Reading Time: 2 minutes The world body in charge of fighting animal diseases is calling for action against widespread abuse of antibiotics in livestock farming, which leads to drug-resistant bacteria. But it warned a ban would leave the world short of protein. “The use of antibiotics is today essential to ensure sufficient animal production to feed the planet. Without […] Read more
Animal health body wants fewer antibiotics
“Cattle Plague” Eliminated From Existence
Reading Time: 2 minutes A global effort has eradicated the cattle disease rinderpest, which caused the starvation of millions of people, making it the second disease after smallpox to be wiped out by humankind, world animal health body OIE said. Rinderpest, known before the Roman era and also called cattle plague, did not affect humans directly but caused major […] Read more
“Cattle plague” rinderpest now wiped out: OIE
A global effort has eradicated the cattle disease rinderpest, which caused the starvation of millions of people, making it the second disease after smallpox to be wiped out by humankind, says the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Rinderpest, known before the Roman era and also called “cattle plague,” did not affect humans directly but […] Read more
Information And Transparency Key To Market Stability
Reading Time: 2 minutes France’s presidency of the Group of 20 nations should focus on promoting transparency on agricultural data worldwide, and not so much regulation, speakers said at the Reuters Global Food and Agriculture Summit. France has blamed financial speculation in commodity markets for the surge in prices for food staples, and has called a meeting of G20 […] Read more
France Takes On Germany In Global Gastronomy Battle
Reading Time: 2 minutes France unveiled a global campaign Feb. 16 to re-conquer the world’s dinner plates and regain its standing as the gastronomic yardstick four years after Germany overtook it as Europe’s top food exporter. Germany, known more as an industrial powerhouse, pushed ahead of France in the European Union’s 2007 food export ranking, as tough competition in […] Read more
Banks seen curbing grain loans after collateral crops vanish
(Reuters) — Small and medium-sized grain trading houses will have a tougher time getting loans after lenders were caught by the disappearance of grains in Russia said to have cost Swiss banks over US$100 million. Financial institutions will demand more guarantees from companies before getting credit — even when they are not trading with Russia […] Read more
French Firms Pull The Plug On Palm Oil
Reading Time: 3 minutes “By removing palm oil from our products in favour of rapeseed oil, we act in a responsible way both in terms of environment and public health.” FINDUS FRANCE’S LARGEST FROZEN FOOD MAKER French firms have stepped up restrictions on the use of palm oil, decried for being linked to deforestation in Asia, in a move […] Read more
AgResource sees world wheat crop down 5 pct in 2009
Reading Time: 2 minutes GENEVA (REUTERS) World wheat production is likely to fall 5 per cent to 647 million tonnes next season, against a record 682 million tonnes harvested in 2008, due to a drop in area sown, U. S. analyst AgResource said November 13. “We believe the world wheat crop will lose around 35 million tonnes largely because […] Read more
French sheep breeders take flocks to Eiffel Tower
Reading Time: 2 minutes Several hundred French breeders brought sheep to graze near the Eiffel Tower on November 13 to protest what they say is insufficient aid to help revive a sector endangered by surging costs and low selling prices. Sheep farmers say a 250-million-euro (C$389 million) government plan unveiled Nov. 12 to boost falling farm income, including 50 […] Read more
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