Just Label It, News Roundup 12-8

This week, six Middle Eastern countries banned glyphosate herbicides over ‘probable carcinogen’ fears. The Department of Agriculture released a report confirming what EWG has argued for years: Farm subsidies overwhelmingly go to the largest and most successful farm businesses, as opposed to struggling family farms that need them the most. Civil Eats uncovered the number of hardships many farmers face, while the New York Times explored how the soil beneath our feet can mitigate climate change. Also this week, President Trump shuttered a scientific panel that, according to its chairman, was “one of the last federal bodies that openly talked about climate change in public.”

Finally, regulators in New Jersey seek to address the long-standing issue of harmful nonstick chemicals in their resident’s drinking water.

Becoming (and Remaining) a Farmer is Hard

Education and training can help new farmers succeed, but new research points to systemic challenges that also need to be addressed.

Six Middle Eastern Countries Ban Glyphosate Herbicides over ‘Probable Carcinogen’ Fears

Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that six Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman have banned the use of glyphosate herbicides since last year, after reviewing IARC’s classification of glyphosate as a ‘probable human carcinogen’.

New Jersey Seeks Stricter Limit on Chemical in Drinking Water.

It has been nearly 20 years since a hazardous class of chemicals found in common consumer products like nonstick cookware and mattresses was manufactured in the United States, but it is still present in drinking water. Now, New Jersey, which has some of the highest concentrations of the chemicals, is seeking to take the lead in controlling the material and reducing its threat to public health.

USDA Confirms Subsidies Overwhelmingly Flow to Wealthiest Farmers.

A new report from the Department of Agriculture confirmed what EWG has been saying for years: Farm subsidies overwhelmingly go to the largest and most successful farm businesses, instead of to struggling family farms that need them the most.

Soil Power! The Dirty Way to a Green Planet.

The last great hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change may lie in a substance so commonplace that we typically ignore it or else walk all over it: the soil beneath our feet.

Trump Disbands Panel That Helped Cities Respond to Climate Threat.

The president shutters group that, according to its chairman, was “one of the last federal bodies that openly talked about climate change in public”