Heads of state convened last week in Los Cabos, Mexico, for the annual G20 Summit. Amongst the issues the summit considered was sustainable agricultural production. The G20 Agriculture Vice Ministers and Deputies estimated global population will rise to 9.3 billion by 2050.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have reached a tentative agreement on a two year deal to finance the nation’s highways. The $8.4 billion dollar bill comes just days before the previous transportation bill expires on Saturday June 30.

NAWG Director of Government Affairs for Research and Technology Jane DeMarchi attended the 2012 BIO International Convention. The event drew 16,505 industry leaders from 49 states and 65 countries.

NAWG worked with grower members, its member state associations and in coalition with other groups to urge favorable positions on many of the amendments discussed by the chamber this week.

On Wednesday the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. This legislation funds many important programs such as food safety, animal and plant health, rural development, farm services and nutrition programs with $19.4 billion in discretionary funding.

Agriculture and Congressional leaders continue to negotiate an agreement that would allow the 2012 Farm Bill draft pending on the Senate floor to gain approval.

California voters heading to the polls this fall will be asked to determine if some foods made from plants or animals derived with biotechnology should be labeled at a cost of hundreds of dollars per family, per year.

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s second Food Dialogues event – “Lights, Camera, Food: Perceptions and Realities of Farming and Ranching in America” – is set for next Wednesday and Thursday in Los Angeles.

The full Senate began debate on the 2012 Farm Bill this week, taking another step toward passage and completion of new farm and food policy.

Agricultural research organizations and farm groups are urging leaders of the House Agriculture Committee to include language in their version of the 2012 Farm Bill authorizing a USDA-administered ag research foundation to collect private-sector donations to supplement federal appropriations.

Manhattan, Kan. – For Kansas wheat farmers, the annual harvest is “payday.” It is the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work, faith and hand-wringing. And during the hustle-and-bustle of wheat harvest, all the other farm chores take a backseat to bringing the crop in.