack Obama’s new Secretary of Agriculture, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, will have some big shoes to fill when he enters the office. The last Iowan to serve as head of the USDA, Henry Wallace, was by far the greatest Secretary of Agriculture in our nation’s history.
Testimony of John D. Podesta at Vice President Biden's Middle Class Task Force (pdf)	Center for American Progress	February 6, 2009
59k Document summary John Podesta, former Chief of Staff under President Clinton, presents the case for investing in efficiency and an SEU financing structure to the Vice President’s Middle Class Task Force.
Not So "Farm" Farm Bill	Farm Policy	February 5, 2009
43k Document summary Spending mandates for 2008 farm bill.
SEU 101 - Dr. John Byrne and Trenton Allen (pdf)	Dr. John Byrne and Trenton Allen	February 3, 2009
1966k Document summary Presentation by Dr. John Byrne (Center for Energy and Environmental Policy University of Delaware) and Trenton Allen (Vice President, Public Finance Department, Citi) to the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility Oversight Board. Provides an overview of energy. economics and jobs potential.
Testimony to the House Agriculture Committee on Commodity Speculation	Steve Suppan/IATP	February 2, 2009
609k Document summary Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Commidity on agriculture commodity speculation.
Healthy Food Access in Minneapolis: Initial Conversations with Residents	Carla Kaiser/IATP	January 9, 2009
259k Document summary A summary of roundtable discussions with Minneapolis residents on access to healthy food.
Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives	Steven Deller, Ann Hoyt, Brent Hueth, Steven Deller and Reka Sundaram-Stukel	January 3, 2009
807k Document summary Research that shows more than 29,000 American cooperatives generate revenues exceeding $654 billion and employ 2 million-plus workers. USAD funded.
Greening Wisconsin’s Workforce	Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)	January 1, 2009
224k Document summary Training, Recovery, and the Clean Energy Economy in Wisconsin.
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by Low-Income Americans: Would a Price Reduction Make a Difference?	Diansheng Dong and Biing-Hwan Lin	January 1, 2009
466k Document summary Diets of low-income households fall short of Government recommendations in the quantity of fruits and vegetables consumed. Some proposals suggest that a price subsidy for those products would encourage low-income Americans to consume more of them.
Homegrown Minneapolis	Kristen Klingler	December 9, 2008
36k Document summary An introduction to a new local initiative launched by Minneapolis Mayor Rybak in December of 2008.
Michigan Farm-to-School Procurement Act	State of Michigan	December 1, 2008
70k Document summary The newly enacted Farm-to-School Procurement Act directs the Michigan Department of Agriculture, and Education to work with school food-service providers to help them locate and use local farm products.
Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs: Phase I	Virginia A. Stallings and Christine L. Taylor	December 1, 2008
1213k Document summary The National School Breakfast Program feeds 10 million children each day, and the National School Lunch Program feeds more than 30 million students. With so many children receiving as much as 50 percent of their daily caloric intake from school meals, it is vital for schools to provide nutritious food. The USDA requested the Institute of Medicine assembled a committee to recommend updates and revisions to the school lunch and breakfast programs. The is the first part of the committee’s work.
Measures and Methods: Four Tenets for Rural Economic Development in the New Economy.	Anita Brown-Graham and William Lambe	November 10, 2008
212k Document summary A report from the Carsey Institute that finds rural communities working to find strategies for success in today's economy need to rethink the tools they are using.
African Immigrants in Minnesota	Neal Remington	October 29, 2008
486k Document summary A short report on African immigrants living in rural Minnesota.
Local Foods and Climate Change: An Annotated List of Resources	Jenny Edwards/IATP	October 24, 2008
316k Document summary An annotated list of recent studies related to climate change and food systems.
Sustainable Agriculture Versus Unregulated Financial Markets	Mark Muller/IATP	October 23, 2008
319k Document summary In the volley between high prices and low prices, long-term issues of resilience and sustainability are lost.
Rural African Summit Press Release	IATP Signatorie	October 21, 2008
150k Document summary Rural African Summit Press Release
Rural African Summit Agenda	IATP Signatorie	October 20, 2008
130k Document summary Agenda for the Rural African Summit held in St. Cloud, MN, Oct. 26 and 27, 2008.
Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview	Wayne M. Morrison	October 17, 2008
74k Document summary China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations and will be updated as events warrant.
Farmer in Chief	Michael Pollan	October 12, 2008
81k Document summary Dear Mr. President-Elect, It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food. Food policy is not something American presidents have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda. But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention.
Washington D.C. SEU - SEU Policy Summary (pdf)		October 6, 2008
22k Document summary In 2008, Washington DC enacted the Clean and Affordable Energy Act which authorized the creation of a Sustainable Energy Utility(SEU). To fund the SEU the DC Council created a non-lapsing Sustainable Energy Trust Fund.
Washington, D.C. SEU - Full Language of SEU Act (pdf)		October 3, 2008
122k Document summary In 2008, Washington DC enacted the Clean and Affordable Energy Act which authorized the creation of a Sustainable Energy Utility(SEU). To fund the SEU the DC Council created a non-lapsing Sustainable Energy Trust Fund.
Skillful Means: The Challenges With China's Encounter With Factory Farming	Brighter Green	October 1, 2008
3563k Document summary A report on China, meat, and the connection with climate.
Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges	UW Extension/IATP	October 1, 2008
2520k Document summary Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy – October 8 – Spooner, WI This field tour and bioenergy discussion is for farmers, rural landowners, greenhouse owners, and others interested in growing, harvesting, and/or utilizing bioenergy crops for renewable energy. The focus will be on non-oil seed perennial crops including switchgrass, miscanthus, and short rotation woody crops. IATP is co-sponsoring this event along with University of Wisconsin, Agriculture Extension and North Central Region SARE. You can find more details here.
Guide to Safer Children's Products	IATP	September 24, 2008
1217k Document summary A guide for consumers when purchasing potentially harmful plastic products.
IATP Comment to USDA Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Imports	Steve Suppan/IATP	September 3, 2008
51k Document summary A comment to the USDA's National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection on setting safety standards for other countries who want to export into the U.S.
Developing a Model for Economically Empowering Africans in Minnesota	African Development Center	September 1, 2008
17678k Document summary A report on the activities of the African Development Center given by Hussein Samatar at IATP's Rural African Summit, October 26 and 27, 2008.
Skillful Means: The Challenges of China's Encounter with Factory Farming	Brighter Green	August 25, 2008
3563k Document summary Until relatively recently in human history, regular consumption of meat was limited to the wealthy elite. The poor ate it only on special occasions, since their animals—pigs, sheep, goats, cows, chickens, and other birds—were more valuable alive than dead. But over the past sixty years, vast changes in agricultural production in industrialized countries, including use of chemical-based fertilizers and adoption of large, confined, factory-like facilities that house thousands of animals, have made meat widely available and affordable. In recent decades, this “livestock revolution” has spread to Latin America, Asia, and to a lesser extent, Africa.
My Alternative Farming Experience in America	Shi Yan	August 21, 2008
4595k Document summary A series of blog entries on life at a Minnestoa farm, written by Chinese graduate student Shi Yan.
Review of the animal cloning situation in the EU	USDA -- GAIN	July 25, 2008
29k Document summary On July 24, 2008, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted their final opinion on animal cloning after the European Parliament (EP) came out against it in June. The EP voted a resolution against animal cloning for food purposes in the EU despite a positive scientific assessment by EFSA in January 2008.
Letter to Senate Finance Committee on Nanotechnology	Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Friends of the Earth, International Center for Technology Assessment, Food and Water Watch, Edmonds Institute, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Center for Genetics and Society, Loka Institute, Silicon Val	July 24, 2008
54k Document summary Letter concerning oversight of nanotechnology.
Food Stamps, Food Security and Public Health: Lessons from Minnesota	Carla Kaiser/IATP	July 8, 2008
271k Document summary The Food Stamp Program is a good case study to examine why, despite food assistance and nutrition programs, people continue to struggle with adequate and nutritious food supplies.
Fact sheets on genetically modified organisms	GreenPeace	July 1, 2008
357k Document summary Greenpeace briefing papers on GMO foods: No. 1 Flaws in the EU authorisation process for GMOs No. 2 Facts and figures about genetically modified organisms No. 3 Environmental and health impacts of GMOs: the evidence No. 4 The social and economic impacts of GMOs
A How To Guide For Hosting Mini Farmers Markets in Minneapolis	City of Minneapolis, Steps to a Healthier Minnesota, IATP	July 1, 2008
7522k Document summary A guide for community organizations on how to set up a mini farmers market in the city of Minneapolis.
Tim Lang on the Future of Food	Seedling	July 1, 2008
204k Document summary Professor of Food Policy at City University in London, Timothy Lang is a leading authority on food.
Place Matters; Challenges and Opportunities in Four Rural Americas	Lawrence C. Hamilton; Leslie R. Hamilton; Cynthia M. Duncan; Chris R. Colocousis	July 1, 2008
1256k Document summary Carsey Institute Report on challenges facing rural communities.
Harvesting Fuel - Cutting Costs and Reducing Forest Fire Hazards Through Biomass Harvest	Don Arnosti, Dr. Dalia Abbas, Dr. Dean Current, Dr. Michael Demchik	June 19, 2008
6468k Document summary A series of test forest biomass harvests from the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota indicate that such harvests could reduce the cost of fire prevention management while providing work for loggers and fuel for renewable energy facilities.
Rural Advantage 2008 Walk and Talks	Rural Advantage	June 19, 2008
370k Document summary Rural Advantage Farm Field Days for 2008.
10 Myths From the Mainstream Media on U.S. Farm Policy	IATP	June 12, 2008
129k Document summary The mainstream media often misunderstands how farm policy works in the real world.
Social Stewardship Standards in Organic and Sustainable Agriculture: Full Standards Document	Agricultrual Justice Project	June 1, 2008
2446k Document summary The model standards are currently in their fifth draft, with additional review and revisions planned for 2008 " 2009.
Grass-Based Ag in Action at Prairie Horizons	Sustainable Farmers of Minnesota	June 1, 2008
209k Document summary Description of event on whole-systems based approach to bioenergy.
Growing Wisconsin Energy; A Native Grass Pellet Bio-heat Roadmap for Wisconsin	PAMELA A. PORTER; JONATHAN BARRY; ROGER SAMSON; MARK DOUDLAH	June 1, 2008
6519k Document summary Technical and economic information about using native grass for residential and commercial heating.
10 Myths From the Mainstream Media About Farm Policy	Ben Lilliston	June 1, 2008
129k Document summary Created for the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform. Ten common farm policy misconceptions.
Minnesota Memorandum of Understanding on Organic Agriculture	Minnesota Legislature	May 30, 2008
60k Document summary Ten state and federal agencies Wednesday signed a commitment to Minnesota’s organic agriculture sector, promising to increase the impact of each agency’s organic programs and foster innovative partnerships.
Child Labor Monitoring and Verification Program for Agricultural Imports	Child Labor Consultative Group	May 26, 2008
12k Document summary The Managers report explained the purpose of Sec. 3205 of the farm bill as s the development of “a voluntary, third-party certification effort is designed to reduce the likelihood that products produced with forced labor or child labor are imported into the United States as directed in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005."
FAMILY FARMERS LAMBAST WASTED OPPORTUNITY OF FARM BILL	National Family Farm Coalition	May 23, 2008
125k Document summary The National Family Farm Coalition today criticized Congress and the recently enacted Farm Bill for failing to address the growing global food crisis occurring abroad and here at home.
Summary of the 2008 Farm Bill’s Energy Title and Other New Clean Energy Development Provisions	Environmental Law and Policy Center	May 22, 2008
118k Document summary With the Senate's veto override of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the new Farm Bill is now law. It builds upon the first-ever Energy Title of the 2002 Farm Bill, providing new programs and a stronger federal commitment to farm-based energy.
Beating Up On Ethanol	Ana Palmer	May 14, 2008
170k Document summary Glover Park and the Grocery Manufacturers Association frame the debate. From Roll Call
Farm Bill a Missed Opportunity	R. Dennis Olson/IATP	May 13, 2008
114k Document summary The 2008 Farm Bill is a missed opportunity to address the problems caused by market deregulation.
Food, Water and Climate Challenges	Shiney Varghese/IATP	May 8, 2008
100k Document summary It is time for us to get serious about understanding the way climate change affects water resources for food production and conversely the way agricultural water use is leading to climate change.
Rise of the Energy Efficiency Utility (pdf)	Susan Arterian Chang	May 7, 2008
128k Document summary Susan Arterian Chang discusses various state models to curb electricity demand, highlighting Delaware's SEU. IEEE Spectrum Online.
Minnesota's Bubble Economy: The Critical Need to Prevent our Farmland Boom from Busting	Lee Egerstrom	May 6, 2008
4755k Document summary Minnesota agriculture is riding high -- perhaps too high to be sustainable. Clearly, price bubbles are forming around farmland and commodities that threaten the long-term health of Minnesota's huge food and agriculture economy. A report from Minnesota 2020
Biofuel and Global Biodiversity	Dennis Keeney and Claudia Nanninga/IATP	May 6, 2008
755k Document summary Increasing production of crops for biofuels is exacerbating agriculture’s impact on biodiversity in many parts of the world.