More Than Half of Africa’s Arable Land ‘Too Damaged’ for Food Production

INTER PRESS SERVICE

A report by the Montpellier Panel – an eminent group of agriculture, ecology and trade experts from Africa and Europe – says about 65 percent of Africa’s arable land is too damaged to sustain viable food production. Story here.

Killing Ragheads for Jesus

OpEdNews - Chris Hedges

"American Sniper" lionizes the most despicable aspects of U.S. society -- the gun culture, the blind adoration of the military, the belief that we have an innate right as a "Christian" nation to exterminate the "lesser breeds" of the earth, a grotesque hyper-masculinity that banishes compassion and pity, a denial of inconvenient facts and historical truth, and a belittling of critical thinking and artistic expression. Many Americans, especially white Americans trapped in a stagnant economy and a dysfunctional political system, yearn for the supposed moral renewal and rigid, militarized control the movie venerates. These passions, if realized, will extinguish what is left of our now-anemic open society. Story here.

A New "Monster" Plant is a Looming Concern for Farmers on the Great Plains of the US (and Canada?).

AgroNews

Prairie farmers may have a new problem on their hands - "Weed palmer amaranth," a formidable threat to crops which seems to scoff at attempts to control it with herbicides. Story here.

Fred Springborn of Michigan State University stands next to palmer Amaranth, 

a large and aggressive weed new to that state. Photo credit - MSU.

The Dirty Politics of Climate Change

Kenneth Eade - OpEdNews.com

I've got good news for everybody! Guess what? Climate change is not a hoax! But here's the other news-- Story here.

'Nauseating' Praise for Dead Saudi King Exposes Hypocrisy of West, Say Critics

CommonDreams

Western leaders' responses to King Abdullah's death serve as a reminder that Saudi Arabia, with its wealth and geopolitical influence, is a perpetual exception to the west's emphasis on human rights. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised him as a 'strong proponent of peace' in the Middle East. Story here.

Province of Manitoba, Canada Promises New Supports for Smaller Farmers and Processors

The Co-Operator

A small organic market garden in Manitoba. PinP photo.

The report says support to grow food-processing sector must extend to all sizes of players. Story here.