NewzIntel.com

Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI USA: Colorado Law Finally Reflects Colorado’s First Female Commissioner of Agriculture and State Veterinarian! Governor Polis Signs Bipartisan Bill Into Law Fixing Outdated Language in State Statute, Signs Administrative Bills

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed the bipartisan HB25-1084 – Remove Gendered Language from Title 35, sponsored by Representative Karen McCormick, and Senators Janice Marchman and Cleave Simpson. The bill replaces outdated language with gender-neutral language in line with Colorado Revised Statutes. 

    “Here in Colorado, we want the best person for the job, period. For far too long our talented and dedicated Commissioner of Agriculture, Kate Greenberg, and State Veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin, the first women in their positions, have faced the indignity of being referred to as male due to outdated statutes. Before this legislation, state statute referred to the Commissioner as ‘he’ several times. This is unacceptable and I’m proud to sign a law during Women’s History Month to finally fix that, ensuring our laws reflect the reality that our thriving agriculture industry – and Department of Agriculture – can be led by women and men,” said Governor Polis. 

    The Governor also signed the following bills into law administratively: 

    • HB25-1025 – Stockpile of Essential Materials Distribution, sponsored by Representative Lisa Feret, and Senator Lisa Cutter.
    • HB25-1029 – Municipal Authority over Certain Land, sponsored by Representative Andrew Boesenecker, and Senators Cathy Kipp and Larry Liston.
    • HB25-1035 – Collaborative Management Program Updates, sponsored by Representative Amy Paschal, and Senator Mike Weissman.
    • HB25-1081– Reporting Statistics on Restitution, sponsored by Representatives Matthew Martinez and Matt Soper, and Senator Mike Weissman.
    • HB25-1114 – Defense Review of Tangible Object for Criminal Trial, sponsored by Representatives Michael Carter and Cecilia Espenoza, and Senators Julie Gonzales and Mike Weissman.
    • HB25-1155 – Modify Candidate Authority Watchers General Election, sponsored by Representatives Marry Bradfield and Cecelia Espenoza, and Senators Rod Pelton and Jessie Danielson.
    • HB25-1181 – Colorado Rangers Law Enforcement Shared Reserve, sponsored by Representatives Chad Clifford and Rose Pugliese, and Senators Mike Weissman and Paul Lundeen.
    • SB25-004 – Regulating Child Care Center Fees, sponsored by Senators Faith Winter and Janice Marchman, and Representatives Jenny Willford and Lorena García.
    • SB25-016 – Updating Escrow Disbursement Practices, sponsored by Senator Marc Snyder, and Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Ron Weinberg.
    • SB25-042 – Behavioral Health Crisis Response Recommendations, sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter and Judy Amabile, and Representatives Mary Bradfield and Regina English.
    • SB25-170 – Deoxyribonucleic Acid & Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Testing & Data, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile, and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota.
    • SB25-028 – Public Employees’ Retirement Association Risk-Reduction Measures, sponsored by Senators Chris Kolker and Faith Winter, and Representatives Eliza Hamrick and Rick Taggart. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Regional University Study Hub for Katanning

    Source: Historic Cooma Gaol listed on the NSW State Heritage Register

    A new Regional University Study Hub opened to students this week at Katanning, bringing university closer in regional Western Australia.

    Nearly half of young people in Australia have a university qualification but not in regional and remote Australia. In Katanning, only 12.9% per cent of young people have a degree.

    Regional University Study Hubs are one of the ways to change this. The evidence shows that where they are, university participation goes up.

    This new Study Hub in the centre of Katanning, will provide student support and facilities for students who are studying a university or TAFE course without having to leave their community.

    The new Katanning University Study Hub is part of the Albanese Government’s $66.9 million investment to double the number of University Study Hubs across the country.

    The hub will be operated by Regional Development Australia Great Southern who operate the existing Great Southern Universities Centre in Albany which has supported over 400 students since opening. 

    So far, the Katanning Study Hub has 12 registered students. Katanning is one of Western Australia’s most multicultural regional areas. 

    There are now 56 Regional University Study Hubs located across the country.45 of these Hubs are open with the other 11 Hubs expected to open during 2025. 

    This builds on the recent announcement for 15 Suburban University Study Hubs, located in the outer suburbs for the first time.

    This is one of the ways the Albanese Labor Government is helping more people get a crack at going to TAFE or university, including:

    • wiping $3 billion in student debt from around three million Australians
    • cutting a further 20 per cent off of all student loans if re-elected, wiping around $16 billion in student debt
    • introducing a Commonwealth prac payment for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students
    • making free TAFE permanent.

    For more information: Regional University Study Hubs – Department of Education, Australian Government

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare MP:

    “Today, almost one in two young people in their 20s and their 30s have a university degree. But not everywhere. Not in the outer suburbs and not in regional Australia.

    “In the years ahead more jobs will require more skills.

    “The Government has set a target that by 2050, 80 per cent of workers will have a TAFE or university qualification.

    “To hit that target we have to break down that invisible barrier that stops a lot of people from the bush getting a crack at going to university.

    “The evidence is that where University Study Hubs are, university participation goes up that’s why we are doubling the number of Regional University Study Hubs.”

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Education, Regional Development, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Anthony Chisholm:

    “Each time we’ve opened a new study hub, just like this one in Katanning, we’ve removed educational barriers that can stop people from attaining a tertiary qualification.

    “Around 44 per cent of students who are registered at the existing Hubs across the country are the first in their family to attend university, which is fantastic to see.”

    “The hubs in Broome, Albany and Geraldton have changed the lives of hundreds of students. Now Katanning locals will get the same opportunity.”

    Quotes attributable to Senator for Western Australia, Senator Glenn Sterle:

    “So far, 12 students have registered to use the new Katanning Study Hub.

    “Study Hubs provide student support and campus-style facilities for students who are studying a university or TAFE course without having to leave their community.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    03.26.25

    Cantwell Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Fentanyl Overdose Tracking

    The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act would expand use of tools that record fatal and nonfatal overdoses in near-real-time; WA first responders say better data collection could help identify overdose hotspots so they can deploy resources faster & save lives

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced the bipartisan Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act. The bill would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to states, units of local government, law enforcement task forces, and tribes to adopt and implement an overdose data collection program, including the Overdose Data Mapping Application Program (ODMAP).

    The bill was drafted by and reintroduced alongside Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and John Cornyn (R-TX). Originally introduced in September, it unanimously passed the Senate in December but was not brought up by the House of Representatives before the end of last session.

    “When responding to fentanyl overdoses, an extra minute can save a life,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Tracking fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses will help our first responders, law enforcement, and public health professionals better target and prevent OD spikes and surge resources to communities that need them the most.”

    “The fight to end addiction and drug abuse in our communities requires a robust understanding of the problem at hand. By investing in local partners, we empower communities to more effectively track drug abuse trends and prevent future overdoses,” Sen. Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this cost-effective plan to expand vital data collection programs.”

    During Sen. Cantwell’s 10-city fentanyl roundtable tour across Washington state, she heard from multiple officials on the front lines of the epidemic that expanding ODMAP could help prevent overdoses and save lives. Expanding ODMAP would provide near real-time awareness of known or suspected overdose incidents across the United States, supporting public safety and public health efforts to coordinate immediate responses to sudden spikes in overdoses.

    The bill has supporters across the State of Washington:

    PUGET SOUND:

    “Effective and timely overdose prevention and response activities rely upon high-quality data. Within the ecosystem of Seattle, King County, and community teams working to address opioid overdose, timely and targeted data are always the starting point for interventions. We endorse legislation that will expand similar shared platforms of overdose data collection, mapping, and analysis,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

    “This bill would help Everett and communities across the country address the fentanyl and opioid crisis by implementing proven cutting-edge data tools to track overdoses,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. “The City of Everett supports all efforts to implement data-driven methods to address this critical issue and is proud to support the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.”

    “The opioid epidemic affects all corners of our community,” said King County Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall. “I welcome Senator Cantwell’s efforts to help address this by building on the programs we have in place. Bringing more resources to fight this crisis is an essential step in saving lives.”

    “The importance of a robust data collection tool, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, that facilitates the near real-time tracking of fatal and nonfatal overdoses, and the administration of opioid reversal medications, cannot be overstated. By Senator Cantwell introducing this important bill, the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, participating agencies and entities will be better able to identify overdose spikes and trends, allowing for rapid responses and deliberate strategies to save lives,” said NW HIDTA Executive Director Jonathan Weiner.

    EASTERN WA:

    “In critical emergencies, first responders need accurate information to act fast. This legislation would improve data collection, giving police officers and firefighters the reliable tools they need to protect and serve their communities,” said Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown.

    “As first responders on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, we see the devastating impact of overdoses every day. Expanding access to real-time overdose data through ODMAP is critical for improving emergency response, identifying emerging trends, and ultimately saving lives. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act will provide vital support to local communities and agencies like ours, ensuring we have the tools needed to respond effectively to this crisis. I strongly support this bill and urge its swift passage,” said Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg.

    “Fentanyl and other illicit drugs pose a significant risk to the health and well-being of Spokane citizens. The overwhelming majority of these substances make their way to our county from neighboring foreign countries such as Mexico. Investment in real-time overdose mapping technology will help law enforcement disrupt the flow of Fentanyl in the United States. Having accurate data on where overdose spikes occur will go a long way towards securing safer communities and saving lives threatened by the fentanyl crisis,” said Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.

    “With over thirty-three years in law enforcement and currently serving as police chief in Spokane, Washington, I witness firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on individuals, families, and entire communities. The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act is a crucial step forward in equipping law enforcement, first responders, and public health professionals with the necessary tools to track, respond to, and prevent overdoses more effectively. This bill expands access to real-time overdose data collection tools, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). These tools enable us to identify trends, coordinate responses, and allocate resources where they are most needed. By utilizing existing DOJ funding, this legislation enhances our ability to combat the opioid epidemic without imposing additional financial burdens on taxpayers. I wholeheartedly support this initiative because timely, accurate data saves lives. The ability to monitor overdose spikes and share critical information across agencies allows us to act more swiftly, prevent more deaths, and ultimately foster safer, healthier communities,” said Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall.

    CENTRAL WA:

    “The collection of data on overdoses is critical to the effectively addressing the serious opioid problem in this country.  Knowing when and where overdoses occur can enable agencies to focus on the areas needing more attention.  Funding for programs designed to collect overdose data is essential in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell.

    “Having a single platform to share overdose data is essential to saving lives, guiding decisions, and preventing overdoses. ODMAP (Overdose Mapping) is the platform.  ODMAP allows for the collaboration and real-time data sharing between law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, hospitals, and health departments,” said Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero.

    “Using ODMAP locally throughout our county has already proven invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots and enabling rapid, targeted responses. Expanding its use statewide has the potential to transform how we address the fentanyl crisis in Washington. By standardizing overdose tracking across the state, we can pinpoint trends, respond more effectively, and deploy life-saving resources faster than ever. This tool is more than just data—it empowers us to act decisively and collaboratively to save lives and combat this devastating epidemic,” said Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control at the Yakima Health District.

    “In order to make the most appropriate moves to facilitate change, we must have good, accurate data. Otherwise we are blindly throwing darts at a board. ODMAP will allow for the most appropriate distribution of resources to help combat the nation-wide opioid epidemic. Without it, we will continue to potentially ignore high impacted areas that may desperately need the assistance,” said Cameron Haubrich, Chief of the Sunnyside Fire Department.

    “ODMAP creates a unified, real-time system to track and respond to overdoses, enabling first responders, health departments, and law enforcement to allocate resources more effectively. By identifying overdose hotspots and trends as they happen, we can deploy targeted interventions and engage communities in prevention efforts,” said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    “ODMAP is a game-changer in fighting the overdose epidemic! With the real-time data from ODMAP, responders and communities can monitor overdose events, identify patterns, deploy resources where needed, and ultimately save lives! In the State of Washington, we currently only track overdose deaths which grossly underestimates the true magnitude of the overdose epidemic (by 6200%),” said Alicia Stromme Tobin, Executive Director of Safe Yakima Valley, when the bill passed the Senate in December. “ODMAP provides agencies with a tool to track fatal and nonfatal overdoses. By providing a comprehensive view of overdose trends, ODMAP fosters collaboration across public health, law enforcement and EMS, allowing for more targeted interventions and prevention efforts. I applaud Senator Cantwell for recognizing the tremendous positive impact ODMAP will have on saving lives! Congratulations and well done!”

    “Solutions start with a hope, hope is the gateway for innovation and collaboration, and efforts like ODMAP are the tools that communities need to impact the fentanyl crisis and save lives,” said Yakima Police Department Lt. Chad Janis when the bill passed the Senate in December.

    SOUTHWEST WA:

    “Vancouver strongly supports the Opioid Overdose Enhancement Act and urges the Department of Justice to award grants for the adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). As Vancouver Fire responded to over 400 overdose calls in 2024, it has become increasingly clear that gathering and analyzing overdose data is a significant challenge. Our current process of manually searching medical records for specific call information is labor-intensive and costly. A centralized database would be invaluable in identifying overdose hotspots, tracking trends, and saving lives. This federal legislation is a crucial step toward streamlining these efforts and addressing the opioid crisis effectively,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

    “Vancouver Fire responded to more than 400 overdose calls in 2024. It has been a consistent challenge for us to gather data because it requires us to dig deep into our medical records system and search for keywords that will identify the specific call information. This process is labor intensive and time consuming. A centralized database would be very helpful to allow us to not only track location hotspots, but also trends. We fully support federal legislation that streamlines this process,” said Vancouver Fire Chief Brennan Blue.

    “Senator Cantwell’s bill to implement the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program is a critical step in combating the opioid crisis. By providing timely data on overdoses and opioid reversal medication applications, this program will allow local departments of health and law enforcement to respond quickly and effectively, saving lives, holding opioid dealers accountable, and targeting resources where they’re needed most.  I strongly endorse this vital legislation,” said Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price.

    “Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) supports the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act and Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program. With the rise of opioid related incidents in our district as well as in the counties we serve, CCFR has worked with community partners to address opioid use, overdose, and treatment. Through our CARES Program and in partnership with neighboring fire districts and the Clark County’s Medical Program Director’s Office, CCFR has implemented administration of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the time of an opioid related incident or overdose. CCFR crews are able to introduce buprenorphine as well as provide leave-behind Narcan for individuals following administration of opioid overdose reversal medication. In partnership with treatment centers in the county, CARES is able to provide immediate referrals to these facilities in order to assist community members seeking treatment,” said John Nohr, Fire Chief of Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue.

    “The Washington Fire Chiefs Association fully endorses Senator Cantwell’s Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act.  We believe that a crucial component of the Act, which supports adoption and implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP), will place critical, data-driven, information into the hands of first responders, saving lives,” said Kristan Maurer, President of Washington Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Chief of Clark County Fire District 6.

    OLYMPIC PENINSULA:

    “Having access to real-time data is critical to getting ahead of the overdose crisis. With the rapidly changing drug supply, these kinds of data allow us to identify overdose clusters and communicate with individuals at risk as well as community partners so that we can help prevent overdoses in the future,” said Allison Berry, Health Officer for Clallam County & Jefferson County.

    The bill is also endorsed by several coveted national law enforcement organizations including: National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National HIDTA Directors Association (NHDA), National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies (NASDEA), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Major County Sheriffs Association (MCSA).

    ODMAP was developed in 2017 by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as a free, web-based, mobile-friendly platform for near real-time reporting and monitoring of suspected fatal and non-fatal overdose events, as well as instances where opioid overdose reversal medications such as Naloxone were administered. It displays overdose data within and across jurisdictions, helping agencies identify spikes and clusters of suspected overdose events in their community, neighboring communities, and across the country.

    As of February 2025, approximately 5,330 agencies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are using the platform. Over 2.9 million overdose events have been entered into ODMAP and more than 36,000 users registered.

    Washington state has not adopted ODMAP statewide, however, localities in the state utilize the program. In 2025, 77 agencies across 17 counties in Washington state use ODMAP, and have logged 2,248 entries into ODMAP. In 2024, 7,857 entries were logged. Yakima County, Spokane County, and the City of Seattle have recently implemented programming that allows their data to instantaneously populate the ODMAP dashboard with all overdose responses. Elsewhere in the state, ODMAP coverage is limited and therefore only captures a portion of the overdose instances occurring.

    Currently, overdose data in Washington state is only available to government health partners and only contains fatal overdose cases (which are released months or years after the fact). Overdose counts are released publicly via Washington State’s Department of Health website. However, they only provide instances of fatal overdoses (a small fraction of all overdose incidents) and are hampered by significant delays. Currently, the most recent data populating the DOH overdose death rate data dashboard is from the fourth quarter of 2023.

    In 2023 and 2024, Sen. Cantwell traveled across the State of Washington to 10 communities — Tacoma, Everett, Tri-Cities, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Longview – hearing from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis, including first responders, law enforcement, health care providers, and people with firsthand experience of fentanyl addiction.  She also participated in the National Tribal Opioid Summit, a gathering of approximately 900 tribal leaders, health care workers, and first responders from across the country hosted by the Tulalip Tribes following the first-ever statewide summit hosted by the Lummi Nation.  Sen. Cantwell has since used what she heard in those roundtables and related events to craft and champion specific legislative solutions, including:

    • The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, which would permanently classify illicit fentanyl knockoffs as Schedule I drugs;
    • The Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act, which would crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network;
    • The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, which will help U.S. government agencies disrupt opioid supply chains by imposing sanctions on traffickers and fighting money laundering;
    • The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would require that all pill presses be engraved with a serial number and impose penalties for the removal or alteration of the number;
    • The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers, enable the Drug Enforcement Administration to track xylazine’s manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market;
    • The TRANQ Research Act of 2023, signed into law by President Biden, which will spur more research into xylazine (also called “tranq”) and other novel synthetic drugs by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology to tackle these issues; and
    • The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, which would bolster Tribal law enforcement agencies by helping them hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by raising their retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits to be on part with those of federal law enforcement officers.

    In addition, Sen. Cantwell voted for a series of federal funding bills allocating $1.69 billion to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the United States, including an additional $385.2 million to increase security at U.S. ports of entry, with the goal of catching more illegal drugs like fentanyl before they make it across the border.  Critical funding will go toward Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at land and sea ports of entries. NII technologies—like large-scale X-ray and Gamma ray imaging systems, as well as a variety of portable and handheld technologies—allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help detect and prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country without disrupting flow at the border.

    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Cannabis and Bottling Company Cons That Caused Nearly $18 Million in Losses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison for obtaining nearly $18 million from investors for sham businesses supposedly operating in hemp related industries – all while he was completing a sentence in a prior criminal case.

    Mark Roy Anderson, 70, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who scheduled a restitution hearing for June 4.

    At today’s hearing, Judge Aenlle-Rocha said, “The magnitude of the fraud is breathtaking…the [victims’ statements reflect] the depth of the harm. Many have lost their life savings reflecting decades of hard work.” Judge Aenlle-Rocha also described Anderson as “an accomplished and incorrigible con man” and stated that “the public must be protected from him for as long as possible.”

    Anderson pleaded guilty in April 2024 to two counts of wire fraud. He has been in federal custody since May 2023.

    Anderson engaged in two separate but related schemes that swindled victims, which he committed shortly after his release from federal prison but while serving out the rest of his prison term on home confinement and, later, while on supervised release for a previous fraud conviction.

    “The defendant stole more than $18 million from dozens of investors by promising quick returns on their investments into hemp farms and other exotic investments,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Today’s 25-year sentence takes him off the street so that he cannot harm other victims.”

               Harvest Farm Group

    In the first scheme, from June 2020 to April 2021, Anderson tricked investors into providing funding for his company, called Harvest Farm Group, to harvest hemp supposedly being grown on his farm and then process that hemp into medical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) isolate – a chemical found in marijuana – to be sold for a substantial profit.

    Anderson convinced investors to invest in Harvest Farm Group by falsely representing that, through the company, he owned and operated a hemp farm in Kern County. He also lied that had already completed successful and profitable harvests of hemp from the farm. He also falsely said he was using his own machinery and equipment to convert the hemp into CBD isolate and Delta 8, a psychoactive substance that, like CBD isolate, could be used in consumer products ranging from olive oil to body cream.

    Anderson attempted to maintain a veneer of trustworthiness by taking steps to assure investors Harvest Farm Group was legitimate and he was not the “Mark Roy Anderson” with multiple prior fraud convictions. Anderson concealed that he had been convicted of multiple federal and state felony crimes, including mail fraud, wire fraud, grand theft, forgery, preparing false evidence, and money laundering. He also concealed that he was still serving a criminal sentence and was on supervised release at the time he was soliciting investments.

    To stall victim investors from making collection efforts and reporting him to law enforcement, Anderson falsely promised victims he would pay them money from purported sales of products made to Canadian companies, that sales of products had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that he would otherwise return their money.

               Bio Pharma and Verta Bottling

    In the second scheme, which ran from April 2021 to May 2023, Anderson deceived investors by soliciting money for Bio Pharma and Verta Bottling, two of his sham companies, by claiming that these businesses successfully manufactured, bottled, and packaged commercial products.

    Specifically, Anderson falsely told investors Bio Pharma purportedly manufactured and sold products infused with CBD, including products such as CBD-infused avocado oil, olive oil, pain cream, gummies, tequila, and chili oil. Anderson also claimed that Verta Bottling manufactured and sold beverages and a variety of food products.

    Anderson falsely stated that his bottling companies owned and possessed millions of dollars’ worth of assets, including – in Bio Pharma’s case – hemp biomass, CBD isolate, CBD oil, and – in Verta Bottling’s case – manufacturing equipment and an assignable lease for a warehouse to manufacture and sell its products.

    Anderson’s other lies to investors included false claims that his bottling companies had at least $10 million in purchase-order contracts from suppliers. He drafted fake legal and business documents, which included fabricated purchase order contracts purporting to show agreements with third party companies to purchase tens of millions of dollars’ worth of products manufactured by the Anderson bottling companies. Anderson also provided victims samples of products purportedly manufactured by his purported bottling companies.

    Instead of investing victim funds as he promised, Anderson instead used their money on personal expenses. He has agreed to forfeit his ill-gotten gains from these schemes, including 15 cars – one of them a Ferrari – and real estate in Ojai.

    In total, Anderson solicited more than $18.8 million from 45 victims for both schemes, causing victims to lose approximately $17,745,150.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Free Trade Bill Leads Canada; Session Lays Groundwork for a Stronger, More Resilient Nova Scotia

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The government laid the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient and self-reliant Nova Scotia during the latest session of the House of Assembly, which ended today, March 26.

    “Last fall, we asked Nova Scotians for a stronger mandate to govern and they gave us just that,” said Premier Tim Houston. “When we campaigned, we were not in the middle of a tariff war and no one knew about the threats of annexation that were coming.”

    Nova Scotia is leading the country with game-changing legislation that will remove borders on inter-provincial trade.

    “We’re one country. It doesn’t make sense that goods and skills can’t flow easily from one province to another,” said Premier Houston. “Canadian provinces have high standards and we need to trust that what our neighbours have to offer is also good enough for Nova Scotia.

    “Our bill on free trade within Canada has received national attention and Nova Scotia is leading the way – we should be proud about that.”

    The Premier said Trump’s tariff threats reinforce the need for greater economic and energy security.

    “A strong Nova Scotia is an economically self-sustaining Nova Scotia,” said Premier Houston. “We cannot let the future of our province be determined by those outside our province – Nova Scotians must control Nova Scotia’s destiny.”

    Premier Houston pointed to bills on internal trade and resource development as foundational elements of a stronger and more independent province: “We have resource wealth and new markets that we could not tap into because of bad legislation and too much red tape. We have laid the foundation to unlock our resource wealth and find new markets for our products.”

    He said lifting bans on hydraulic fracturing and uranium mining is central to improving our economic and energy security.

    “All of the natural gas used in Nova Scotia flows through the United States,” said Premier Houston. “That leaves us exposed to the whims of President Trump. But there’s enough natural gas here in Nova Scotia to power the province for nearly 200 years.”

    The Premier said everyone has a role to play in building a more resilient and independent Nova Scotia: “We will stand up for the interests of Nova Scotians and defend the province from the influence of special interest groups. These groups are trying to stop development here to the benefit of the United States.”

    This year’s budget contains historic tax cuts that will save the average Nova Scotian family about $1,000 per year. It also includes the largest capital plan in the Province’s history, with $2.3 billion in funding that will help stimulate the economy. These investments are in addition to additional funds for healthcare and housing.

    “The bills passed during this session will help create more economic opportunities for Nova Scotians while helping secure our energy future,” said Premier Houston.

    Legislation passed this session includes:

    • Government Organization and Administration Act
    • Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources Act
    • Free Trade and Mobility within Canada Act
    • Administrative Efficiency and Accountability in Healthcare Act
    • Advanced Education and Research Act
    • Justice Administration Amendment (2025) Act
    • Financial Measures (2025) Act
    • amendments to the House of Assembly Act to enable the appointment of a special electoral boundaries commission
    • amendments to the Temporary Access to Land Act and Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act

    Additional Resources:

    Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to open new building at Lincoln University

    Source: New Zealand Government

    I am very pleased to open the redeveloped George Forbes Building at Lincoln University.
    The original building was opened by Governor-General Viscount Cobham on 11th August 1960. He inherited Viscount Cobham from his father but his birth name was actually Charles Lyttelton, Lyttelton being named after his great grandfather. 
    The building has undergone significant changes since then that have made it a notable landmark in the area. 
    This latest development creates a vibrant new student hub, which will contribute to a world-class campus. 
    I know Lincoln has a strong focus on its students, both in terms of their campus experience but also a commitment to supporting their success in study and moving into employment.
    This space demonstrates your focus on your learners and their future, by providing a mix of areas for relaxation and recreation, as well as places to work and collaborate with others.
    And collaboration is one of the hallmarks of the university. 
    We can see it today in your strong domestic and international partnerships in research and teaching. 
    An excellent example is Bioprotection Aotearoa, a Centre of Research Excellence that features a collaborative partnership of 11 universities and CRIs to train the next generation of bioprotection researchers. It also delivers pioneering, multi-disciplinary research to protect our productive and natural landscapes from pathogens, pests and weeds in a warming climate.
    Scientists from Lincoln along with Plant & Food Research have contributed to the discovery of a new gene – the PAR gene – that will make it possible to produce seeds from crops that are genetically identical to the mother plant, without pollination. This was done with scientists in the Netherlands and Japan, and it is expected to lead to major innovations in plant breeding.
    You also have a strong history in commercial collaboration. The New Zealand Agricultural Engineering Institute (NZAEI) established in 1965, now Lincoln Agritech, has a history of finding practical engineering solutions to agricultural issues, supporting sustainable production. That contributes social, environmental and economic benefits to the community but also to your researchers and helps maintain the university’s reputation as a partner in innovation.
    It’s not an exaggeration to say that Lincoln has been making vital contributions to our country and to the wider world, in agriculture, horticulture and viticulture, for nearly 150 years. That’s quite an achievement and something to be proud of.
    Your focus on the agricultural sector has positioned you well in our nation’s economy and helped build our reputation as an agricultural innovator, as well as a successful and reliable supplier of high-quality food and associated technologies.
    These are some of the things that place this small university in the top 150 for agriculture and forestry, according to the QS World University Rankings.
    It is also in the top 150 for hospitality and leisure, another significant industry for economic growth, and one that relies for much of its appeal on the quality of our rural environments and the products that are so important to this country’s economy. 
    I know that you have a long-term plan which is driving the shape of the campus, with both new and redeveloped facilities. 
    With Plant & Food Research and Landcare Research across the road, we have a hub of research excellence that is important to New Zealand’s agricultural future.
    These combine to make Lincoln an attractive place to study. You have rapidly rebuilt your domestic and international student population, and achieved a position of financial sustainability while continuing to be recognised as a leader in research for the land-based sectors.
    Keeping all of your achievements in mind, it gives me great pleasure to turn to the opening of this new development and the opportunities still to come. 
    I want to thank a great-grandson and namesake of George Forbes, who provided very helpful information on his history. I know he was invited today and I hope he is here.
    The Right Honourable George William Forbes was MP for Hurunui from 1908 to 1943 and Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935. He was also the first leader of the National Party. 
    Before that he was farmer in Cheviot – on his farm called Crystal Brook – which he farmed until his death. He had a keen and enduring interest in the industry throughout his political career, and he regularly attended agricultural events here at Lincoln. 
    The George Forbes Memorial Library was developed in recognition of his advancement of the interests of Canterbury Agricultural College, as it was then, in the mid-1920s, when plans for Massey Agricultural College were underway.
    The library has moved but the building retains his name. It is now the new entry point to the university. 
    For learners just starting their tertiary education journey, this will be a place of welcome and connection with each other and the studies that will support their success in years to come.
    Many Lincoln alumni have gone on to play, and continue to play, prominent roles in New Zealand life.  There is an impressive list of scientists, All Blacks and business leaders, as well as politicians and media personalities, who have passed through these halls. There are a few international leaders in there as well.
    Lincoln was a key part of their leadership journey. 
    That’s as it should be. We expect our tertiary institutions to produce leaders in all areas – science, arts, public service, sports, community and commerce.
    I believe George William Forbes would be proud and pleased with this place and the contribution Lincoln is continuing to make to New Zealand, as well as the continuing association of his name with the university. 
    Thank you Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for your continuing efforts, and congratulations to you and the university community on this occasion. 
    I now take great pride in officially declaring the George Forbes Building open. 
    Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New tool to give landholders more stake in the clean energy transition

    Source: Ministers for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science

    Overview

    • Category

      News

    • Date

      27 March 2025

    • Classification

      General

    Australian landholders will have more insight and ownership of the renewable energy potential of their land thanks to a project set to receive $500,000 in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

    The project, being delivered by RELA Australia Pty Ltd (RELA), will build on their existing product, creating an improved software tool that provides clear, independent information to assess the potential of wind and solar energy generation on regional land. With the inclusion of additional data points, such as the ability to include farm plans while using the tool, this will allow landholders to determine the potential income of renewable energy generation assets on their land and be better equipped to negotiate agreements with renewable developers.

    ARENA Chief Operating Officer, Chris Faris, said that collaboration and partnership is key to realising Australia’s net zero goals, especially in rural and regional Australia.

    “This software will empower Australian landholders to make informed decisions about participating in the clean energy transition. By understanding the renewable energy potential of their land, they will be better equipped to engage and negotiate with renewable energy developers to get a better deal and a fair share of the income benefits from the clean energy projects that are critical to Australia’s net zero future,” said Mr Faris.

    “This project can help further assist landholders understand the potential for new income streams from their land, giving them a greater stake in the clean energy transition on their own terms.”

    ARENA recognises that the clean energy transition relies on cooperation between industry, government and local communities. Projects such as RELA’s software ensure the transition is about more than just consultation; it’s about giving Australians real agency over their involvement in the transition. Through the upgrades to this tool, Australian farmers and landholders can take more control, ensuring renewable energy projects and developments occur in a way that benefits both communities and investors.

    Chief Product Officer at RELA, Stuart Gourley said that RELA Assess gives landowners independent insights into the renewable energy potential of their land, helping them understand their options and empowering them to proceed with confidence.

    “With support from ARENA, we are strengthening RELA Assess to provide additional data, automated assessments to more landowners and farm planning tools that support the coexistence of farming and renewable energy. These enhancements will be guided by a Stakeholder Reference Group established by the Project representing the various stakeholders, including agricultural peak bodies, government and First Nations organisations, and will help landowners gain clearer insights to more fully understand the potential and opportunity costs of a renewable energy project on their land. By improving transparency and decision-making, RELA Assess continues to support landowners in the clean energy transition”.

    It is expected that the tool will be available later this year. For more information visit ARENA’s project page https://arena.gov.au/projects/ 

    ARENA media contact:

    media@arena.gov.au

    Download this media release (PDF 151KB)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Motsoaledi urges global action to address health funding gaps

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has reiterated the importance of nations reallocating resources towards health, strengthening global health partnerships, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms to address funding gaps.

    The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the second meeting of the G20 Health Working Group today in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal.

    The Minister used the platform to highlight South Africa’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) through the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, which aims to provide financial protection and efficient resource utilisation.

    “In South Africa, we are actively pursuing transformation to achieve universal health coverage through our NHI system.

    “The NHI is designed to provide financial protection for all, ensuring that access to quality healthcare is not dependent on one’s ability to pay [for] it, and it will also assist in the efficient utilisation of our resources by pulling funds and strategically purchasing services.”

    Motsoaledi cited data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which indicate that the number of people shielded from catastrophic health spending had been steadily increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since then, about 100 million people have fallen back into financial hardship due to health-related expenses.

    Motsoaledi believes that the NHI is a concrete demonstration of government’s commitment to leaving no one behind, and fostering and strengthening the resilience of the health system.

    The Minister quoted the late Harvard Department of Anthropology’s Professor Paul Farmer on the value of all lives and urged G20 members to increase public financing of health systems as a fundamental investment.

    “I want to quote the idea that ‘some lives matter less’ is the root of all that is wrong with the world.

    “We implore all G20 members to champion increased public financing of health systems.

    “This is not merely a budgetary issue; it’s a fundamental investment in our collective future.”

    Motsoaledi urged attendees to prioritise public health over competing interests, ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to meet the health needs of the nation’s populations.

    “Furthermore, we must all align our efforts beyond financing. We must address the persistent health inequities that plague our world.”

    Non-communicable diseases

    Motsoaledi highlighted the importance of addressing health inequities, particularly in low and middle-income countries, and the need for multilateral approaches to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

    He said the upcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs is seen as a crucial opportunity to galvanise global action against chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

    “We must alleviate the financial burden, restrict unhealthy food marketing, finance emergency health services, and accelerate cervical cancer elimination, the only cancer which is preventable.”

    The theme of the three-day meeting is: “Accelerating Health Equity, Solidarity, and Universal Coverage”.

    Along with this meeting, a co-sponsored event focused on eliminating cervical cancer, is also taking place.

    “We must move beyond dialogue and commit to concrete steps. South Africa is committed to collaborating with all the G20 members to achieve our shared goals. 

    “Let us work together to ensure that health remains a priority, not a commodity, especially during these unstable economic times,” Motsoaledi added.

    South Africa, which assumed the G20 Presidency in December, is currently hosting various working groups and ministerial meetings throughout the country. 

    These meetings are focused on key topics such as health, employment, trade, tourism, and the digital economy — all in preparation for the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for November this year.

    The G20 comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States. It also includes two regional bodies – the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Moore Reintroduce Bill to Boost Alabama Pecan and Tree Nut Farmers, Increase Healthier Options for Seniors  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville is continuing his efforts to boost Alabama’s agriculture community and make healthy foods more accessible for Alabama’s more than 54,000 seniors by reintroducing the Farmers’ Market Expansion Act, legislation that would make pecans and other tree nuts eligible for the USDA’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Senator Tuberville’s legislation would make tree nuts, including pecans and shelled nuts, available for participating seniors. AgriPulse first reported the bill’s introduction.
    “The Farmers’ Market Expansion Act would be a huge win for both our seniors and tree nut farmers by making it easier for seniors to incorporate pecans into their diet,” said Senator Tuberville. “Not only are pecans delicious, but they are a great source of nutrients needed for brain, bone, and heart health. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Congressman Moore to support Alabama’s farmers and Americans seeking healthier lives. As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I’ll continue advocating for Alabama’s farmers and bringing important ag and nutritional priorities to the table.”
    U.S. Senator Ben Luján (D-NM) joined Senator Tuberville in introducing the legislation. U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-AL-01) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Adding tree nuts, especially shelled pecans, to the Seniors’ Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program benefits Alabama producers and seniors,” said Rep. Moore. “Pecans are an important part of Alabama’s agriculture, and we are hopeful this legislation creates competitive markets for our tree nut producers. I am proud to work alongside Senator Tuberville to deliver this much needed legislation for Alabama’s farmers and the American people.”
    The Farmers’ Market Expansion Act is endorsed by the National Pecan Federation, Southeastern Pecan Growers Association, Almond Alliance, American Pistachio Growers, California Walnut Commission, Alabama Pecan Growers Association (APGA), Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA), Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA). Text of the bill can be found here. 
    “The attention to the pecan industry in Alabama continues to grow. The opportunity for Pecans to be added to the Senior Market Nutrition Program would be a huge win for Alabama growers. The pecan nut has the highest amount of Antioxidants of any tree.  The fit here is a benefit to all open additional market for growers provide high quality nutrition for seniors’.  Thank you, Coach, for your focus and commitment to Alabama Farmers,” said Brian Futral, President of the Alabama Pecan Growers Association (APGA).
    “I’m grateful to Senator Tuberville for reintroducing the Farmers Market Expansion Act. Alabama is home to 170 farmers markets and 114 farm stands that would benefit from adding tree nuts to the Seniors’ Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Adding pecans to this program would provide our seniors with another healthy choice in addition to fresh produce, while also supporting Alabama’s hardworking pecan growers. This would be a win for our farmers, for our seniors and for Alabama agriculture,” said Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Rick Pate.
    “The Almond Alliance supports Senator Tuberville and Representative Barry Moore’s introduction of the Pecan and Tree Nut Producers Assistance Act, which would allow nutrient-dense, locally grown tree nuts—such as almonds—to be included in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. This bill supports both the health of low-income seniors and the economic vitality of almond growers. Including nutritious, locally grown tree nuts in the program benefits consumers and producers alike,” saidAlexi Rodriguez, President and CEO, Almond Alliance.
    “The National Pecan Federation is proud to support the reintroduction of this legislation, which would include tree nuts in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). The inclusion of pecans in the SFMNP will expand the market for pecan producers across the country and increase consumer access to a healthy and delicious product. We appreciate the opportunity to include pecans in new local markets that will benefit seniors in our communities,” said Larry Don Womack, Chairman of the National Pecan Federation.
    “The Southeastern Pecan Growers Association supports the reintroduction of the Farmers’ Market Expansion Act, which would include access to local pecans for eligible seniors. This potential market is especially important to our smaller growers who are actively looking to place their pecan products in local and community-based markets. The passage of this bill would create success for pecan producers across the Southeast, while providing consumer access to a new, highly nutritious product,” said Justin Jones, Chairman of the Southeastern Pecan Growers Association.
    BACKGROUND:
    The SFMNP provides fresh, nutritious, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey to eligible low-income seniors. These seniors must be 60 years of age or older and have a household income of no more than 185% of the federal poverty level. Eligible seniors can exchange coupons for program products at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. 
    According to the USDA, in fiscal year 2022, the SFMNP had 757,751 seniors participate and 15,089 farmers sold products through the program across the country. Annual program benefits vary per state between $20 – $50 per year, with over 54,000 eligible seniors in Alabama. 
    According to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), common tree nuts are considered almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. With this legislation, these tree nuts would be eligible for the SFMNP.
    Alabama is one of the country’s top pecan producers, ranking eighth nationally. Growers across the state harvested approximately 3 million pounds across 9,000 pecan-bearing acres in 2022. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Alabama had over 762 producers who harvested 7,276 pecan-bearing acres.
    During Farm Bill listening sessions throughout Alabama last Congress, Senator Tuberville had outreach from several pecan growers who were seeking to add pecans to the farmers’ market program. Pecan producers have had seniors seeking to purchase whole and shelled pecans through the program, but cannot due to current restrictions. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Agriculture Committee adopts two decisions to enhance transparency, notifications

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Agriculture Committee adopts two decisions to enhance transparency, notifications

    Tariff-Rate Quotas (TRQs) allow a specified quantity of a product to be imported at a lower tariff rate, while any quantity exceeding that limit is subject to higher tariffs.
    Triennial reviews of Nairobi and Bali decisions
    The Chair announced that members successfully concluded the third triennial review of the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition in December 2024 through a written procedure. The outcome package includes the Review Report (G/AG/39 ) and a decision on a comprehensive export competition notification requirements and formats (G/AG/2/Add.2 ). This streamlines the relevant notification requirements adopted in 1995 (G/AG/2 ) and integrates the export competition questionnaire (ECQ) from the Nairobi Decision. She thanked members for their constructive engagement in reaching consensus.
    Members also adopted a key document on enhanced transparency of TRQ administration notifications (RD/AG/134/Rev.2)  in order to implement the Bali Decision on Tariff Rate Quota administration. Members hailed the successful adoption of the decision on TRQ notifications (G/AG/2/Add.3), recognizing it as the culmination of months of hard work and productive dialogue.
    Members also launched discussions on the second triennial review of the operation of the Bali Decision and shared their expectations of the review.
    Updates on agricultural market developments, food security
    Members heard updated reports from the World Food Programme(WFP), the International Grains Council (IGC) and the World Bank on the latest developments in food security and agriculture. The organizations were invited to the Committee to share information and experiences as a follow-up to  the report and recommendations of the work programme undertaken pursuant to the MC12 declaration on food insecurity.
    The WFP warned that the world is entering a period of high uncertainty, marked by a worsening global food security crisis and humanitarian funding cuts. It estimated that 343 million people suffered from acute food insecurity across 74 countries in 2024 — nearly 200 million more than pre-pandemic levels.
    The WFP stressed that conflict remains the primary driver of food insecurity in war zones, including Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza and Somalia. Other factors, such as climate change, economic instability, rising food prices and currency depreciation, continue to affect food supply in developing economies.
    The WFP urged governments to find political solutions to end conflicts, strengthen food systems and enhance support for local economies. It also called for governments to secure funding to protect vulnerable populations and build community food resilience.
    The IGC projected record grain production and a global rebound in grain trade in 2025–26, driven by strong demand from Asia and Africa, as well as other positive market trends. The IGC also outlined its ongoing efforts to improve and standardize trade statistics for rice through better classification of rice types in global trade. It has also developed a dashboard for net food-importing countries to track market changes and refine food security strategies.
    The World Bank echoed concerns raised by the WFP and IGC, stating that acute food insecurity remains at record levels, with an estimated 713–757 million people undernourished. It introduced its Global Challenge Program on Food and Nutrition Security, which includes early warning systems, cross-sectoral approaches to nutrition, and improved access to climate finance for smallholders.
    The World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to nutrition security, emphasizing its alignment with global efforts such as the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris and its integration of nutrition objectives across health, agriculture and social protection investments.
    Members thanked the international organizations for their updates. Some highlighted concerns over food insecurity in least developed countries (LDCs) and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs), citing conflict, climate change and high import dependency as key challenges. Others emphasized the need for greater financial support for food and climate resilience while urging the WTO to address the root causes of food insecurity through further agricultural reforms.
    Members also discussed follow-up to Food Security Work Programme recommendations (G/AG/38) from the 12th Ministerial Conference. The Chair commended members’ efforts in implementing some of these recommendations within the Committee and the Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance. Some members stressed the need to turn recommendations into concrete actions, including informal dedicated workshops to share experiences.
    Review of the NFIDC list 
    Divergences remain on the annual review of the NFIDCs list, which is undertaken annually in the Committee’s March meeting. Some members favoured a data-based review exercise requiring NFIDCs to present updated statistics, whereas some others saw no basis to submit such data by NFIDCs beyond their inclusion in the list.
    The discussion concluded without a common understanding of whether the annual review had been accomplished. Some members called for continued discussions in subsequent meetings, while others opposed extending talks beyond the annual March meeting. At the same time, members agreed that the current list (G/AG/5/Rev.12) remains valid unless consensus dictates otherwise.
    Review of agricultural policies
    A total of 208 questions were raised by members concerning individual notifications and specific implementation matters during the meeting. This peer review process allows members to address issues related to the implementation of commitments outlined in the Agreement on Agriculture. Of these, 31 issues were raised for the first time, while 15 were recurring matters from previous Committee meetings.
    The 31 new items covered a range of topics, including Australia’s food and fibre program, Brazil’s rural initiative, Canada’s multiple farm and dairy support programs, and the European Union’s tariffs on Russian agri-food imports. Other topics included India’s sugar support and tariff changes on Bourbon whiskey, Indonesia’s various farm support policies, and Japan’s support for CO₂ reduction and fertilizer procurement. Members also reviewed Paraguay’s financial assistance to farmers, Switzerland’s farm payments, Thailand’s debt relief measures and rice support, Türkiye’s tax and pricing systems, the United Kingdom’s productivity-boosting scheme, and the United States’ applied tariffs and multiple farm support programs.
    Since the previous meeting in November 2024, a total of 110 individual notifications have been submitted to the Committee, covering market access, domestic support, export competition and notifications in the context of the NFIDC Decision. The majority of these notifications — 45 in total — pertain to export competition.
    The Chair urged members to submit timely and complete notifications and to respond to overdue questions, stressing the critical importance of enhanced transparency.
    All questions submitted for the meeting are available in G/AG/W/252. All questions and replies received are available in the WTO’s Agriculture Information Management System (AG IMS).
    Technology transfer
    The Chair reported productive discussions at an informal meeting on 13 February regarding guidance on how to pursue further discussions on technology transfer in 2025.
    Some members expressed interest in shifting discussions from experience-sharing to the WTO framework of rules and its role in promoting agricultural innovations and technologies. While they acknowledged that the Agreement on Agriculture provides a clear policy and legal basis for agricultural technology transfer — essential for improving food security and rural development — barriers remain in accessing these technologies, highlighting the need for affordable innovations. To address these challenges, these members suggested future seminars to discuss both policy considerations under the Agreement on Agriculture and practical country case studies.
    Some members also emphasized the need for the Committee to further explore sustainable agriculture, with a focus on practical, expert-led discussions. One suggestion was to highlight the importance of capacity building in developing economies, supported by strengthened collaboration with regional research centres.
    The Chair noted the need to continue discussions on this agenda item at the next meeting, which will help the incoming Chair plan future work.
    Other business
    The Chair said that the election of the new Chair will be considered at the June meeting, as the consultation process is still ongoing.
    The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) briefly introduced its 2025 work plan (G/AG/GEN/248). In close cooperation with the WTO, the IICA will organize a seminar in Paraguay in the second half of the year to train government officials from the region on improving their notification capacity and negotiation skills.
    Next meeting
    The next meeting of the Committee on Agriculture is scheduled for 23-24 June 2025.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Revitalizing Downtowns in Western New York

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Village of Cattaraugus will receive $10 million in funding as the Western New York winner of the eighth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and the Villages of Westfield and Angola will each receive $4.5 million as the Western New York winners of the third round of NY Forward. For Round 8 of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and Round 3 of the NY Forward Program, each of the state’s 10 economic development regions are being awarded $10 million from each program, to make for a total state commitment of $200 million in funding and investments to help communities boost their economies by transforming downtowns into vibrant neighborhoods.

    “Our state’s downtowns unite friends and families, and these investments will only help reshape neighborhoods to become more vibrant destinations for shopping, dining and living,” Governor Hochul said. “Through our Pro-Housing Communities Program, affordable housing opportunities will open up in neighborhoods across Western New York and local economies will thrive from these opportunities.”

    To receive funding from either the DRI or NY Forward program, localities must be certified under Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities Program — an innovative policy created to recognize and reward municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential. Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities initiative allocates up to $650 million each year in discretionary funds for communities that pledge to increase their housing supply; to date, 287 communities across New York have been certified as Pro-Housing Communities. This year, Governor Hochul is proposing an additional $100 million in funding to cover infrastructure projects necessary to create new housing in Pro-Housing Communities, and a further $10.5 million for technical assistance to help communities seeking to foster housing growth.

    Many of the projects funded through the DRI and NY Forward support Governor Hochul’s affordability agenda. The DRI has invested in the creation of more than 4,400 units of housing — 1,823 of which are affordable or workforce housing. The programs committed over $8.5 million to 11 projects that provide affordable or free child care and child care worker training. DRI and NY Forward have also invested in the creation of public parks, public art (such as murals and sculptures) and art, music and cultural venues that provide free outdoor recreation and entertainment opportunities.

    $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award for Cattaraugus
    The Village of Cattaraugus is a vibrant community that is protected and tucked away, perched on a steep incline and sheltered by surrounding hills, productive farmlands and mature verdant forests. The original 19th century brick heart of the village, amazingly intact and a designated National Historic District, imbues a sense of history and character. Stores and businesses are locally owned, and the surrounding area abounds with hundreds of creative artists and artisans. The Village seeks to transform its historic red brick Main Street into a communal gathering place where our natural beauty, cultural heritage and small-town character converge to foster economic growth and enhance quality of life. The Village would become a regional attraction for dining and lodging using its industrial rail heritage to encourage outdoor recreation on its trails that will attract visitors and new residents to stay and enjoy the welcoming nature of the Village.

    $4.5 Million NY Forward Award for Westfield
    Westfield is a charming village that graces the southern shore of Lake Erie. This picturesque locale is defined by its stunning waterfront vistas and a wealth of recreational opportunities, inviting residents and visitors to embrace the natural beauty that surrounds them. Visitors and residents enjoy Westfield events like First Fridays, the Arts and Crafts Festival, the weekly Farmer’s Market, the Tour Chautauqua Cycling Event, the Grape and Wine Festival, Christmas in the Village, the Hot Toddy Crawl and the Christmas Cookie weekend. Historically, Westfield’s economy depended on agriculture and industry. Westfield’s vision is to cultivate a vibrant and sustainable community that celebrates its rich history, natural beauty and agricultural heritage while fostering economic growth, creating housing choices and celebrating diverse cultural activities in a safe and welcoming environment.

    $4.5 Million NY Forward Award for Angola
    Located within the Town of Evans, the waterfront cottage village of Angola is a tourism destination area that draws thousands of regional, national and international visitors each year. While the Town benefits from its lakefront, the Village possesses entertainment options that are attractive to visitors like festivals, art attractions and more. The Village seeks to capitalize on community strengths and its strategic location near key assets — waterfront, rich history and natural resources — to create a unique and vibrant downtown destination in the rural Southtowns of Erie County. Leveraging the historic Angola Theater as the anchor, the Village will bolster the local economy and quality of life through its quaint historic buildings, creative visual and performing arts, unique retail and special events.

    New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Governor Hochul recognizes that when we are investing in our communities, we can positively impact not just that community, but the entire region. And that’s exactly what will happen for these three communities receiving awards from our Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward program. We can’t wait to see how these investments will make Cattaraugus, Westfield, Angola and the entire Western New York region flourish.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The three Western New York communities selected to be reinvigorated by the latest round of Governor Hochul’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward programs each have unique projects that will boost business, create new housing, improve quality of life for local families, and attract new visitors. We congratulate the Villages of Cattaraugus, Angola, and Westfield for submitting solid plans to improve their downtowns by making smart investments in the existing assets. We are excited to see your blueprints for revitalization become a reality.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Today’s $19 million DRI and NY Forward award represents monumental investment in the villages of Cattaraugus, Westfield and Angola, that will assist these three picturesque communities as they increase housing supply while transforming their downtowns to increase vibrancy and bring modern improvements to historic surroundings. This commitment to Western New York is only the latest example of Governor Hochul’s focus on enhancing communities and creating economic opportunities in all of New York’s regions.”

    Western New York Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Steve Stoute and Eric Reich said,“These investments mark a significant step in the revitalization of these vibrant communities. Each village boasts a rich history and cultural heritage, and this funding will help unlock their full potential, while enhancing economic growth, fostering sustainability, and creating welcoming destinations for both residents and visitors. By preserving their distinct character while promoting long-term development, the funding will strengthen local economies and ensure a lasting impact for generations to come. The council extends its gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul for her steadfast support through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the NY Forward program, and we look forward to witnessing the transformative outcomes of these investments.”

    Village of Cattaraugus Mayor Anthony Nagel said, “The Village of Cattaraugus is deeply honored to receive the Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, a transformative investment in our community’s future. This funding will enable us to revitalize our infrastructure, support local businesses, and enhance the overall quality of life for our residents and visitors. We extend our sincere gratitude to Governor Hochul for recognizing the potential of our village and making this significant investment. With this grant, we are committed to preserving our heritage while fostering a stronger, more vibrant future for generations to come.”

    Village of Westfield Mayor Dennis Lutes said, “On behalf of the Village of Westfield, I am deeply honored that we have been selected as recipients of a NY Forward grant. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul for her leadership and for establishing the NY Forward program to support small communities like ours. This investment marks a pivotal moment for Westfield, providing us with an incredible opportunity to revitalize our village and build upon the progress we have already made. We are truly grateful to Governor Hochul, Department of State, the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, Empire State Development, the Westfield Development Corporation, and all the dedicated stakeholders who contributed to making this application a success. Their hard work and commitment to our community are greatly appreciated.”

    Village of Angola Mayor Thomas M. Whelan said, “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to receive the NY Forward grant. This funding will have a transformative impact on our community, enabling us to revitalize key areas and enhance the quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors. The NY Forward grant reflects New York State’s steadfast commitment to supporting small communities like ours, fostering growth, and driving meaningful progress. We are honored to be a recipient of this initiative and eager to put these funds to work for the betterment of our village. I sincerely appreciate Governor Kathy Hochul and her team for their support and belief in our vision. Her dedication to strengthening small communities is truly inspiring, and we look forward to working together to bring our vision to fruition.”

    Cattaraugus, Westfield and Angola will now begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize their downtowns. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will guide the investment of DRI and NY Forward grant funds in revitalization projects that are poised for implementation, will advance the community’s vision for their downtown and that can leverage and expand upon the state’s investment.

    The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council conducted a thorough and competitive review process of proposals submitted from communities throughout the region and considered all criteria before recommending these communities as nominees.

    About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative
    The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. Through eight rounds, the DRI will have awarded a total of $900 million to 89 communities across every region of the State.

    About the NY Forward Program
    First announced as part of the 2022 Budget, Governor Hochul created the NY Forward program to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The program works in concert with the DRI to accelerate and expand the revitalization of smaller and rural downtowns throughout the State so that all communities can benefit from the State’s revitalization efforts, regardless of size, character, needs and challenges.

    NY Forward communities are supported by a professional planning consultant and team of State agency experts led by DOS to develop a Strategic Investment Plan that includes a slate of transformative, complementary and readily implementable projects. NY Forward projects are appropriately scaled to the size of each community; projects may include building renovation and redevelopment, new construction or creation of new or improved public spaces and other projects that enhance specific cultural and historical qualities that define and distinguish the small-town charm that defines these municipalities. Through three rounds, the NY Forward program will have awarded a total of $300 million to 60 communities across every region of the State.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Shapiro, Agricultural Leaders Visit Penn England Farms in Blair County to Highlight How His

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 26, 2025 – Williamsburg, PA

    Governor Shapiro, Agricultural Leaders Visit Penn England Farms in Blair County to Highlight How His “Lightning Plan” Will Lower Energy Costs and Increase Energy Production for Pennsylvania Farmers and Rural Communities

    Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) Secretary Russell Redding visited Penn England Farms in Blair County to highlight how the Governor’s “Lightning Plan” – a comprehensive, all-of-the-above energy plan to secure Pennsylvania’s energy future – would lower energy costs for farmers and rural communities all across the Commonwealth.

    Penn England Farms, a family-owned dairy operation, uses an on-site manure digester to convert waste into clean energy – reducing nearly 40,000 metric tons of pollution each year while powering the farm and contributing excess energy to the grid. Since building their digester in 2006, Penn England has saved $1.6 million in energy costs – nearly $90,000 on average each year. Under Governor Shapiro’s plan, more farms could access this technology through his community energy proposal, allowing multiple farmers to share a digester, cut costs, and sell excess energy back to the grid.

    List of Speakers:
    Yvette Longenecker, owner of Penn England Farms
    Commissioner Laura Burke
    Mark Heeter, President of the Blair County Farm Bureau
    Steven McKnight, President and CEO of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation
    Secretary Russell Redding
    Governor Josh Shapiro

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hawley Calls on Department of Energy to Cancel Grain Belt Express $5 Billion Loan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, urging him to immediately cancel the Biden administration’s last-ditch attempt to force a $4.9 billion loan for the Grain Belt Express transmission line. The Biden administration pushed the nearly $5 billion loan through at the eleventh hour, allowing the government to seize land from Missouri’s farmers and ranchers.

    “I write once again to bring your attention to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion conditional loan to the green-energy Grain Belt Express transmission line. Recently, officials from the Department of Energy confirmed that your department is moving forward with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, a key step in approving the loan. This goes directly against the wishes of constituents in my state – who have fought this transmission line for years,” argued Senator Hawley.

    He reminded the Energy Secretary of his past correspondence with the agency and expressed his alarm that Energy is moving forward with a Biden-era loan designed to enrich out-of-state corporations with no regard for Missouri farmland. 

    “I am alarmed that DOE is moving forward with the draft EIS process for the Grain Belt Express. Currently, Invenergy, the parent company for the Grain Belt Express is bringing eminent domain cases against farmers in my state. Additionally, I have repeatedly raised concerns to DOE about the viability of the transmission line. Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan,” he wrote.

    Senator Hawley concluded, “It’s not too late to reverse course. I urge you to immediately terminate all agency actions related to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion loan to the Grain Belt Express.”

    Senator Hawley has repeatedly advocated on behalf of Missouri famers and landowners against the Biden Administration’s federal government land grab.
     
    Read the full letter here or below. 

    The Honorable Chris Wright
    Secretary
    U.S. Department of Energy
    1000 Independence Ave SE
    Washington, DC 20560


    Dear Secretary Wright,

    I write once again to bring your attention to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion conditional loan to the green-energy Grain Belt Express transmission line. Recently, officials from the Department of Energy confirmed that your department is moving forward with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, a key step in approving the loan. This goes directly against the wishes of constituents in my state – who have fought this transmission line for years.

    Shortly after President Trump took office, DOE announced it would pause all loans funded by Democrats Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In response to this announcement, on February 4, 2025, I wrote a letter to DOE seeking clarity about status of the draft EIS and the Grain Belt Express’s conditional loan.

    On March 6, 2025, I received correspondence from your department indicating that the process would continue to move forward. It reads:

    “During the public comment period, DOE LPO hosted 6 public meetings – 4 in-person meetings and 2 virtual public meetings – to allow the public to learn more about DEIS, ask questions, and provide oral testimony, on the following dates. In person meetings: Feb. 10 (Dodge City, Kansas), Feb. 11 (Concordia, KS), Feb 12 (St. Joseph, MO), Feb. 13 (Carrollton, MO); Virtual Meetings: Feb. 19 and 20… LPO will review all the comments received and prepare a response to comments, document and incorporate any updates in the Environmental Impact Statement, and we estimate that DOE will issue a Final EIS in July 2025.”

    I am alarmed that DOE is moving forward with the draft EIS process for the Grain Belt Express. Currently, Invenergy, the parent company for the Grain Belt Express is bringing eminent domain cases against farmers in my state. Additionally, I have repeatedly raised concerns to DOE about the viability of the transmission line. Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan.

    It’s not too late to reverse course. I urge you to immediately terminate all agency actions related to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion loan to the Grain Belt Express.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cortez Masto Press USDA to Not Take Food Away from Food Banks and Hungry Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and 23 of their colleagues in a letter pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more information about the cancellation of previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers. This action by the Trump Administration would take food away from hungry Americans already facing high grocery prices and hurt American farmers who are being squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets.
    “We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),” wrote the Senators. “A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy.” 
    “If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance,” the Senators continued. “In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges.”
    Read the full letter HERE.
    Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have been vocal opponents of the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut critical programs Nevadans rely on all while trying to give further tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Earlier this month, the Senators demanded the USDA reverse its cancellation of food purchase programs across the U.S., warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers. Additionally, Rosen and Cortez Masto have pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the General Services Administration. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Declaration Requested for Farms Impacted by Storms

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State is requesting a United States Department of Agriculture Secretarial Disaster Designation for Oneida County and the contiguous counties of Lewis, Herkimer, Oswego and Madison. Many farms in these counties sustained loss of livestock and structural barn and equipment damage when extreme winter weather impacted the area in January and February 2025. A Disaster Designation would allow for affected farms to apply for United States Department of Agriculture low-interest emergency loans.

    “Severe weather earlier this year wreaked nearly unprecedented damage on farms across Northern and Central New York, and I’m requesting a USDA disaster declaration to help bring relief to our agricultural communities,” Governor Hochul said. “This damage has upended the futures of farms as they face tens of millions of dollars in economic impact. I urge the USDA to take swift action to declare these counties a disaster area and help our farmers get the assistance they need to move forward.”

    According to the National Weather Service, from January 6 to February 25, 2025, northern and central New York State experienced extreme winter weather events that brought heavy winds, ice and more than 180 inches of snow to both regions. In addition, temperatures remained below freezing and there was no thaw to reduce snow accumulation, resulting in sustained heavy snow and ice loads on agricultural buildings. These heavy loads caused structural damage and collapse, loss of livestock, damage to feedstocks and equipment and the destruction of agricultural equipment storage facilities. Based on consultation with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Oneida County’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Cornell Cooperative Extension offices, more than 60 agricultural locations sustained an estimated $15 to $20 million in damage.

    New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Shortly after the last round of heavy snow and ice, I was able to visit a number of farms in Oneida County and see firsthand the damage that these farms sustained. Typically, we are concerned about crop loss when we face severe weather, but this winter storm impacted infrastructure and livestock that will make it extremely difficult to look toward this year’s planting season. I am thankful to the Governor for this request and appreciate the USDA’s consideration to move ahead with a disaster declaration to provide some financial relief to area farmers.”

    Commissioner Ball visited several farms impacted by the extreme weather in Oneida County on March 7. Many diverse agricultural operations were impacted by these extreme weather events, including dairy farms, beef farms, hay operations, nursery and greenhouse businesses and crop farms. These events and the resulting damage have had a significant impact on the local farm economy.

    A disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous eligible to be considered for emergency loans from the FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for relief programs.

    In addition, the Governor is requesting any disaster assistance appropriated by Congress be made available to assist the impacted farmers and encourages USDA to highlight additional assistance programs that these farmers may opt to use.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: PIMCO Names Janet Yellen and Raghuram Rajan to its Global Advisory Board (GAB); Gordon Brown Becomes Chair

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Janet Yellen served as Treasury Secretary in the Biden Administration and Chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018
    • Raghuram Rajan served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund
    • Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister, becomes Chair of the GAB
    • Ben Bernanke, former Chair of the Federal Reserve, retiring from role as Chair of PIMCO’s GAB after 10 years service
    • Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister, also recently stepped down from GAB

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PIMCO, one of the world’s premier fixed income investment managers, announces the addition of Janet Yellen, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Chair of the Federal Reserve, and Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, to its Global Advisory Board. The Board provides PIMCO with insights on global economic, political, and strategic developments and their relevance for financial markets.

    In addition, Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister (2007-2010) and Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997-2007), becomes Chair of the Board. Mr. Brown, who has been a member of PIMCO’s GAB since its founding in 2015, replaces Ben Bernanke, who is retiring after serving 10 years as Chair of the GAB. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, previously announced his resignation from PIMCO’s GAB in January, when he announced his candidacy for political office. He had served on the Board since 2020.

    Before serving as the 78th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 2021-2025, Secretary Yellen was Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018 and Vice Chair 2010 to 2014. Secretary Yellen has also held positions at Harvard University, the London School of Economics, and the University of California, Berkeley, where she is now professor emeritus. Her extensive contributions to economic policy and research have established her as a leading figure in the field.

    Dr. Raghuram Rajan’s career is distinguished by his influential roles in global economic institutions. He was the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2013 to 2016 – where he implemented key reforms to stabilize the Indian economy – and was Chief Economist and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund from 2003 to 2006. He is also a Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

    “Secretary Yellen and Dr. Rajan’s deep expertise in economic policy make them remarkable additions to our Global Advisory Board,” said Emmanuel Roman, PIMCO’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their insights will be crucial for us as we continue to navigate the complexities of the global economy and assess their potential impact on markets for our clients.”

    “Understanding the complexities and impact of central bank policymaking, international governance and economic conditions on fast-moving markets are critical components of our investment strategy. Secretary Yellen and Dr. Rajan’s invaluable insights and experience, and Prime Minister Brown’s leadership as chair, will provide PIMCO clients with deep expertise and knowledge in assessing investment risk and opportunity,” said Dan Ivascyn, PIMCO’s Group Chief Investment Officer.

    “We also want to thank Chair Ben Bernanke and Prime Minister Carney for their leadership and valued perspectives over many years on the Global Advisory Board during their constant presence at our investment forums and in guidance to our Investment Committee. We will miss their thoughtful insights and wish them well,” said Mr. Roman.

    The Global Advisory Board consists of a diverse group of experts who provide strategic insights into global economic, political, and strategic developments. Secretary Yellen and Dr. Rajan will join Gordon Brown, Joshua Bolten, former White House Chief of Staff, and Michele Flournoy, U.S. defense policy advisor in two U.S. presidential administrations.

    Janet Yellen
    Janet L. Yellen served as 78th Secretary of the Treasury from 2021 through 2025. Previously, she was a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution. She also served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 2014 through February 2018, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors from 2010 to 2014 and president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010. Dr. Yellen previously served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from August 1994 through February 1997, whereupon she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, a post she held until August 1999. Dr. Yellen has written on a wide variety of macroeconomic issues, specializing in the causes, mechanisms, and implications of unemployment. She began her career as an assistant professor at Harvard University and then served as an economist with the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors before joining the faculty of the London School of Economics in 1978. In 1980 she joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley, where she was named the Eugene E. and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business and Professor of Economics, and where she is currently a professor emeritus. Dr. Yellen graduated from Brown University in 1967 and received her PhD in economics from Yale University in 1971. She received the Wilbur Cross Medal from Yale in 1997, honorary degrees from Brown, Bard College, NYU, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Warwick, Yale, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as President of the American Economic Association and the Western Economic Association and a fellow of the Yale Corporation. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association.

    Raghuram Rajan

    Raghuram Rajan is the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at Chicago Booth. He was the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016. Between 2003 and 2006, Dr. Rajan was the Chief Economist and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Rajan’s research interests are in banking, corporate finance, and economic development. The books he has written include Breaking the Mold: Reimagining India’s Economic Future with Rohit Lamba, The Third Pillar: How the State and Markets hold the Community Behind 2019 which was a finalist for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year prize and Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy, for which he was awarded the Financial Times prize for Business Book of the Year in 2010. Dr. Rajan is a member of the Group of Thirty. He was the President of the American Finance Association in 2011 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In January 2003, the American Finance Association awarded Dr. Rajan the inaugural Fischer Black Prize for the best finance researcher under the age of 40. The other awards he has received include the Infosys prize for the Economic Sciences in 2012, the Deutsche Bank Prize for Financial Economics in 2013, Euromoney Central Banker Governor of the Year 2014, and Banker Magazine (FT Group) Central Bank Governor of the Year 2016. Dr. Rajan is the Chairman of the Per Jacobsson Foundation, the senior economic advisor to BDT Capital, and a managing director at Andersen Tax.

    About PIMCO
    PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients’ capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.

    Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of PIMCO’s sponsored investment products and separately managed accounts, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    Contact:
    Michael Reid
    PIMCO – Media Relations
    Ph. 212-597-1301
    Email: Michael.Reid@pimco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s America is facing an Andrew Jackson moment – and it’s bad news for the constitution

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sean Lang, Visiting Fellow in History, Anglia Ruskin University

    Statue of Andrew Jackson in Layfayette Square, Washington DC. Flickr

    How do you deal with an American president who does not obey the US constitution? The question has arisen because the recent episode where deportation flights carrying Venezuelans were dispatched to El Salvador, despite a court ruling that those flights must not proceed, suggests Donald Trump’s administration has a limited understanding of the separation of powers in the US. A president has no power to defy a court order.

    Similarly, a Brown University medical professor, Rasha Alawieh, was deported to Lebanon because of a perceived sympathy for Hezbollah, despite the fact she had a valid US work visa and despite a judge’s order blocking her removal from the US.

    This administration’s seemingly blatant disregarding of constitutional procedure is not the first time such a problem has arisen. Early in the life of the new republic it was posed by the election to the presidency in 1828 of Andrew Jackson. Jackson, an unashamed populist, harboured deep suspicion of all federal institutions. His belief in states’ rights sometimes trumped his commitment to the union.

    Trump echoes Jackson in many ways. Just as Trump reviles Joe Biden, so Jackson scorned his predecessor, John Quincy Adams. Trump’s attacks on institutions such as USAid and the Department of Education, is echoed by Jackson’s extraordinary war on the Bank of the United States, which he thought too big and grand for a democratic people.

    But the parallels come closest in relation to forced expulsion, whether of individuals in Trump’s case, or of whole peoples in Jackson’s.

    When Europeans established their colonies in the Americas, they justified their presence by asserting the philosopher John Locke’s principle that legal title to land belonged to those who farmed it. Since the native peoples were mostly nomadic hunters, this legal fiction enabled the Europeans and their American successors to seize land while claiming it was theirs “by right”.

    But the peoples of the American southeast – the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole and Cherokee – took the Europeans at their word. They adopted a much more European lifestyle, establishing towns, wearing European clothing, even converting to Christianity. But above all, they started farming the land, even to the point of owning slaves to work on it. They were known, rather patronisingly, as the “five civilised tribes”.

    None of this adoption of western culture would save them, however, when Georgian cotton planters realised, first, that the tribes were sitting on prime cotton-growing land and, subsequently, that there was gold in Cherokee territory. In 1828 the state of Georgia claimed jurisdiction over all the land of the five tribes. Jackson, an old “Indian fighter” and a staunch states-rights southerner who was about to begin his stint as seventh US president, clearly sympathised.

    Jackson’s first State of the Union address made it clear that he intended to remove all the “Indian” tribes to the desert lands west of the Mississippi. In Congress, Jackson’s opponents accused him of betraying the very principles on which the republic had been founded. What had these people done that required their removal – and since they were indeed farmers, why was their right to their own land not to be respected in law?

    Despite these good reasons for these people to be allowed to stay, the 1830 Removal Act passed and the Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek peoples packed up and left. The Seminole attempted armed resistance but were defeated.

    Supreme Court versus the US president

    The Cherokee took their case to the Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court had originally been intended merely as a final court of appeal, but under its long-sitting chief justice, John Marshall, it had established itself as the ultimate arbiter of what was and was not lawful according to the constitution. And this included acts of the president.

    The court’s new-found constitutional role was deeply resented in the White House as an unacceptable incursion on the rights of the president, even when it ruled in the president’s favour. Now Marshall was being asked to rule on the constitutional legality of Georgia’s claim to the land of the Cherokee people.

    The Cherokee had tried to declare they were a fully independent state, but the court ruled against that. It did, however, find that they constituted a dependent nation within the United States and that, therefore, the State of Georgia had no jurisdiction over them.

    ‘Trail of Tears’: a dark moment in US history.
    Wolfgang Sauber/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Georgia, however, simply ignored the Supreme Court and in 1838 sent in troops to round up and expel the Cherokee people. Some 13,000 people set off on what became known as the “Trail of Tears” – about one-third of them died of weakness, disease and hunger.

    One American officer commented later that: “I fought through the civil war and have seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, but the Cherokee removal was the cruellest I ever knew.”

    Jackson was exultant, taunting Marshall that his judgement “has fell still born” and sneering that Marshall had no means of enforcing it. The Cherokee chief, the half-Scottish John Ross, summed up the situation: “We have a country which others covet. This is the only offence we have ever yet been charged with.”

    The Cherokee had found that, if the president chose to ignore it, the US constitution offered no protection to the innocent. It’s a history lesson Greenlanders, Mexicans and Canadians – and indeed many Americans who may fall foul of this administration and seek recourse to the law – would do well to study.

    Sean Lang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump’s America is facing an Andrew Jackson moment – and it’s bad news for the constitution – https://theconversation.com/trumps-america-is-facing-an-andrew-jackson-moment-and-its-bad-news-for-the-constitution-253047

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Drug Dealer Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison for Series of Fentanyl, Heroin, Fentanyl Analogue, and Cocaine Trafficking Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 102 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on charges of violating federal drug trafficking laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Jervey Shackelford, 45, on March 25, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, Shackelford delivered or attempted to deliver fentanyl and mixtures of heroin and fentanyl to an undercover officer on six separate occasions between February 2022 and June 2022 on Pittsburgh’s North Side. In October 2023, City of Pittsburgh officers executed a search warrant on Shackelford and his vehicle and recovered over 60 grams of fentanyl and 10 grams of cocaine, along with drug packaging materials. Additionally, in August 2024, City of Pittsburgh officers executed a search warrant on an apartment utilized by Shackelford, during which officers recovered 11 bricks of fentanyl and heroin and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue. Shackelford possessed with an intent to distribute a total of over a quarter kilogram of mixtures of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and heroin across the various incidents.

    Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shackelford.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Newcomb Man Sentenced for Role in Fatal Altercation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man was sentenced to three years of probation for his role in the death of an individual who died from a fatal stab wound during a drunken altercation.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on June 2, 2021, Leighton Spencer, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and two other individuals were at Spencer‘s home, consuming a mixture of Gatorade and hand sanitizer, followed by beers, when an altercation between the two other individuals occurred. After one person left to cool down and returned, they discovered the third individual deceased in the doorway, covered in blood. Spencer initially claimed the person was sleeping, but emergency services were called.

    The Office of the Medical Investigator ruled the death a homicide caused by a stab wound to the neck, which damaged major blood vessels and the right upper lung lobe. Spencer initially provided conflicting accounts of the incident, blaming others and fabricating causes of death before eventually admitting to the killing. Throughout the investigation, Spencer attempted to deflect responsibility and mislead law enforcement. Ultimately, Spencer admitted he lied and pleaded guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: LambdaTest’s Chandni Chopra Wins 2025 DE&I Leadership Award for Championing Inclusive Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi/San Francisco, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LambdaTest, a unified agentic AI and cloud engineering platform is proud to announce that Chandni Chopra, VP of People and Culture, has been honored with the DE&I in Tech Leadership Award at The RISING 2025, India’s biggest summit celebrating women in tech and AI, hosted by Analytics India Magazine. The award ceremony took place on March 21, 2025, in Bengaluru.

    The RISING 2025 shines a spotlight on changemakers who are reimagining what inclusive leadership looks like. The DE&I in Tech Leadership Award recognizes individuals who champion equity, actively dismantle barriers and create opportunities for underrepresented communities in the tech ecosystem.

    Over the past five years, Chandni Chopra has been the heart of LambdaTest’s culture journey—moving beyond traditional HR practices to build a workplace where inclusion shows up in daily behavior. She led the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) like The Phoenix Project for women, which provided mentorship opportunities, mental wellness support, and a safe space for honest dialogue. Through carefully curated self-care journals and mental health workshops, women across LambdaTest found new confidence and connection within their teams.

    Chandni also spearheaded LambdaTest’s Diversity & Inclusion Learning Initiative—a comprehensive framework that introduced cultural sensitization workshops, policy reforms for accessibility, and a globally compliant DEI charter backed by a dedicated budget. These efforts have elevated LambdaTest’s workplace into one where equity is not aspirational—it’s operational.

    “What began as a vision to create an inclusive, empowering environment has become the very foundation of LambdaTest’s culture,” said Chandni Chopra, VP of People and Culture, LambdaTest. “This award isn’t just a personal milestone—it’s a collective win for every voice that’s been amplified, every stereotype we’ve challenged, and every door we’ve opened for others to walk through.”

    LambdaTest’s commitment to DE&I goes far beyond policy. As a company, it believes innovation thrives when everyone belongs. The company’s initiatives are embedded in its DNA—whether it’s inclusive hiring, equitable growth paths, or safe spaces for open conversations. The result is a workplace where authenticity is valued and diverse perspectives lead to transformative outcomes.

    “At LambdaTest, we’ve always believed that building great products starts with building inclusive teams,” said Asad Khan, CEO and Founder of LambdaTest. “Chandni’s recognition is a testament to the culture we’re proud of—a place where people feel seen, heard, and empowered. This award is just the beginning.”

    To learn more about The RISING 2025 and this year’s DE&I champions, click here.

    About LambdaTest

    LambdaTest is an AI-native, omnichannel software quality platform that empowers businesses to accelerate time to market through intelligent, cloud-based test authoring, orchestration, and execution. With over 15,000 customers and 2.3 million+ users across 130+ countries, LambdaTest is the trusted choice for modern software testing.

    • Browser & App Testing Cloud: Enables manual and automated testing of web and mobile apps across 10,000+ browsers, real devices, and OS environments, ensuring cross-platform consistency.
    • HyperExecute: An AI-native test execution and orchestration cloud that runs tests up to 70% faster than traditional grids, offering smart test distribution, automatic retries, real-time logs, and seamless CI/CD integration.
    • KaneAI: The world’s first GenAI-native testing agent, leveraging LLMs for effortless test creation, intelligent automation, and self-evolving test execution. It integrates directly with Jira, Slack, GitHub, and other DevOps tools.

    For more information, please visit, https://lambdatest.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: An advisor in their pocket: Helping smallholder farmers in Malawi thrive with AI

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: An advisor in their pocket: Helping smallholder farmers in Malawi thrive with AI

    Greater yields and better profits

    Hundreds of Farmer Support Agents (FSAs) have been trained as intermediaries between the tech and the 100,000 households they support. This ensures that farmers without mobile phones will be able to access valuable information. Due to how knowledgeable FSAs are, they’re able to respond with insightful answers that help farmers apply Ulangizi recommendations to any questions they have.

    Most smallholder farmers produce a fraction of their potential yields and this limits their financial mobility, but when they approach farming like a business, their lives often transform for the better. Ulangizi AI is helping them plant more, increase their herds, hire laborers, and improve the economy for their communities. With the chatbot, farmers are learning better ways to care for the right crops and produce more bountiful harvests.  “Being able to save their livelihood is dependent on how quickly farmers know the challenges and how to solve them,” says Ama Akuamoah, Director of Market Engagement, Opportunity International.

    The chatbot provides farmers with details about how much seed they need per acre along with forecasts, giving them an advantage over severe and unpredictable weather patterns. And when their crops are thriving, market data helps them know when to harvest and sell for the greatest profit. Opportunity’s FSAs are also teaching farmers how to steward the land in more sustainable and regenerative ways. With this knowledge, farmers will have more free time to learn new skills or start another business, and they can use the extra money to take care of their families and their homes.

    Opportunity International anticipates that investments in AI will cut the cost of training new FSAs by more than two-thirds, making it possible to grow its FSA program even more. Ulangizi AI will help educate new FSAs much faster and empower them with information that helps millions of smallholder farmers. Ulangizi AI is just the beginning of how Opportunity is leveraging technology. They’re dedicated to developing a suite of AI-powered solutions that support agriculture, education, and upward mobility in Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, and beyond.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Peter named latest Good Citizen

    Source: City of Coventry

    A Coventry Veteran has been presented with a Good Citizen Award by the city’s Lord Mayor.

    Peter Fazakarley, has dedicated 32 years to providing practical and emotional support for veterans and their families, particularly those who ended their service with disabilities. 

    Through his voluntary work as a caseworker at the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmens’ Families Association (SSAFA) he has helped veterans access social housing, furniture and equipment, organised adaptations for their homes, and assisted them in applying for benefits and accessing financial support.

    The Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor Mal Mutton, said:

    “Peter’s dedication has gone beyond the call of duty. His work has positively improved the lives of many veterans and their families.  He has spent hours fundraising and campaigning for the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmens’ Families Association.

    “Peter is a very worthy recipient of the Coventry Good Citizen Award and a fantastic role model for others in Coventry.  Congratulations.”

    If you would like to nominate someone for a Good Citizen Award, please complete the online form www.coventry.gov.uk/goodcitizen or call into reception at the Council House where you can request a paper copy.

    Wednesday, 26th March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring Mayoral meal to conclude 2024/5 charity season

    Source: City of Winchester

    A spring dining experience in an acclaimed district restaurant will mark the final official 2024/5 Mayoral Charities event.

    Mayor of Winchester and Hendrik Engelbrecht, Restaurant Manager at Rick Stein Winchester

    The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith will host the special evening on Tuesday 29 April in Rick Stein Winchester in support of his four chosen charities: Winchester Radio, St John’s Winchester, Hampshire History Trust, and Winchester Sea Cadets.  

    The 2025/6 Mayoral Charities will be announced by the incoming Mayor Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, whose mayor-making will take place in May.

    Guests, who are welcome to arrive at Rick Stein Winchester from 6.30pm, are invited to choose from one of three main courses: Chicken katsu curry; coley fillets with pointed cabbage and a lemon butter sauce; and pasta alla trapanese (spaghetti, almond, basil and pecorino pesto).

    There are four dessert options: raspberry bavarois; chocolate pave with vanilla ice cream; apple and rhubarb crumble with custard; and a selection of sorbets (mango, raspberry and lime).

    Tickets are priced £42 (plus a booking fee) per person which also includes table drinking water, olives and bread, and a cup of tea or filter coffee after the meal.

    Allergy information for each menu selection is included on the booking page.

    The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith said: “This special event at Rick Stein Winchester promises to be a great evening out in one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants. It is going to be the last Mayoral charity event of my year and we are pulling out all the stops to make it particularly special. I warmly welcome everyone to please come along and join us.”    

    Tickets can be purchased online via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/mayor-of-winchester-charities

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico could spell trouble for distilled spirits

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew Muhammad, Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

    If all the tariff drama in the news lately has you reaching for a stiff drink, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, those same tariffs might make it harder to get your hands on your favorite brand of tequila.

    In early March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump levied import tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, following through on a promise he made back in November 2024. While he later partially reversed course, suspending tariffs on some goods, tensions remain high. Mexico is largely holding off on retaliation, but Canada quickly fired back with counter-tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. products.

    These trade tensions spell trouble for numerous industries, including the booming spirits market. Canada and Mexico – two of the top U.S. trading partners – accounted for nearly half of the US$12 billion in distilled spirits the U.S. imported in 2024.

    As an agricultural economist, I’ve analyzed how a 25% tariff could affect tequila, whiskey and other distilled spirits – and the results weren’t pretty. I found that these tariffs would cost distilled spirit importers over $1 billion in lost trade, with tequila alone taking a more than $800 million hit.

    Americans’ thirst for imported liquor

    The U.S. imports far more distilled spirits than it exports – five times as much by value, as of 2024.

    Since 2000, U.S. imports of distilled spirits have surged by more than 300%, driven largely by the explosive rise in tequila consumption. Between 2000 and 2024, tequila imports rose by 1,400%, skyrocketing from $350 million to $5.4 billion.

    While imports of whiskey, liqueurs, vodka and brandy also grew, none matched tequila’s explosive rise. Tequila now represents 45% of all spirits imported into the U.S., up from 12% in 2000.

    Not surprisingly, 99% of tequila and mezcal is imported from Mexico, making it the leading foreign supplier of distilled spirits to the United States. Meanwhile, Canada has supplied between 4% and 6% of U.S. spirits imports over the past two decades, primarily whiskey and liqueurs.

    Since distilled spirits are classified as agricultural products, their rising imports have significantly contributed to the U.S. agricultural trade deficit. However, this isn’t necessarily a problem. Imports help meet demand from U.S. consumers, generate value-added opportunities for U.S. companies, and support economic activity in bars, liquor stores, restaurants and beyond.

    A 25% tariff on Mexican goods is a 25% tax on tequila

    In my study, published in February in the peer-reviewed journal Agribusiness and in a follow-up policy brief, I found that 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada could reduce imports of distilled spirits by $1.2 billion. This loss exceeds the total amount of tax revenue those tariffs can expected to bring in.

    Unsurprisingly, tequila imports would be the hardest hit, falling by $810 million. I found that the tariff revenue from tequila – $910 million – could actually exceed the corresponding fall in imports. That’s because demand for tequila, like most alcoholic beverages, is what economists call “inelastic,” meaning that when prices rise, consumers are unlikely to change their purchasing decisions by very much.

    However, it would be a mistake to consider tequila in isolation. When I factored in other notable decreases, such as a $100 million drop in whiskey imports, I found that the value of total trade losses, in the form of decreased imports, would outweigh the total tariff revenue. I also found that no product category would come out ahead.

    In fact, even products like vodka, which are mostly exempt from these tariffs, would be indirectly affected. This is because tariffs can increase the overall cost of importing, leading businesses to reduce all imports, tariffed or otherwise. My research suggests that this “trade destruction” effect, to use an economics term, will be quite significant.

    A new era of tariffs

    The Trump administration has argued that tariffs will generate a lot of money for the federal government. But my research suggests those gains may not outweigh the economic costs to businesses and consumers.

    Contrary to common belief, trade losses don’t just affect exporting countries. Domestic consumers also face higher prices and fewer choices – hurting their overall economic welfare. Reducing imports also affects U.S. businesses involved in marketing, distribution and sales.

    Trade is more complex than a simple formula of “exports good, imports bad.” Research makes it clear that tariffs have negative consequences, including higher consumer prices, reduced product availability and downstream economic disruption. Policymakers would be wise to take those effects seriously. Otherwise, they might find themselves with a serious economic hangover.

    Andrew Muhammad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico could spell trouble for distilled spirits – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariffs-on-canada-and-mexico-could-spell-trouble-for-distilled-spirits-251583

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 4 College of Engineering Faculty Elected to CASE

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    For being “leading experts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine,” the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) is welcoming four faculty from UConn’s College of Engineering (CoE) into its membership.

    They are among 12 inductees from UConn, and 36 statewide. The new members will be introduced at the Academy’s 50th Annual Dinner on May 28.

    Election to CASE is open to scientists and engineers who work or live in Connecticut based on scientific distinction achieved through significant original contributions in theory or applications, unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of applied science and technology, or both.

    The 2025 CASE inductees from the CoE include:
    • Omer Khan, professor of electrical and computer engineering

    • Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao, dean of the College of Engineering; professor of materials science and engineering

    • Guoan Zheng, Collins Aerospace Professor of Engineering Innovation in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; and director of the UConn Center for Biomedical and Bioengineering Innovation

    • Xiao-Dong Zhou, Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor in Sustainable Energy; the Nicholas E. Madonna Chair in Sustainability; director of the Center for Clean Energy Engineering; and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering

    “CASE is honored to have these outstanding scientists and engineers join us as we seek to fulfill our mission to provide evidence-based advice to inform policy and promote innovation in Connecticut,” says CASE President Amy Howell.

    Brief bios of the 2025 CASE Fellows are below:

    Omer Khan

    Omer Khan leads the Computer Architecture Group (CAG) and serves as an associate director of the Connecticut Advanced Computing Center (CACC). His research interests include computer architectures and methods that exploit parallelism, locality, resiliency, and privacy suitable for high-performance applications, such as graph intelligence problems. He has contributed architectural advancements for futuristic massively parallel microprocessors that substantially enhance system level performance and efficiency.

    Most recently, Khan and his colleagues took a hardware-architecture-algorithm approach to develop a new system architecture that helps optimize multiple goals at once, like finding the best trade-off between speed and fuel efficiency for autonomous vehicles. They propose Ordered Parallel Multi-Objective Search, or OPMOS, that exploits massive parallelism to achieve huge improvements in performance.

    “OPMOS is a unique approach that brings together algorithmic optimizations and architectural insights to rapidly accelerate these computationally hard multi-objective graph intelligence problems,” Khan explains. “This means exact solutions that used to take hours to generate can be found in seconds. This allows decision-makers to have access to real-time information, leading to better decision-making in high-impact application scenarios.”

    As a complementary research effort, Khan is addressing the computational complexity problem in artificial intelligence applications, such as autonomous systems, social influence, and chip design that must handle increasingly large and sparse graph-based data.

    “Efficient processing of sparse graph problems is extremely challenging since the underlying computations require complex mathematical operations whose processing suffers from performance scaling challenges on existing hardware processing units,” Khan explains. Khan and his colleagues are developing parallel hardware architectures that exploit sparsity for performance to reduce computational complexity without compromising accuracy.

    Prior to joining UConn, Khan spent several years in the semiconductor industry as a high-performance processor architect.

    Khan has a BS in electrical and computer engineering from Michigan State University (2000) and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2009).

    Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao

    Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao is an expert on design of advanced alloys and coatings, additive manufacturing (3D printing) of alloys and composites, high-throughput materials science methodologies, and computational thermodynamics and kinetics. He previously served as a director at the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy), managing approximately $100 million in projects to develop energy-efficient and green technologies.

    Before working in academia and government, Zhao was a senior materials scientist and project leader at General Electric (GE) Research Center where he invented new materials and processes, mostly for gas turbines and jet engines, leading to 48 U.S. patents.

    As dean of engineering at UConn, Zhao is working to expand the College’s research footprint, launch impactful educational programs, and advance relationships with local, national, and international partners.

    Zhao is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, ASM International, the Materials Research Society, and the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.
    Zhao has a BS in materials science and engineering from Central South University in Hunan, China (1985) and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University (1995).

    Guoan Zheng

    Guoan Zheng is an expert on biomedical optics and instrumentation, computational imaging, microscopy, and chip-scale imaging. At UConn’s Smart Imaging Laboratory, he leads a team of researchers who are developing a new technique called Synthetic Aperture Ptycho-Endoscopy (SAPE), which achieves outstanding resolution and visibility in endoscopic images. Since its inception in 2013, the laboratory has been supported by NSF, NIH, DOE, Connecticut Innovations, and partnerships with multiple industry leaders.

    Zheng is also the inventor of Fourier ptychography, a transformative microscopy technique that has become a global standard, now widely adopted across numerous laboratories worldwide. The technique is featured as a chapter in the most widely read textbook on Fourier optics.

    He’s also a member of Optica and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

    Zheng holds a BS in electrical engineering from Zhejiang University (2007); and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (2013).

    Xiao-Dong Zhou

    Xiao-Dong Zhou is passionate about reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the development of advanced materials and innovative, efficient processes. He’s an expert on nonequilibrium thermodynamics, electrochemistry, thermodynamics and electrochemistry in fuel cells, electrolyzers, and batteries, and studies ways small molecules—such as oxygen, water, carbon dioxide and methane—can be used to create value-added commodities.

    At UConn, Zhou serves as a special advisor on sustainable energies to President Radenka Maric and Vice President for Research Pamir Alpay. In this role, he provides guidance and contributes to the development of sustainable energy strategies and initiatives across the university.

    Zhou currently serves as the technical editor of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, and an associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and the International Journal of Ceramic Engineering and Science. Since 2017, Zhou has secured more than $23 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Department of Energy.

    Zhou received his BS in chemical engineering from East China University of Science and Technology and his Ph.D. in ceramic engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

    In 2012, CASE elected Pamir Alpay, vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship and professor of materials science and engineering to its membership. He’s among 20 engineering faculty from UConn—including the four new inductees—who are CASE members.

    “We’re thrilled to have Professors Zhao, Zheng, Khan, and Zhou join our membership at the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering,” Alpay says. “This achievement is a testament to their contributions to research and innovation, and their dedication to advancing knowledge in engineering fields. Their work continues to inspire excellence within our academic community at the CoE.”

    The CoE faculty are among 12 newly elected CASE members at UConn. One third of all new inductees statewide are UConn faculty. Others 2025 inductees include:

    • Gerald Berkowitz, professor of horticulture, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Ming-Hui Chen, department head of statistics; Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Jie He, professor of chemistry, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Guozhen Lu, professor of mathematics; director of Mathematical Sciences Research Collaboratory, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Xiuling Lu, professor of pharmaceutical sciences; associate director of the Kildsig Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy
    • Vijay Rathinam, professor of immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center School of Medicine
    • Kumar Venkitanarayanan, professor of animal science; associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Jing Zhao, professor of chemistry, University of Connecticut College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    UConn Engineering continues to have a strong presence in CASE membership. Khan, Zhao, Zheng, and Zhou join 16 other faculty from the College of Engineering who are already members of CASE.

    CASE was chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well-being.

    For more information about CASE, visit https://ctcase.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 26 March 2025 Departmental update United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025) extended to 2030

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The resolution also calls on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue to lead and monitor the implementation of the Decade and to further strengthen efforts in advancing the global nutrition agenda.

    “The world is off track to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030 and all countries need to scale up implementation of national commitments and increase investments for nutrition. Therefore, the decision by the General Assembly to extend the Decade for Action on Nutrition is an important step and would be well supported by the alignment of the 6 World Health Assembly global nutrition targets to 2030. WHO remains committed to fully deliver its mandate in this crucial endeavour,” said Werner Obermeyer, Director of the WHO Office at the United Nations.

    Ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition is among the most urgent and pervasive development challenges. Most countries face multiple burdens of malnutrition and diet-related NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity. The UN Decade of Action on Nutrition is a commitment by United Nations’ Member States to undertake sustained and coherent implementation of policies, programmes and increased investments to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms and in all countries, leaving no one behind. 

    The Decade of Action on Nutrition supports coordinated country action across six areas:

    • sustainable, resilient food systems for healthy diets
    • aligned health systems providing universal coverage of essential nutrition actions
    • social protection and nutrition education
    • trade and investment for better nutrition
    • safe, supportive environments across all ages
    • strengthened governance and accountability for nutrition.

    Extending the Nutrition Decade will allow FAO and WHO to continue reporting on nutrition action and inform the General Assembly on progress through biennial reports for the next five years.

    The adoption of this resolution coincides with the Nutrition for Growth Summit, taking place 27–28 March 2025 in Paris where the global nutrition community will be discussing how to align policies and resources to close the funding gap for nutrition. 

    Read the full text of the resolution. 

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-03-26T13:14:01.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/topics/nutrition-and-food/malnutrition/woman-selling-food-in-an-outdoor-market.jpg?sfvrsn=34e4a0e7_4″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-03-26T13:14:01.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/26-03-2025-united-nations-decade-of-action-on-nutrition-(2016-2025)-extended-to-2030″,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Former BlackRock Executive Walter Ward III Rejoins TiiCKER as CEO to Accelerate Growth at Retail Shareholder Engagement Startup

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TiiCKER, the world’s leading platform for connecting publicly traded companies with their retail investors, today announced the appointment of Walter Ward III as its new Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. A longtime board member and advisor to TiiCKER and the former Chief of Staff as TiiCKER launched, Ward brings proven leadership experience in fintech, Wall Street, and corporate innovation—most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for BlackRock’s Atlanta Innovation Hub and Chief Operating Officer for ETF Platform Innovation and Change.

    At BlackRock ($BLK), Ward played a pivotal role in managing the business operations and for one of the firms largest ETF platform transformations while also leading the Atlanta Innovation Hub as COO, where he spearheaded new initiatives in fintech and asset management. Prior to BlackRock, Ward served as Director and Chief of Staff for Liquidity Solutions at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), where he helped drive growth for one of the fastest-expanding divisions at the bank focused on serving the innovation economy.

    “Walter has been instrumental in shaping TiiCKER from its inception, and this is a full-circle moment for our team and our investors to have him back at the helm,” said Jeff Lambert, Chairman and Founder of TiiCKER. “His experience in financial services, technology, and consumer engagement, coupled with his intimate knowledge of our tech stack, business model and retail investor audience, ensures TiiCKER and the companies and brands we serve will feel his impact on day one.”

    Ward’s appointment marks a pivotal moment for TiiCKER as it sharpens its focus on the most widely held retail stocks, scaling its community of everyday investors and the companies eager to engage them through exclusive perks and rewards.

    “I couldn’t be more excited to step into the CEO role at TiiCKER,” said Ward. “This isn’t just another company to me—it’s a movement. TiiCKER is pioneering the future of shareholder engagement, and we’re only scratching the surface. From product innovation to business development, we’re building something epic, and I want to bring the best minds along for the journey.”

    Under Ward’s leadership, TiiCKER is actively looking to connect with professionals and partners in key areas, including product development, business development, retail investor marketing, and corporate partnerships.

    TiiCKER continues to redefine the relationship between public companies and their retail investors by offering a seamless platform where shareholders can verify their ownership, access exclusive perks, and engage with the companies they own. With Ward at the helm, the company is poised for its next phase of growth, expanding its reach among retail investors and publicly traded brands, supporting IPOs and registered offerings, and further solidifying its position as the premier platform for retail shareholder engagement.

    For more information, visit www.TiiCKER.com.

    About TiiCKER
    Fintech TiiCKER invented verified stock perks and direct-to-shareholder marketing through its web-based and mobile app software platforms, providing consumers and investors with a revolutionary way to engage with the brands they own and love. For America’s more than 100 million retail investors and fans of publicly traded brands, TiiCKER provides unique access to shareholder perks and discounts, custom articles and content, CEO and company-access events for retail investors, and TiiCKER Perks from marketing partners.

    For its brands and public company partners, TiiCKER creates and markets measurable Shareholder Loyalty Programs that drive more spending, investing and voting among their consumers and verified owners, maximizing Shareholder Lifetime Value™. As a result of its innovation and leadership in direct-to-shareholder marketing, TiiCKER was named: Best Shareholder Engagement Platform (2024 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards); Most Innovative Tech Companies of the Year at the 2024 American Business Awards®; Top MarTech Startup of 2023 by MarTech Outlook; and won the 2023 cohort for the AWS (Amazon Web Services) Fintech Accelerator program.

    Media Contact:
    Sarah Smith
    ssmith@tiicker.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Instant launches Financial Wellness program, offering hourly workers financial empowerment resources

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Instant Financial, a fintech company modernizing payments and earned wage access for hourly workers and their employers, today introduced its Financial Wellness program. With 65 percent of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, Instant’s Financial Wellness program is designed to help frontline employees achieve financial independence through tools that promote saving, build credit, and enhance financial health and well-being. The service is available to workers whose employers already partner with Instant for earned wage access, digital tips, and instant payments via banks, mobile wallets, or paycards. Instant’s solutions enable these workers to receive their wages at the end of each shift, or whenever they need them, rather than waiting weeks for payday.

    “Instant Financial is proud to offer financial wellness tools to our employers and current and future workers who receive earned wage access through our app,” said CEO Tal Clark. “Our mission has always been to give frontline employees opportunities for financial freedom, and today’s launch is a huge step toward that goal.”

    Benefits in Instant’s Financial Wellness program include:

    • Health and Well-being Access – Powered by Welcome Tech and designed for banked and unbanked individuals, Instant’s users can access a healthcare package consisting of telemedicine, prescription discounts, mental health support, and discounts on dental and vision care at a monthly cost of $35 per household.
    • Credit Building – Powered by MoneyLion, users may improve their credit scores by making on-time loan or credit card payments, which are then reported by MoneyLion to one or more of the major credit bureaus.
    • Free Rent Reporting – Powered by Self, users may improve their credit scores by making on-time rent payments, which are then reported by Self to the three major credit bureaus. Payment history makes up 35 percent of credit scores, but most apartments in the U.S. do not report rent payments to credit bureaus. 
    • Financial Education – Powered by Visa’s Practical Money Skills program, users get access to a multitude of financial education resources and can learn about basics on budgeting, saving, banking, and other financial tools.
    • High-Yield Savings Accounts – Powered by MoneyLion, users can choose from the top high-yield savings accounts offered from leading institutions with no monthly fee.

    “We’ve partnered with Instant Financial since 2017, offering daily digital tip payouts to thousands of our workers, so it’s become an integral part of our employee benefits,” said Robert Linder, CFO at Lazy Dog. “We’re always looking for meaningful ways to reduce financial stress for our team members, and we are excited about the potential of Instant’s Financial Wellness program to provide important tools to save more, improve credit, and take care of mental and physical well-being.”

    This announcement follows the recent launch of Instant Direct, which allows employees to choose between transferring funds to their bank accounts or using the Instant Card, based on their individual needs and circumstances. Today, Instant is the only platform offering an all-in-one solution that includes earned wage access, digital tips, and payroll cards, and it has helped workers in restaurants, retail, hospitality, and beyond access $7.5 billion+ in earnings at no or low cost. Customers like Sun Holdings, Church’s Chicken, and Bloomin’ Brands rely on Instant for their modern payroll solutions, which helps them better recruit and retain their frontline workforce.

    “Financial security goes beyond just receiving a paycheck—it’s about having access to the tools and resources needed to build a better future,” said Amir Hemmat, co-founder and CEO of Welcome Tech. “Through our partnership with Instant, we’re helping workers take control of their financial and personal well-being.”

    For more information about the Instant Financial Wellness program or to explore modern payroll solutions for your business, visit instant.co.

    About Instant
    Instant Financial is a fintech company modernizing payments and earned wage access for hourly workers and their employees. We provide earned wage access, digital tips, and instant payments via banks, mobile wallets, or paycards, along with financial wellness services—giving frontline workers control over how and when they get paid. As the first company to offer earned wage access through a paycard, Instant has helped workers in restaurants, retail, hospitality, and beyond access over $7.5 billion in earnings at no or low cost. With 79% of employees wanting same-day pay, our award-winning solutions turn every workday into payday, helping employers improve recruitment and retention. Learn more at instant.co.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96cc688b-3131-4f19-89d8-1652eca1dc26

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met arrest two further suspects in Stockwell shooting investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met have arrested two further suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of Lathaniel Burrell in Stockwell.

    Lathaniel, aged 16, died at the scene after sustaining gunshot wounds in Paradise Road, SW4 on Tuesday, 4 March.

    His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    A 17-year-old boy from Peckham and a 30-year-old man from Lambeth were arrested on Tuesday, 26 March on suspicion of murder.

    They remain in police custody at this time.

    Another 17-year-old boy was previously charged with murder on Tuesday, 11 March. The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Bromley Youth Court on Wednesday, 12 March.

    He is due to next appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 29 May.

    Omar Prempeh, aged 32, of Sunderland Road, Forest Hill, was also charged with murder on Saturday, 8 March in relation to the investigation.

    He appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 12 March and is due to appear before the Old Bailey on Thursday, 29 May.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Biochar and Microbe Synergy: A Path to Climate-Smart Farming

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Most people probably don’t think about soil as a living thing. But it is filled with millions of tiny organisms that play a critical role in everything soil does – including sequestering carbon.

    Soil contains a diverse array of microorganisms including fungi and bacteria that perform vital functions such as breaking down organic matter, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration.

    “Microbes — you may not see them with the naked eye, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important,” says Yogesh Kumar ‘27 (CAHNR), a Ph.D. student in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.

    Thanks to these microbes, soil holds onto a tremendous amount of the earth’s carbon. By supporting the functioning of these microorganisms, a substance known as biochar can improve soil’s ability to serve as a much-needed carbon sink.

    Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by burning organic waste, such as, generated by forestry and agriculture. Biochar has recently emerged as a “Climate-Smart Agriculture” practice given its potential to improve soil health, nutrient and available water holding capacity, resilience, and agricultural sustainability without the negative environmental consequences associated with traditional fertilizers.

    A team in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is developing a fuller picture of its environmental and agricultural benefits.

    Their recent publication in Biochar highlights how biochar supports soil microbes.

    Kumar is the lead author on the paper. Other authors include Wei Ren, associate professor of natural resources and the environment; Haiying Tao, associate professor of soil nutrient management and soil health; and Bo Tao, assistant research professor of natural resources and the environment.

    The researchers looked at data from hundreds of field studies conducted all around the world to determine biochar’s impact on soil microbes.

    On average, biochar application improved soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) by approximately 21%.

    “When we conducted global data analyses, we found how biochar as a stable carbon influences soil features, particularly microbial activities leading to changes in microbial carbon,” Ren says. “That in turn influences soil’s physical and chemical characteristics and carbon storage.”

    A piece of biochar has many tiny pores all over its surface. Microorganisms move into these holes and feed on the carbon, nitrogen, and other essential nutrients the biochar provides. This is especially important in nutrient-deficient soil or soil with a suboptimal pH which would not otherwise be able to support a diverse population of microbes.

    “It provides food, nutrients, and a habitat for those microbes,” Kumar says.

    The researchers also found that biochar is more effective when used in combination with other management practices, like the use of compost or manure.

    By limiting the scope of their analysis to field studies, which take place in real-world conditions, rather than controlled greenhouse environments, this work has clearer and more immediate implications for farmers.

    “That helps us understand the reality of the situation with weather or soil or other environmental factors interacting with biochar,” Ren says.

    This group’s previous work has looked at how biochar impacts other factors like crop yield and greenhouse gas emissions.

    “We want to have a complete understanding of biochar as an effective climate smart agricultural practice,” Ren says.

    Biochar is particularly attractive to farmers in the Northeast, which has smaller operations than other parts of the country, like the Midwest. Biochar is still expensive for farmers to implement, making it difficult to apply at a larger scale.

    “Although biochar is more expensive than other practices, they see the long-term benefits for the savings in water and nutrient inputs and the long-term carbon storage,” Ren says. “In the northeast region, our farmers and our growers have already shown interest.”

    Further, biochar is most effective in climates with an average annual temperature below 59 degrees Fahrenheit and about 20 to 40 inches of rain, like Connecticut and other parts of the region.

    Given this interest, the next steps in this research are to collaborate with local farmers to conduct pilot studies of biochar.

    In addition to supporting field studies, the group is also using this work to develop models that can predict the long-term impacts of biochar on soil health and other key metrics.

    The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a regional bioeconomy in which organic waste is collected, turned into biochar, and reused to grow more crops while keeping the soil healthy.

    “We do want to collaborate with our field scientists, people with diverse backgrounds in climate and land use, and socioeconomics,” Ren says. “We want to propose an interdisciplinary program to promote region bioeconomy development.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –