ERS Data and Analysis Can Shed More
Light on Current Events
In the News |
Global Food Situation Altering Aversion to GE Foods (Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2008) |
From ERS |
U.S. Farmers Increase Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops and Favor Multiple Traits. U.S. farmers have rapidly adopted genetically engineered (GE) soybeans, cotton, and corn with herbicide tolerance (HT) and/or insect resistance (Bt) traits over the 12-year period following commercial introduction. Worldwide, more than 250 million acres of biotech crops with HT and/or Bt traits were planted in 22 countries in 2006.
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In the News |
High-Fructose Corn Business To Launch PR Defense of Product (Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2008) |
From ERS |
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Usage May Be Leveling Off. Over the last 35 years, the total amount of added caloric sugars and sweeteners available in the U.S. food supply grew from 119 pounds per person in 1970 to 142 pounds per person in 2005 according to ERS’ Food Availability data. Since its introduction in 1967, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) availability rose sharply to a peak of 63.7 pounds per person in 1999. Since 1999, HFCS availability dropped to 59 pounds per person in 2005.
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In the News |
Floodwaters To Expand Gulf’s “Dead Zone” (Associated Press, June 20, 2008) |
From ERS |
Hypoxia in the Gulf: Addressing Agriculture's Contribution. The Northern Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxic zone represents one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest areas of oxygen deficient waters, where lack of oxygen kills fish, crabs, and other marine life. Because two-thirds of the nitrogen in the Mississippi River comes from use of fertilizer and manure on agricultural lands, reducing agricultural nitrogen is a major component of the strategy for controlling the hypoxic zone.
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In the News |
Food Stamp Use Up in Florida (Palm Beach Post, June 17, 2008) |
From ERS |
How Unemployment Affects the Food Stamp Program. Several Economic Research Service studies have estimated the economy’s effect on food stamp caseloads. In models relating annual change in the caseload to annual change in the unemployment rate, researchers have found that a 1-percentage-point increase in the unemployment rate led to a 3- to 4-percent increase in food stamp caseloads.
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In the News |
Corn Price Hits Record During Midwest Floods (Washington Times, June 13, 2008) |
From ERS |
Feed Outlook. Projected U.S. 2008/09 corn production was decreased 390 million bushels in June to 11.7 billion. The decline reflects lower expected yields due to slow planting progress, slow crop emergence, and persistent, heavy rainfall across the Corn Belt. Lower supplies are expected to boost prices and lower feed and residual use, exports, and ending stocks.
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In the News |
China May Begin Growing GE Corn in 2009 (Reuters, June 12, 2008) |
From ERS |
Who Will China Feed? Though China continues to be a major player in global food exports, growing resource constraints and environmental costs could mean an end to “easy” growth for Chinese agriculture. China’s continued food export growth is constrained by intense competition for limited resources by other economic sectors. Intensive use of chemical inputs has led to deteriorating environmental quality, which may affect future production capacity.
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