1. Want to curb nitrogen pollution? Regulate fertilizer producers, not just farmers (New Food Economy)
- author is an environmental studies professor at NYU.
- farm fertilizer contributes 41% of the nitrogen delivered to Gulf of Mexico
- incentives for farmers to use less fertilizer haven't been successful
- advocates for using similar route that U.S. took with gas mileage: regulate the few instead of the many.
- ensure the producers can profit from being regulated
2. The dirty truth about oat milk (Mother Jones)
- cites paper by UMN researchers studying biodiversity - published Jan. 4 - that's worth revisiting
3. The White House calls food stamp funds for Puerto Rico 'excessive and unnecessary' (Grist)
- Statement last week opposed additional $600M in post-hurricane food assistance (Nutritional Assistance Program is their version of SNAP)
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Puerto Rico already gets way less from federal government for NAP than it would through SNAP. But poverty rate is 3x the national average and cost of living is higher than other places in the U.S.
- Gov. Ricardo Rossello said NAP funding already below what low-income residents needed even before Hurricane Irma.
4. With Minnesota farmers facing stress, Legislature works to improve mental health outreach (Pioneer Press)
- Legislature will take up bills funding more mental health counselors in MDA
- Effort to pass additional funding failed last year
- stresses listed: low prices, tariff fights, low yields, inclement weather, government shutdown
5. Business and industry press Trump and Congress to end shutdown (POLITICO)
- Letter from U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other biz orgs, totaling 385 industry groups, including those repping ag
- It says the shutdown is causing "lasting damage to families, businesses, and the economy as a whole"
- Groups typically lean Republican. Letter said there are "numerous paths forward that would allow for the government to be reopened"
