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☆ Opinion: The Ukraine dam disaster demands accountability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow engaged in an intense round of finger pointing over responsibility for the unfolding environmental disaster. The dam’s collapse is not just devastating for those who reside in the immediate environs — it is a nationwide disaster for Ukraine that could reverberate across the globe. Stalin’s goal in the midst of World War II was to prevent Nazi armies from sweeping across Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union. The dam collapsed as Ukraine stepped up operations in anticipation of a much-awaited counter-offensive. The broken walls of the Nova Kakhovka dam, and its destructive rushing waters, should strengthen the resolve of Ukraine’s backers.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Joseph Stalin, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky’s, Andriy Yermak, Ursula Von der Leyen, “, Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Soviet Union, EU, ”, UN, UN Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights, Twitter, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine’s, Dnipro, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Soviet, Russia, “ Russia, Geneva, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Lithuania, Baltic, Nova

The flooding has already killed 300 animals at the Nova Kakhovka zoo, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Satellite images show a close-up view of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power facility before and after the dam collapse on June 6, 2023. Satellite images show homes along the Dnipro River before and after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed. Several Ukrainian regions that receive some of their water supply from the reservoir of the Nova Kakhovka dam are making efforts to conserve water. Local residents carry their personal belongings on a flooded street after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 6.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ihor Syrota, ” Syrota, ” Olena, Alina Smutko, Ruslan Strilets, Strilets, António Guterres, Vladyslav Musiienko, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, ” Griffiths, Zelensky, Oleksandr Prokudin, Maxar Technologies Griffiths, Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Heidarzadeh, Vladimir Saldo, Rafael Grossi, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Reserve, Nova, Ukrainian Defense Ministry . United Nations, ”, UN Security, Dnipro, Maxar, Maxar Technologies, University of Bath, Science Media, Russian Foreign Ministry, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN Locations: Nova, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Dnipro, Kherson, Reuters Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, England, Dnipropetrovsk, Kryvyi

☆ World Bank to assess damage after Ukraine dam destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - The World Bank will support Ukraine by conducting a rapid assessment of damage and needs after Tuesday's destruction of a huge hydroelectric dam on the front lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces, a top bank official said on Wednesday. Anna Bjerde, the World Bank's managing director for operations, said on Twitter the destruction of the Novo Kakhovka dam had "many very serious consequences for essential service delivery and the broader environment." Ukrainians abandoned inundated homes on Wednesday as floods crested across the south after the destruction of the dam, with Russia and Ukraine trading blame for the disaster. Bjerde said the new damage assessment would build on the bank's previous analysis of damage to Ukraine's infrastructure and buildings, which estimated that it would cost $411 billion to rebuild Ukraine's economy after Russia's invasion. The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said it is "very concerned" about the social, economic and environmental impact from the destruction of the dam.

Persons: Anna Bjerde, Denys Shmyhal, Bjerde, Andrea Shalal, Leslie Adler, Lincoln Organizations: Bank, Twitter, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine reels from mass flooding and widespread devastation after major dam destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A street in the city of Kherson flooded after the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam was damaged, on June 6, 2023. Russia again strongly denied attacking the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam that led to widespread destruction in southern Ukraine, as it came under scrutiny following the major incident. Ukraine and Russia traded accusations on Tuesday as a massive volume of water breached the dam in the partially Russian-occupied region of Kherson, causing widespread flooding downstream. Both sides denied involvement in attacking the dam, with both accusing each other of blowing it up. For example, they noted that Russian-occupied Crimea relies on water supplies from the reservoir and the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also relies on supplies for cooling.

Organizations: Nova, Analysts, NBC News Locations: Kherson, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Russian

☆ Risks the global economy still faces as threat of US debt default recedes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —With the threat of an unprecedented US debt crisis receding fast, the global economy looks to have dodged a huge shock. While an immediate crisis has likely been avoided, the litany of problems that had been temporarily overshadowed by the specter of a US default — among them, high inflation, rising interest rates and sluggish growth — haven’t gone away. Bloomberg/Getty ImagesInflation still too highAgainst that backdrop, inflation has eased in Europe’s second biggest economy, mimicking falls in Germany, Spain and Italy. But it could still arise from two longstanding threats: the Ukraine war and the climate crisis, both of which pose risks to global supply chains and food prices. The war helped drive international food prices to an all-time high last year.

Persons: specter, haven’t, ”, Carsten Brzeski, “, Charlotte de, Neil Shearing, Vladimir Putin, Michael Bociurkiw, Bociurkiw, Marcelo del Pozo Organizations: London CNN —, ING, Charlotte de Montpellier, Bloomberg, Getty, Data, United, Deutsche Bank, Capital Economics, Atlantic Council, Isla Mayor, ” Gro Intelligence Locations: United States, China, Germany, France, Beijing, Europe’s, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Isla, Europe

☆ Florida sued over law blocking Chinese citizens, other foreigners from buying property
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property. The number of states restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land has risen by 50% this year. Foreign land ownership has become "a political flashpoint," said Micah Brown, a staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas. Brown said the recent surge in state laws targeting land ownership by foreign entities stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected companies purchasing land near military bases.

☆ An Oil Refiner Leans on Manure to Provide a Greener Future
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Every day dozens of tanker trucks, many laden with pig manure and other kinds of agricultural waste, rumble through the gateway of an imposing steel-and-concrete plant in northeast Netherlands. This pungent cargo will be mixed together into a slurry and pumped into massive tanks, where hungry bacteria will within weeks turn it into methane gas that will ultimately be sold to the energy grid to heat homes and generate electricity. The gas is a biofuel — similar to the natural gas pumped out of offshore wells in the North Sea but, because of its biological origins, considered carbon neutral. The recipe for success, said Fritz Ullrich, the plant manager, is keeping the microbes nourished with a steady stream of waste. “We have to coddle them,” he said on a recent morning.

☆ Factbox: What are the deals on Ukraine, Russia grain exports?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UKRAINE BLACK SEA GRAIN EXPORT DEALBrokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal has so far allowed Ukraine to safely export more than 30 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. Under the deal:- Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations set up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, staffed by officials from each party. - Ukraine can safely export grain and related foodstuffs and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. Under the memorandum of understanding:- Russia agreed to continue commercial supplies of food and fertilizers and inform the U.N. of any impediments to such exports, including fertilizer raw materials like ammonia. Russia agreed to facilitate the unimpeded export of food, sunflower oil and fertilizers from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports.

☆ Israel-Gaza violence: Islamic Jihad targets Jerusalem for the first time in current conflict as it fires barrage of rockets at Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Elliott Gotkine Ibrahim Dahman Abeer Salman Richard Allen Greene Alex Stambaugh Sana Noor Haq | Elliott Gotkine | Ibrahim Dahman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The al Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad said in a statement shortly after the rocket fire: “The launching towards Jerusalem is a message, and everyone should understand its purpose. Talks to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza are “on ice right now,” a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations told CNN Friday. One command center was used by senior Islamic Jihad operative Muhammad Abu Al Ata for “the planning and command of terrorist activity against Israel,” the IDF said. The Israel Defense Forces said that IDF fighter jets also struck four military posts belonging to Islamic Jihad. ‘Shield and Arrow’The IDF began unleashing waves of airstrikes on Tuesday on what it says are Islamic Jihad operatives and infrastructure along the strip.

☆ Geopolitical grains: Utilizing agricultural ETFs in a time of oversupply
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There's an oversupply of wheat in Russia right now," he said. The Teucrium Wheat Fund (WEAT) , for example, spreads futures contracts across multiple maturities instead of concentrating holdings in front-month futures. In addition to WEAT, Teucrium offers four other ETFs with agricultural exposure: CORN , CANE and SOYB , as well as the Teucrium Agricultural Fund (TAGS) . "And so, without [the Black Sea Grain Initiative], shipping will become uncertain, because you'll be in a war zone." However, prolonged conflict or expansion of the conflict could continue to harm Ukraine grain production, he said, underpinning valuation uncertainty for the commodity regardless of the current oversupply.

☆ Explainer: Why the EU is restricting grain imports from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Poland, meanwhile, received 2.08 million tonnes of corn, 579,315 tonnes of wheat and 44,114 tonnes of barley in 2022. They have, however, faced increased competition in local markets from Ukrainian grain and oilseeds. Ukrainian grain was shipped to 95 countries that season with major buyers including China, Egypt, Pakistan, Spain and Libya. This is partly because Russian wheat exports have actually risen following a record harvest last summer. A decline in Ukraine's corn exports has also been offset by a jump in shipments from Brazil.

[1/5] An agricultural worker operates a tractor with a tiller in a field near the village Kyshchentsi, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Cherkasy region, Ukraine May 1, 2023. Around 40 of his 350 workers have signed up to fight in the war, and the replacements he has found lack their experience. Huizinga fears this could mean a fall in grain and milk yields, and with them a drop in his income. His farm, in a village in the rolling hills and green flat plains of the Cherkasy region in central Ukraine, is not the only one losing valued farmhands to the war. Marchuk said farmers were prioritising some employees, bringing in more women workers, recruiting those people displaced by the war and by retraining other workers.

☆ India's exports likely to touch $900 bln in 2023/24 -exporters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Shailesh AndradeNEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) - India’s exports of goods and services could touch $900 billion in the current financial year, up from $770 billion in the previous year, keeping resilient despite global headwinds, a top official of a grouping of exporters said. India’s exports have increased by more than $200 billion in the last two years, led by a surge in exports of software, mobile exports, and agricultural and petroleum products. Exports of agricultural, petroleum, and electronic goods remained strong in the Western markets due to pricing factors while exports to Asian and Middle east countries have grown substantially, exporters said. "Indian exporters are hopeful that both countries would soon work out a mechanism allowing payments in local currencies that would facilitate the shipments of Indian goods to Russia," Sahai said. But Indian officials have said Russia was reluctant to accept payments in the rupee currency for its oil exports.

UNITED NATIONS – The basic food security of tens of millions across the globe is hanging by a thread as Russia mulls whether it will preserve a deal that has permitted Ukrainian grain to move through the Black Sea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday renewed threats of abandoning the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that allows the safe wartime export of agricultural products from besieged Ukrainian ports. Lavrov also said that the deal is currently one-sided since Russian fertilizers have not been able to transit the same way Ukrainian grain has. "It was not called the grain deal it was called the Black Sea Initiative and in the text itself the agreement stated that this applies to the expansion of opportunities to export grain and fertilizer," Lavrov told reporters during a press conference. Lavrov said there are dozens of Russian cargo vessels carrying some 200,000 tons of fertilizer stuck at European ports.

TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the "extension, full implementation and expansion" of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communique. Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal was signed in Istanbul last July, allowing Ukraine to export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. In the communique after a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the G7 agriculture ministers "recognised the importance" of the deal, saying: "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI." G7 members "stand ready" to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York this week.

☆ How Nestlé is futureproofing its coffee business from bean to cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Nestlé is futureproofing its coffee business from bean to cupCNBC's Julianna Tatelbaum visits Nestlé's Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Lausanne, Switzerland, to see how the global food and drinks giant is futureproofing its coffee product portfolio.

CAIRO, April 21 (Reuters) - There are some aspirational prizes being doled out to winners of Ramadan tournaments in Egypt this week, with a team decked out in Liverpool's kit being awarded England's Premier League trophy for their success -- while another is set to receive UEFA Champions League silverware. The losers were presented with a replica of the African Champions League trophy for their efforts. "I bought the two cups from a friend who owns a sportswear store for two thousand Egyptian pounds ($65)," Ibrahim Abdel Salam, one of the organising committee, told Reuters. "There are two artificial turf courts, but we prefer the dirt court," Abdel Salam said. Meanwhile in El-Beheira governorate the European Champions League trophy appeared up for grabs.

☆ South Korea March producer inflation eases to weakest in 25 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, April 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's producer inflation slowed in March to the weakest level in 25 months, central bank data showed on Friday, led by agricultural and petroleum products. The producer price index stood 3.3% higher in March than a year before, compared with 4.8% in February, according to the Bank of Korea. The index rose 0.1% on a monthly basis, marking the third straight monthly rise, but that was slower than gains of 0.2% and 0.4% in February and January. Prices of agricultural products fell 4.6% from the previous month, while coal and petroleum products were down 1.3%, contributing to the slowdown in inflation. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ What are the deals on Ukraine, Russia grain exports?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UKRAINE BLACK SEA GRAIN EXPORT DEALBrokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal has so far allowed Ukraine to safely export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. Under the deal:- Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations set up a Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul, staffed by officials from each party. - Ukraine can safely export grain and related foodstuffs and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. DEAL TO PROMOTE RUSSIAN FOOD AND FERTILIZER EXPORTSTo help persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume its Black Sea grain exports last year, a separate three-year agreement was also struck in July last year in which the United Nations agreed to help Russia with its food and fertilizer exports. The United States has pushed back on Moscow's demands, saying "the only prohibitions on food and fertilizer exports from Russia are those imposed by the government" of Russia.

☆ How moving food from farm to table puts global supply chain logistics to extreme tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Cargill With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Regional conflicts like the invasion of Ukraine have had far-reaching global consequences, impacting global food supply and food security. Prior to the war, Ukraine could produce enough food to feed 400 million people per year. To keep food growing and moving in the region, operators like Cargill must rely on critical data, partnerships, and dedicated employees. Farmer livelihoods and the rebuilding of Ukraine's agriculture economy are also critical to ensure ongoing global food systems and security. Click here for more information about Cargill's efforts to address needs of the food supply chain in Ukraine and around the world.

Under the pact to create a safe shipping channel, Ukraine has been able to export some 27.7 million tonnes of agricultural products, including 13.9 million tonnes of corn and 7.5 million tonnes of wheat. The leading destinations have been China (6.3 million tonnes), Spain (4.8 million) and Turkey (3 million). Ukraine's grain exports are forecast to fall in the 2023/24 season after the war has meant farmers planted less corn and wheat. The International Grains Council has forecast that Ukraine's corn crop will fall to 21 million tonnes, down from the prior season's 27 million, with exports expected to drop to 15 million tonnes from 20.5 million. CAN UKRAINE EXPORT MORE GRAIN THROUGH LAND ROUTES?

BEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China's exports unexpectedly surged in March, with officials flagging rising demand for electric vehicles, but analysts cautioned the improvement partly reflects suppliers catching up with unfulfilled orders after last year's COVID-19 disruptions. Exports in March shot up 14.8% from a year ago, snapping five straight months of declines and stunning economists who predicted a 7.0% fall in a Reuters poll. "Sluggish external demand and geopolitical factors will bring greater challenges to China's trade development," he added. Factory surveys showed export orders falling in March, a contrast to more upbeat readings for the services sector, which has benefited from China's reopening. Reporting by Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China's exports unexpectedly surged for March, driven by strong shipments of solar products, new-energy vehicles and lithium batteries and as supply chain conditions continued to improve from their COVID paralysis. This came as a surprise to the market," said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. Lv Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs, attributed the upside surprise to strength in demand for electric vehicles, solar products and lithium batteries. "Sluggish external demand and geopolitical factors will bring greater challenges to China's trade development," he added. Reporting by Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Summary Russia to West: remove obstacles to agricultural exportsLavrov: West should take UN proposals seriouslyLavrov: Ukraine may have to use land/rivers for exportsLavrov: Russia may work around Black Sea grain dealMOSCOW, April 7 (Reuters) - Russia warned the West on Friday that unless obstacles to its exports of grain and fertilisers were removed, then Ukraine would have to export grain over land and Moscow would work outside the UN-brokered landmark grain export deal. The Black Sea grain deal is an attempt by the United Nations to ease a food crisis that predated the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but was made worse by the most deadly war in Europe since World War Two. The deal, first signed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN in July last year and twice extended, allows for the export of food and fertiliser, including ammonia from Ukraine's Black Sea ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. If the West continued to refuse to remove the obstacles to Russian exports, Moscow would work around the grain deal, Lavrov said beside his Turkish counterpart at a news conference in Ankara. Since its signing, the 120-day grain deal has been extended twice, once in November and a second time in March, though Russia said the March extension was only for 60 days.

☆ Japan killed 17 million chickens amid an outbreak of bird flu. Now it's running out of space to bury them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japan culled over 17 million chickens this season amid its worst bird flu outbreak ever, per NHK. As a result, egg prices soared in Japan, prompting some restaurants to suspend sales of egg-based items. However, not all of them have enough capacity to incinerate so many carcasses, according to another NHK report in October. The mass culling of so many chickens over bird flu impacts food prices. It's not just Japan as there's an ongoing bird flu outbreak globally that's affecting the poultry industry — and in turn egg prices.

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