PLANET IN PERIL

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.

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.

Agro News 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.

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.

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.

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.