RFS Court Ruling & Brazilian Beef

The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has upheld the 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard, stating that the Environmental Protection Agency has "wide latitude" to set the targets. Petitioner Monroe Energy said the EPA should have factored in the cost of Renewable Identification Numbers in the final rule, but the court ruled that there is "no ground to conclude the 2013 standards are unlawful simply because RINs are costlier than in prior years." The Renewable Fuels Association called the decision "a victory for American consumers, renewable fuel advocates, and the RFS program."

Opinions differ on whether or not to allow uncooked beef from Brazil into the United States due to the potential of importing foot and mouth disease. Official says actual risk should be the deciding factor. USDA Economist Joe Glauber.

GLAUBER: The appropriate question is what is the risk of having it. There's no question to say, well gee what the heck, let's import something that could potential bring in FMD - well no one wants that. What the difference of opinion here is I think is on the risk assessment.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

The release of The National Climate Assessment report this week will undoubtedly stir up even more intense political debate, with critics of climate change claiming the report is "more political than scientific". Oyster growers in Washington, corn growers in Iowa and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all mentioned in the 800 plus page report as being victims of climate related changes. And while the report does not directly state that human activity is the direct cause of climate change and the increase of extreme weather patterns, it does conclude that "there is new and stronger evidence that many of these increases are related to human activities." Members of the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses released their own report this week highlighting state environmental stewardship entitled "Washington Gets It Wrong, States Get It Right". This report, which includes data submitted by nine different state environmental agencies on how they are successfully managing their own air, land, water and wildlife, strongly states that "it is time that we left the protection of states' resources and heritage in their own hands. The Federal government should not be in the position of making decisions for communities that have already taken the initiative to make these decisions for themselves."

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.