NewzIntel.com

Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Future of the common agricultural policy – E-001315/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001315/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mihai Tudose (S&D)

    The discussions at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24 March reflected Member States’ concerns over the Vision for Agriculture and Food, published by the European Commission on 19 February.

    While I strongly support the idea of bureaucratic simplification promised by the Commission, I believe that this should not mean amalgamating completely different areas, and I am convinced, as Vice-President of the Committee on Security and Defence, that the increased funding needed to strengthen the EU’s defensive capacities must not come at the expense of food security and the sacrificing of EU citizens’ living standards, so would call on the Commission to answer the following questions:

    • 1.Does the Commission plan to maintain, in the period after 2027, an independent budget for the common agricultural policy of an amount at least equal to that of the current multiannual financial framework, based on the two pillars of direct aids and rural development funding?
    • 2.What is the Commission’s position on the requests made by representatives of Romania and other Member States to: a) include purchases of breeding animals among the expenditure eligible for EU funding; b) review the current rules so as to support the modernisation of fishing fleets?

    Submitted: 31.3.2025

    Last updated: 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Director banned after securing Covid loans for takeaway and parcel delivery company which never traded

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Director banned after securing Covid loans for takeaway and parcel delivery company which never traded

    He made false statements on his applications for Bounce Back Loans

    • Adam Ebrahim set up two companies which were intended to be a takeaway and separate business delivering packages, but neither began trading  

    • Despite this, Ebrahim made two false applications for Covid Bounce Back Loans in 2020, claiming the companies had annual incomes of hundreds of thousands of pounds 

    • Ebrahim has been banned as a company director until April 2038 following investigations by the Insolvency Service

    A director has been banned after securing £100,000 in Covid support funds for a takeaway and delivery company which never traded. 

    Adam Ebrahim was the director of Chicken Grill Cottage Ltd and Presto Delivery Ltd, which had registered office addresses in Uxbridge and the Docklands area of London. 

    Ebrahim falsely claimed that the two companies had a turnover of £400,000 and £235,000 when he made the applications for Bounce Back Loans in 2020. 

    He then transferred the loan funds to his personal account, breaking the rules of the scheme again. 

    Ebrahim, of Trevelyan Gardens, London, was banned as a director for 13 years at a hearing of the High Court in London on Tuesday 18 March. 

    His ban started on Tuesday 8 April. 

    The 41-year-old was also ordered to pay £9,555 in costs. 

    Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Adam Ebrahim exploited the Bounce Back Loan Scheme by securing two maximum-value loans for companies which never began trading. 

    “Ebrahim made matters worse by pocketing the funds when the loans were not supposed to be used for personal purposes. 

    “Tackling Bounce Back Loan misconduct remains a key priority for the Insolvency Service more than five years on from the start of the pandemic and we will continue to take action against those who stole from the public purse during a national emergency.

    Ebrahim made the false applications to two separate banks for £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for Chicken Grill Cottage in May 2020 and Presto Delivery in September of that year. 

    Both companies were incorporated in 2019 but never began trading. 

    Chicken Grill Cottage and Presto Delivery entered liquidation on the same day in June 2022 owing more than £100,000 combined. 

    The disqualification order prevents Ebrahim from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Companies House starts to verify identities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Companies House starts to verify identities

    The voluntary period for identity verification is open for business. More than 6 million individuals will need to comply in the 12 months after identity verification becomes a legal requirement later this year. This phased approach reduces the burden on companies.

    Today (8 April 2025) sees the launch of a new service that allows individuals to verify their identity directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login. People can also verify their identity through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

    The introduction of identity verification is one of the key changes to UK company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. This landmark legislation gave Companies House new and enhanced powers to help disrupt economic crime and support economic growth. 

    Identity verification will provide more assurance about who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK. There will be the same level of assurance whether individuals are verifying their identity directly with Companies House or through an ACSP.

    Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE said:

    Identity verification will play a key role in improving the quality and reliability of our data and tackling misuse of the companies register.

    To save time later, we encourage directors, people with significant control of companies (PSCs) and those filing information with Companies House to verify their identity during the voluntary window.

    We expect identity verification to become mandatory from autumn 2025.

    To reduce the burden on business, the identity verification requirement for existing directors will be integrated into the annual confirmation statement update process.

    Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets Justin Madders MP said:

    In a time where economic crime has become too common, it is imperative that we bring in measures to prevent identities being stolen online and today marks a significant milestone in our plans to require identity verification for those setting up and running companies on the Companies House register later this year.

    This is good for business, lenders and transparency and will give companies, consumers and lenders more certainty about who they are doing business with.

    AI and Digital Government Minister Feryal Clark MP said:

    Ensuring trust and transparency in the digital age is vital and today marks an important step forward. Identity verification at Companies House through our GOV.UK One Login service will make it easier to do business with confidence – protecting entrepreneurs, consumers, and the UK economy from fraud and financial crime.

    By embracing digital identity checks, we’re reducing red tape while strengthening our defences against abuse of the system. This is a win for businesses, a win for transparency, and a win for economic growth – a key driver for our Plan for Change.

    Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said:

    The introduction of these new security measures will be welcomed by the thousands of genuine businesses who want to know that fraudsters and criminals cannot masquerade as legitimate concerns.

    Protecting the names of good firms and making it harder for those with dishonest motives to set up a business can only be a good thing.

     Thom Townsend, Executive Director, Open Ownership said:

    Open Ownership welcomes the introduction of identity verification for individuals listed on Companies House. This will make the information on Companies House more accurate, reliable, and ultimately more useful, and ensures the UK meets international standards.

    Ben Cowdock, Senior Investigations Lead, Transparency International said:

    We welcome the introduction of ID checks at Companies House, which should make it harder for criminals to hide behind false identities. Having greater assurance over who owns and controls companies is a vital step towards defending the UK against money laundering and building confidence in the business environment.

    Glenn Collins, Head of Technical and Strategic Engagement at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) said:

    At ACCA, we welcome the moves to improve and strengthen the integrity of the register, which includes the introduction of identity verification for anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK.

    We recognise that businesses, including agents will take some time to get used to the changes and extra requirement. We expect our members to be busy advising and helping companies of all sizes adapt to these new regulations and we look forward to continuing to work with Companies House to make sure of a good transition.

    Overall identify verification will help to reduce economic crime and improve corporate transparency. In doing so, it will contribute to the growth of the UK economy by helping businesses make better decisions.

    Patrick Walsh, Chair of the Business Informational Providers Association (BIPA) said:

    BIPA welcomes Companies House’s launch of the new identity verification measures, as set out in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. These are crucial steps towards realising the enhanced security and transparency that the Act aims to achieve.

    The implementation of these robust checks will deter fraud and bolster confidence in Companies House as the custodian of reliable business data.

    We believe these measures will strengthen the UK’s economy by fostering transparency and accountability across business sectors.

    BIPA remains committed to engaging with Companies House to ensure successful adoption and implementation of these important changes.

    The Law Society of England and Wales Company Law Committee said:

    The Law Society of England and Wales has been working closely with Companies House on the development of the new procedures for identity verification. We are pleased that Companies House is introducing the procedures on a staggered basis, which will give companies and LLPs the option to ensure their directors (or, in the case of LLPs, members) and PSCs complete the necessary checks ahead of time if they wish.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University

    The South African government has underscored the urgent need to diversify the country’s agricultural exports in the wake of the US decision to increase tariffs on its trading partners.

    The progress of South Africa’s agricultural sector has relied partly on exports, which now account for roughly half of the production in value terms. South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a new record of US$13.7 billion in 2024, up 3% from the previous year, according to data from Trade Map. South Africa also imports various agricultural products. In 2024, South Africa’s agricultural imports amounted to US$7.6 billion.

    The US accounts for 4% of South Africa’s agricultural exports. The biggest agricultural exports to the US are citrus, wine, grapes and nuts. These typically entered the US market duty free, and now fall under the tariff level of between 10% and 31% which Washington has levied on South Africa.

    The ministers of International Relations and Cooperation and of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement after Washington’s move:

    Efforts will intensify to diversify export destinations, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Moreover, where deemed appropriate, such efforts will also involve bilateral arrangements that allow for the pursuance of our national interest.

    As a medium to longer term strategy this makes sense in the context of the trade friction with the US and the overall growth of South Africa’s agricultural sector. But export diversification will take time to achieve. New markets take time to open up because negotiations with countries, especially in agricultural products, are complex. For example, it took 16 years for South Africa to reopen Thailand for apple exports.

    Moreover, trade agreements typically take a minimum of five years to conclude.

    This means that, in the short term, the South African government will urgently be seeking to engage with Washington to maintain critical access to the US market. In their joint statement, the two departments managing the fallout said they would be seeking “additional exemptions and favourable quota agreements”.

    So what does the long-term strategy look like? And what are the building blocks that need to be put in place to secure diversified destinations for South Africa’s agricultural products in the future?

    As an agricultural economist who has looked at these issues for some time, I would recommend these three areas of focus.

    Firstly, South Africa trade authorities should put resources into understanding the opportunities in dynamic markets in the Gulf and Asia. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are some of the key markets in the Gulf. In Asia, China, India and Vietnam should remain priorities.

    Secondly, the agricultural sector and government need to develop better ways of working together. This will help ensure business relationships are cultivated in the countries that the government is engaging, and that there’s alignment between the commercial and political interests of the country.

    Thirdly, South Africa’s agricultural sector – government and organised agriculture – must get its house in order. For example, promoting livestock products won’t work unless the necessary disease controls are in place.

    Opportunities

    The African continent accounts for the biggest share of South African exports at 38%. The EU accounted for a 19% share in 2023. Asia and the Middle East accounted for a quarter of South Africa’s agricultural exports in the same year.

    Asia and the Far East, in particular China, have already been identified as key growth areas. Even though Asia and the Middle East are strong destination points, huge pockets of opportunity remain in terms of products and countries.

    The Brics grouping remains crucial in this endeavour. Here, the South African government must have a sharper focus on lowering import tariffs and phytosanitary barriers in countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia.

    China is the biggest opportunity, largely because of its population and economic size. China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, must feed 1.4 billion people. To do this, China is a huge importer, resulting in an agricultural trade deficit with the rest of the world of about US$117 billion. This suggests there’s a gap for countries with good agricultural offerings.

    Vietnam and India also have sizeable populations. Importantly, South Africa remains a small participant in their agricultural markets.

    The sectors worth targeting include horticulture and wine producers. Expanding exports in these sectors has been a long-running talking point. Now there’s a need for renewed energy and urgency from the government officials’ side.

    The livestock industry is also geared to promote its exports.

    In the short term

    Agricultural stakeholders can play a constructive role in supporting the government’s efforts to engage the US. Stakeholders can assess the impact of the increased US tariff on their exports, mainly citrus, grapes, wine, and nuts, among other products, as well as the impact on jobs in their regions.

    There is also scope to provide more flexibility for American products in the South African market to ease current trade tensions. For example, South Africa currently allows US exporters to sell over 70,000 tonnes of poultry products into the country without any tariff. However, US poultry producers have only used less than 60% of this quota. One reason for this is the low-quality products that have not met the South African specifications. Hence the need to seek negotiating points.

    Next steps

    Trade is about trade-offs and backing the correct winners.

    Both organised agriculture – commodity associations – and business must work together to define new priorities for the country and how these can be pursued internationally.

    Negotiating free trade agreements should be the mainstay of trade policy. South Africa has excelled in opening up new markets in the past 20 years, by concluding several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. These include deals with the Southern African Development Community countries as well as the region’s agreement with the European Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    It needs to expand this list.

    But free trade agreements require hard choices over which industries a country is prepared to place on the table for possible trade-offs while building long-term competitiveness in sectors that can be major drivers for growth.

    Government must engage the various agricultural sectors about their key priorities and what trade-offs they’re prepared to consider.

    Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

    – ref. Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariff-hikes-and-south-africa-hunt-for-new-agricultural-markets-must-begin-now-253984

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University

    The South African government has underscored the urgent need to diversify the country’s agricultural exports in the wake of the US decision to increase tariffs on its trading partners.

    The progress of South Africa’s agricultural sector has relied partly on exports, which now account for roughly half of the production in value terms. South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a new record of US$13.7 billion in 2024, up 3% from the previous year, according to data from Trade Map. South Africa also imports various agricultural products. In 2024, South Africa’s agricultural imports amounted to US$7.6 billion.

    The US accounts for 4% of South Africa’s agricultural exports. The biggest agricultural exports to the US are citrus, wine, grapes and nuts. These typically entered the US market duty free, and now fall under the tariff level of between 10% and 31% which Washington has levied on South Africa.

    The ministers of International Relations and Cooperation and of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement after Washington’s move:

    Efforts will intensify to diversify export destinations, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Moreover, where deemed appropriate, such efforts will also involve bilateral arrangements that allow for the pursuance of our national interest.

    As a medium to longer term strategy this makes sense in the context of the trade friction with the US and the overall growth of South Africa’s agricultural sector. But export diversification will take time to achieve. New markets take time to open up because negotiations with countries, especially in agricultural products, are complex. For example, it took 16 years for South Africa to reopen Thailand for apple exports.

    Moreover, trade agreements typically take a minimum of five years to conclude.

    This means that, in the short term, the South African government will urgently be seeking to engage with Washington to maintain critical access to the US market. In their joint statement, the two departments managing the fallout said they would be seeking “additional exemptions and favourable quota agreements”.

    So what does the long-term strategy look like? And what are the building blocks that need to be put in place to secure diversified destinations for South Africa’s agricultural products in the future?

    As an agricultural economist who has looked at these issues for some time, I would recommend these three areas of focus.

    Firstly, South Africa trade authorities should put resources into understanding the opportunities in dynamic markets in the Gulf and Asia. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are some of the key markets in the Gulf. In Asia, China, India and Vietnam should remain priorities.

    Secondly, the agricultural sector and government need to develop better ways of working together. This will help ensure business relationships are cultivated in the countries that the government is engaging, and that there’s alignment between the commercial and political interests of the country.

    Thirdly, South Africa’s agricultural sector – government and organised agriculture – must get its house in order. For example, promoting livestock products won’t work unless the necessary disease controls are in place.

    Opportunities

    The African continent accounts for the biggest share of South African exports at 38%. The EU accounted for a 19% share in 2023. Asia and the Middle East accounted for a quarter of South Africa’s agricultural exports in the same year.

    Asia and the Far East, in particular China, have already been identified as key growth areas. Even though Asia and the Middle East are strong destination points, huge pockets of opportunity remain in terms of products and countries.

    The Brics grouping remains crucial in this endeavour. Here, the South African government must have a sharper focus on lowering import tariffs and phytosanitary barriers in countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia.

    China is the biggest opportunity, largely because of its population and economic size. China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, must feed 1.4 billion people. To do this, China is a huge importer, resulting in an agricultural trade deficit with the rest of the world of about US$117 billion. This suggests there’s a gap for countries with good agricultural offerings.

    Vietnam and India also have sizeable populations. Importantly, South Africa remains a small participant in their agricultural markets.

    The sectors worth targeting include horticulture and wine producers. Expanding exports in these sectors has been a long-running talking point. Now there’s a need for renewed energy and urgency from the government officials’ side.

    The livestock industry is also geared to promote its exports.

    In the short term

    Agricultural stakeholders can play a constructive role in supporting the government’s efforts to engage the US. Stakeholders can assess the impact of the increased US tariff on their exports, mainly citrus, grapes, wine, and nuts, among other products, as well as the impact on jobs in their regions.

    There is also scope to provide more flexibility for American products in the South African market to ease current trade tensions. For example, South Africa currently allows US exporters to sell over 70,000 tonnes of poultry products into the country without any tariff. However, US poultry producers have only used less than 60% of this quota. One reason for this is the low-quality products that have not met the South African specifications. Hence the need to seek negotiating points.

    Next steps

    Trade is about trade-offs and backing the correct winners.

    Both organised agriculture – commodity associations – and business must work together to define new priorities for the country and how these can be pursued internationally.

    Negotiating free trade agreements should be the mainstay of trade policy. South Africa has excelled in opening up new markets in the past 20 years, by concluding several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. These include deals with the Southern African Development Community countries as well as the region’s agreement with the European Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    It needs to expand this list.

    But free trade agreements require hard choices over which industries a country is prepared to place on the table for possible trade-offs while building long-term competitiveness in sectors that can be major drivers for growth.

    Government must engage the various agricultural sectors about their key priorities and what trade-offs they’re prepared to consider.

    – Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now
    – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariff-hikes-and-south-africa-hunt-for-new-agricultural-markets-must-begin-now-253984

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni chairs meeting at Palazzo Chigi on tariffs

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, chaired a meeting at Palazzo Chigi today to discuss in-depth the tariffs imposed by the United States and the possible implications for the Italian economy.

    The meeting was attended by the Vice-Presidents of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, the Minister for European Affairs, the NRRP and Cohesion Policy, Tommaso Foti, and Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano.

    During the meeting, the Ministers outlined to President Meloni the various proposals under consideration to support production chains and boost the competitiveness of businesses. Said proposals will be the focus of the discussions with production sectors to be held at Palazzo Chigi tomorrow, Tuesday 8 April.

    It was reaffirmed that a ‘trade war’ would not benefit anyone, neither the European Union nor the United States. The meeting highlighted the need to address this issue with determination and pragmatism, as any alarmism risks causing far more damage than that strictly linked to the tariffs.

    The meeting also discussed the necessary business support tools, addressing the Green Deal’s ideological rules that are difficult to agree with, and the need to simplify the regulatory framework.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rise in unlicensed wells and boreholes on West Country farms

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Rise in unlicensed wells and boreholes on West Country farms

    The Environment Agency is warning farmers with private springs, wells and boreholes to check they are taking water legally from the environment.

    A water meter is needed to show how much water is being abstracted

    Farm inspectors are finding a lot of unlicensed abstraction taking place in Devon and Cornwall during routine farm inspections.

    Many farms rely on their own private water supply from springs, wells and boreholes. How much water is being taken is unmonitored – meaning farmers could be unknowingly breaching the allowed limit for abstraction without a licence. 

    Lisa Best, agriculture team leader for the Environment Agency in Devon and Cornwall, said:

    All landowners should know how much water they are abstracting and ensure they have the relevant licence if needed.  

    Abstracting water without the necessary licence or in breach of your licence conditions is an offence and could lead to enforcement action.  

    Taking 20,000 litres of water a day is enough to wash over 100 cars. Taking more water than you are permitted could impact on other users and damage the environment.

    The Environment Agency controls how much, where and when water is abstracted through our licensing system. Anyone taking 20 m3 of water per day or over is required to have an abstraction licence. Environment Agency farm inspectors have issued 70 actions to farmers over the past 2 years to install a meter to monitor how much water is being taken and apply for a licence where it is clear one is needed. 

    Abstraction licences have conditions on them to ensure the environment and the rights of other abstractors are protected. Our powers and duties enable us to regulate the use of water under existing licences and to decide whether to grant new ones. Where abstraction is damaging the environment, we also have the power to amend or revoke existing licences.  

    Climate change and population growth means there will be less available water with a greater demand for it. By 2050, the amount of water available could be down by 10-15%, with some rivers seeing 50-80% less water during the summer months. We all need to protect the environment by reducing the amount of water we use and ensuring greater efficiency in its use and re-use. 

    Background 

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Historic Danish public-private partnership with WFP expands home-grown school meals in East Africa

    Source: World Food Programme

    The three-year initiative is backed by US$40 million in co-financing from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Grundfos Foundation.

    COPENHAGEN – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is extending its partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, through a historic private-public sector collaboration that brings in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Grundfos Foundation, to expand home-grown school meals programme in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

    This partnership builds on WFP’s leading work on school meals globally to co-create a programme to deliver safe, nutritious, and locally sourced school meals, while also strengthening the climate resilience of smallholder farmers and promoting clean cooking solutions in schools. The partnership includes a strong focus on research and learning, leveraging expertise of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Grundfos Foundation.

    Running from January 2025 for three years, the initiative is backed by a historic USD 40 million in co-financing from the Danish Government and the two foundations – the first of its kind to WFP.

    Over the next three years, the initiative will reach 321,400 students in 375 schools across East Africa with nutritious home-grown meals. Around these schools, the partnership will build an ecosystem of support that ensures the long-term sustainability of the initiative. This includes establishing 1,300 school gardens, training 61,500 smallholder farmers in climate-smart food production and equipping schools with fuel-efficient cooking infrastructure.

    The partnership builds on an initial phase that ran from November 2022 to December 2024 in Rwanda and Uganda with an initial USD 4.1 million investment from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. This second phase expands on the effort to include schools in Kenya’s Turkana County and scale up coverage in Uganda and Rwanda.

    The home-grown school meals programme is a flagship WFP initiative that addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing both people and the planet: food insecurity and sustainable agricultural practices. The linking of school meal programmes to local agriculture creates stable markets for smallholder farmers, helps to foster job creation—particularly for women—and supports the transition to climate-smart agricultural techniques.

    It also supports the local governments’ national development agenda, aligning with broader momentum around the school meals in the region and globally through the School Meals Coalition, which WFP serves as the Secretariat.  In addition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities will be constructed or rehabilitated, cooks and school staff will receive training and public information campaigns will inform and educate the local communities. Government staff will also be trained to strengthen national capacity.

    This initiative underscores the commitment of WFP and its partners to fostering resilient food systems and ensuring that school meals provide not only essential nutrition but also long-term economic and environmental benefits. By connecting school meal procurement to local agriculture, the programme enhances food security, supports smallholder farmers, and strengthens local economies.

     

    Notes to Editor

    Quote attributable to Cindy McCain, Executive Director, UN World Food Programme: “School meals are so much more than just a plate of food – they are transformational programs that help vulnerable children to learn, communities to make a sustainable living and economies to grow and prosper. This pioneering partnership demonstrates how we can bring together expertise from the private and public sectors to create and fund innovative programs that address the root causes of hunger and support long-term resilience against food insecurity.”

    Quote attributable to Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation: “By supporting homegrown school meal programmes we are able to address both human and planetary health through the advancement of nutritious meals and clean cooking methods in schools coupled with climate-smart agriculture. Schools hold great potential to be catalytic platforms for food systems transformation while improving the health and learning outcomes of children.”

    Quote attributable to Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark: “More can be achieved when government, business and civil society join hands and find solutions together. It is a top priority for the Danish government to build stronger partnerships between public and private actors. This partnership is a great example of that aspiration. It will not only provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and help improve food security, but also build resilience and generate employment in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.”

    Quote attributable to Kim Nøhr Skibsted, Executive Director, Grundfos Foundation: “This partnership offers a unique opportunity to create lasting, sustainable change with a long-term impact on both children, youth and adults by leveraging the combined strengths of the partners. With this partnership water solutions for climate-smart production will be strengthened by expanding water access and providing climate adaptation solutions.”

    About the School Meals Coalition: The School Meals Coalition is a government-led network of over 100 governments, 6 regional and sub-regional bodies and over 140 partners committed to school meals. It drives actions to urgently improve and scale up school meal programmes to ensure that every child can receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030. WFP serves as the Secretariat to the School Meals Coalition. For more information, visit : SchoolMealsCoalition.org

    #                    #                       #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_dk @wfp_africa

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stormont spending £1,000 a week on photographers

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston:

    “Some weeks ago, I exposed the fact that Stormont departments were spending over £35,600 a week on hospitality.

    “Due to a more recent set of questions, I have established that since the restoration of the Executive £60,675.40  has been spent on photographers by government departments.

    “Importantly, this figure does not represent the entire spend as one Department particularly fond of photographs – that of the First and deputy First Minister – has failed to respond. The Executive Office was required by Assembly standing orders to respond a month ago. However, as so often happens with the Executive Office Ms O’Neill and Ms Pengelly have simply ignored their duty to respond to the question within the required time frame. This lack of response shows contempt for the people of North Antrim who I represent in the Assembly and it is a common occurrence when it comes to the Executive Office.

    “In terms of the departments which did reply it is noteworthy that while some of the figures spent by departments are relatively modest, there are other Ministers who appear to be very fond of photographers. Agriculture, for example, has spent just £5,211 with the majority of that (£2,903) going on “publicity material essential for the promotion and marketing of a variety of events including Careers Fairs and Open Days to encourage student enrolment and courses for the wider community and industries.”

    “Minister Mur’s party colleague Mrs Long, however, heads a department which spent £11,311 with no such explanation offered for a much larger sum.

    “The full breakdown of answers by Departments can be accessed here.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace Statement: Greenpeace corrects Federated Farmers’ impotent attack

    Source: Greenpeace

    In response to the “desperate bid” by Federated Farmers to curtail Greenpeace, the environmental heavyweight has issued a correction to the agri-industry lobby group’s “scurrilous complaint” made to the Charities Commission yesterday.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Niamh O’Flynn says, “It’s just another attempt to shut down dissent by Federated Farmers. The Feds are a lobby group for New Zealand’s biggest polluters, and this crack at peaceful protest is part of a global trend that we must not stand for.
    Greenpeace has faced polluters trying to shut us down for decades. Just like the French bombed the Rainbow Warrior 40 years ago to try to stop our opposition to nuclear testing in the Pacific, and the oil industry is currently trying to eliminate Greenpeace in the US, this is another, albeit impotent, attempt to curtail legitimate peaceful protest.”
    Greenpeace says that the Federated Farmers list of Greenpeace protests is far from comprehensive and omits dozens of examples of direct action that have played a key role in bringing about positive change in Aotearoa and beyond.
    O’Flynn says, “Greenpeace has a long history of taking direct action to highlight environmental injustices and stop polluting industries like Fonterra from harming the environment. Federated Farmers have curated a list of some of our most impactful actions – but they’ve left quite a few out and we want to set the record straight.”
    “Since the 1970s, Greenpeace has campaigned in Aotearoa and the Pacific to ensure that the environment is protected from harm by industries like nuclear weapons, fossil fuels, intensive dairy and commercial fishing that cause significant harm to our collective home. That means that sometimes we will put our bodies on the line to stop corporations from harming the planet.”
    “Importantly, many of our actions to highlight environmental injustice have led to changes that we pride ourselves on as a nation. The nuclear free campaigns of the 1970s and 80s led to New Zealand declaring itself nuclear free, and to the end of nuclear testing in the Pacific. The GE-free campaign led to New Zealand imposing a moratorium on GE crops. The campaign to end oil and gas exploration led to a ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration in Aotearoa. The campaign to stop the Ruataniwha Dam protected the rivers of the Hawke’s Bay from pollution from intensive dairy expansion, and prevented conservation land from being flooded to build a dam.
    “New Zealanders care deeply about nature and history shows that Greenpeace protests have protected that.. Our actions sit alongside long-fought legal battles, petitions, and mass protests and marches in the streets of New Zealand’s biggest cities.
    “We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on our long history of actions that have succeeded in protecting nature from industries that seek to destroy it.”
    An expanded (but not comprehensive), list of key Greenpeace Aotearoa actions dating back to the 1970s is below.
    1970s:
    • In 1972, the Nuclear Campaign started with the first protest flotilla mobilisation to oppose and disrupt the French Government’s atmospheric nuclear weapons testing programme at Moruroa Atoll in Te Ao Maohi/French Polynesia. This was led by the boat (SV) Greenpeace III, previously named the Vega.
    • In 1973, a second, larger flotilla sailed to the Moruroa Atoll including the Vega. Sailing into the nuclear testing zone prevented the French from being able to detonate bombs.
    1980s:
    • In July 1985, the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior was bombed in the Auckland Harbour following direct actions in the Pacific to oppose nuclear testing – including the evacuation of the people of Rongelap.
    • In September 1985, Greenpeace sent MV Greenpeace to protest against the French Government’s nuclear testing programme at Moruroa Atoll alongside a flotilla of New Zealand protest boats including SV Vega, SV Alliance, SV Varangian, and SV Breeze.
    1990s:
    • In 1995 Greenpeace once again sailed the Rainbow Warrior II into nuclear testing zones in Moruroa and Tahiti to protest the resumption of French nuclear testing.
    • In 1995, Greenpeace protested against CHOGM in Auckland over the impending execution of Ogoni environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by the military regime that ruled Nigeria.
    • In 1997, Greenpeace activists blocked the Stratford gas-fired power station’s generators being unloaded in the Port of Taranaki
    • In 1998, during the SV Rainbow Warrior II tour, Greenpeace ‘unplugged’ Fletcher Challenge Energy’s seismic testing cabling in Taranaki.
    • During the 1990s, Greenpeace championed the creation of a 50 million square kilometre Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around the Antarctic continent and launched a series of anti-whaling expeditions into the Southern Ocean to expose and confront the Japanese Government’s bogus ‘scientific’ whaling fleet operating there.
    2000s:
    • In December 2000, Greenpeace activists stopped the production of genetically engineered feed at a Tegel plant in Takanini.
    • In 2002, activists in Auckland scaled a waste incineration facility chimney, capped it, and locked on to highlight dioxin pollution.
    • In August 2003, Greenpeace activists boarded a coal ship in Tauranga in opposition to coal mining.
    • In 2004, the SV Rainbow Warrior II‘s crew used inflatable boats to disrupt the NZ bottom trawler, Ocean Reward, to stop it destroying deep-sea life while fishing in international waters in the Tasman Sea. They delayed the fishing vessel from deploying its trawl net by attaching an inflatable life-raft to it, running the gauntlet of being shot at with compressed air guns and sprayed with high pressure fire hoses by the Ocean Reward’s crew.
    • In May 2004, Greenpeace activists locked on to the Auckland McDonalds distribution centre gates over McDonalds’ use of GE feed.
    • In February 2005, Greenpeace activists occupied the roof of the Marsden B power station.
    • In July 2006, Greenpeace activists locked on to a Chinese bottom trawling ship in the Port of Nelson to prevent the destruction caused by the bottom trawling industry to the seafloor.
    • In October 2008, Greenpeace activists in Tokoroa locked on to logging equipment to stop conversion to pasture for intensive agriculture.
    • In October 2009, Greenpeace activists locked on to a palm kernel shipment in Taranaki to protest links to rainforest destruction and climate change.
    • In November 2009, Greenpeace activists shut down a pit of a New Vale lignite coal mine, used by Fonterra to help fuel operations at its nearby Edendale dairy factory.
    2010s
    • In May 2010, Greenpeace activists locked on to a Fonterra coal power plant in Clandeboye
    • In February 2011, Greenpeace activists locked on to a ship carrying palm kernel in New Plymouth to protest the links to rainforest destruction and climate change.
    • Also in 2011, a flotilla of boats from around the North Island, including the Te Whanau a Apanui fishing vessel San Pietro, began a landmark at-sea protest against offshore oil surveying by oil giant Petrobras that lasted 42 days.
    • In 2012, Greenpeace activists occupied the oil drilling ship The Noble Discoverer in Port Taranaki and camped on its tower for 77 hours, to protest the environmental destruction caused by oil drilling.
    • In 2013, as part of the Oil Free Seas Flotilla, Greenpeace activists broke the newly introduced Anadarko Amendment by sailing into the exclusion zone to confront oil giant Anadarko at sea.
    • In September 2016, Greenpeace ‘returned to sender’ the site office at the Ruataniwha Dam construction site. The activists removed the site office from its location near the Makaroro River, and returned it to the regional council who were promoting the dam’s construction. After a long campaign to prevent this dam from being built, the Council pulled its funding for the dam and the land exchange required to construct it was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.
    • In 2016, Greenpeace and people from around the country blockaded Sky City which was hosting the annual oil industry conference.
    • In 2016 Greenpeace activists locked on board the NIWA taxpayer-funded climate and ocean research boat which had been chartered by petroleum giant Chevron to survey for oil in New Zealand waters
    • In August 2017, Greenpeace protestors spent 12 hours locked inside irrigation pipes in a bid to slow the construction of the Central Plains Water Scheme
    • In September 2017, Greenpeace activists staged a ‘lightning’ occupation of a dam construction site in Canterbury after facing legal threats from a big irrigation company.
    • The Amazon Warrior Sea Protest in 2017, where Greenpeace’s Executive Director Russel Norman and two others jumped into the ocean in front of the Amazon Warrior to prevent seismic drilling.
    • In July 2018, Greenpeace protestors occupied the site of a proposed dairy expansion in Mackenzie Country and refused to leave.
    • The occupation of oil drilling support vessel the Skandi Atlantic at the port of Timaru in 2019, to prevent it from supporting oil giant OMV to search for oil off the coast of Taranaki
    • In 2019, Greenpeace activists alongside youth climate movement School Strike 4 Climate occupied the headquarters of OMV in Taranaki for several days over the role of the fossil fuel industry in fuelling the climate crisis.
    2020s:
    • In 2020, Greenpeace activists climbed the Fertiliser Association building and unfurled a giant banner calling for an end to the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Subsequently, the government introduced a cap on the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser used on farms.
    • In 2021, Greenpeace activists took action against fishing company Talleys in Nelson, painting a message on the side of the ship to protest bottom trawling.
    • In 2022, Greenpeace activists deployed a 1500 square metre banner at the Kapuni Fertiliser factory, labelling synthetic nitrogen fertiliser ‘cancer fertiliser’.
    • In 2023, Greenpeace activists dropped banners inside the Parliament gallery to protest inaction on climate change.
    • In 2024, Greenpeace activists scaled Fonterra’s Te Rapa dairy factory in Hamilton and dropped a giant banner reading ‘Fonterra’s methane cooks the climate’, to protest the superheating methane gas produced by Fonterra’s oversized dairy herd.
    • Also in 2024, Greenpeace shut down the offices of Straterra – a mining lobbying firm who are working to advance seabed mining off the coast of Taranaki despite widespread community opposition. Two Greenpeace activists scaled the building while three others locked themselves inside the offices.
    • In November 2024, Greenpeace activists interrupted the AGM of Manuka Resources – the parent company of seabed mining company Trans-Tasman Resources who are attempting to mine the seabed off the coast of Taranaki.
    • In April 2025, Greenpeace activists shut down operations at a palm kernel storage facility in Port Taranaki for several hours, preventing a ship from offloading thirty thousand tonnes of palm kernel connected to the destruction of Indonesian rainforests.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Plan aims to boost strength in agriculture

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    An aerial drone photo shows farmers operating machines for pest control at a wheat field in Yumin Village of Tongzhou District in Nantong City, east China’s Jiangsu province, Feb. 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China has unveiled a plan to accelerate building up its strength in agriculture for the period from 2024 to 2035.
    The plan, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, sets the main goal of achieving notable progress in building up China’s strength in agriculture by 2027.
    It also aims for substantial advances in rural revitalization and a new stage of modernization in agriculture and rural areas by 2027.
    By 2035, the plan envisions decisive progress in all-round rural revitalization, the basic realization of agricultural modernization, and the establishment of modern standards of living in rural areas.
    According to the plan, China aims to fully establish its agricultural strength by the mid-century. The country seeks to ensure a stable and reliable supply, achieve self-reliance in scientific and technological innovation, build robust infrastructure, and develop efficient, well-integrated rural industrial chains.
    The plan also envisions building beautiful countryside, improving farmers’ well-being, enhancing the international competitiveness of agriculture, achieving full urban-rural integration and comprehensive rural revitalization, and fully modernizing agriculture and rural areas by mid-century.
    To achieve these targets, the plan outlines key tasks such as ensuring a more stable and reliable supply, and promoting innovation in agricultural science, technology and equipment.
    The plan calls for improving the modern agricultural business operating system, promoting better integration of smallholder farmers into modern agricultural practices, and upgrading the entire agricultural industry chain.
    The tasks also include further deepening international cooperation in agriculture, promoting the building of a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in, and improving rural living standards.
    In addition, the plan emphasizes promoting integrated urban-rural development and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Southeast Asia Poised to Become a Global Hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

    Source: ASEAN

    JAKARTA, 8 April 2025 — Southeast Asia’s abundant agricultural feedstocks offer potential for the region to become a global hub for SAF, according to a joint Canadian-ASEAN research project.

    The “Promoting the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) from Agricultural Waste in the ASEAN Region” project marks a significant step towards a more sustainable aviation future in Southeast Asia. It was carried out by the ASEAN Secretariat, GHD, Boeing, Canadian Trade and Investment Facility for Development (CTIF), funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and implemented by Cowater International, the Institute of Public Administrators of Canada (IPAC).

    SAF is a renewable or waste-derived aviation fuel that meets sustainability criteria, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and is compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure, as a “drop-in” fuel.  Aviation engines can currently run on a mix of 50% SAF and 50% conventional aviation fuel, but the industry is working towards a 100% SAF mix. SAF lowers carbon emissions over the fuel’s life cycle by up to 80%, depending on the feedstock, with the potential to reduce even more in the future. SAF can be made from a wide variety of sources: cover crops and other nonedible plants, agricultural and forestry waste, non-recyclable municipal waste, industrial plant off-gassing and other feedstocks.

    As part of the project, a techno-economic assessment was conducted in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, focusing on feedstock availability, technology pathways, carbon intensity, logistics, environmental and social aspects, institutional frameworks, and financial assessment.

    With improvements in economic feasibility, SAF production in ASEAN could surpass regional demand, enabling exports both within and beyond ASEAN.

    The expansion of SAF feedstock supply is expected to stem from enhanced farming practices and large-scale biomass utilisation rather than land expansion. The report emphasised that mechanisation, improved irrigation, and R&D in crop optimisation could boost feedstock availability without increasing deforestation or land conversion.

    Beyond environmental benefits, the project highlighted SAF’s role in fostering gender equality and economic development. The SAF sector offers opportunities for job creation, upskilling, and workforce diversification, with a strong emphasis on inclusive participation of women and marginalised communities.

    Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community, Satvinder Singh, commended the initiative, stating: “This initiative marks a significant step in advancing ASEAN’s commitment to sustainable aviation. By leveraging regional resources and innovation, we are not only addressing environmental challenges but also driving economic growth and enhancing energy security. The successful completion of this project underscores ASEAN’s capacity for effective collaboration in tackling climate challenges while creating new opportunities for our communities.”

    CTIF Project Manager Hendry Predy also commented on the initiative stating “CTIF technical assistance supported Southeast Asia countries with a project to improve the ability of the energy sector to assess the reliability of the upstream feedstock supply and the potential for sustained use and production within the region. The recommendations from the proposed project informed on the future development and operation of the pilot areas in selected member countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) to convert agricultural waste and residues to SAF. The project and recommendations supported the ASEAN Secretariat in ascertaining the reliability of feedstock supply for renewable fuels.”

    Sharmine Tan, Boeing’s regional sustainability lead for Southeast Asia said “SAF is the biggest opportunity to cut aviation emissions over the next 30 years. This research highlights Southeast Asia’s rich SAF feedstock potential, positioning the region as a key player in meeting global SAF demand. To unlock this potential, governments and industry must act decisively, harmonise sustainability policies, invest in infrastructure, and scale local production to build a robust regional SAF ecosystem. Southeast Asia has a unique opportunity to lead sustainable aviation while driving economic growth and environmental stewardship.”

    Sachin Narang, GHD’s Executive Advisor – Energy and Infrastructure, said, “The successful completion of this project represents a major milestone in ASEAN’s journey toward sustainable aviation. The insights gained will serve as a foundation for future SAF initiatives, investments, and policy development across the region.”

    The ASEAN Secretariat, together with its partners, invites continued collaboration with governments, industry leaders, research institutions, and investors to support the regional transition to SAF. Building on the findings of this project, the next phase will focus on areas such as enabling policy development, strengthening technical capacity, and mobilising investment to support SAF deployment, among other collaborative efforts. Together, ASEAN governments, businesses and communities can help shape a sustainable aviation future that contributes meaningfully to regional and global sustainability goals.

    The full Techno-Economic Assessment Report for the project can be referred to here: https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/12634962-RPT-6-Techno-Economic-Assessment-Final-Report_April-2025.pdf

    Media contacts:

    ASEAN Secretariat

    Mustika L. Hapsoro Media Officer, mustika.hapsoro@asean.org

    Image Credit: ASEAN Secretariat
    The post Southeast Asia Poised to Become a Global Hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s who topped the rankings in this year’s scorecard for sustainable chocolate – and which confectionery giant refused to participate

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Perkiss, Associate professor in accounting, University of Wollongong

    Jiri Hera/Shutterstock

    With the Easter weekend now around the corner, the sixth edition of the Global Chocolate Scorecard has just been released.

    This is an annual initiative produced by Be Slavery Free, in collaboration with two Australian universities and a wide range of consultants and sustainability interest groups.

    It ranks companies across the entire chocolate sector – from major multinational producers through to retailers – on a wide range of sustainability policies and practices.

    This year, there have been some improvements across the board.

    Transparency has increased, with 82% of companies now fully disclosing child labour data, up from 45% in 2023. The data reported also shows the discovery of child labour is down in the sector.

    On other measures, the sector is less commendable. Deforestation is still high, with more than a third of cocoa bought by companies coming from deforested or unknown sources.

    Companies reported that 84% of cocoa farmers in their supply chain are not earning a living income – or their income is unknown. And there hasn’t been enough progress on the use of pesticides to address the chronic exposure of communities to harmful chemicals.

    Chocolate’s annual scorecard

    The Global Chocolate Scorecard evaluates and ranks chocolate traders, manufacturers, brands and retailers.

    The Global Chocolate Scorecard is released every year around Easter time.
    New Africa/Shutterstock

    This year, 60 companies from around the world were invited to participate. Collectively, these companies purchase more than 90% of the world’s cocoa.

    Companies are categorised as either large, small (less than 1,000 tons of cocoa) or retailers. They’re evaluated based on a range of policies and practices.

    These include:

    • traceability and transparency levels across supply chains
    • whether they pay farmers a living income
    • efforts to prevent the use of child labour
    • action on climate and deforestation
    • how they support agroforestry
    • efforts to eliminate the use of harmful pesticides.

    Top of the class

    Awards were given out this year to the best and the worst performers – a “Good Egg” award in each category, a gender award, and a “Bad Egg” award overall.

    This year, Tony’s Chocolonely won the Good Egg award in the large company category. It scored the highest against the six markers, representing the most sustainable chocolate company according to the scorecard.

    The Gender award went to Mars Wrigley – which produces Mars, Snickers, Twix and Malteasers – recognising the company for work supporting gender equality.

    The Good Egg award for smaller companies went to US chocolate manufacturer Beyond Good. Beyond Good buys beans directly from farmers in Madagascar and Uganda, ensuring traceability and fair trade practices.

    Unlike indirect sourcing in the cocoa commodity supply chain, Beyond Good’s direct trade model means the company buys cocoa direct from the farmers. Bypassing intermediaries enables better transparency and supply chain relationships.

    Companies reported 84% of cocoa farmers either weren’t earning a living income, or their income was unknown.
    Narong Khueankaew/Shutterstock

    The ‘bad egg’ award

    This year, multinational chocolate manufacturer Mondelēz, producers of Cadbury, Toblerone, Green & Black’s, Oreo and Daim, was given the “Bad Egg” award.

    The award recognises the company’s decision not to participate in this year’s chocolate scorecard process, indicating of a lack of transparency and public accountability.

    Mondelēz did participate in the last (fifth) edition, ranking 25th out of 38 large companies. The company has not provided a reason for not participating this year. However, it is an outlier, as all other large chocolate companies participated.

    Another notable absence from this year’s scorecard was major Australian retailer Coles, which has participated in the past.

    Transparency allows consumers to find out what steps companies are taking to improve sustainability in their supply chains.
    New Africa/Shutterstock

    The understanding that businesses have a responsibility to be accountable to their consumers is not new. It encompasses aspects of corporate social responsibility – compliance, ethical and sustainable practices, and transparency.

    To be transparent, companies need to be open and honest about how their products are made, how their prices are set and what policies they follow.

    A sector in turmoil

    The global chocolate sector is facing some serious challenges. About 75% of the world’s cocoa is produced in West Africa.

    Cocoa prices surged to record highs in 2024. Many major chocolate companies increased their prices as a result.

    Despite the price of chocolate rising, these increases are often not passed on, leaving many cocoa farmers in extreme poverty. This is in addition to struggling with the impacts of climate change.

    New uncertainty for producers are only set to worsen in the wake of the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and International Labour Affairs Bureau programs. Such cuts ending projects for health, humans rights and monitoring risk reversing the much celebrated progress on reducing child labour in chocolate supply chains.

    Stephanie Perkiss is part of the Chocolate Scorecard’s Data Integrity & Ethics and Research team.

    – ref. Here’s who topped the rankings in this year’s scorecard for sustainable chocolate – and which confectionery giant refused to participate – https://theconversation.com/heres-who-topped-the-rankings-in-this-years-scorecard-for-sustainable-chocolate-and-which-confectionery-giant-refused-to-participate-253933

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Farmer banned from owning farm animals for 2 years, placed on 6 months community detention over lack of food and welfare for sheep

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    A Woodville farmer has been banned from owning or being in charge of farm animals and placed on 6 months community detention over a lack of food and welfare that led to 55 sheep being euthanised and others suffering.

    Noel Thomas Cunningham (64) was sentenced (7 April 2025) in the Palmerston North District on 3 charges he pleaded guilty to under the Animal Welfare Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

    “When animal welfare inspectors visited the farm, they found infrastructure including fencing and water reticulation, particularly on the 40-hectare sheep block, showed maintenance and management had been lacking for some time. Most of the sheep fences were not stock proof and pasture was tired and indicative of poor grazing management.  An open fronted shed containing multiple sheep carcasses, along with shallow graves in an adjacent paddock indicated a history of poor care and management of the sheep,” says MPI manager animal welfare and NAIT compliance central, Gray Harrison.

    “Many of the existing sheep were underweight and displaying signs of lice infestation, and some had to be euthanised to prevent further stress and suffering.

    “This level of neglect is unacceptable. When we find evidence of it, we will take action.”

    An MPI animal welfare inspector and 2 veterinarians inspected a total of 322 animals. They found 25 recently dead sheep and a number of dead newborn lambs. 55 sheep had to be euthanised because they were so thin and affected by parasites. 90 ewes that were also very thin were not euthanised because it would have compromised the health of their lambs, and the welfare needs of 179 other sheep were not being met.

    “Mr Cunningham was an experienced farmer, yet we found no evidence of sheep management or routine husbandry being carried out. Some of the sheep that died were found near water courses, stuck in mud and at various stages of decomposition. Most farmers do the right thing for their animals. Mr Cunningham failed the basics – providing quality feed and good access to water, along with timely care,” says Gray Harrison.

    Animal welfare is everyone’s responsibility and MPI strongly encourages any member of the public who is aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 00 83 33.

    For further information and general enquiries, email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: This Easter, check out which chocolate brands are most ethical

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Perkiss, Associate professor in accounting, University of Wollongong

    Jiri Hera/Shutterstock

    With the Easter weekend now around the corner, the sixth edition of the Global Chocolate Scorecard has just been released.

    This is an annual initiative produced by Be Slavery Free, in collaboration with two Australian universities and a wide range of consultants and sustainability interest groups.

    It ranks companies across the entire chocolate sector – from major multinational producers through to retailers – on a wide range of sustainability policies and practices.

    This year, there have been some improvements across the board.

    Transparency has increased, with 82% of companies now fully disclosing child labour data, up from 45% in 2023. The data reported also shows the discovery of child labour is down in the sector.

    On other measures, the sector is less commendable. Deforestation is still high, with more than a third of cocoa bought by companies coming from deforested or unknown sources.

    Companies reported that 84% of cocoa farmers in their supply chain are not earning a living income – or their income is unknown. And there hasn’t been enough progress on the use of pesticides to address the chronic exposure of communities to harmful chemicals.

    Chocolate’s annual scorecard

    The Global Chocolate Scorecard evaluates and ranks chocolate traders, manufacturers, brands and retailers.

    The Global Chocolate Scorecard is released every year around Easter time.
    New Africa/Shutterstock

    This year, 60 companies from around the world were invited to participate. Collectively, these companies purchase more than 90% of the world’s cocoa.

    Companies are categorised as either large, small (less than 1,000 tons of cocoa) or retailers. They’re evaluated based on a range of policies and practices.

    These include:

    • traceability and transparency levels across supply chains
    • whether they pay farmers a living income
    • efforts to prevent the use of child labour
    • action on climate and deforestation
    • how they support agroforestry
    • efforts to eliminate the use of harmful pesticides.

    Top of the class

    Awards were given out this year to the best and the worst performers – a “Good Egg” award in each category, a gender award, and a “Bad Egg” award overall.

    This year, Tony’s Chocolonely won the Good Egg award in the large company category. It scored the highest against the six markers, representing the most sustainable chocolate company according to the scorecard.

    The Gender award went to Mars Wrigley – which produces Mars, Snickers, Twix and Malteasers – recognising the company for work supporting gender equality.

    The Good Egg award for smaller companies went to US chocolate manufacturer Beyond Good. Beyond Good buys beans directly from farmers in Madagascar and Uganda, ensuring traceability and fair trade practices.

    Unlike indirect sourcing in the cocoa commodity supply chain, Beyond Good’s direct trade model means the company buys cocoa direct from the farmers. Bypassing intermediaries enables better transparency and supply chain relationships.

    Companies reported 84% of cocoa farmers either weren’t earning a living income, or their income was unknown.
    Narong Khueankaew/Shutterstock

    The ‘bad egg’ award

    This year, multinational chocolate manufacturer Mondelēz, producers of Cadbury, Toblerone, Green & Black’s, Oreo and Daim, was given the “Bad Egg” award.

    The award recognises the company’s decision not to participate in this year’s chocolate scorecard process, indicating of a lack of transparency and public accountability.

    Mondelēz did participate in the last (fifth) edition, ranking 25th out of 38 large companies. The company has not provided a reason for not participating this year. However, it is an outlier, as all other large chocolate companies participated.

    Another notable absence from this year’s scorecard was major Australian retailer Coles, which has participated in the past.

    Transparency allows consumers to find out what steps companies are taking to improve sustainability in their supply chains.
    New Africa/Shutterstock

    The understanding that businesses have a responsibility to be accountable to their consumers is not new. It encompasses aspects of corporate social responsibility – compliance, ethical and sustainable practices, and transparency.

    To be transparent, companies need to be open and honest about how their products are made, how their prices are set and what policies they follow.

    A sector in turmoil

    The global chocolate sector is facing some serious challenges. About 75% of the world’s cocoa is produced in West Africa.

    Cocoa prices surged to record highs in 2024. Many major chocolate companies increased their prices as a result.

    Despite the price of chocolate rising, these increases are often not passed on, leaving many cocoa farmers in extreme poverty. This is in addition to struggling with the impacts of climate change.

    New uncertainty for producers are only set to worsen in the wake of the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and International Labour Affairs Bureau programs. Such cuts ending projects for health, humans rights and monitoring risk reversing the much celebrated progress on reducing child labour in chocolate supply chains.

    Stephanie Perkiss is part of the Chocolate Scorecard’s Data Integrity & Ethics and Research team.

    – ref. This Easter, check out which chocolate brands are most ethical – https://theconversation.com/this-easter-check-out-which-chocolate-brands-are-most-ethical-253933

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons slams President Trump’s sweeping tariffs during Fox News Sunday interview

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream this weekend to push back against President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed last week. 
    Following Trump’s announcement of tariffs last week, the U.S. has begun collecting a 10% “baseline” tariff on nearly all imports and will soon begin collecting “reciprocal” tariffs as high as 50% on approximately 60 countries, including many of our closest allies and largest trading partners. Financial markets have seen the largest declines since the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
    In his interview, Senator Coons highlighted the pain that these tariffs will cause for all American families, regardless of whether or not they’re invested in the stock market. The price of everyday goods will quickly jump for everything from fruits and vegetables to consumer electronics to clothing, hitting working-class families hardest. Even American manufacturers will see their costs soar, as they often rely on inputs created overseas.
    A video and partial transcript of Senator Coons’ interview are available below.
    WATCH HERE
    Senator Coons: President Trump announced tariffs this week on almost every country on Earth, including many with which we have a trade surplus. What my colleague, Senator Mullin, just said about how President Trump is rebalancing trade and he’s going after those that have a trade surplus with us, doesn’t account for the fact that he’s slapping tariffs on every country, including our closest partners and allies. That’s going to raise prices for middle Americans. They’re going to pay more for fruits and vegetables, gas, cars, furniture, clothing. It’s going to make America less affordable, not more affordable, which was a key campaign promise of President Trump’s.
    …
    Shannon Bream: Some autoworkers, some farmers, some ranchers––what do you say to them? They think that this is going to actually help them, that they’ve been at a very unfair disadvantage.
    Senator Coons: I would say to them that targeted tariffs that are clearly focused on a few countries where we have bad trade practices, and deep trade imbalances, can be smart economic policy and can help protect American farmers and ranchers and American manufacturers. That’s not what Donald Trump is doing. He’s slapping massive tariffs on almost every country in the world, and it’s hard to explain or justify some of the tariffs he’s imposing. 
    In the coming weeks and months, when millions of Americans see their 401Ks dissolve, the stock market lost 10% just in the last two days of last week, and when hundreds of millions of Americans pay more for everything that they need for daily living––the groceries that they buy, and the food that they put on the table, and the cost of housing, I think they’re going to be upset and I think we’re going to see long term, broad economic damage, not for a few targeted industries or companies but across the entire American landscape.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington Delegation Honors WSU President Dr. Kirk Schulz

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Washington Delegation Honors WSU President Dr. Kirk Schulz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Members of the Washington Congressional Delegation congratulated Washington State University President Dr. Kirk Schulz on his outstanding tenure and retirement with a written statement in the Congressional Record. 

    The Congressional Record statement reads as follows:  

    Honoring the Legacy of Washington State University President Kirk Schulz 

    April 7, 2025

    Mr. Newhouse of Washington. Mister Speaker, I rise today, alongside my colleagues from Washington state, Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Michael Baumgartner, Emily Randall, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland, to recognize and commend the distinguished tenure of Dr. Kirk Schulz as President of Washington State University (WSU). Since 2016, President Schulz has guided WSU through a period of immense growth, advancing research, student success, and statewide partnerships. As he prepares for retirement, we honor his leadership and dedication to higher education in Washington State.

    Under President Schulz’s tenure, WSU has strengthened its reputation as a world-class research institution, addressing critical challenges in agriculture, medicine, and clean energy. His efforts have ensured that students across our state have access to high-quality education, and his work with Washington’s congressional delegation has helped secure funding for key university initiatives.

    Each of Washington’s ten congressional districts has benefited from President Schulz’s leadership, reinforcing WSU’s role as an institution that serves all Washingtonians. I would like to highlight a few key impacts across the state:

    1st District: WSU has built strong partnerships with the region’s tech industry, working with companies in King and Snohomish counties to prepare students for careers in artificial intelligence, software development, and semiconductor manufacturing. These efforts ensure Washington remains at the forefront of technological advancement.

    2nd District: WSU’s agricultural extension programs in Northwest Washington have played a vital role in supporting farmers and sustaining fisheries in the region. WSU’s Everett campus provides entrepreneurs critical business management skills and trains engineers for the world-class aerospace and high-tech industries in Northwest Washington.

    3rd District: WSU Vancouver has expanded opportunities in STEM education, creating new pathways for students to enter high-demand fields like engineering and healthcare. By connecting with local industries and healthcare providers, WSU is strengthening Southwest Washington’s workforce and economic outlook.

    4th District: Home to some of the nation’s premier vineyards, Central Washington has benefited from WSU’s viticulture and enology programs. Through cutting-edge research and collaboration with winemakers, WSU has helped the region maintain its reputation as a world-class wine producer.

    5th District: WSU’s Pullman campus is a cornerstone of agricultural research, and the completion of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) building has only strengthened that legacy. The facility provides farmers and food producers with critical innovations in crop science and food security, supporting one of Washington’s most essential industries.

    6th District: WSU researchers have been at the forefront of sustainable forestry and climate resilience efforts. Their work supports the health of Washington’s forests, which are vital for the economy, outdoor recreation, and the environment, ensuring these natural resources are protected for future generations.

    7th District: WSU’s collaborations with Seattle-area institutions have led to major advancements in medical research, including breakthroughs in cancer treatment and biomedical engineering. These efforts not only push the boundaries of science but also create opportunities for students to engage in life-changing research.

    8th District: With a focus on clean energy, WSU has led the way in developing innovative hydroelectric, wind, and solar power solutions. These advancements have benefited communities across the Cascades, helping Washington transition to a more sustainable energy future.

    9th District: The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has provided new opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to enter the medical profession. By expanding access to healthcare education, WSU is addressing physician shortages and improving healthcare access across Washington.

    10th District: Military families near Joint Base Lewis-McChord have benefited from WSU’s extension programs, which provide educational support and workforce development opportunities. These initiatives ensure that service members and their families have access to the resources they need to succeed.

    Mister Speaker, as President Schulz concludes his tenure, we recognize his transformative impact on Washington State University and our communities. His leadership has strengthened WSU’s role as a center of innovation, education, and economic opportunity.

    I thank President Schulz for his years of service, and I look forward to seeing how WSU continues to grow and thrive in the years to come. 

    Members of the delegation personally congratulated Dr. Schulz on his retirement: 

    Rep. Susan DelBene (WA-01) said, “As Dr. Schulz prepares for retirement after his impactful tenure at Washington State University, I want to recognize his contributions to the students, the faculty, and the entire community. Under Dr. Schulz, WSU has become a leader in research and innovation, forging partnerships with tech companies in Washington’s 1st Congressional District to equip students with the skills needed for careers in artificial intelligence and software development. His legacy as president will continue to inspire and benefit students for years to come.” 

    Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) said, “During President Schulz’s tenure at Washington State University, tens of thousands of Cougars got a quality education and entered the workforce ready to succeed. Thank you President Schulz for your hard work, years of service and contributions to agriculture in Northwest Washington.” 

    Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) said, “Under my friend President Schulz’s tenure, WSU has strengthened its reputation as a world-class research institution, addressing critical challenges in agriculture, medicine, and clean energy. His efforts have ensured that students have access to high-quality education, and his work with Washington’s congressional delegation has helped secure funding for key university initiatives.” 

    Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06) said, “President Schulz’s leadership can be felt across our entire community, as he has been a champion not just for education but for ensuring students have the resources they need to live and build their best lives. President Schulz and I worked closely together when I served as chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Committee in the Washington State Senate where I got to see first hand the care, intention, and passion he brought to this role — a legacy that will be hard to match.” 

    Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) said, “Thanks to President Schulz’s leadership, WSU’s students, faculty, and staff have played a significant role in groundbreaking innovations in the Seattle area and throughout our region, including supporting major advancements in medical research, cancer treatment, and biomedical engineering. There is no doubt that his partnership and leadership have positively impacted and inspired thousands of students across our district and our state. I wish him all the best as he enters retirement and this next chapter!” 

    Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) said, “I appreciate the years of service of Washington State University President Kirk Schulz. Under his guidance, WSU has not only excelled as a world-class research institution but also expanded opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds and enabled student success. I wish him the best in his next chapter and look forward to seeing how his legacy continues to inspire WSU in the coming years.”

    Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) said, “Land grant universities are special, and I thank President Schulz for his commitment to student success and expanding opportunities for all students. Because of Schulz’s leadership, WSU has made a positive impact in my district, and communities across the entire state.” 

    ###  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils plan to accelerate building up strength in agriculture

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China has unveiled a plan to accelerate building up its strength in agriculture for the period from 2024 to 2035.
    The plan, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, sets the main goal of achieving notable progress in building up China’s strength in agriculture by 2027.
    It also aims for substantial advances in rural revitalization and a new stage of modernization in agriculture and rural areas by 2027.
    By 2035, the plan envisions decisive progress in all-round rural revitalization, the basic realization of agricultural modernization, and the establishment of modern standards of living in rural areas.
    According to the plan, China aims to fully establish its agricultural strength by the mid-century. The country seeks to ensure a stable and reliable supply, achieve self-reliance in scientific and technological innovation, build robust infrastructure, and develop efficient, well-integrated rural industrial chains.
    The plan also envisions building beautiful countryside, improving farmers’ well-being, enhancing the international competitiveness of agriculture, achieving full urban-rural integration and comprehensive rural revitalization, and fully modernizing agriculture and rural areas by mid-century.
    To achieve these targets, the plan outlines key tasks such as ensuring a more stable and reliable supply, and promoting innovation in agricultural science, technology and equipment.
    The plan calls for improving the modern agricultural business operating system, promoting better integration of smallholder farmers into modern agricultural practices, and upgrading the entire agricultural industry chain.
    The tasks also include further deepening international cooperation in agriculture, promoting the building of a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in, and improving rural living standards.
    In addition, the plan emphasizes promoting integrated urban-rural development and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Signs Letter to USDA Requesting Removal of Soda & Energy Drinks from SNAP Purchases

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    .powell@nebraska.gov”>jeff.powell@nebraska.gov

    Gov. Pillen Signs Letter to USDA Requesting Removal of Soda & Energy Drinks from SNAP Purchases

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen signed a letter of intent to Secretary Brooke Rollins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), notifying her of Nebraska’s intent to pursue a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waiver, removing soda and energy drinks from SNAP allowable purchases. Nebraska is the second state to submit such a waiver. 

    Gov. Pillen was joined by leadership from the Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Eric Sherman, chief medical officer at the Charles Drew Health Center; Director of the Department of Agriculture Sherry Vinton; and Senator Brian Hardin, chairman of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee. 

    “We are starving in the midst of plenty,” said Gov. Pillen. “We are surrounded by an endless number of food and beverage choices that contain numerous preservatives, carbohydrates and sugars, which can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and other chronic diseases.”

    The SNAP program supports individuals and families with access to nutritious options to improve their health and well-being. However, SNAP currently allows the purchase of any food or beverage that has a nutritional label, regardless of its nutritional value. According to the USDA, soft drinks or soda are the most common SNAP purchase. Approximately 75,000 households or 152,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits in Nebraska. It is estimated 67,690 are youth. 

    Studies have shown children who drink high levels of soda are more likely to exhibit withdrawn behavior and attention problems. High levels of sugar can also lead to long-term effects such as type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease, and poor bone health. Caffeine found in energy drinks also has negative effects in children and youth, including increases in stress, anxiety, agitation, sleep disturbance, and high blood pressure, often leading to difficulties in learning and academic performance. 

    “Unfortunately, the obesity epidemic is only getting worse in the United States. The key to making health improvements is to encourage physical activity, healthy food and drink choices, and healthy eating behaviors,” said pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Eric Sherman, Chief Medical Officer of the Charles Drew Health Center in Omaha. “I appreciate Governor Pillen for his willingness to take this important step to promote health and wellness in Nebraska.” 

    “Protecting Nebraska’s children is a top priority for Governor Pillen,” said DHHS CEO Steve Corsi. “The decision to omit harmful drinks from SNAP purchases is an important step that will help children and families live healthy lives and have bright futures.”

    Once approved by the USDA, DHHS will partner with grocers and other stakeholders to implement a waiver that will ensure Nebraskans are able to maximize their SNAP dollars while accessing healthy options.

    “My team and I are ready to hit the ground running and collaborate with our partners as we develop the waiver and implementation plan that expands outreach efforts and supports participants in accessing tools and resources to make informed and healthy choices,” said Shannon Grotrian, director of the DHHS Office of Economic Assistance. 

    Speaking about soda in particular, Sen. Hardin noted that while enjoyable, it was questionable that soda could be characterized as a healthy product. 

    “We’re going to do something about that here in Nebraska and other states will be following us in that endeavor,” said Sen. Hardin. “It’s exciting to be part of something that helps people to live better and feel better.”

    (Left to right: Dr. Sherman, Director Vinton, CEO Corsi, Gov. Pillen, Sen. Hardin, Director Grotrian)

    Dr. Sherman, Charles Drew Health Center

    Senator Brian Hardin

    Gov. Pillen signs waiver letter request

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming National Guard Counterdrug Program combats drug threats through education and prevention

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming National Guard

    By Sgt. Joseph Burns

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Since its inception in 1989, the Wyoming National Guard Counterdrug Program plays a vital part in the battle against illicit drugs and transnational criminal threats.

    Designed to harness the unique capabilities of the National Guard, the program continues to deliver measurable results through its partnerships with law enforcement, schools and community organizations.

    In the past year alone, the counterdrug program has made major strides in reducing the impact of narcotics across the state. Through close coordination with law enforcement, the program directly supported operations that led to the arrest of 207 individuals connected to drug-related crimes. These efforts also resulted in the seizure of 9.8 pounds of fentanyl and 20.27 pounds of methamphetamine—dangerous substances with the potential to devastate communities.

    “The results we’re seeing are a testament to the commitment and professionalism of our team,” said Sgt. Maj. Katherine Zwiefel, Wyoming Counterdrug coordinator. “Every pound of drugs taken off the street, every partnership we strengthen, and every student we reach—it all adds up to lives saved.”

    Beyond interdiction and law enforcement support, the Wyoming Counterdrug Program has significantly expanded its prevention and education outreach. Working closely with educators and local coalitions, Guardsmen delivered classroom presentations to more than 1,794 students, spent over 75 hours in youth mentorship and leadership development activities designed to prevent substance abuse before it begins.

    In the last year, the team dedicated over 40 hours to coalition engagement and trained 20 personnel in the administration of Narcan, enhancing Wyoming’s readiness to respond to opioid overdoses.

    “Our greatest weapon in the fight against addiction is education,” Zwiefel added. “When we connect with kids early and give them the tools to succeed, we’re building stronger communities and a healthier future.”

    The program’s holistic approach—combining military expertise, community engagement and interagency cooperation—continues to evolve in response to emerging drug threats, including the opioid epidemic.

    “The counterdrug program is an essential piece of our statewide response to the drug crisis,” said Brig. Gen. Michelle Mulberry, Cowboy Guard Director of the Joint Staff. “Their work not only helps take drugs off the streets but also builds resilience in our schools and strengthens the partnerships that protect our communities.”

    Members of the Wyoming National Guard and Colorado National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Park County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Cody Police Department, Healthy Park County Coalition and other partners pose for a photo and flew around the state to make neighborhoods safer by supporting the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, in Jackson, Wind-River, Riverton, Johnson County, Park County, and Sheridan, Wyoming, Oct. 28, 2024. This initiative provides a safe and anonymous way for the public to dispose of unused prescription medications, which play a significant role in prescription drug abuse. (U.S. Army National Guard photo)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall and Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Dairy Products and Support Dairy Farmers 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) introduced the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, legislation that would increase access to dairy products for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants and support dairy farmers across the country. This bill would allow SNAP participants to purchase more milk, cheese, and yogurt with their benefits, expanding access to affordable and nutritious options. Companion legislation is led in the House by U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-California-21) and Nick Langworthy (R-New York-23).
     “As a doctor who practiced medicine for more than 25 years, I cannot stress enough the importance of consuming dairy products, which serve as excellent sources of critical nutrients and contribute to a healthier cardiovascular system,” said Senator Marshall. “The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 would support dairy farmers and provide commonsense updates to increase incentives for milk, cheese, and yogurt purchases in SNAP – ensuring all American families can benefit from these nutrient-dense foods.”
    “Making sure more Americans have better access to foods like yogurt and cheese while supporting our dairy farmers is a win-win,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will support healthy diets, make sure families are able to bring home more of the foods they love, and help dairy farmers feed Americans.” 
    The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York).
    The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association, National Milk Producers Federation, FMI – The Food Industry Association, National Grocers Association, and Associated Milk Producers Inc.
    “A SNAP dairy incentive program is a reliable investment in improving our nation’s health and reducing hunger and chronic food insecurity among low-income Americans,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are nutritional powerhouses that promote healthy immune function, hydration, bone health, and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. IDFA applauds U.S. Sens. Klobuchar and Marshall, and U.S. Reps. Costa and Langworthy for their leadership on the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, which would help our nation’s most vulnerable people afford wholesome, nutrient-dense dairy products for their families.”
    “Dairy foods provide critical nutrients for healthy lives, but nearly 90 percent of Americans don’t meet dairy intake recommendations,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “We commend Representatives Jim Costa, D-CA, and Nick Langworthy, R-NY, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, and Roger Marshall, R-KS, for their bipartisan Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act, which would expand SNAP participant access to healthful dairy products at the grocery store. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and ensuring all Americans have access to healthy dairy products.”
    “FMI – The Food Industry Association supports the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act as a way to expand access to nutrient-rich dairy products within SNAP,” said Jennifer Hatcher, chief public policy officer and senior vice president, membership of FMI – The Food Industry Association. “By building on existing milk-purchase incentives, this bill empowers retailers to help low-income households incorporate a variety of dairy options – milk, cheese, and yogurt – into a healthy eating pattern alongside fruits and vegetables.”
    “SNAP incentive programs for nutritious foods—like dairy, fruits, and vegetables—help families access healthier options while also strengthening independent grocers’ ability to promote better nutrition,” said Stephanie Johnson, group vice president for government affairs at the National Grocers Association. “NGA strongly supports the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program, which expands SNAP incentives to include more milk varieties, yogurt, and cheese. This not only provides SNAP participants with greater access to nutritious dairy products but also simplifies the process for independent grocers to offer these benefits in their communities.”
    “The Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act will help increase access to nutritious dairy products among SNAP participants and reinforce the essential role dairy plays in a healthy diet,” said Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) President and CEO Sheryl Meshke. “We are grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Marshall for championing this important legislation.”
    Background:
    The latest federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans report showed that more than 90% of Americans do not consume enough dairy products to meet daily nutrition requirements.
    The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act would increase access to dairy products by expanding the existing Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives program to include products like cheese and yogurt.
    Under this plan, SNAP participants would receive a coupon for additional cheese or yogurt when they purchase these items with their groceries. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAUPHIN COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Speak at Farm Bureau Luncheon, Highlight Administration’s Work to Support Pennsylvania Farmers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 08, 2025 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – DAUPHIN COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Speak at Farm Bureau Luncheon, Highlight Administration’s Work to Support Pennsylvania Farmers

    Governor Josh Shapiro will deliver remarks at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s State Legislative Conference Luncheon, highlighting his Administration’s work to support Pennsylvania farmers. The luncheon is an opportunity for farmers, legislators, and other local leaders to gather and discuss critical agriculture issues.

    Last week, Governor Shapiro met with farmers, small business owners, and workers across Pennsylvania to hear firsthand about the challenges they face and highlight how his Administration is helping them innovate, grow, and stay competitive – all while pushing back against harmful federal tariffs that are driving up costs for all Pennsylvanians.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Secretary Russell Redding, Department of Agriculture

    WHEN:
    Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 12:15 PM

    WHERE:
    Hilton Harrisburg
    One N. 2nd Street,
    Harrisburg, PA 17101

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers Opens Fortieth Session and Meets with Civil Society Representatives

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families this morning opened its fortieth session, hearing an address by the Chief of the Human Rights Treaty Branch, followed by a discussion with representatives of civil society representatives from Mexico, Niger, Jamaica and Ecuador. 

    The Committee adopted the agenda and programme of work for the session, during which it is scheduled to review the reports of Mexico, Niger and Jamaica regarding their implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.  At the current session, the Committee will also be adopting lists of issues prior to reporting under the simplified reporting procedure for a number of countries, including Ecuador. 

    Opening the session, Antti Korkeakivi, Chief of the Human Rights Treaty Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said contemporary migration was an increasingly complex phenomenon.  Current safe and regular migration pathways failed to respond to migration trends, often pushing migrants towards hazardous and irregular routes, leaving them vulnerable to violence, exploitation, abuse and even death. Alarmingly, at least 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record

    Speakers on Mexico raised issues concerning migrants’ lack of access to the labour market, the deaths and disappearances of migrants, and the detention of child migrants. 

    Concerning Jamaica, speakers addressed abuses experienced under bilateral labour mobility agreements and the detention of non-nationals. 

    On Niger, speakers raised concerns regarding the treatment of migrants at the border, the exploitation of migrant workers, and the lack of mechanisms to protect migrant workers. 

    The speaker on Ecuador spoke on the challenges faced by Venezuelan migrants and the barriers to achieving regular migration status.

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Mexico: Kids in Need of Defense; RacismoMX and IMUMI; Asylum Access; Fundación para la Justicia; Sin Fronteras IAP y Asylum Access México; IMUMI; Grupo de acción por la No Detención de Personas Refugiadas; El Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova A.C; Grupo de Trabajo sobre Política Migratoria; NGO Coalición México por los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad – COAMEX; Amnesty International; and Global Detention Project.

    Amnesty International and Global Detention Project spoke on Jamaica.

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Niger: Nigerien Network of Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Migration Development Network, and Global Detention Project.

    The Defensoría del Pueblo de Ecuador spoke on Ecuador. 

    The webcast of Committee meetings can be found here.  All meeting summaries can be found here.  Documents and reports related to the Committee’s fortieth session can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 April to begin its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Mexico (CMW/C/MEX/4).

    Opening Statement

    FATIMATA DIALLO, Committee Chair, congratulated Antti Korkeakivi for being promoted to the new Chief of the Human Rights Treaty Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

    ANTTI KORKEAKIVI, Chief of the Human Rights Treaty Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Committee this session would consider the reports of Mexico, Niger and Jamaica, and would adopt a list of issues in relation to Tajikistan under the traditional reporting procedure and lists of issues prior to reporting under the simplified reporting procedure for Fiji, Guinea and Ecuador.  The Committee would also proceed with a public launch of its general comment no. 6 (2024) next week on the convergent protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families through the Convention and the Global Compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration, which was adopted during the thirty-eighth session in June 2024.  Mr. Korkeakivi wished the Committee a fruitful launch.

    The Global Compact for Migration presented an excellent opportunity for a comprehensive, human rights-based response to the opportunities and challenges that migration posed nowadays.  The general comment urged States to ensure that their laws, policies, and practices effectively addressed the root causes of rising migration flows.  Mr. Korkeakivi welcomed the Committee’s commitment to collaborative work with other treaty bodies and mechanisms, particularly the joint initiative with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to elaborate general comments to advance comprehensive public policies that addressed and eradicated xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants and their families. 

    Contemporary migration was an increasingly complex phenomenon.  The High Commissioner valued the importance that the Committee attached to the issue of enforced disappearance in the context of migration, alongside the Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.  These three mandates had consistently emphasised the urgent need to enhance efforts aimed at saving lives and protecting the human rights of migrants.  Current safe and regular migration pathways failed to respond to migration trends, often pushing migrants towards hazardous and irregular routes, leaving them vulnerable to violence, exploitation, abuse and even death.  Alarmingly, at least 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record 

    While 60 ratifications provided a solid foundation, increasing the number of ratifications of the Convention remained a top priority for the United Nations High Commissioner.  Notably, none of the 27 European Union Member States had signed or ratified the Convention. High Commissioner Türk had reiterated his advocacy efforts during a meeting in December 2024 at the Committee’s thirty-ninth session.  He also called for a joint action plan with the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to raise awareness among States that had yet to ratify the Convention. 

    Mr. Korkeakivi said the liquidity crisis continued to hamper the Committee’s work.  The Office was doing its utmost to ensure that the Committee and other treaty bodies could implement their mandates, however, all indications pointed to a continuation of the difficult liquidity situation for the foreseeable future.  The treaty body strengthening process reached a key moment with the adoption in December of last year of the biennial resolution on the treaty body system by the General Assembly.  However, the biennial resolution did not endorse certain detailed proposals made by the Chairs and corresponding resources to implement them. 

    On Human Rights Day last year, the Geneva Human Rights Platform, in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, organised an informal meeting of the Chairs and focal points on working methods, exploring the latest developments on the treaty body system.  The Office would continue to collaborate with all treaty body experts to strengthen the system.  Mr. Korkeakivi wished the Committee a successful session.

    Questions and Responses

    A Committee Expert welcomed Mr. Korkeakivi to his new position.  The Committee was launching general comment 6 relating to the General Compact and was developing another comment relating to xenophobia and discrimination.  The liquidity crisis was an ongoing issue.  It was important to pass on this concern to the head of the division of the human rights treaty bodies.  The Committees were doing their work and now States needed to act.

    ANTTI KORKEAKIVI, Chief of the Human Rights Treaty Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, recognised the work carried out by the Committee and other treaty bodies despite the lack of resources.

    Statements by Civil Society Organizations

    Mexico

    In the discussion on Mexico, speakers, among other things, said although Mexico had moved forward in terms of formalising the employment of migrants, there were still structural barriers, including lack of access to migration documents and the labour market.  Many companies did not hire migrants due to prejudices and migrants could not open bank accounts due to a lack of documents.  Human mobility was hallmarked by racism and xenophobia in Mexico. Racial discrimination persisted in migration, including through hate speech, and there had been a lack of response from the authorities.  There had recently been a serious institutional weakening for institutions responsible for migration and disability policies.  The State did not have a long-term strategic plan to strengthen the institutions responsible.   

    Massacres and disappearances of migrants continued to happen in total impunity, and criminal groups continued to bring about disappearances.  Comprehensive reparations for damages had not yet reached victims and there had been a lack of progress by Mexican consulates in Salvador and Honduras, making it difficult to access mechanisms for support.  The use of the national guard and the army to control the borders was concerning, as it had led to the deaths of migrants. 

    The deportations from the United States generated greater risks for migrants in Mexico. Arbitrary detention, lack of access to information, and the exclusion of civil society in decision-making were issues. Despite the adoption of important reforms of the Migration Act in 2020 prohibiting the detention of children, observers in Mexico noted that thousands of children were confined in de facto detention centres operated by the National Agency for Family Development that were attached to formal detention centres, putting children on the move at risk. Agriculture migrants were exploited in concerning conditions and developed disabilities due to exposure to unregulated pesticides.  It was concerning that the State did not have a strategy to provide healthcare and assistance to these people. 

    The Mexican Government should take steps to adequately fund the Commission for Assistance to Refugees and the child protection agencies, including Executive Secretaries of SIPINNAS, the Offices for Child Protection and shelters of the Family Development Systems at federal and state levels.  The Mexican Government should also increase efforts to ensure no child was returned to their country of origin without a comprehensive plan for the restitution of their rights being provided. 

    The Committee should ask Mexico how it would ensure that no child migrants would be deprived of liberty?  The Committee should urge the Mexican State to streamline proceedings to obtain work permits for asylum seekers and refugees.  A register for detained persons should be a priority issue and the framework for families seeking family members should be improved. 

    Mexico had used immigration detention measures on a large scale, placing hundreds of thousands of at-risk people in detention centres.  Concerns persisted about how limits to detention were implemented and the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2023 amparo decision; the Committee was urged to seek greater details about the social services that Mexico provided to people who were released from detention and what plans it had to ensure that released detainees had access to adequate legal procedures. 

    Jamaica

    A speaker said that as countries of origin, Mexico and Jamaica had an obligation to protect their migrant workers from discrimination and labour exploitation by renegotiating bilateral labour mobility agreements that did not allow workers to freely choose and change employers.  Jamaica and Mexico had concluded bilateral agreements with Canada governing the terms and employment under the seasonal agricultural worker programme, with around 26,000 Mexican workers and 8,000 Canadian workers participating in the programme in 2024.  Research found that Jamaican and Mexican migrants working under the temporary foreign worker programme faced a range of abuses such as wage theft, excessive working hours, unsafe working conditions, and physical and psychological abuse. Mexico and Jamaica should renegotiate their bilateral labour migration agreement with Canada, seeking specific guarantees to ensure that migrant workers in Canda could change employers and jobs freely.

    Jamaica was also called on to end the arbitrary arrest and detention of asylum seekers arriving from Haiti or other countries, and to ensure they had access to due process safeguards.  The Committee should remind Jamaica of its obligations under the Convention, and ensure that no migrant, refugee, or asylum seeker was detained without legal basis. Jamaica should also provide details of all facilities where non-nationals were detained, and ensure that conditions in these facilities met international standards.  Furthermore, Jamaica should end the detention of non-nationals in prison.  The Committee should call on Jamaica to cease this practice and to provide information on measures it was taking to reform its immigration enforcement procedures to bring them in line with its international obligations

    Niger

    Speakers on Niger, among other things, recognised the efforts of Niger in promoting and protecting universal human rights.  Efforts by the Niger authorities to respect the rights of migrant workers were welcomed. While Niger had a well-developed judicial arsenal, it faced challenges, including harmonising international treaties with national commitments.  The recent ruling related to the entry of foreigners into Niger was a source of concern. Concerns persisted around the treatment of migrants, including violations at border control posts.  Several complaints of serious violations of the human rights of migrants had been received at border posts, and there had been massive deportations from Algeria.  Several forms of trafficking had been detected, including for prostitution and forced labour.  Due to a lack of access to basic services, some migrant women had been forced to turn to prostitution to survive. 

    The Committee should recommend that Niger put in place a mechanism to protect migrant workers from exploitation, and that Niger amend its legislation to ensure that irregular entry was not prosecuted.  Niger should also adopt measures aimed at providing effective reception and care to people who had entered the country.  The Committee should recommend that Niger ratify the revised version of the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and the 2011 Convention on Domestic Workers.  Niger did not have a national human rights institution; such a body should be established. Training should be provided for the judiciary to ensure migrants could access justice. 

    Ecuador

     

    The speaker on Ecuador said Ecuador had historically been a country of origin and destination for migrants.  Today, the systemic crisis, drug trafficking and organised crime had forced thousands of compatriots to emigrate, mainly to North America, while the country hosted a significant migrant population, mostly Venezuelan.

    Although the Ecuadorian regulatory framework promoted the socioeconomic integration of people on the move, structural barriers persisted, especially in access to employment. Between 45 per cent and 60 per cent of Venezuelan migrants had university studies, but only 20 per cent had access to formal work.  It was urgent to implement policies that guaranteed decent jobs, access to social security and validation of foreign degrees.

    Thirty-one per cent of the migrant population, mainly Venezuelan, remained in an irregular situation. Among the main barriers were the lack of information and requirements that were difficult to meet, such as apostilled criminal records or proof of income, which were inaccessible to those living in poverty.  Ecuador should simplify regularisation processes, strengthen information campaigns, and improve consular coordination.  It was also key to strengthen the system for registering cases of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.  Migrants should be considered in the formulation of public policies, recognising their contribution to the development of the country and moving towards universal citizenship.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

    CMW25.001F

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Committee advances discussions on trade-related climate measures and technology transfer

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Committee advances discussions on trade-related climate measures and technology transfer

    Trade-related climate measures
    Members discussed two new proposals, namely the Republic of Korea’s communication titled “Key Considerations for Trade-related Climate Measures (TrCMs): Suggested approaches toward a sustainable future” and the submission of Djibouti, presented by Burkina Faso, on behalf of least developed countries (LDCs) on “Perspectives on LDC environment-friendly trade and trade-related climate challenges”.
    Members welcomed the two submissions, noting the need to collectively address regulatory fragmentation and trade disruptions arising from the increasing use of TrCMs. Many supported the Republic of Korea’s call to ensure that TrCMs are consistent, interoperable, flexible and transparent, while striking a balance between climate objectives and WTO trade rules.
    Recognizing the challenges that LDCs face in adapting to trade-related climate policies, members emphasized the importance of addressing their specific needs and ensuring fair, equitable trade. They called for stronger support in technology transfer, capacity building and other measures to enhance LDCs’ economic situation, trade and climate resilience.
    As a follow-up to thematic sessions on TrCMs and guiding questions from the Committee Chair (Ambassador Erwin Bollinger of Switzerland), members also engaged in a substantive discussion on the way forward in addressing TrCMs in the Committee.
    Technology transfer
    On 1 April, the Committee held its 5th thematic session on technology transfer. The co-coordinators, Ms. Chanikarn Dispadung of Thailand and Mr. Richard Tarasofsky of Canada, briefed members on the key takeaways from the session.
    They said the session addressed a wide spectrum of challenges and opportunities in environmental technology transfer, fostering experience-sharing among international organizations, member governments and the private sector. Speakers identified key barriers to technology transfer, including high costs and technical requirements; supply, demand and knowledge/IP gaps; and the need for adequate funding and innovative financing mechanisms.
    Other identified barriers included stakeholder engagement and trust; infrastructure; and market size for technology absorption.  Best practices and successful approaches were also highlighted. These included needs-based and locally tailored solutions; public-private partnerships; South-South collaboration; innovative financing mechanisms; and possibilities for integrating climate technology and governance frameworks.
    Delegates emphasized the importance of tailored solutions that adapt to local contexts, with enabling conditions like skilled labour, investment and regulatory frameworks. Concrete recommendations were made for WTO action, including coordination and knowledge-sharing with relevant international organizations, as well as more targeted technical assistance through existing frameworks such as Aid for Trade.
    The thematic session series, launched in November 2023 at the request of members, serves as a platform to deepen understanding of specific issues of interest through concrete case studies and practical experience sharing. Previous sessions have addressed topics such as the clean energy transition and trade-related climate measures.
    All presentations and the co-moderators’ report from the 5th thematic session are available here.
    Transparency and information sharing
    As part of WTO “reform by doing”, the Committee followed up on a proposal from Barbados, Colombia, India, Grenada, Paraguay, Singapore, St. Kitts and Nevis, the United Kingdom and Uruguay to further improve “Administrative processes to enhance clarity and accessibility of information”.  
    Moreover, at the request of a group of members — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Japan, India, Paraguay and the United States — the WTO Secretariat provided a briefing on its current and planned workstreams related to trade and environment, covering activities across various WTO divisions and with outside organizations. Members appreciated the detailed briefing provided. They reaffirmed the value of regular updates and suggested exploring ways to enhance two-way communication. Additionally, members continued discussions on improving other processes to ensure greater clarity and accessibility of information within the Committee and across committees.
    Additionally, the WTO Secretariat presented the 2023 update to the WTO Environmental Database.
    The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) presented outcomes from the 2024 Climate Change Conference (COP29) and outlined preliminary plans for COP30, scheduled for November 2025 in Brazil. The WTO Secretariat also provided an update on its initial preparations for COP30, noting that planning is still in the early stages. The Secretariat will continue to keep members informed of any developments.
    More information about the WTO Secretariat at COP29 is available here.
    Other
    Members were further briefed on developments regarding the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD).
    The European Union provided an update on its Green Deal, highlighting recent regulatory changes aimed at simplifying processes and reducing compliance burdens for businesses. Members welcomed the update and reiterated concerns about the trade impact of key measures, particularly the EU Deforestation Regulation and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
    Parties to the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade, and Sustainability (ACCTS) — Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland — briefed the Committee on the key features (JOB/TE/93) of ACCTS as an innovative agreement on trade, climate change and environmental sustainability. Trade liberalization in environmental goods and services under the Agreement will be extended to all WTO members on a non-discriminatory basis.
    The UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development presented their latest work related to trade and the environment.
    Next meeting
    The next Committee meeting will take place during “WTO Trade and Environment Week,” scheduled for 30 June to 4 July 2025.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 60 new places to eat

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    In brief:

    • This story includes more than 60 new places to eat across Canberra.
    • Since this story was published, more eateries have opened. Find 35 (more) new places to eat.

    Canberra’s food scene gets better each year. 2024 is no exception, with a huge array of eateries opening in the last 12 months.

    Whether you’re on the lookout for a fresh new favourite in your neighbourhood, or prepared to venture across town, there are plenty of options to choose from.

    Central Canberra

    Mínima, Yarralumla

    The latest venture from the team behind Morks showcases Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine. Grab takeaway noodles for lunch or dine-in from lunch. There’s a tasting menu or a la carte menu to choose from.

    Cafe Sosta, Yarralumla

    This Italian cafe is about as close to the water as you can get. Enjoy views of Lake Burley Griffin while you indulge in dishes like breakfast risotto, pistachio cream filled croissants or  fresh paninis.

    Lil Mama’s, Kingston

    Lil Mama’s is more than just a cafe, it’s a gathering spot for local creatives. That being said, you will find delicious sandwiches, bagels, coffee, matacha lattes, sweet treats and more to enjoy at this waterside spot.

    Petite Saigon, Canberra City

    Verity Lane Market has a new vendor offering fresh, authentic Vietnamese cuisine. You’ll find classics like Vietname bread rolls, rice noodle soup, rice/vermicelli diesh and rice paper rolls.

    Taco Boi, Braddon

    The latest addition to Canberra’s thriving Mexican food scene is serving up tacos, burgers and wings.  Vegans will love their plant-based chicken burger or cauliflower tacos. There are also options for pescetarians and carnivores, plus sides like waffle or shoestring fries, jalapeno poppers and mozarella fingers.

    Recess Coffee, Griffith

    From the great minds behind Ter and Barrio comes this suburban all-day dining destination. Recess roast their own beans, so you know the coffee is excellent. With sandwiches, pancakes, pasta dishes and sweet treats on the menu, there’s almost certainly something to cure your cravings.

    The Peacemaker Saloon, Braddon

    Mort Street’s latest addition is a western saloon-style bar. Visit for American Southwestern food, craft cocktails, whiskey and more.

    Good neighbours are invaluable. But a Good Neighbour serving up coffee, breakfast and lunch seven days a week? Worth its weight in gold. Try the strawberry matcha, shakshouka or chilli crab folded eggs.

    After a hiatus that lasted a few years, Crack Bakery is making a comeback. The team behind Pâtissez and Cartel are serving up their beloved pies as well as cookies. Orders can be made exclusively online with pickup at their kitchen at Canberra Airport.

    This freshly opened boutique wine bar on Lonsdale Street also serves food and cocktails. Think cheese platters, charcuterie boards, hearty mains and desserts. The menu also includes non-alcoholic options.

    Catbird’s menu is inspired by the fresh cuisine of sunny Southern California. There are breakfast burritos, sandwiches, salads, sweet things and coffee. There’s also a kid’s menu.

    Sweet tooths will love the range of flavours at this New York-inspired donut shop. There are filled options like Biscoff or lemon meringue, or traditional glazed donuts.

    Rakkas is a modern Turkish restaurant on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin. The menu includes flavourful authentic Turkish dishes like dips and Turkish bread, fried halloumi with honeycomb, chargrilled spatchcock and more.

    This Lebanese restaurant is perfect for casual family dining or group celebrations. The mains are perfect for sharing: choose from a grill platter, shawarma meta, a vegetarian mixed plate and more.

    If you’re a meat eater with a big appetite, you’ll love this Korean barbeque spot. Choose your proteins and sides and then barbeque right at the table. There are also rice and noodle dishes, soups and stews.

    Italian and Sons is a longstanding Canberra favourite. Their new focaccia bar is open from 11:30am to 2:30pm Wednesday to Friday and includes pillowy, fresh focaccia (with a gluten-free option, too!).

    Compa is Matt Moran’s foray into the Canberra dining scene. Steaks are the focus of the menu, accompanied by a fine selection of entrees, sides and desserts.

    &Sando is also a Matt Moran creation. It’s a sandwich bar that uses bread (and stocks pastry) from local bakery Under. Their sandwiches range includes elevated classics filled with fresh ingredients.

    This new café is run by Illy Coffee and the team behind Pizza Artigiana. Their pastry case is filled with sfogliatelle (an Italian pastry with a ricotta citrus filling), cannoli and croissants.

    Alia is the spot for family-style Greek dining. Bring a big appetite and choose from slow-cooked lamb gyros, lobster linguine, chicken souvlaki, and baklava cheesecake.

    Donuts, cookies and pastries abound at this Dickson dessert spot. Flavours range from the traditional (hot cinnamon and jam) to the unique (bubblegum, iced vovo and earl grey rose).

    No need to journey to Wamboin to visit Contentious Character Winery. Their new location in Fyshwick’s Dairy Road precinct offers wine tastings, coffee and dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner (including tapas).

    Gourmet sandwiches are the main offering of this New York-style deli. There are also breakfast options including pancakes and a sausage or bacon and egg roll. Sandwiches come fresh or hot, with options like a schnitty roll, beef and pickle and tuna melt.

    Bada Bing has a retro charm that’s perfect for date nights or private dining. Dishes are designed to share and include antipasti, pizza, pasta and more.

    Kingston Foreshore’s newest spot is open for breakfast, lunch and takeaway. The menu includes a mushroom croissant, Turkish eggs, chicken porridge and a crab omelette.

    Pick up a coffee from Howie Espresso and don’t leave without one of their delicious grab-and-go options. Breakfast options include muesli and yoghurt, bircher muesli, chia breakfast bowls and muffins. Sandwiches, bagels, and wraps are on offer for lunch.

    The beloved Mexican food truck now has a permanent shop on Lonsdale Street. The menu boasts authentic Mexican flavours with items like tacos, empanadas and gorditas.

    Tangy, refreshing frozen yoghurt has arrived on Lonsdale Street. Moo Moo has a big range of frozen yoghurt flavours that can be customised with toppings and sauces.

    A third generation Thai eatery serving lunch on weekdays. Dishes are simple but flavourful and include chicken green curry, spicy pumpkin curry and pad thai.

    The Farrer location is a long-time favourite, and Fox and Bow has now arrived in the Inner South. Breakfast, brunch, lunch or just a coffee, everything on the menu is a winner.

    A post shared by Rosa’s at The Lawns (@rosascbr)

    Whether you’re after a pastry and a coffee or a pizza and a wine, this outdoor garden bar is sure to please. The food is delicious and the scenery is delightful.

    Not strictly new, but recently reopened. Milky Lane is back with its loaded burgers, crispy fried chicken and decadent desserts.

    Mediterranean food seems to be having a moment in Canberra, and Kivoto’s is another must-eat destination to add to your list. Pair flavourful Greek cuisine with a drop from their impressive wine list.

    Sample the flavours of Europe without leaving Canberra. This bistro in the Realm hotel precinct has a stunning interior with an outdoor terrace to match. Visit for lunch or dinner or try their high tea offering.

    Another new addition to the Realm precinct is Med, where Lebanese, Turkish and Greek cuisine collide. It’s a hit with carnivores and also offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

    Wonderburger brings the vintage American diner experience to Canberra. There are 10 different burgers to choose from, plus hot dogs, fried chicken, chips, sides and soft serve.

    Fine dining aficionados will love this industrial-style restaurant. It has an ever-changing menu that showcases seasonal local produce.

    Visit Pialligo’s newest dining destination for farmhouse-style share plates. Enjoy produce from the farm as well as regional growers.

    Woden, Weston Creek and Molonglo

    Three Mills has locations spread across Canberra, and now Woden Valley residents and workers can get their fix. Enjoy coffee, pastries, freshly baked bread and more.

    Torrens shops is quickly becoming a foodie haven. Saint Elmo is a deli and coffee shop that sells freshly baked goods, a curated selection of meats and cheeses, fresh pasta and sauces.

    Two Before Ten is another Canberra favourite, and it has now landed in the Molonglo Valley. Visit for coffee, breakfast, brunch or lunch.

    Stop by the Spit Shack food truck at Weston Classic Car Wash for smokey barbeque fare. The menu includes rolls, buns, fries, hot dogs and more.

    Gungahlin

    Goodberry’s, Franklin

    Gungahlin residents can now get their fix of frozen custard concretes. Choose from one of the delicious flavours or mix it up with different sauces,  fudges, nuts, fruits, and toppings.

    The Bakehouse, Mitchell

    The Bakehouse has reopened under new management and their fresh menu is bursting with delicious options. Pick up a coffee or raspberry matcha latte and treat yourself to some comfort food.

    GoTato, Gungahlin

    Love potato? Whether you’re after a quick snack or a filling meal, GoTato offers crinkle cut chips, sweet potato fries, potato scallops, waffle fries, potato tots and hot dogs.

    The newest CocoNine restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. Get all your Thai favourites including salads, curries, noodles, stir fries and more. There is also a vegan section of the menu.

    If you can barely summon the energy to venture out for coffee in the morning, you’re in luck. Kickstart Espresso has opened a drive-thru coffee shop in Belconnen. In addition to your caffeine fix, you can also pick up smoothies, toasties, muffins and more.

    This suburban gem offers pick-up and delivery. Choose from traditional options and modern Aussie favourites (chooks and bacon pizza, anyone?).

    A new family-friendly pub from the team behind The Knox Made in Watson. They showcase local produce through their menu which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.

    A modern takeaway shop with a menu that’s regularly updated. Past items have included crispy pork ribs, laksa, authentic mapo tofu, and Chinese sausage fried rice.

    This ramen bar has a plant-based menu that features tofu, Japanese sweet potato and seasonal vegetables. They also have an extensive menu of non-alcoholic drinks.

    This all-you-can-eat Korean buffet includes self-service bars for hotpot, cupbap, and fried rice, as well as other choices like ramen and noodles, and unlimited drinks.

    Open seven days a week, Aby Coffee Couse have coffee, muffins, pastries and sandwiches.

    Tuggeranong

    L’épi opened its Kambah store towards the end of last year, and it’s become a firm favourite of residents. They make fresh bread, pretzels, pastries, cakes and more.

    Brodburger is iconically Canberran, and it’s now easily available to southside residents. From traditional burgers to salmon, lamb, and veg, there’s something for everyone.

    Dine in or takeaway from Fricken Chicken in Tuggeranong. In addition to their famous fried chicken, they also have a children’s playground and coeliac safe fried chicken.

    Ureshii opened last year and has been satisfying Tuggeranong’s Japanese cravings. Tasty lunch bowls, sushi, udon noodle soup, gyoza and katsu chicken all feature on the menu.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In Canada’s 2025 federal election, is anyone paying attention to rural communities?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sarah-Patricia Breen, Adjunct Professor, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph

    The 2025 federal election is characterized by anxiety, primarily driven by the actions and economic consequences of United States President Donald Trump’s agenda.

    As tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty continue, it is little wonder why election promises have so far focused on jobs, tax breaks, infrastructure reinvestment, trade and military spending.

    While sovereignty and rising costs of food, energy and critical minerals are key election issues, rural Canada has not been the focus of any of the major political parties.

    The importance of rural Canada

    Rural Canada is home to roughly one in five Canadians. It’s also home to the vast majority of the Canadian land base, including watersheds and food sheds — geographical areas that supply food to the population — as well as energy sources, critical minerals and forests.

    As Canada faces increasing economic uncertainty, rural areas will play a critical role in supplying essential resources. Ensuring they benefit from this role requires strong place- and evidence-based rural development programs and policies from the federal government, whoever leads it after April 28.

    Significant challenges — from trade wars to climate change — impact every community across Canada. However, what this looks like and how this is felt on the ground is different across rural Canada. All too often government policies and programs fail rural citizens and communities in one of two ways:

    1. They don’t account for the impact of rural Canada. This means policies and programs fail to consider how rural realities can interfere with their intended implementation.

    2. They don’t account for the impact of policies and programs on rural Canada. These failures are the unintended impacts that “place-blind” policies and programs have on rural communities.

    Creating regional disparities

    These policy failures are driven by an urban bias in federal policies and programs. This bias is a result of limited or obscured rural data and the concentration of policy and decision-makers in Ottawa. These policy failures contribute to larger problems, like Canada’s growing issue with regional disparities, often along rural-urban lines.

    This is nothing new.



    Read more:
    Canadian election 2021: Why rural Canada must play a central role

    Rural Canada has a long history of being misunderstood and poorly represented in federal policy. Past and current federal efforts to include rural Canada in policymaking have been sporadic or uneven.

    A national Rural Secretariat was established in 1996, and a “rural lens” was established in 1998. Both had the express purpose of providing leadership and co-ordination related to rural and remote areas within the federal government. These programs were then dismantled by the former Conservative government in 2013.

    In 2019, the Liberal government established Canada’s first minister of rural economic development. Alongside this came a strategy for rural Canada, new tools to incorporate rural considerations and the Centre for Rural Economic Development, which included regionally located rural advisers.

    However, as of 2025, these efforts have been weakened or ignored. The minister for rural economic development is now the minister of agriculture and agri-food and rural economic development. The Centre for Rural Economic Development — now housed in a separate ministry from the minister — has quietly ended its regional rural adviser program.

    The risks of a sector-based focus

    These examples illustrate the ongoing uncertainty of how realities of rural Canada are integrated — or not — into federal policies and programs. Rural Canada is often lumped in with a particular sector, including agriculture or natural resources. The de facto rural policy then becomes sector-focused.

    This is a problem, because rural communities often have little or no power over resource development decisions and are largely at the mercy of companies that can simply pack up and leave.

    A sector-based approach also ignores the multiple, complex and integrated needs and opportunities across rural places. The 2024 State of Rural Canada illustrates this complexity of rural issues. It offers recommendations to policymakers, one of which is the development of a comprehensive, cross-sectoral strategy that recognizes the diversity of rural Canada and provides a framework for co-ordinated action.

    The need to shift to integrated, place-based approaches over sector-based is echoed in findings from research conducted both in Canada and internationally.

    Based on our research across rural Canada, we support these findings. We also support the recent statement by the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, which calls on the federal government to implement the following actions:

    1. Revitalize the rural lens;
    2. Strengthen the Centre for Rural Development;
    3. Deliver rural development in rural Canada for rural Canada.

    No vision?

    Rural Canada is vital to the future of Canada. It is critical that all political parties campaigning for the federal election have a platform that meaningfully includes rural Canada — and refrain from focusing only on sectors that operate in rural Canada.

    The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation recently released a list of questions that people can pose to their potential member of Parliament.

    No. 1 on this list is: “What is your party’s vision for rural and northern Canada?” And yet few of the parties are answering or tackling that question during the ongoing election campaign.

    Sarah-Patricia Breen has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Mitacs and the Government of British Columbia. She is a past president of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation.

    Heather Hall has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Early Researcher Award Program, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. She is a former board member of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Northern Policy Institute.

    Kyle Rich receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He is a former board member of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation.

    Ryan Gibson has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, and Mitacs. Ryan is the past president of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation and the Canadian Community Economic Development Network.

    – ref. In Canada’s 2025 federal election, is anyone paying attention to rural communities? – https://theconversation.com/in-canadas-2025-federal-election-is-anyone-paying-attention-to-rural-communities-253195

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: More than a department store: The long, complicated legacy behind Hudson’s Bay Company

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Heather Whiteside, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo

    The bankruptcy of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is often framed as the fall of “Canada’s oldest company.” Media narratives typically treat HBC as if it were a straightforward retail firm, albeit one with an exceptionally long history.

    But HBC was always more than a hinterland mercantile fur trader in earlier centuries, just as it was more than a department store anchoring downtown shopping in the 20th century.

    Like the beaver it nearly wiped out, HBC made Canada into its home by fundamentally transforming its environment, and no bankruptcy court will liquidate that legacy. Still, that legacy is more complex than many might assume.



    Read more:
    Hudson’s Bay liquidation: What happens when a company goes bankrupt?

    HBC and the making of Canada

    HBC’s initials have sometimes been jokingly elaborated as “here before Christ.” But if we were to take a more secular tone, we might instead say it was “here before Canada,” initiating some of the country’s basic economic and political institutions.

    In 1670, England’s King Charles II granted 18 investors the power to make laws, monopolize trade, enforce penalties and establish colonies in Rupert’s Land. Some four million square kilometres, this land grant centred on Hudson Bay but ranged from Labrador in the northeast to the Prairies in the southwest.

    Along with establishing fur-trading posts populated by transient servants, the company created its own colonies. In 1811, HBC shareholder Thomas Douglas (Lord Selkirk) organized the first settlers in the Prairies at Red River, now Winnipeg. Forty years later, in 1851, HBC’s former chief factor James Douglas took charge of developing Victoria on Vancouver Island.

    Of course, Indigenous Peoples were in these areas before long before Canada and long before HBC was. To secure its investments and protect its settlers, HBC representatives negotiated the first treaties with Indigenous Peoples west of the Great Lakes.

    The 1817 Selkirk Treaty at Red River and the 14 Douglas Treaties on Vancouver Island in the 1850s are examples of HBC’s expansive role in settler colonialism. Overlooked for some time, the Douglas Treaties are now shaping jurisprudence.

    Whereas the infamous HBC striped point blankets may be living room décor for some, for others they represented currency exchanged for long-ignored Indigenous land rights.

    Likewise, transferring the six-storey, 94-year-old HBC department store in downtown Winnipeg to 34 First Nations in 2022 might be seen as a form of reconciliation. However, the company itself indicated “shifting consumer behaviour” was the reason for the handover.

    Land and sovereignty

    Beyond its treaties with Indigenous Peoples and support for settler farmers, HBC is further implicated in the formation of Canadian sovereign territory writ large.

    If asked to name famous real estate transactions formative for state-making in North America, one might readily think of Louisiana or Alaska, but Canada, too, was created through purchase. HBC sold Rupert’s Land to the government of Canada for $1.5 million in 1869, forming a significant portion of what we now know as modern-day Canada.

    Hudson’s Bay kept roughly seven million acres after the sale, ensuring it would remain a significant force well into the 20th century. Writing of its lands in the Success Belt in the Prairies, HBC argued:

    “This land, with a cash payment, was retained as recompense for over 200 years of exploration, pioneering, and trading which the Company had done and without which Canada, as she is today, would not exist.”

    Incremental HBC land sales over the coming decades were accompanied by catchy slogans like Victoria as “The Garden of Canada” or Edmonton as Canada’s “Farthest West.”

    HBC pamphlets advertised wharves, orchards, gardens, houses, estates, seashore lots, residential subdivisions, hotels and businesses in coastal and interior British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario.

    It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the company parted with its remaining residential acreages in Winnipeg in 1954 and Victoria in 1961.

    A legacy that outlasts a ledger

    The timing of the HBC’s bankruptcy dovetails with renewed anxieties about American annexation as U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatens to turn Canada into the 51st state.

    Such annexation anxieties are nothing new for Canada.



    Read more:
    Canada as a 51st state? Republicans would never win another general election

    In the 1850s, United Kingdom parliamentary support for the HBC monopoly was driven in part by a desire to counter American influence. One English MP warned in 1857 that if the HBC’s trade between the Red River colony and London were to end, “the whole of it would be transferred to the United States.”

    Later, the Canadian federal government would use HBC to shore up its sovereignty claims in the High Arctic. In 1953 and 1955, more than 90 Inuit from northern Québec were forcefully relocated to the High Arctic. A government apology in February acknowledged the harm caused by the relocations, but the HBC’s decades-long role in instigating and organizing Inuit relocations was conspicuously omitted.

    As Canadians look to protect the country from foreign threats, it helps to know how the country came to be in the first place. The long-running and multi-faceted role of the HBC is an integral part of Canada’s story; it has always been more than just a company.

    Now saddled with $1 billion of debt, HBC’s demise seems inevitable. But its endurance beyond the original 1670 stockholders’ £4,720 investment speaks to its lasting impact. The HBC legacy will surely shape whatever’s next in store for Canada.

    Heather Whiteside receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. More than a department store: The long, complicated legacy behind Hudson’s Bay Company – https://theconversation.com/more-than-a-department-store-the-long-complicated-legacy-behind-hudsons-bay-company-253818

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government Pushes for Saline Aquaculture Hubs in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh; To Drive Employment and Livelihoods

    Source: Government of India

    Government Pushes for Saline Aquaculture Hubs in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh; To Drive Employment and Livelihoods

    States Propose 5-Hectare Limit, Increased Subsidies, and National Committee to Boost Sustainable Shrimp Aquaculture

    Posted On: 07 APR 2025 6:13PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, visited ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai and chaired the Review meeting of the Saline Water Shrimp Aquaculture in the Sates of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh through Video Conference today in Mumbai. This meeting aimed to tap the potential of saline land resources for aquaculture, generating employment and livelihood opportunities. Shri Likhi interacted with farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh for insights and on ground challenges and gaps faced by them in saline water aquaculture. He also visited the Aquaculture Facilities & Ornamental Fisheries unit at ICAR- CIFE, Mumbai, on the sidelines of the Review Meeting on Saline Water Aquaculture. Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, DoF, highlighted the progress made, key challenges faced, and ongoing initiatives under PMMSY and the Blue Revolution in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

    State-Specific Updates on Saline Aquaculture and Shrimp Farming

    During the meeting, State Fisheries Officials provided updates on the status, progress, and key challenges in promoting inland saline and shrimp aquaculture. Uttar Pradesh highlighted the vast potential of inland saline aquaculture, covering 1.37 lakh hectares in districts such as Mathura, Agra, Hathras, and Raebareli, with significant initiatives supported under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Rajasthan reported growing momentum in shrimp farming in salt-affected districts like Churu and Ganganagar, with approximately 500 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of Penaeus vannamei, milkfish, and pearl spot. Additionally, a diagnostic lab has been established in Churu under PMMSY. Punjab shared its achievements in expanding shrimp farming in southwestern districts such as Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka, bolstered by the Blue Revolution and PMMSY schemes. Notable developments include a 30-tonne cold storage and ice plant and a dedicated training centre. Haryana demonstrated significant progress in saline aquaculture, having achieved a production of 13,914 tons with an investment of ₹57.09 crore under PMMSY. Furthermore, ICAR-CIFE shared valuable best practices and technical insights to enhance the productivity and sustainability of saline water aquaculture.

    In the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, approximately 58,000 hectares of saline area has been identified, yet only around 2,608 hectares is currently being utilized. There is huge potential to convert these saline affected areas into aquaculture hubs. These saline-affected lands, often unsuitable for traditional agriculture, hold immense potential to be transformed from wastelands to wealth lands. India, being the second-largest producer of cultured shrimp globally, earns over 65% of its seafood export value from shrimp alone. Despite the country’s vast potential in brackish water and shrimp aquaculture particularly in saline-affected areas, inland saline aquaculture resources continue to remain significantly underutilized.

    Challenges Faced by Farmers in Saline Water Aquaculture

    In the review, farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh raised several challenges that are impacting the viability and sustainability of their saline water aquaculture operations. They highlighted issues of high setup costs, inadequate subsidy coverage, and the restrictive 2-hectare area limit for saline water aquaculture. Other significant concerns included fluctuating salinity levels, high land lease rates, reductions in subsidies, and the lack of locally available, high-quality seed. In addition, farmers pointed out the absence of proper marketing infrastructure, including markets and cold storage facilities, as well as rising input costs and low market prices for their products. These factors are contributing to low returns on investment, prompting farmers to seek increased support from the Department of Fisheries to overcome these obstacles and ensure the sustainability of their aquaculture practices.

    Proposals for Strengthening the Sector and Collaborative Efforts

    In response to these challenges, the states called for enhanced central support to strengthen the sector. Key proposals included raising the unit cost for aquaculture operations to ₹25 lakh, increasing the area limit from 2 hectares to 5 hectares, and enhancing subsidies for polythene lining. The establishment of an Integrated Aqua Park in Sirsa and improvements to marketing channels were also recommended to ensure better price realization and long-term sustainability. The Department of Fisheries emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between the states, ICAR, and other agencies to develop strategies for utilizing saline land resources more effectively for aquaculture. A focus was placed on organizing awareness campaigns with ICAR, State Fisheries Departments, and other stakeholders to promote shrimp consumption in northern India, gap analysis for development of potential clusters and expand cultivation area in the identified 25 districts of the four States. States were encouraged to leverage Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to disseminate technical knowledge, identify new areas for saline aquaculture, and conduct outreach-based research. Furthermore, the meeting highlighted the need for a National Level Committee to review guidelines for shrimp culture in freshwater/inland farms and to prepare a roadmap for the sustainable development of saline aquaculture in northern Indian states. The states were also urged to formulate beneficiary-oriented action plans and communicate specific gaps to the Department for targeted central support in key areas such as marketing infrastructure, disease management, regulatory frameworks, research, and capacity building.

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    Aditi Agrawal

    (Release ID: 2119832) Visitor Counter : 60

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indigenous Wireless charger for electrical vehicles with ability to charge 90% battery in 3 hours to become a reality; CDAC & VNIT Nagpur’s technology passed on to an Indian firm to commercially develop it

    Source: Government of India

    Indigenous Wireless charger for electrical vehicles with ability to charge 90% battery in 3 hours to become a reality; CDAC & VNIT Nagpur’s technology passed on to an Indian firm to commercially develop it

    Meity join hands with Railways to make an indigenous propulsion system of locomotives boosting railway electrification and industry adoption; Uses high power converters & advanced controlling management systems

    Using CDAC green technology Kerala’s K-DISC marks a milestone in sustainable power innovation making its building energy efficient through Low Voltage Direct Current.

    Research must lead to real-world applications with industry Collaboration: Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY

    MeitY secretary stresses indigenization in power electronics to boost ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ goals

    Posted On: 07 APR 2025 7:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri S. Krishnan announced the signing of ToT/MoA/MoU among industries for commercialization of technologies developed under the National Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NaMPET) at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi. During the meeting, the Secretary, MeitY, addressed the need for indigenous technology in the areas of Power Electronics.

    The highlights of the event showcased the development of MeitY-supported technologies under the NaMPET programme. These technologies have been developed, deployed, tested, and certified for commercialization. The details of the transfer of technology (ToT), Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed, in the presence of the Secretary, MeitY are as follows:

    Wireless Charger for Electric Vehicle

    Transfer of technology for the indigenous 1.5 kW Wireless Charger technology, developed by C-DAC (T) and VNIT Nagpur, to M/s Global Business Solution Pvt. Ltd: It is capable of operating on a 230V, 50Hz AC single-phase supply and charges a 4.8kWh onboard battery pack at 48V with 30A current in approximately 3 hours, achieving a maximum efficiency of 89.4% within a coil separation of 7.5–12.5 cm. The charger incorporates Silicon Carbide-based MOSFETs operating at 88kHz and includes safety features such as short-circuit and open-circuit protection.

    MoA for the development of an Indigenous Propulsion System for Electric Locomotives

    Collaboration through MoA signed between C-DAC, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) and industry partners for the indigenization of Indian Railway propulsion system: The collaboration marks a transformative step in India’s rail electrification efforts by developing an indigenous propulsion system for 3-phase electric locomotives with the Indian Railways aiming for full electrification by 2030. The proposed propulsion system integrates two high-power 2.5 MVA Traction Converters, three 130 kVA Auxiliary Converters, and an advanced Train Control and Management System (TCMS), providing enhanced performance, reliability, and operational flexibility for modern locomotives. The industries undertaking the MoA are M/s Daulat Ram Engineering Services Pvt Ltd (Bhopal), M/s JMV LPS Ltd (Noida), and M/s Electro-waves Electronics Pvt Ltd (HP) which demonstrates the strong industry-academia-government synergy driving this initiative. These partners will play a crucial role in testing, product engineering, and prototype deployment, ensuring successful field validation by Indian Railways, ensuring structured industry adoption and commercial rollout.

    MoU with K-DISC for LVDC Systems

    Collaboration through MoU signed between C-DAC and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) for the deployment of green and sustainable grid solutions:  The 48V Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) system, developed by C-DAC under the NaMPET programme with the support of MeitY, has emerged as a game-changing technology for energy conservation, green energy integration, and cost-effective power distribution. Recognizing its potential, the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) has implemented this system at its headquarters, making it the first administrative building in Kerala to be powered by 48V DC that could lead to 20–30% energy savings, contributing to Kerala’s Carbon Neutrality Roadmap 2050 and India’s broader Net Zero 2070 vision.

    The ToT/MoU/MoA signing of the above technologies was done at MeitY, New Delhi, in the presence of the Secretary, MeitY, with dignitaries from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), NITI Aayog, Ministry of Railway and industry representatives in the areas of EV chargers, Smart Metering, Rail Propulsion and Renewable Energy

    About NaMPET

    The NaMPET is a unique mission-mode programme of MeitY involving research, development, deployment, demonstration, and commercialization of technologies in the Power Electronics (PE) domain. The programme is being implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram, as the nodal agency with participating agencies from academia, R&D organizations, and Industries. The main focus areas of the programme include Microgrid for powering remote Villages, Green Energy for Community buildings, Empowerment of e-mobility ecosystem, Smart Power Quality Centre in the Distribution Grid, High Voltage Power Electronics for Food processing, Agriculture, Industry, and Health, Technology marketing, and Promotion of Start-ups with the platform for technology outreach.

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    Dharmendra Tewari/Navin Sreejith

    (Release ID: 2119868) Visitor Counter : 43

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement on Republicans Blocking Amendment to Protect American Farmers from Broken Contracts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) put forward a vote on an amendment to the Republican budget resolution that would have prohibited the Trump administration from continuing to illegally withhold funding from signed contracts previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). President Trump’s USDA has refused to make reimbursement payments to farmers and to organizations providing assistance to farmers, without any indication of when or whether they will be paid the money they laid out and are owed. Farmers and the organizations that serve them operate on tight margins and cannot be left waiting for weeks and months without funding they rightfully planned for and need to keep operating.
    “I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues blocked my attempt to bring relief to the farmers who have been in limbo ever since the USDA illegally froze previously signed agreements and contracts,” said Senator Booker. “We as the federal government made a deal with farmers and many organizations that support them. Based on that deal, they spent their hard-earned money to live up to their end of the bargain. In rejecting my amendment, Republicans showed that they were more concerned about tax cuts for billionaires than doing what is right by the people who keep us fed.”
    When farmers successfully apply to USDA programs and then spend their own dollars in reliance upon signed contracts with the agency, they rightfully expect that they will receive reimbursement. Similarly, farmer-serving organizations—which farmers rely upon to connect to local markets and implement practices that make them more productive and less resource intensive—are facing imminent funding crises from not being reimbursed for completed or in-progress contracted work. If not quickly made whole, these organizations will be forced to make agonizing decisions to lay off staff and stop helping farmers, destroying years of progress in advancing local food systems.
    Recently Senator Booker introduced the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to release illegally withheld funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by USDA. Senator Booker will continue to push for enactment of this bill to provide desperately needed relief to America’s farmers

    MIL OSI USA News –