Congress to probe meatpackers’ COVID-19 actions

https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/97079

• The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has informed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS USA that an investigation will be launched into coronavirus outbreaks at meatpacking plants nationwide.
• Since the pandemic first began, approximately 54,000 meatpacking plant workers have tested positive for the virus and at least 270 have died.
• Committee Chairman Representative James E. Clyburn wrote to the companies saying that meatpacking companies have refused to take basic precautions to protect their workers, many of whom earn extremely low wages and lack adequate pay leave. The actions of these companies have shown callous disregard for workers’ health.

U.S. industry groups call for urgent action on livestock antibiotic overuse

https://www.thecattlesite.com/news/56459/us-industry-groups-call-for-urgent-action-on-livestock-antibiotic-overuse/

• The Antibiotics Off The Menu (AOTM) coalition is calling for the Biden administration to address the global threat of antibiotic resistance at the federal level.
  • AOTM is also asking that the restaurant industry continue to take action to limit the use of medically important antibiotics in livestock.
• The Center for Food Safety works through AOTM to join forces with other public interests, animal welfare and environmental groups seeking to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating sick people and animals.
• According to Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety, the U.S. needs to ensure the effectiveness of antibiotics going forward through a mandate to reduce medically important livestock antibiotic use by 50 percent by 2023 relative to 2009 levels.
  • Hanson also stated that a program must be created to track antibiotic use and resistance at the farm level.

Microsoft buys carbon credits from NSW cattle operation

https://www.farmonline.com.au/story/7105542/microsoft-buys-carbon-credits-from-nsw-cattle-operation/?fbclid=IwAR0kH7QHKc5aP8d5XW_ABJHvqiNQmtu0nddHq05HAjRhFuUGO-5a9GYJEH0

• Wilmot Cattle Co. of Australia has made an agreement with global tech giant Microsoft to sell approximately half a million dollars worth of carbon credits.
  • The carbon credits come from the operation’s sophisticated grazing management system that produces more than 40,000 metric tons of sequestered soil carbon
• This is the first global carbon credit sale made by an Australian grazing operation and it speaks volumes to the opportunities for farmers and ranchers to benefit from the emerging carbon market.
• Wilmot’s have focused on time-controlled rotational grazing, increased stocking density and decreased paddock size over the last decade.
  • Wilmot’s general manager Stuart Austin said that the prospect of being paid for these practices, while building a resilient landscape, encourages the management change and would ensure its longevity.
• Last year, Microsoft committed to becoming carbon negative as a company by 2030, which means the company plans to have removed from the environment more carbon than it emits.
  • By 2050, Microsoft plans to have removed all the carbon it has emitted directly or through electricity use since the company began in 1975.
    • So far, the tech giant has purchased the removal of 1.3 million metric tons of carbon from 26 projects around the world.