A recent editorial in the Omaha World-Herald stated that, “American agriculture is no stranger to technological change. Just compare the Midlands’ planting and cultivation methods in various eras from pioneer times through the 20th century to now. The advancements and refinements have been remarkable.

A PRNewswire update from last week stated that, “The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) today filed suit against Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., for deceptive labeling, marketing and sale of Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream products. The suit was filed in D.C. Superior Court under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

Des Moines Register writer Donnelle Eller reported yesterday that, “Growing up in eastern Iowa, Rob Stout spent his summers pulling milkweed from his family’s soybean fields.

“Now he’s planting it, along with coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and other plants and flowers that support monarch butterflies, an insect that environmentalists say is nearing extinction.

“‘My father probably would be spinning in his grave,’ Stout said, knowing his son mows around milkweed, avoids spraying the plants and lets them go to seed.”

Ms. Eller noted that, “Stout and others hope the state’s plan to create up to 830,000 acres of habitat for the monarchs’ 3,000-mile migration swings through the state will be enough to rebuild the pollinators’ numbers.”

The Register article explained that, “Environmental groups have petitioned the federal government to place the iconic black and orange butterfly on the federal endangered species list.

“That could mean added regulations and restrictions for farmers, developers, landowners and others.”

Yesterday’s article added, “The state’s two-decade-long effort is part of a 16-state regional plan to develop up to 7 million acres of habitat for the monarch’s migration east of the Rockies.

“Iowa hopes to plant 188 million new stems of milkweed, part of the 1.6 billion stems needed in the Midwest.”

Bloomberg writer Joel Rosenblatt reported yesterday that, “Monsanto Co. lost a court ruling that permits key witnesses to testify in a lawsuit claiming the company’s Roundup weed killer caused cancer for farmers and other users.

“It’s a significant victory for the cancer victims, who need expert testimony to advance more than 300 suits in San Francisco federal court seeking to hold Monsanto liable for failing to warn consumers about the risk of using the weed killer. A jury trial hasn’t been scheduled, but the decision puts pressure on Monsanto to settle the cases.

“‘Moving forward, we will continue to defend these lawsuits with robust evidence that proves there is absolutely no connection between glyphosate and cancer,’ Monsanto Vice President Scott Partridge said in an e-mailed statement. ‘We have sympathy for anyone suffering from cancer, but the science clearly shows that glyphosate was not the cause.'”

Mr Rosenblatt noted that, “U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria is evaluating the toxicity of the world’s most popular herbicide, the subject of a heated debate among scientists and regulators worldwide for more than 30 years. Witnesses cut from the lineup may have profoundly shaped the outcome of the lawsuits collected before the judge.

“Despite misgivings about testimony he called ‘shaky,’ Chhabria will let at least three key witnesses testify. The judge concluded a reasonable jury could find that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, can cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at exposure levels people realistically may have experienced.

“‘So long as an opinion is premised on reliable scientific principles, it should not be excluded by the trial judge; instead the weaknesses in an unpersuasive expert opinion can be exposed at trial, through cross-examination or testimony by opposing experts,’ Chhabria wrote in his opinion.”

The Associated Press reported yesterday that, “Lawyers for a school groundskeeper dying of cancer asked a San Francisco jury on Monday to find that agribusiness giant Monsanto’s widely used weed killer Roundup likely caused his disease.

“Dewayne Johnson’s lawsuit is the first case to go to trial among hundreds of lawsuits saying Roundup caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“Johnson sprayed Roundup and a similar product, Ranger Pro, at his job as a pest control manager at a San Francisco Bay Area school district, according to his attorneys.”

The AP article stated that, “He sprayed large quantities from a 50-gallon tank attached to a truck, his attorney, Brent Wisner, told jurors during his opening statement. When the wind was gusty, it would cover his face, Wisner said. When a hose broke once, it soaked his entire body.”

However, yesterday’s article pointed out that, “George Lombardi, an attorney for Monsanto, said non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma takes years to develop, so Johnson’s cancer started well before he began working at the school district.

“Many government regulators have rejected a link between the active ingredient in Roundup — glyphosate — and cancer. Monsanto has vehemently denied such a connection, saying hundreds of studies have established that glyphosate is safe.”

The AP article added that, “The outcome of Johnson’s case will not affect the hundreds of other lawsuits in state and federal courts, but it may serve as an indicator of how the others might go.”

Hope Kirwan reported earlier this month at Wisconsin Public Radio Online that, “Organic industry leaders in Wisconsin are applauding a recently approved version of the Farm Bill for cracking down on fraud.