3/19/04

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1.  World Community Reacts Negatively to GMO Wheat 
2.  Leading Scientist Criticizes Mad Cow Testing 
3.   NASA Uncovers Cause of Dust Bowl Drought 
4.  Ag Conservation Software Unveiled

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1.  WORLD REACTS NEGATIVELY TO GMO WHEAT 

According to a Rueters news story out today, "Results of a new U.S. survey of global attitudes toward genetically modified wheat indicate widespread opposition or uncertainty about imports if the product were to be approved for commercial sales."  

The results, conducted by the USDA via their Foriegn Agriculture Services (FAS) in countries abroad, come as Monsanto has petitioned the agency to approve the world's first genetically modified wheat. Clearly indicating that the global community has major concerns about the expansion of GMO's, the report will likely damper Monsanto's efforts to push the product through USDA approval process.  

The report said that, "FAS officials in 17 countries, including top importer Japan and seventh-largest importer, South Korea, all responded negatively.  A "don't know" response came from FAS offices in 32 countries, including major wheat importers Mexico, Philippines and Taiwan" 

2.  LEADING SCIENTIST CRITICIZES MAD COW TESTING 

Agriculture Secretary Veneman announced Tuesday that testing for mad cow disease would be increased from 20,000 to 268,000 animals.  That, however, is not enough to satisfy the Nobel Prize- winning scientist who discovered that mad cow disease and human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by an infectious protein called a prion.  

Stanley Prusiner this week told the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus that the United States should conduct mad cow testing on every animal that is intended for human consumption.  Prusiner called mad cow "the greatest threat to the safety of the human food supply in modern times," and a threat to the Nation's blood supply as well, and said that he would not eat beef "at the moment" in the United States because even the expanded testing only accounts for a fraction of the 35 million cattle slaughtered annually in the U.S.  The full article is available to "Congress Daily" subscribers. 

3.  NASA UNCOVERS CAUSE OF DUST BOWL DROUGHT 

NASA scientists announced this week that the devastating "Dust Bowl" drought of the 1930s was caused by fluctuations in ocean temperatures that altered moisture patterns over a large part of North America.  The study was based on 100 years of climate modeling and published this week in "Science" magazine.  The model showed cooler than normal tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures and warmer than normal tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures contributed to a weakened low-level jet stream." Under normal circumstances, the jet stream "flows westward over the Gulf of Mexico and then turns northward pulling up moisture and dumping rain onto the Great Plains.  As the low level jet stream weakened, it traveled farther south than normal," leaving the Great Plains  -- and thousands of farmers -- high and dry. Read a summary of NASA's findings. 

4.  AG CONSERVATION SOFTWARE UNVEILED

In a collaborative effort between the USDA and the John Deere Corporation, a new software will be available this fall that will allow farmers and ranchers to streamline applications and processing of NRCS conservation plans.  The new tool, called Conservation Plug-in will allow producers to fill out certain applications on-line and is being compared to some of the e-tax programs now on the market. 

According to the USDA the new software allows producers and technical service providers to record farm and field data, schedule conservation practices, report completion of practices and attach certification documentation. Electronic assistance for developing conservation plans also will be available with the new software.  The promotional literature touts the advantages suggesting, "by using Conservation Plug-In, producers can spend less time at their local USDA Service Center and self-certify when they have completed practices in their conservation plans."   

For additional information on Conservation Plug-In, contact Jack Carlson, NRCS Information Technology Center Director, jcarlson@itc.nrcs.usda.gov or phone 970-295- 5455. 

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Scotty Johnson and Aimee Delach
National Rural Community Outreach Campaign
sjohnson@defenders.org