The Truth about Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/blogs/ Dean is Chairman Emeritus of 'Truth About Trade & Technology, a nonprofit advocacy group led by a volunteer board of American farmers. AgWeb.comOverdue Penancehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Overdue_Penance_9551/There''s a joke on the web about a guy who goes into a confessional and tells his priest that for years he''s been stealing huge amounts of wood from the local lumberyard--enough to build a house for himself, as well as homes for his kids and their families.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT9551New crop wheat & beans lead the rallyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/New_crop_wheat__beans_lead_the_rally_9576/Dean KlecknerTue, 15 Jan 2008 16:30:32 GMT95768/21 - Saving the Potatohttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/821_-_Saving_the_Potato_9598/ Biotechnology means there doesn''t ever have to be another potato famine--in Ireland or anywhere else. More than one million Irish men,Biotechnology means there doesn''t ever have to be another potato famine--in Ireland or anywhere else.

More than one million Irish men,]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT959803/31 - Reporting the Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0331_-_Reporting_the_Truth_9627/"If one tells the truth, one is sure, sooner or later, to be found out," said Oscar Wilde. That''s the situation Syngenta found itselfThat''s the situation Syngenta found itself]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT9627Yoofta!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Yoofta_9679/ Is President Bush’s diplomacy too one-sided? Is President Bush’s diplomacy too one-sided?]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 18 Apr 2008 08:41:32 GMT9679A Resolution To Protect Our Right To Choosehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Resolution_To_Protect_Our_Right_To_Choose_9726/"May your troubles in the New Year be as short-lived as your resolutions," says an old joke.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT9726Tire Tariff Truth & Consequenceshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Tire_Tariff_Truth__Consequences_9778/ If you’ve tried to buy new tires recently, you may have experienced sticker shock. If you’ve tried to buy new tires recently, you may have experienced sticker shock. ]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Dec 2009 14:33:01 GMT9778The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_9792/Peace Through TradeDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT9792Un-Reality TVhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Un-Reality_TV_9827/ On Monday night, the television show “CSI: Miami” launched a vicious attack on American farmers, corn farmers in particular; an angry assault motivated by willful ignorance and driven by scientific illiteracy. On Monday night, the television show “CSI: Miami” launched a vicious attack on American farmers, corn farmers in particular; an angry assault motivated by willful ignorance and driven by scientific illiteracy.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 22 Oct 2009 14:44:48 GMT9827NAFTA – Spreading It’s Wingshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/NAFTA_150_Spreading_It146s_Wings_9918/When I was a kid, I took an interest in bugs.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT9918Food Safety 101http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Food_Safety_101_9986/ Recently, the New York Times asked a startling question: “Is it becoming more dangerous to eat?” Recently, the New York Times asked a startling question: “Is it becoming more dangerous to eat?”]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 04 Jun 2009 11:29:14 GMT99861/29 - Keeping Pacehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/129_-_Keeping_Pace_10026/Sam Goldwyn''s secretary once suggested that she throw away her boss''s old files. "A good idea," replied the legendary moviemaker,Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT1002609/22 - Coexistence Existshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0922_-_Coexistence_Exists_10045/"It''s coexistence or no existence," said the philosopher Bertrand Russell many years ago. He was talking about war and peace in theHe was talking about war and peace in the]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT1004505/ 13 - Trade at a Crossroadshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/05_13_-_Trade_at_a_Crossroads_10087/Why is America so prosperous? If somebody ever writes a book answering that question, the author will have to include a chapter on freeDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT10087Beef With Confidencehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Beef_With_Confidence_10137/The all-time worst case of food poisoning I''ve ever suffered occurred in Tokyo.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT1013701/13 - ‘Concerned’ About What?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0113_-_145Concerned146_About_What_10140/"If it squirms, it''s biology; if it stinks, it''s chemistry; if it doesn''t work, it''s physics; and if you can''t understand it, it''sDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT101405/27 - Attitude Adjustment Neededhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/527_-_Attitude_Adjustment_Needed_10142/Just as wild packs of ravenous wolves prey upon the weakest members of the herds they hunt--the old, the young, and the injured--the enemies ofDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT10142NAFTA Blame Gamehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/NAFTA_Blame_Game_10153/ Barack Obama says that the next president must develop a new approach to foreign relations. Barack Obama says that the next president must develop a new approach to foreign relations.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Mar 2008 08:24:51 GMT10153New Year’s Resolutionshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/New_Year146s_Resolutions_10159/It''s been a whole week. Are you still keeping your New Year''s resolutions? Maybe you''ve heard the joke: A New Year''s resolution is something that​Maybe you''ve heard the joke: A New Year''s resolution is something that]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT101598/19 - Predicting a Partnershiphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/819_-_Predicting_a_Partnership_10197/"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia," said Winston Churchill on the eve of the Second World War. "It is a riddleDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT10197Trading For Stability and Prosperityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trading_For_Stability_and_Prosperity_10198/The re-election of Alvaro Uribe as Colombia''s president on Sunday is good news for the United States and good news for free trade.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:09 GMT10198Stewardship and Compliance: Doing what’s right for the right reasonhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Stewardship_and_Compliance__Doing_what146s_right_for_the_right_reason_10302/Few people appreciate the importance of genetic change as well as farmers. After all, we''ve been cross-breeding to build better plants forDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT10302A Lesson in Timehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Lesson_in_Time_10310/If you know me, you know my jokes.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT10310Trade Straight Talkhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Straight_Talk_10360/ Canada offers fewer electoral votes than Rhode Island or Wyoming in a U.S. presidential election, but Senator John McCain still thought our northern neighbor was worth a visit last week. Canada offers fewer electoral votes than Rhode Island or Wyoming in a U.S. presidential election, but Senator John McCain still thought our northern neighbor was worth a visit last week.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 30 Jun 2008 08:20:43 GMT1036004/22 - A Matter of Trusthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0422_-_A_Matter_of_Trust_10390/When I hear the enemies of biotechnology carry on about their obsession, sometimes I feel sorry for them. I really do. Their hystericsTheir hysterics]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT1039002/05 - Freer Trade – The Name of the Gamehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0205_-_Freer_Trade_150_The_Name_of_the_Game_10391/Quick question: Isn''t baseball better because Sammy Sosa plays it? If you said "no," then something tells me you''re a fan of the St.If you said "no," then something tells me you''re a fan of the St.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:44 GMT10391Strong To the Finach – We Eat Our Spinach!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Strong_To_the_Finach_150_We_Eat_Our_Spinach_10463/It isn''t often that parents urge their children to act like cartoons.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT10463Thankful for Biotechhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Thankful_for_Biotech_10494/ Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election for a simple reason: Americans thought their country was headed in the wrong direction, and he provided a vision of change that voters found more compelling than John McCain’s. Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election for a simple reason: Americans thought their country was headed in the wrong direction, and he provided a vision of change that voters found more compelling than John McCain’s.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 21 Nov 2008 09:41:33 GMT10494Food Securityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Food_Security_10546/ About a million people died during the Irish potato famine in the 19th century. About a million people died during the Irish potato famine in the 19th century.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 14 May 2009 11:21:45 GMT10546America - Open For Businesshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/America_-_Open_For_Business_10549/American exports just hit an all-time highDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT10549Our Oilhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Our_Oil_10557/A while back, Jay Leno joked about the rising cost of fuel:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT10557Doha Is Deadhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Doha_Is_Dead_10579/Is Doha dead?  I believe it is.Dean KlecknerFri, 26 Mar 2010 02:32:44 GMT105794/24 - The moral imperative of trading with Cubahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/424_-_The_moral_imperative_of_trading_with_Cuba_10594/ Cuba is in the headlines again, and the news is not good. Since March, Fidel Castro''s government has arrested 75 dissidents, executedCuba is in the headlines again, and the news is not good. Since March, Fidel Castro''s government has arrested 75 dissidents, executed]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT10594Wanted: Ethical Treatment for Livestock AND Producershttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Wanted__Ethical_Treatment_for_Livestock_AND_Producers_10611/ HSUS should also pay attention to the ethical treatment of farmers. HSUS should also pay attention to the ethical treatment of farmers.

]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 16 Apr 2010 11:59:49 GMT10611Feeding the Hungryhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Feeding_the_Hungry_10612/ There are some people around the world who think religion and science shouldn't get along. There are some people around the world who think religion and science shouldn't get along.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 25 Jun 2009 14:52:02 GMT10612Strategic Commoditieshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Strategic_Commodities_10626/ Americans used to behave as though offshore drilling was a painful dental procedure: They wanted to avoid it at all costs. Americans used to behave as though offshore drilling was a painful dental procedure: They wanted to avoid it at all costs.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 25 Jul 2008 08:22:57 GMT10626Be Preparedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Be_Prepared_10628/ Nobody knows how many people died in Myanmar (Burma) after Cyclone Nargis made landfall earlier this month. Nobody knows how many people died in Myanmar (Burma) after Cyclone Nargis made landfall earlier this month.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 23 May 2008 07:39:41 GMT10628A Trade Tool By Any Other Namehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Trade_Tool_By_Any_Other_Name_10655/ The Obama administration recently informed Congress of plans to launch its first round of trade talks. The Obama administration recently informed Congress of plans to launch its first round of trade talks.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 13 Jan 2010 17:36:42 GMT10655Some Rush Jobhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Some_Rush_Job_10659/I am a recovering perfectionist.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT10659An Open letter from an American Farmer to US Trade Representative Ron Kirkhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/An_Open_letter_from_an_American_Farmer_to_US_Trade_Representative_Ron_Kirk_10680/ Dear U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, The other day, after finishing War and Peace , I started to flip through the Federal Register, the daily publication of Washington’s massive bureaucracy. Dear U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk,
The other day, after finishing War and Peace, I started to flip through the Federal Register, the daily publication of Washington’s massive bureaucracy.
]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 13 Aug 2009 10:19:14 GMT10680Trade Steps Forwardhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Steps_Forward_10683/Shortly after the World Trade Center fell five years ago, our government presented Pakistan with a choice:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT1068312/25 - Defining A Good Yearhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1225_-_Defining_A_Good_Year_10714/ The year 2003 is almost history. Maybe that''s a good thing. In his hilarious book The Devil''s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce definedThe year 2003 is almost history. Maybe that''s a good thing. In his hilarious book The Devil''s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce defined]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT10714Economic Common Sensehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Economic_Common_Sense_10721/ Ronald Reagan once defined an economist as “someone who sees something that works in practice and wonders if it would work in theory.” ​Ronald Reagan once defined an economist as “someone who sees something that works in practice and wonders if it would work in theory.”

]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Feb 2008 15:31:19 GMT10721The Grapes of Technologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Grapes_of_Technology_10723/Dean KlecknerFri, 16 Nov 2007 10:24:51 GMT10723Rebuildinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Rebuilding_10859/As the waters covering New Orleans rose higher and higher, our nation seemed to fall lower and lower.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT10859Deadline Approachinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Deadline_Approaching_10892/Everybody knows what a deadline is: The expiration of a time limit, when an assignment or a payment comes due.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT1089210/9 - Biotech Stepping Up For The Consumerhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/109_-_Biotech_Stepping_Up_For_The_Consumer_10918/ I doubt there''s a farmer in America who hasn''t heard of biotech crops. Even those who don''t plant the seed at least know about it--and theI doubt there''s a farmer in America who hasn''t heard of biotech crops. Even those who don''t plant the seed at least know about it--and the]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT1091809/02 - Moving Trade Alonghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0902_-_Moving_Trade_Along_10988/"Everyone is within walking distance if you have the time," jokes the comedian Steven Wright. But who has the time? AtBut who has the time?

At]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT10988Can We Score a Winning Trade Runhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Can_We_Score_a_Winning_Trade_Run_10997/It seems as though the World Trade Organization’s Doha round has collapsed more times than the Chicago Cubs in the midst of a pennant race.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT10997Environmentally Friendly Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Environmentally_Friendly_Trade_11003/The Truth 5/12Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT11003French Roasthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/French_Roast_11007/"The simple thing is to consider the French as an erratic and brilliant people," said James Cameron, a 20th-century British journalist (who is not to be confused with the movie director of our own time). "The simple thing is to consider the French as an erratic and brilliant people [...]"The simple thing is to consider the French as an erratic and brilliant people," said James Cameron, a 20th-century British journalist (who is not to be confused with the movie director of our own time)."They have all the gifts except that of running their country."]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT11007There''s No Going Back - the Biotech Genie is out of the Bottle!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Theres_No_Going_Back_-_the_Biotech_Genie_is_out_of_the_Bottle_11019/Farmers around the world are choosing to plant genetically modified crops.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT11019Trade Under the Gunhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Under_the_Gun_11043/It wasn’t as close as two minutes before midnight , but it was signed at just 22 minutes to midnightDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:18 GMT1104303/10 - Where’s The Beefhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0310_-_Where146s_The_Beef_11112/Where''s the beef? That''s what American meatpackers have wondered ever since the United States closed its borders to cattle from CanadaThat''s what American meatpackers have wondered ever since the United States closed its borders to cattle from Canada]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT11112An Indian Farmer Speaks Out: The Future of India Depends on GM Seedshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/An_Indian_Farmer_Speaks_Out_The_Future_of_India_Depends_on_GM_Seeds_11194/ The future of Indian agriculture rests on the shoulders of the unglamorous eggplant.   The future of Indian agriculture rests on the shoulders of the unglamorous eggplant.

 
]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 25 Nov 2009 10:53:43 GMT11194Nurturing Productionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Nurturing_Production_11222/   I’ve been farming for long enough that not much surprises me anymore.  I’ve been farming for long enough that not much surprises me anymore. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 16 May 2008 09:27:20 GMT11222Protecting The Staff of Lifehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Protecting_The_Staff_of_Life_11228/ I’ve seen a field of wheat go white in just a few days. I’ve seen a field of wheat go white in just a few days.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Sep 2009 11:03:32 GMT112284/17 - A French Coalition that''s getting it righthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/417_-_A_French_Coalition_thats_getting_it_right_11286/ France is an old ally of the United States, stretching all the way back to the American Revolution. General Lafayette was so valuableFrance is an old ally of the United States, stretching all the way back to the American Revolution. General Lafayette was so valuable]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT11286Ballots Instead of Bullets – Vote for Trade!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Ballots_Instead_of_Bullets_–_Vote_for_Trade_11413/ We’ve just concluded America’s bloodiest month in Afghanistan since the war against the Taliban started eight years ago. We’ve just concluded America’s bloodiest month in Afghanistan since the war against the Taliban started eight years ago.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Aug 2009 11:41:30 GMT11413Playing Games With Eggshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Playing_Games_With_Eggs_11439/Don't count your cage-free chickens before they've hatched.Dean KlecknerThu, 01 Apr 2010 16:43:28 GMT11439Supporting Access to Technology – State by Statehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Supporting_Access_to_Technology_150_State_by_State_11440/The out-spoken opponents of biotechnology may have thought that they were on a roll a couple of years ago, when a few California counties banned the planting of GM crops.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT11440Trade Detentehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Detente_11451/During the Cold War, a slogan occasionally appeared on t-shirts and bumper stickers: “When you’ve seen one nuclear war, you’ve seen them all.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT11451Time Bombhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Time_Bomb_11465/ “Farmers aren’t the enemy,” insists Time magazine in its current cover story. “Farmers aren’t the enemy,” insists Time magazine in its current cover story.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 27 Aug 2009 12:04:10 GMT11465We Must Allow Farmers To Feed The Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/We_Must_Allow_Farmers_To_Feed_The_World_11499/ Sometimes when I think about the past, I fear for the future. Sometimes when I think about the past, I fear for the future.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 29 Oct 2009 10:39:14 GMT11499Scary Grapeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Scary_Grapes_11503/Is there anything more unnatural and frightening than a seedless grape? <span

Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT11503Biotech Tipping Pointhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Biotech_Tipping_Point_11530/China is no newcomer to the biotech-crop club--only four countries plant more acres of GM crops than the world''s most populous nation.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT11530Rebranding A Crisishttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Rebranding_A_Crisis_11531/ When the global-warming alarmists realized that they had a serious branding problem, they did what any marketing expert might advise: They changed the name of the product they’re trying to sell. When the global-warming alarmists realized that they had a serious branding problem, they did what any marketing expert might advise: They changed the name of the product they’re trying to sell.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 16 Jul 2009 09:51:04 GMT1153111/20 - Progress – The Art of Moving Forwardhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1120_-_Progress_150_The_Art_of_Moving_Forward_11542/ Elbert Hubbard--a writer killed aboard the Lusitania in 1915--is said to have written some 7 million words in his lifetime. Here are 17 of myElbert Hubbard--a writer killed aboard the Lusitania in 1915--is said to have written some 7 million words in his lifetime. Here are 17 of my]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT11542Predicting a Brighter Future for Africahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Predicting_a_Brighter_Future_for_Africa_11607/ When the latest edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac came out last fall, it predicted drier-than-normal weather for the corn-growing states in 2008. When the latest edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac came out last fall, it predicted drier-than-normal weather for the corn-growing states in 2008.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 04 Apr 2008 07:25:45 GMT11607Mexican Tortilla Crisishttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Mexican_Tortilla_Crisis_11610/Corn tortilla prices in Mexico have skyrocketed over the last several months.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT11610Producing Conservationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Producing_Conservation_11653/By helping us produce, we'll be able to conserveDean KlecknerFri, 09 Apr 2010 19:28:24 GMT11653A Revolution To Be Thankful Forhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Revolution_To_Be_Thankful_For_11752/“Money can’t buy friends,” said the British humorist Spike Milligan, “but it can get you a better class of enemy.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:15 GMT11752Byrd Brainedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Byrd_Brained_11796/In The Devil''s Dictionary Ambrose Bierce defined Congress as "a body of men who meet to repeal laws."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT117965/22 - Better Late Than Never: Filing the WTO complainthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/522_-_Better_Late_Than_Never_Filing_the_WTO_complaint_11833/ The war in Iraq is over, and so a fight with Europe may finally begin. As the Roman historian Livy said 2,000 years ago: "PotiusThe war in Iraq is over, and so a fight with Europe may finally begin. As the Roman historian Livy said 2,000 years ago: "Potius]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT11833Get Off My Lawnhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Get_Off_My_Lawn_11843/"What is a weed?" Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked. "A plant whose virtues have not been discovered."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:09 GMT118435/15 - Turning Words into Actions: Expanding Free Trade to the Middle Easthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/515_-_Turning_Words_into_Actions_Expanding_Free_Trade_to_the_Middle_East_11859/ "The way forward for the Middle East is not a mystery," said President Bush last week. "The way forward depends on serving"The way forward for the Middle East is not a mystery," said President Bush last week. "The way forward depends on serving]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT11859Sensible Regulations Requiredhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Sensible_Regulations_Required_11902/What if Shaun White was told to surrender his Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe because he didn’t practice his amazing 1260 Double McTwist enough - that’s roughly what has happened to farmers who plant alfalfaDean KlecknerThu, 25 Feb 2010 17:59:37 GMT11902Mirror-Image Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Mirror-Image_Protectionism_11931/Free trade fosters economic liberty - an economic one of goods and services.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT1193111/6 - Heerree’s Biotech…and it’s good for you!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/116_-_Heerree146s_Biotech133and_it146s_good_for_you_11943/Johnny Carson once joked that if you ever want to clear out your system, sit on a piece of cheese and swallow a mouse. I can''t say for sureI can''t say for sure]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT11943Hawaii’s Farmers Want the Right to Choosehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hawaiis_Farmers_Want_the_Right_to_Choose_11966/ First a deadly disease tried to destroy Hawaii’s papaya industry. First a deadly disease tried to destroy Hawaii’s papaya industry.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 14 Nov 2008 15:58:23 GMT11966A Call to Green Revolutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Call_to_Green_Revolution_11968/Norman Borlaug is often called the father of the Green Revolution.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:12 GMT11968Consensushttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Consensus_11982/ As trade ministers gather in Geneva next week to continue the World Trade Organization’s Doha round, they may want to reflect on another meeting that recently took place in Copenhagen. As trade ministers gather in Geneva next week to continue the World Trade Organization’s Doha round, they may want to reflect on another meeting that recently took place in Copenhagen.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 18 Jul 2008 07:15:27 GMT11982Trade Sensehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Sense_12031/ “When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other,” wrote Eric Hoffer many years ago. “When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other,” wrote Eric Hoffer many years ago.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 03 Apr 2009 10:08:02 GMT12031A Wise Manhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Wise_Man_12033/Jay Leno once joked that Washington , D.C. had banned a nativity scene--not because of some church-and-state concern, but because city officials couldn’t find three wise men.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT12033Fashionable Fearhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Fashionable_Fear_12035/The classic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft--think of him as a 1930s version of Stephen King--once wrote: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:18 GMT12035Simple Economicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Simple_Economics_12040/"A politician is an animal that can sit on a fence and keep both ears to the ground," H.L. Mencken once wrote--in a statement that nicely captures the current furor over surging gas prices.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:06 GMT12040The Future of Agriculture is Nowhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Future_of_Agriculture_is_Now_12080/An old joke among farmers says that North Carolina should drop its current motto--Esse Quam Videri(to be rather than to seem)--and replace it with something a bit more direct: Tobacco is a vegetable.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT12080The Freedom to Choosehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Freedom_to_Choose_12098/ No farmer I know likes to till his soil or apply herbicides. No farmer I know likes to till his soil or apply herbicides.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 01 Oct 2009 11:23:43 GMT120986/19 - Looking for a NAFTA "MVP"http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/619_-_Looking_for_a_NAFTA_MVP_12101/ The Mexican government seems to think that trade disputes are like the NBA championships or the Stanley Cup finals--a best of
The Mexican government seems to think that trade disputes are like the NBA championships or the Stanley Cup finals--a best of]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT12101Working to End Hungerhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Working_to_End_Hunger_12178/ From basket case to breadbasket – that’s the journey sub-Saharan Africa must complete if we’re to meet the food challenges of the 21st century. From basket case to breadbasket – that’s the journey sub-Saharan Africa must complete if we’re to meet the food challenges of the 21st century.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 18 Jun 2009 11:01:44 GMT12178Coexisting Abundancehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Coexisting_Abundance_12222/   Does working the land wreck the land?  Does working the land wreck the land? ]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 14 Feb 2008 13:59:32 GMT12222Truth About Trade and Technologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Truth_About_Trade_and_Technology_12257/ My parents, as farmers, weren''t unhappy with their horses when they bought their first tractor. They just knew the time had come to replaceMy parents, as farmers, weren''t unhappy with their horses when they bought their first tractor. They just knew the time had come to replace]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:38 GMT1225704/21 - One Billion and Counting……http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0421_-_One_Billion_and_Counting133133_12290/Remember how McDonald''s used to boast beneath the golden arches about how many billions of hamburgers it had sold? Well, it''s time for someoneWell, it''s time for someone]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT1229007/22 - A Revolution To Save Liveshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0722_-_A_Revolution_To_Save_Lives_12294/With global attention so recently focused on the international AIDS conference in Thailand, it''s easy to forget that malnutrition is an evenDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT12294Free Trade Leverage South of the Borderhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Free_Trade_Leverage_South_of_the_Border_12378/Yesterday, President Bush embarked upon an extended trip to Latin America , which The Economist recently described as “a region he has neglected throughout much of his presidency.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT1237811/11 - The Results are in – Biotech Winshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1111_-_The_Results_are_in_150_Biotech_Wins_12386/Winning isn''t everything, but it sure does feel good. Like most people, I was glued to my television set last week, eager to learn whoLike most people, I was glued to my television set last week, eager to learn who]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT123867/17 - A BIO 2003 Headliner: Mastering the tools of science and politicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/717_-_A_BIO_2003_Headliner__Mastering_the_tools_of_science_and_politics_12447/ Too many people think science and politics don''t mix. That''s wrong - but too many people think it anyway. That''s why I was soToo many people think science and politics don''t mix. That''s wrong - but too many people think it anyway.

That''s why I was so]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT124472/27 - Celebrating the "Secret of Life"http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/227_-_Celebrating_the_Secret_of_Life_12467/Special column guestDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT1246706/24 - The Case of Flying Kangarooshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0624_-_The_Case_of_Flying_Kangaroos_12470/In one of Oscar Wilde''s plays, a dimwitted duchess utters a memorable line about Australia: "It must be so pretty with all the dear littleDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT12470Good Businesshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Good_Business_12472/The 50-mile system of lakes and locks that connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is about to receive a major upgrade, which is good news for international trade in general and the United States in particular.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT12472Trade Championhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Champion_12526/ A 20th-century historian was once asked for his opinion of the French Revolution. A 20th-century historian was once asked for his opinion of the French Revolution.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 31 Dec 2008 10:42:20 GMT1252604/15 - Scale Neutrality….Another Biotech Attributehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0415_-_Scale_Neutrality133Another_Biotech_Attribute_12569/It sounded like a sick April Fool''s joke when I first heard the news. A few weeks ago, the government of Angola refused to accept humanitarianDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT12569In Support of Trade-Not-Aid Agreementshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/In_Support_of_Trade-Not-Aid_Agreements_12576/If the political pundits are correct, America ’s trade agenda is about to downshift from the fast track to the slow track.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT12576Great Expectationshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Great_Expectations_12640/ Barack Obama promised to bring change to the United States. Barack Obama promised to bring change to the United States.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 23 Jan 2009 16:36:53 GMT12640Taxing a weighty issuehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Taxing_a_weighty_issue_12672/ The drive for new taxes on soda is simply a governmental money grab The drive for new taxes on soda is simply a governmental money grab

]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Jun 2010 19:52:16 GMT12672Protectionism: An Economic Retardanthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Protectionism_An_Economic_Retardant_12684/ I've said it before and I will say it again - the climate-change legislation recently approved by the House of Representatives is a bad bill and it is forcing bad choices - including a ticking time bomb. I've said it before and I will say it again - the climate-change legislation recently approved by the House of Representatives is a bad bill and it is forcing bad choices - including a ticking time bomb.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 30 Jul 2009 11:09:09 GMT12684Fighting Obesityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Fighting_Obesity_12737/Will Washington encourage free trade and technological innovation, or dicatate what farmers grow?Dean KlecknerThu, 20 May 2010 18:34:33 GMT12737A Laborious Agreementhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Laborious_Agreement_12761/The Truth.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT12761Trade Ties That Bindhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Ties_That_Bind_12783/When I was a 21-year-old Marine serving in Vietnam in 1969, our company was sent to the Hep Duc Valley to support an embattled Army division.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:09 GMT127839/18 - Lost Opportunity, Not a Permanent Defeathttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/918_-_Lost_Opportunity_Not_a_Permanent_Defeat_12882/ There''s no getting around the fact that the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun were a big letdown. I had gone down there lastThere''s no getting around the fact that the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun were a big letdown.

I had gone down there last]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT12882A War – A Country – An Opportunityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_War_150_A_Country_150_An_Opportunity_12927/“In our national memory, Vietnam was a war,” said President Clinton six years ago.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:15 GMT12927Trade Straight Talkhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Straight_Talk_12930/ Canada offers fewer electoral votes than Rhode Island or Wyoming in a U.S. presidential election, but Senator John McCain still thought our northern neighbor was worth a visit last week. Canada offers fewer electoral votes than Rhode Island or Wyoming in a U.S. presidential election, but Senator John McCain still thought our northern neighbor was worth a visit last week.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 27 Jun 2008 07:17:32 GMT1293008/12 - Prohibition – Nothing but Troublehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0812_-_Prohibition_150_Nothing_but_Trouble_12971/"In California," joked the writer Truman Capote, "everyone goes to a therapist, is a therapist, or is a therapist going to aDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT129716/3 - Biotech for the Common Goodhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/63_-_Biotech_for_the_Common_Good_13017/Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT13017Where do they Stand on feeding the world?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Where_do_they_Stand_on_feeding_the_world_13041/ The presidential debates get underway in just two weeks, when Senators John McCain and Barack Obama square off at the University of Mississippi. The presidential debates get underway in just two weeks, when Senators John McCain and Barack Obama square off at the University of Mississippi.]]>Dean KlecknerTue, 16 Sep 2008 07:42:11 GMT13041Trade Trumps Aidhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Trumps_Aid_13077/ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.   Ralph Waldo Emerson said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

 
]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 07 May 2009 11:53:15 GMT13077Peru Long-Term Reliefhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Peru_Long-Term_Relief_13085/A horrific earthquake in Peru has left more than 500 people dead and thousands homeless.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT13085Strategizing Fertilizerhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Strategizing_Fertilizer_13189/The fact that India has a Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers should give us pause.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT131898/26 - A Deal is a Dealhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/826_-_A_Deal_is_a_Deal_13209/ If at first you don''t succeed, try, try again. <font face="Arial, If at first you don''t succeed, try, try again.

Tariffs tire me out. I mean that quite literally.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Aug 2009 11:05:52 GMT13544A Good Dose of Judgment Neededhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Good_Dose_of_Judgment_Needed_13578/ The other day, I went to the grocery store for beef tenderloin. The other day, I went to the grocery store for beef tenderloin.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 11 Jan 2010 10:53:51 GMT13578Alfalfa and Those ''Big Rascals''http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Alfalfa_and_Those_Big_Rascals_13587/When farmers think about alfalfa, their minds generally turn to an important forage crop--a staple food for dairy cows and cattle.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT135877/31 - Biotech “True Stories” From the Frontierhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/731_-_Biotech_147True_Stories148_From_the_Frontier_13588/ The frontier of biotechnology is in a place called Bobodioulasso. That''s the name of a town in the West African nation of BurkinaThe frontier of biotechnology is in a place called Bobodioulasso.

That''s the name of a town in the West African nation of Burkina]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT13588Green Revolutionarieshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Green_Revolutionaries_13641/“Food given by another person is only a throat tickler,” says an old proverb of the Maori, the original inhabitants of New Zealand .Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:12 GMT1364110/2 - Growing A Miraclehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/102_-_Growing_A_Miracle_13673/ "Our nation depends on our hard-working farm and ranch families for food, fiber, and the good stewardship of our environment," "Our nation depends on our hard-working farm and ranch families for food, fiber, and the good stewardship of our environment,"]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT1367312/11 - Prolonging the EU Biotech Dancehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1211_-_Prolonging_the_EU_Biotech_Dance_13694/ I look forward to a time when EU decisions regarding biotech foods are everyday events rather than headline news. Apparently, that timeI look forward to a time when EU decisions regarding biotech foods are everyday events rather than headline news. Apparently, that time]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT13694Biotech - Here to Stayhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Biotech_-_Here_to_Stay_13709/Agricultural biotechnology is moving forward everywhere.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT13709Hot Airhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hot_Air_13748/ Global warming stinks.   Global warming stinks.

 
]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 24 Apr 2009 14:12:46 GMT1374809/16 - Searchin’ for a (Healthy) Heart of Goldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0916_-_Searchin146_for_a_(Healthy)_Heart_of_Gold_13753/"Let me just say this," quipped Bill Clinton on the eve of his heart surgery. "Republicans aren''t the only people who want fourDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT13753St. Lawrence Seaway: Gateway to the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/St_Lawrence_Seaway_Gateway_to_the_World_13786/ It takes a ship almost nine days to travel from Duluth, Minn., to the Atlantic Ocean. It takes a ship almost nine days to travel from Duluth, Minn., to the Atlantic Ocean. ]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 09 Jul 2009 10:07:54 GMT13786Open Invitation to a Princehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Open_Invitation_to_a_Prince_13797/ Dear Prince Charles:   I’ve just read your recent interview with the Daily Telegraph--the one from earlier this month, in which you condemn agricultural biotechnology as an “absolute disaster” and “the classic way of ensuring there is no food in the future.&rdq [...]Dear Prince Charles:
 
I’ve just read your recent interview with the Daily Telegraph--the one from earlier this month, in which you condemn agricultural biotechnology as an “absolute disaster” and “the classic way of ensuring there is no food in the future.”
]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 29 Aug 2008 08:40:37 GMT13797A Corn Growers Response to a Taxing Situationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Corn_Growers_Response_to_a_Taxing_Situation_13810/ A senator once started a speech to his colleagues by saying, “I don’t mean to tax your memories...” A senator once started a speech to his colleagues by saying, “I don’t mean to tax your memories...”]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 11 Nov 2009 17:21:00 GMT13810Blank Check Transparencyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Blank_Check_Transparency_13944/ If a stranger asked you sign a blank check and hand it over to him , what are his odds that you would actually do it? IIf a stranger asked you sign a blank check and hand it over to him, what are his odds that you would actually do it?

I]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT13944Who Benefits From GM Crops?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Who_Benefits_From_GM_Crops_13948/ As an Australian farmer, I find myself wondering if the professional protest group Friends of the Earth should consider renaming itself. As an Australian farmer, I find myself wondering if the professional protest group Friends of the Earth should consider renaming itself.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 20 Feb 2009 12:41:34 GMT1394812/30 - It''s Good To Be King!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1230_-_Its_Good_To_Be_King_13963/ Board Member, Truth About Trade and Technology It''s good to be the king! That''s true for consumers--the kings of the global foodBoard Member, Truth About Trade and Technology

It''s good to be the king!

That''s true for consumers--the kings of the global food]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT13963Batting ‘Precaution’ to the Windhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Batting_145Precaution146_to_the_Wind_13974/I wasn’t sure I’d ever see something dumber than the designated-hitter rule, but then New York ’s city council decided last month to ban aluminum baseball bats.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:21 GMT13974Trading Time With Cubahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trading_Time_With_Cuba_14012/  When Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced his resignation last week, just about every news story mentioned the same troubling fact: His brutal reign had outlasted nine U.S. presidents, starting with Dwight Eisenhower and continuing through Bill Clinton.  When Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced his resignation last week, just about every news story mentioned the same troubling fact: His brutal reign had outlasted nine U.S. presidents, starting with Dwight Eisenhower and continuing through Bill Clinton.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 29 Feb 2008 14:09:32 GMT140123/24 - Great Expectationshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/324_-__Great_Expectations_14013/I''ve known and worked with the last 5 U.S. Trade Ambassadors, starting with Clayton Yeutter in 1985. Progressing through Carla Hills, MickeyDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT14013Protecting Intellectual Property – May The Force Be With Ushttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Protecting_Intellectual_Property_150_May_The_Force_Be_With_Us_14047/The Truth.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT14047Eatin’ Safely in the Junglehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Eatin146_Safely_in_the_Jungle_14050/I knew the E. coli outbreak that''s been linked to fresh spinach was big news when I read a newspaper story about it--on the other side of the world.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT14050It Plays In Peoriahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/It_Plays_In_Peoria_14065/Political pundits have a favorite question: “Will it play in Peoria ?”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT14065A Taxing Situationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Taxing_Situation_14096/The Truth - 5/5/05Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT14096Pleading Guiltyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Pleading_Guilty_14170/Whenever I see former President Clinton, I''m reminded that we share a couple of things in common: We''ve both had heart bypass surgery, and we both need to eat healthier food.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT14170Meeting the Challenge to Feed the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Meeting_the_Challenge_to_Feed_the_World_14177/ The U.S. presidential election is less than a month away--which makes this as good a time as any to remember that politics isn’t everything. The U.S. presidential election is less than a month away--which makes this as good a time as any to remember that politics isn’t everything.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 10 Oct 2008 09:31:00 GMT14177The Perfect Vegetable: Beauty Is Only Skin-Deephttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Perfect_Vegetable_Beauty_Is_Only_Skin-Deep_14178/ “Better that a girl has beauty than brains because boys see better than they think,” said an anonymous wit. “Better that a girl has beauty than brains because boys see better than they think,” said an anonymous wit.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 26 Nov 2008 11:36:41 GMT14178TPA Truce Neededhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/TPA_Truce_Needed_14214/Dean KlecknerFri, 04 Jan 2008 10:04:09 GMT14214An Opportunity Too Good to Refusehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/An_Opportunity_Too_Good_to_Refuse_14276/If scientists were to discover a drug that could save children from a deadly affliction AND help cancer patients recover from chemotherapy, they’d win wide acclaim for making a great contribution to mankind’s well-being…Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:18 GMT14276A Confusing Conclusionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Confusing_Conclusion_14280/In Europe, GM food is bad but GM babies are good.Dean KlecknerWed, 13 Aug 2008 18:44:57 GMT14280A Mexican Economic Seesawhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Mexican_Economic_Seesaw_14290/"If soccer was an American soft drink," the late comedian Lewis Grizzard once observed, "it would be Diet Pepsi."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT1429006/03 - Biotech for the Common Goodhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0603_-_Biotech_for_the_Common_Good_14301/Will the last person to agree that biotech food is safe to eat please turn out the lights? That was my first response when I read a summaryThat was my first response when I read a summary]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT1430111/13 - I’ll Have What He’s Havinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1113_-_I146ll_Have_What_He146s_Having_14353/Whenever I hear somebody complain about the latest development in biotechnology, I''m reminded of one of Ogden Nash''s wisecracks:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT1435307/28 - Morocco – Doing the Right Thinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0728_-_Morocco_150_Doing_the_Right_Thing_14395/Some decisions are downright easy. Should the manager of the San Francisco Giants put Barry Bonds in the lineup tonight? Yes! Should Bonds bunt?Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT14395Keeping Food Safehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Keeping_Food_Safe_14396/For celebrities, it is sometime said that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT1439604/14 - Freer Trade is Fair Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0414_-_Freer_Trade_is_Fair_Trade_14416/Freer Trade is Fair Trade By Reg Clause - Jefferson, IA Board Member, Truth About Trade and Technology Ten million people! ThousandsBy Reg Clause - Jefferson, IA
Board Member, Truth About Trade and Technology

Ten million people! Thousands]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT1441607/01 - Democracy and Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0701_-_Democracy_and_Trade_14421/"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time,"Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT14421Moving the ‘Trade Ball’ Forwardhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Moving_the_145Trade_Ball146_Forward_14431/They say that success is a matter of luck--just ask any failure.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT14431The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_14471/"The chaps in Britain who are against fox hunting aren’t for the fox."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:12 GMT14471Fighting Faminehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Fighting_Famine_14526/Famine is a matter of life and death--if we don’t feed hungry people, they will starve.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT14526Speaking Out in Defense of a Conservation Toolhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Speaking_Out_in_Defense_of_a_Conservation_Tool_14578/So why has the Obama administration decided to question atrazine?Dean KlecknerThu, 13 May 2010 20:30:29 GMT1457802/10 - Economic Liberty –Just what the DR orderedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0210_-_Economic_Liberty_150Just_what_the_DR_ordered_14593/Get ready for silly season. As Congress prepares to debate the Central American Free Trade Agreement this spring, you''re going to detect anDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT14593The Power of Choicehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Power_of_Choice_14595/The winds of change may be blowing through Cuba.Dean KlecknerThu, 27 May 2010 18:01:28 GMT1459510/14 - Celebrating Ricehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1014_-_Celebrating_Rice_14650/An amazing fact: Farmers around the world produce nearly 1 trillion pounds of rice each year. Impressed? You should be. A trillion pounds isImpressed? You should be. A trillion pounds is]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT14650Closing Doors with Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Closing_Doors_with_Protectionism_14658/The insults and rhetoric coming out of Havana this month have sounded depressingly familiar:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT14658Biotechnology: An Agriculture Success Storyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Biotechnology_An_Agriculture_Success_Story_14661/ To hear the anti-biotech crowd talk, you would think that farmers are a bunch of gullible fools who don’t know their own business. To hear the anti-biotech crowd talk, you would think that farmers are a bunch of gullible fools who don’t know their own business.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 21 May 2009 15:41:13 GMT14661Hong Kong Makes Short Gainshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hong_Kong_Makes_Short_Gains_14695/"A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done," joked Fred Allen, the late comedian.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT146959/4- Drought-Tolerant Crops: Preparing To Survive A Heat Wavehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/94-_Drought-Tolerant_Crops__Preparing_To_Survive_A_Heat_Wave_14719/ A record-breaking heat wave has killed more than 11,000 people in France, according to an announcement from President Chirac''s governmentA record-breaking heat wave has killed more than 11,000 people in France, according to an announcement from President Chirac''s government]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT14719Trade’s 800-pound Gorillahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade146s_800-pound_Gorilla_14725/Everyone''s in favor of progress--it''s just change they don''t like.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT1472512/02 - A Strong Defensive Line Neededhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1202_-_A_Strong_Defensive_Line_Needed_14760/ Nobody''s happy about scientists finding Asian soybean rust here in the United States--but the discovery frankly couldn''t have come at a betterNobody''s happy about scientists finding Asian soybean rust here in the United States--but the discovery frankly couldn''t have come at a better]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:50 GMT14760Pioneering Spirithttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Pioneering_Spirit_14781/ Poland is the Idaho of Europe--the continent’s top producer of spuds. Poland is the Idaho of Europe--the continent’s top producer of spuds.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 20 Mar 2008 10:37:37 GMT14781Not-So-Great Expectationshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Not-So-Great_Expectations_14790/The expectations surrounding next week''s World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong are like a limbo dance: How low can they go?Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT147901/01- Safety In The Junglehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/101-_Safety_In_The_Jungle_14792/ I''m not surprised that we''ve identified a case of mad-cow disease in the United States. With the number of cattle we have, it was bound toI''m not surprised that we''ve identified a case of mad-cow disease in the United States. With the number of cattle we have, it was bound to]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT14792Captain Kirkhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Captain_Kirk_14794/ The popular TV series Star Trek began each episode with a famous line about the starship Enterprise, spoken by the actor William Shatner: “Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” The popular TV series Star Trek began each episode with a famous line about the starship Enterprise, spoken by the actor William Shatner: “Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 09 Jan 2009 09:14:49 GMT14794A Meeting About Nothinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Meeting_About_Nothing_14796/"Meetings are indispensable when you don''t want to do anything," joked the economist John Kenneth Galbraith some years ago.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT147965/29 - Don''t Go Mad Over BSEhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/529_-_Dont_Go_Mad_Over_BSE_14802/ Don''t panic. Nothing''s more important than keeping a level head following last week''s discovery that a Canadian cow
Don''t panic.

Nothing''s more important than keeping a level head following last week''s discovery that a Canadian cow]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT1480201/27 - Growth Industryhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0127_-_Growth_Industry_14807/ Q: What''s more than five and a half times the size of Iowa? A: The amount of global farmland devoted to biotech crops inQ: What''s more than five and a half times the size of Iowa?

A: The amount of global farmland devoted to biotech crops in]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT1480703/25 - A New Weasel Wordhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0325_-_A_New_Weasel_Word_14833/They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The same might be said of "contamination," the latest buzzword among the enemies ofDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT14833It Should Be About Trade…and Only Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/It_Should_Be_About_Trade…and_Only_Trade_14843/ By now you’ve heard all about the pork-barrel projects that Congress has stuffed into its bloated spending bill. By now you’ve heard all about the pork-barrel projects that Congress has stuffed into its bloated spending bill. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 13 Mar 2009 10:02:07 GMT14843Trading Spaceshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trading_Spaces_14851/Everybody seems to think the Doha round of world trade talks is in serious jeopardy following President Bush''s decision to move Rob Portman from the Office of the Trade Representative to the Office of Management and Budget.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT14851Producing a Solutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Producing_a_Solution_14852/Are you ready to pay three bucks for a gallon of gas? If you live in the San Francisco Bay area and prefer premium, then you''re practicallyIf you live in the San Francisco Bay area and prefer premium, then you''re practically]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT14852Bearing Gifts Across Bordershttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Bearing_Gifts_Across_Borders_14881/Dean KlecknerFri, 14 Dec 2007 10:08:22 GMT14881A Reasonable Squabblehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Reasonable_Squabble_14892/Sometimes it seems that Americans and Europeans do little but argue with each other.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT14892Trade, Not Aidhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Not_Aid_14902/ When the Secretary of Defense lobbies Congress for a bill, you can be sure it has something to do with our national security. When the Secretary of Defense lobbies Congress for a bill, you can be sure it has something to do with our national security.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 14 Mar 2008 08:53:05 GMT149022/06 -- Amazing Soybeans: In Space and at Homehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/206_--_Amazing_Soybeans_In_Space_and_at_Home_14930/ As a nation, we mourn the loss of an outstanding group of astronauts - "seven lives of great purpose" - who died as theyAs a nation, we mourn the loss of an outstanding group of astronauts - "seven lives of great purpose" - who died as they]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT14930Technology Moves Food Safety Forwardhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Technology_Moves_Food_Safety_Forward_14972/Two cows meet at a fence.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT149728/14 - Label Me Responsiblehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/814_-_Label_Me_Responsible_15016/ Have you ever heard of acrylamide? Me neither. But if California has its way, we might become all-too familiar with the word. That''sHave you ever heard of acrylamide? Me neither. But if California has its way, we might become all-too familiar with the word.

That''s]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT15016Standing Uphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Standing_Up_15027/Just when you thought the enemies of biotechnology couldn''t sink any lower, they somehow manage to explore new depths of depravity.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT15027Smelling Fishyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Smelling_Fishy_15084/‘Tis the season of lutefisk--the time of year when untold numbers of Norwegians and their relatives here in the United States , eat a plate of whitefish made with lye.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT15084The Real Costs of ‘Buy American’ http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Real_Costs_of_Buy_American__15150/ You could say it’s been a good week for steel. You could say it’s been a good week for steel. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 06 Feb 2009 10:39:16 GMT151507/23 - Hawaiian Hula- A Biotech Dancehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/723_-_Hawaiian_Hula-_A_Biotech_Dance_15189/ People in the biotech industry sometimes joke that they need to go on a " fact-finding " mission--to Hawaii. After all, one ofPeople in the biotech industry sometimes joke that they need to go on a "fact-finding" mission--to Hawaii.

After all, one of]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT15189An Inconvenient Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/An_Inconvenient_Truth_15190/ I enjoy a good summer movie.  I enjoy a good summer movie. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 11 Jul 2008 07:52:10 GMT15190Food AND Fuelhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Food_AND_Fuel_15227/Dean KlecknerThu, 08 Nov 2007 14:58:15 GMT15227Waist-line Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Waist-line_Protectionism_15238/ Weight loss demands good decisions and sometimes, sacrifices. Weight loss demands good decisions and sometimes, sacrifices. ]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 24 Sep 2009 15:42:07 GMT152383/13 - Biofuels: A Solution That Makes Sensehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/313_-_Biofuels_A_Solution_That_Makes_Sense_15284/ "Among the critical national security challenges now on America''s agenda, few are more important than reducing our dependence on"Among the critical national security challenges now on America''s agenda, few are more important than reducing our dependence on]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT15284Mr. Obama Goes to Ottawahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Mr_Obama_Goes_to_Ottawa_15302/ When President Obama visits Canada next week, the weather is bound to be cold--and his diplomatic reception may be a bit chilly too. When President Obama visits Canada next week, the weather is bound to be cold--and his diplomatic reception may be a bit chilly too.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 13 Feb 2009 09:46:11 GMT153025/08 - NAFTA, Corn Syrup and Politicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/508_-_NAFTA_Corn_Syrup_and_Politics_15307/ American politicians used to be the ones standing in the way of free trade--but then last summer Congress finally gave President BushAmerican politicians used to be the ones standing in the way of free trade--but then last summer Congress finally gave President Bush]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT15307Global Food Productions Olympic Momenthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Global_Food_Productions_Olympic_Moment_15334/ The Summer Olympic Games in Beijing have gripped people all over the globe. The Summer Olympic Games in Beijing have gripped people all over the globe.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 22 Aug 2008 09:16:57 GMT153347-10 - The Politics of Confusionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/7-10_-_The_Politics_of_Confusion_15344/ I''d like to slap a label on what the European Union decided to do last week: "Unfair." Europe now will require any foodI''d like to slap a label on what the European Union decided to do last week: "Unfair."

Europe now will require any food]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT15344Don’t Forget the Goalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Dont_Forget_the_Goal_15374/ So the world trade talks are kaput. So the world trade talks are kaput.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 01 Aug 2008 07:19:32 GMT15374Exposing the Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Exposing_the_Truth_15435/"It''s not what we don''t know that hurts us," said Will Rogers. "It''s what we know that ain''t so."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT15435Think Carefully Before You Vote – No on Hhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Think_Carefully_Before_You_Vote_150_No_on_H_15464/"If God had wanted us to vote," Jay Leno once quipped, "he would have given us candidates." I think of that joke wheneverI think of that joke whenever]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT15464The Beginning of our Futurehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Beginning_of_our_Future_15466/In 1999, as the millennium approached, a joker on the Internet proposed newspaper and magazine headlines announcing the apocalypse.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:12 GMT15466One in Ten Millionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/One_in_Ten_Million_15490/I’m not just one in a million--I’m one in 10 million.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT154901/14 - Excited about Biotechhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/114_-_Excited_about_Biotech_15497/ Don''t you hate that fishy taste you get from corn on the cob? Oh wait, I''m getting ahead of myself. Let meDon''t you hate that fishy taste you get from corn on the cob?

Oh wait, I''m getting ahead of myself. Let me]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT1549701/06 - Dealing With Disasterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0106_-_Dealing_With_Disaster_15508/I had hoped that last week would be all about countdowns--to the end of 2004, to the naming of a new college football champion, to the inevitableDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT15508Compete and Cooperate or Confront ? China and CAFTAhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Compete_and_Cooperate_or_Confront___China_and_CAFTA_15604/The man who was FDR''s secretary of state for most of his presidency, Cordell Hull, once offered some wise words about free trade: If goods can''t cross borders, he said, armies will.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT156042/13 -- The Global Biotech Crop Revolutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/213_--_The_Global_Biotech_Crop_Revolution_15607/ Guest Column by Tim Burrack - Arlington, IA Truth About Trade and Technology Board Member A certain breed of publicistGuest Column by Tim Burrack - Arlington, IA
Truth About Trade and Technology Board Member


A certain breed of publicist]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT156074/03 - To use or not to use…The Biotech opportunity every farmer should havehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/403_-_To_use_or_not_to_use133The_Biotech_opportunity_every_farmer_should_have_15658/ I can''t even begin to imagine how difficult it is to create a biotech crop. It takes a complex feat of genetic engineering, plusI can''t even begin to imagine how difficult it is to create a biotech crop. It takes a complex feat of genetic engineering, plus]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT15658The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_15659/Trucking in ReverseDean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:10 GMT15659The Voters Have Spoken – Yes to Biotechnology!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Voters_Have_Spoken_150_Yes_to_Biotechnology_15664/"Winning is like shaving," Jack Kemp once said. "You do it everyday or you wind up looking like a bum."

]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT15664Let It Be….http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Let_It_Be…_15668/ The Beatles recorded much of the soundtrack of my life, but that doesn’t mean I want Paul McCartney to write the cookbook for my kitchen. The Beatles recorded much of the soundtrack of my life, but that doesn’t mean I want Paul McCartney to write the cookbook for my kitchen.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 23 Dec 2009 14:15:11 GMT15668Needed - A Concrete Accomplishmenthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Needed_-_A_Concrete_Accomplishment_15772/ Theodore Roosevelt believed the construction of the Panama Canal was “by far the most important action I took in foreign affairs during the time I was President.” Theodore Roosevelt believed the construction of the Panama Canal was “by far the most important action I took in foreign affairs during the time I was President.”]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 28 May 2009 11:24:02 GMT15772High Tech Aghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/High_Tech_Ag_15775/Most people don''t consider farming as a high technology business.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT15775Hay Feverhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hay_Fever_15831/ A few symptoms of "hay fever" were recently on display at the U.S. Supreme Court A few symptoms of "hay fever" were recently on display at the U.S. Supreme Court

]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 06 May 2010 17:13:38 GMT15831Focusing on the Potential of Economic Freedomhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Focusing_on_the_Potential_of_Economic_Freedom_15832/In the wake of September 11, Americans desperate to understand the new Age of Terrorism turned a scholarly book by a Princeton professor into aDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT15832Got Bilk?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Got_Bilk_15839/How would you feel about an everyday product’s shooting up in price--but without any improvement in quality?Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT15839Free Trade Fair Votehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Free_Trade_Fair_Vote_15851/ The strangest thing about last week’s presidential debate was that neither candidate talked about the importance of trade. The strangest thing about last week’s presidential debate was that neither candidate talked about the importance of trade.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 03 Oct 2008 07:28:25 GMT158511/22 - Counting Votes – Counting Benefits: NAFTA at 10http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/122_-_Counting_Votes_150_Counting_Benefits__NAFTA_at_10_15867/ Iowa never feels quite so lonely as it does the day after we hold our famous (orIowa never feels quite so lonely as it does the day after we hold our famous (or]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:41 GMT1586711/18 - Biotech is betterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1118_-_Biotech_is_better_15876/Every weekend during the football season, we come across reminders of the stubborn fact that a good defense can keep you in a game for a longDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:50 GMT1587608/04 - A Peek Into The Futurehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0804_-_A_Peek_Into_The_Future_15900/"I never think of the future," said Albert Einstein. "It comes soon enough." Now, I''m not going to argue with one of theNow, I''m not going to argue with one of the]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT1590002/17 - The Cutting Edgehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0217_-_The_Cutting_Edge_15908/I''ve always been told that California is on the cutting edge of everything. Sometimes I''ve even believed it. But now I''m starting to wonder.But now I''m starting to wonder.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT159089/11 - Fighting Terrorism on the Trade Fronthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/911_-_Fighting_Terrorism_on_the_Trade_Front_15919/ We''ve been looking back to 9-11 a lot lately. Two weeks ago, the government released transcripts from the horrible events of that day. ThisWe''ve been looking back to 9-11 a lot lately. Two weeks ago, the government released transcripts from the horrible events of that day. This]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT15919Searching for the Great Pumpkinhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Searching_for_the_Great_Pumpkin_15934/ Hey Charlie Brown fans – are you ready for this? Hey Charlie Brown fans – are you ready for this?]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 31 Oct 2008 10:10:29 GMT1593410/30 - Truth In Headlineshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1030_-_Truth_In_Headlines_15971/ I laughed out loud when I read the headline last week: "USDA reports 115 infractions of biotech rules." I laughed out loud when I read the headline last week: "USDA reports 115 infractions of biotech rules."

]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT15971Declare Trade Peacehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Declare_Trade_Peace_15973/ The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 11 Jun 2009 16:53:36 GMT1597310/28 - India Joins the Biotech Clubhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1028_-_India_Joins_the_Biotech_Club_15975/"India is a geographical term," said Winston Churchill. "It is no more a united nation than the equator." Churchill''sChurchill''s]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT159757/8 - Time for the Next Stephttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/78_-_Time_for_the_Next_Step_15978/"If at first you don''t succeed, try, try again," said the comedian W.C. Fields. "Then quit. No use being a damn fool aboutDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT15978Nourishing Africahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Nourishing_Africa_15983/When it comes to obsessive self-importance, very few can beat a rock star.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT15983The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_15984/Farmers That ShineDean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:11 GMT15984A Nutritional Paradoxhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Nutritional_Paradox_16032/Anyone who has ever tried dieting knows why ''stressed'' is ''desserts'' spelled backward.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT160323/20 -- Let''s Play Ball: Setting the rules for tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/320_--_Lets_Play_Ball_Setting_the_rules_for_trade_16096/...Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT16096Bottom Up Successhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Bottom_Up_Success_16110/ World leaders want to wipe out hunger by 2025. World leaders want to wipe out hunger by 2025.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 07 Oct 2009 12:35:58 GMT1611002/11 - An Optimistic Forecast?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0211_-_An_Optimistic_Forecast_16210/Sometimes I''m not sure whether Europe''s seemingly deliberate ignorance of biotechnology calls for optimism or pessimism. Will the EuropeansDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT1621009/08 - Guilt: Use it And Lose ithttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0908_-_Guilt_Use_it_And_Lose_it_16271/"The two biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books," Andy Rooney once observed. "The cookbooks tellDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT16271Hoarding 101http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hoarding_101_16303/ The news from Zimbabwe is incredible but true: In the last month, annual inflation has risen to more than 1-million percent. The news from Zimbabwe is incredible but true: In the last month, annual inflation has risen to more than 1-million percent. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 06 Jun 2008 09:17:58 GMT16303"All We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself”http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/All_We_Have_To_Fear_Is_Fear_Itself148_16351/Everybody''s afraid of something, but not all fears are created equal.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT16351Rivers of Biofuelhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Rivers_of_Biofuel_16362/Brazilians know a thing or two about rivers.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT16362Trillions Servedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trillions_Served_16398/Last week, Scientific American observed that “Genetically modified (GM) crops have spread faster in the past decade than any agricultural technology since the plow.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT1639812/16 - Preferring Freer Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1216_-_Preferring_Freer_Trade_16405/"Every effect that one produces gives one an enemy," quipped Oscar Wilde. "To be popular one must be a mediocrity." ThisThis]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT1640504/01 - Celebrating Lifehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0401_-_Celebrating_Life_16422/Norman Borlaug deserves about a billion birthday cards every year. That''s because something like a billion people--and maybe more--owe their livesDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT164223/27 - Protecting Intellectual Property - Please pass the salthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/327_-_Protecting_Intellectual_Property_-_Please_pass_the_salt_16452/ Winston Churchill once attended a fancy dinner, where he was told that one of the guests had slipped a silver saltshaker into hisWinston Churchill once attended a fancy dinner, where he was told that one of the guests had slipped a silver saltshaker into his]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:30 GMT16452Chicken or Beef?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Chicken_or_Beef_16474/It’s a game of chicken, over beef:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:18 GMT16474Essential Ingredients to Alleviate Hunger: Trade and Technologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Essential_Ingredients_to_Alleviate_Hunger_Trade_and_Technology_16485/ Oscar Wilde once said that ambition is the last refuge of failure. Oscar Wilde once said that ambition is the last refuge of failure.]]>Dean KlecknerWed, 14 Oct 2009 10:26:10 GMT164854/29 - Truth In Labelinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/429_-_Truth_In_Labeling_16522/The TruthDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT1652210/07 - Worth The Waithttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1007_-_Worth_The_Wait_16568/Last week, negotiators bargaining over the Free Trade Area of the Americas faced an important deadline. But September 30 came and went without anDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT16568Unintended Corn-Sequenceshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Unintended_Corn-Sequences_16611/When people react first and think later, the law of unintended consequences usually rears its ugly head – even between friends.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT16611Intelligent Activismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Intelligent_Activism_16639/ Australia is so far away that I can almost understand what a badly informed character in an Oscar Wilde play says about the land Down Under: Australia is so far away that I can almost understand what a badly informed character in an Oscar Wilde play says about the land Down Under:]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 17 Oct 2008 12:21:44 GMT16639A Legislative Droughthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Legislative_Drought_16649/ Can you imagine California without farms? Can you imagine California without farms?]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 23 Jul 2009 11:20:23 GMT16649A Two-Way Passageway for Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Two-Way_Passageway_for_Trade_16715/The Panama Canal is a crucial corridor for international trade: Four percent of the planet’s exports pass through it, including 11 percent of those involving the United States.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT16715Truth In Labelinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Truth_In_Labeling_16733/ Have you seen any political bumper stickers recently? Have you seen any political bumper stickers recently?]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 02 May 2008 10:35:05 GMT16733A Sustainable Solution http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Sustainable_Solution__16740/ The late newspaper columnist Bill Vaughan was famous for his aphorisms. The late newspaper columnist Bill Vaughan was famous for his aphorisms.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 12 Dec 2008 14:59:08 GMT16740Keep the Trade Light Onhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Keep_the_Trade_Light_On_16818/“Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits,” said Thomas Edison,Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:21 GMT1681803/18 - Facts and Reason in the UK – A Biotech Turning Pointhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0318_-_Facts_and_Reason_in_the_UK_150_A_Biotech_Turning_Point_16824/The best-selling American author Bill Bryson is a devoted Anglophile who has written lovingly about life in Britain: "The fact is that this isDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT16824Tired of Being Left Out In the Coldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Tired_of_Being_Left_Out_In_the_Cold_16845/ The poet T.S. Eliot knew what he was talking about when he called April “the cruelest month.” The poet T.S. Eliot knew what he was talking about when he called April “the cruelest month.”]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 27 Mar 2009 11:21:23 GMT16845International Year of the Potatohttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/International_Year_of_the_Potato_16852/ Surely you’ve heard that 2008 is the year of a presidential election here in the United States, as well as the year of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Surely you’ve heard that 2008 is the year of a presidential election here in the United States, as well as the year of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 28 Mar 2008 07:59:09 GMT1685210/21 - Food Not Politicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1021_-_Food_Not_Politics_16972/Should California embrace the future or turn back the clock? That''s the question thousands of Golden State voters will face on NovemberThat''s the question thousands of Golden State voters will face on November]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT16972Korean Opportunityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Korean_Opportunity_17026/David Letterman once made a great joke about North Korea:Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT17026Doha Death Report: True or Falsehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Doha_Death_Report__True_or_False_17043/A lot of obituaries are written long before the subjects of them are dead: Newspapers want to make sure they have fact-checked articles and thoughtful commentaries ready to run as soon as famous people pass away.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT17043Protectionisms Fatal Flawhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Protectionisms_Fatal_Flaw_17082/“It is not enough to have every intelligent person in the country voting for me,” said Adlai Stevenson many years ago.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:12 GMT170826/05 - The Simple Facts of Biotechhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/605_-_The_Simple_Facts_of_Biotech_17132/ "Mathematics is the only science where one never knows what one is talking about nor whether what is said is true,"

"Mathematics is the only science where one never knows what one is talking about nor whether what is said is true,"]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT171326/12 - A Partnership that works - Biotech, Biofuels and the Consumerhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/612_-_A_Partnership_that_works_-_Biotech_Biofuels_and_the_Consumer_17133/ Too much of our national discussion on energy policy has focused on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This center-stage debateToo much of our national discussion on energy policy has focused on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This center-stage debate]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT17133Laying It All On The Tablehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Laying_It_All_On_The_Table_17140/"When a man tells me he''s going to put all his cards on the table, I always look up his sleeve," said Leslie Hore-Belisha, the BritishDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT17140A Rhetorical Caucus Trade Warhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Rhetorical_Caucus_Trade_War_17154/Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Dec 2007 15:32:02 GMT17154FarmVillehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/FarmVille_17162/ If you don’t play FarmVille, you probably know someone who does. If you don’t play FarmVille, you probably know someone who does. ]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 04 Jan 2010 13:08:37 GMT1716209/30 - Keeping Our Eyes on the Greenhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0930_-_Keeping_Our_Eyes_on_the_Green_17167/"In creating, the only hard thing''s to begin," wrote the 19th-century poet James Russell Lowell. "A grass blade''s no easier toDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT17167CAFTA Support Adds Uphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/CAFTA_Support_Adds_Up_17202/The Truth 5/19/05Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT17202Energy Policy 101http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Energy_Policy_101_17213/ So much for global warming: The winter of 2008-09 is shaping up as the coldest in about a decade. So much for global warming: The winter of 2008-09 is shaping up as the coldest in about a decade.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 30 Jan 2009 17:46:22 GMT17213A Biotech Enhanced Quality of Lifehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Biotech_Enhanced_Quality_of_Life_17218/ You''ll never guess who''s been planting biotech crops. I won''t keep you in suspense, it''s the Amish. There aren''t veryYou''ll never guess who''s been planting biotech crops.

I won''t keep you in suspense, it''s the Amish.

There aren''t very]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT17218It’s Not Easy Being Greenhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Its_Not_Easy_Being_Green_17219/ Kermit the Frog wasn’t talking about farmers when he sang his song on Sesame Street. Kermit the Frog wasn’t talking about farmers when he sang his song on Sesame Street. ]]>Dean KlecknerTue, 29 Apr 2008 14:50:54 GMT17219A Billion Reasonshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Billion_Reasons_17220/When President Bush returned from his trip to India earlier this month, it seemed like he returned home with a billion new friends.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT1722001/20 - Building a Free Trade Legacyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0120_-_Building_a_Free_Trade_Legacy_17227/Right after President George W. Bush is sworn in, he''ll give a speech from the U.S. Capitol that''s full of soaring rhetoric and lofty ideals. AnDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT1722711/4 - Moldova: Going Back In Timehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/114_-_Moldova_Going_Back_In_Time_17276/I''ve just returned from a trip back in time. My form of transportation was not a time machine concocted by a science-fiction writer, but anMy form of transportation was not a time machine concocted by a science-fiction writer, but an]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:49 GMT172769/25 - Biotech Delivers – With Benefits!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/925_-_Biotech_Delivers_150_With_Benefits_17306/ It looks like North Dakota won''t impose a ban on biotech wheat anytime soon--and that''s welcome news. In back-to-back legislativeIt looks like North Dakota won''t impose a ban on biotech wheat anytime soon--and that''s welcome news.

In back-to-back legislative]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT17306Fools Fluhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Fools_Flu_17312/ You can’t catch the flu from eating pork. You can’t catch the flu from eating pork.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 30 Apr 2009 13:10:03 GMT17312Refuse Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Refuse_Protectionism_17352/ Somebody must have neglected to give President Bush the memo suggesting he would be irrelevant post-election. Somebody must have neglected to give President Bush the memo suggesting he would be irrelevant post-election.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 05 Dec 2008 09:21:47 GMT17352Making the Teamhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Making_the_Team_17371/ Farmers have been looking for a friend in Barack Obama’s cabinet, and this week they appear to have found one or two. Farmers have been looking for a friend in Barack Obama’s cabinet, and this week they appear to have found one or two. ]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 18 Dec 2008 11:16:26 GMT17371Cooperating To Feed America and the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Cooperating_To_Feed_America_and_the_World_17424/For generations, farmers and ranchers have benefited from cooperatives - and so have all AmericansDean KlecknerThu, 11 Mar 2010 23:51:56 GMT17424Drive a ‘Steak’ Through the Heart of Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Drive_a_Steak_Through_the_Heart_of_Protectionism_17445/ Americans weren’t the only ones who attended the political conventions over the last two weeks--a handful of South Korean lawmakers also traveled to Denver and the Twin Cities to watch the Democrats and Republicans nominate their presidential candidates. Americans weren’t the only ones who attended the political conventions over the last two weeks--a handful of South Korean lawmakers also traveled to Denver and the Twin Cities to watch the Democrats and Republicans nominate their presidential candidates.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 05 Sep 2008 14:12:36 GMT17445Book of the Year http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Book_of_the_Year__17450/ Mark Twain once defined “a classic” as “a book which people praise but don’t read.” Mark Twain once defined “a classic” as “a book which people praise but don’t read.”]]>Dean KlecknerTue, 23 Dec 2008 14:50:57 GMT17450That''s The Game….http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Thats_The_Game133_17511/You see a lot of lopsided scores in college football, especially early in the season when powerhouse teams play out-of-conference games against smaller schools. especially early in the season when powerhouse teams play out-of-conference games against smaller schools.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT175115/06 - A Cotton Talehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/506_-_A_Cotton_Tale_17560/Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT17560Biotech Goldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Biotech_Gold_17589/If the Winter Olympics were to award medals for anti-biotech hysteria, the Europeans probably would sweep the gold, silver, and bronze.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT17589Reverse Coursehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Reverse_Course_17592/Dean KlecknerThu, 01 Nov 2007 14:59:19 GMT17592Labeling Heroeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Labeling_Heroes_17626/Dean KlecknerThu, 25 Oct 2007 13:30:19 GMT17626Here’s To ‘Healthy Nuts’http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Here146s_To_145Healthy_Nuts146_17683/I''m no health-food nut.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT17683The Politics of Confusionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Politics_of_Confusion_17685/ I''d like to slap a label on what the European Union decided to do last week: "Unfair." Europe now will require any foodI''d like to slap a label on what the European Union decided to do last week: "Unfair."

Europe now will require any food]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:35 GMT1768503/17 - Recognizing Opportunity: Risk vs. Benefithttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0317_-_Recognizing_Opportunity_Risk_vs_Benefit_17723/Around the world, the British are known as a tradition-bound people. "In England," wrote H.G. Wells, "we have come to rely on a"In England," wrote H.G. Wells, "we have come to rely on a]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT17723High Octane Turning Pointhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/High_Octane_Turning_Point_17750/A guy with my last name probably shouldn’t go anywhere near the sport of auto racing.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:21 GMT17750Sharing the Goldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Sharing_the_Gold_17809/ Sometimes the enemies of biotechnology utterly puzzle me. I''m so mystified by their motives that I''m forced to a simple conclusion: TheseSometimes the enemies of biotechnology utterly puzzle me. I''m so mystified by their motives that I''m forced to a simple conclusion: These]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT17809Keep on Truckin’http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Keep_on_Truckin146_17847/Around the time of the Civil War, train travel was incredibly inefficient.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT17847Trade Dominoeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Dominoes_17883/The protectionists / isolationists aren’t the only ones who are nervous about a potential free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT17883The Real Story About Biotech Cropshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Real_Story_About_Biotech_Crops_17936/Leave it to the New York Times to accentuate the negativeDean KlecknerThu, 06 May 2010 17:05:48 GMT17936Qualified Negotiatinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Qualified_Negotiating_17951/ “It’s only when you look at ants through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realize how often they burst into flames,” joked the English comedian Harry Hill. “It’s only when you look at ants through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realize how often they burst into flames,” joked the English comedian Harry Hill.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 09 Nov 2009 11:50:49 GMT179514/7 - Let the Public Debate Beginhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/47_-_Let_the_Public_Debate_Begin_17972/The debate over the Central American Free Trade Agreement is officially underway next week, with the Senate Finance Committee holding hearings onDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:54 GMT179721/30 -- Enough is Enoughhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/130_--_Enough_is_Enough_17989/Weeky commentary from Dean KlecknerDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT17989Supporting a Sustainable Earthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Supporting_a_Sustainable_Earth_17996/ Earth Day is April 22 and the watchword is “sustainability.” Earth Day is April 22 and the watchword is “sustainability.” ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 17 Apr 2009 10:11:05 GMT17996Globalization Case Studyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Globalization_Case_Study_18015/Dean KlecknerTue, 15 Jan 2008 09:05:28 GMT18015Tremendous Milestonehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Tremendous_Milestone_18098/Dean KlecknerWed, 21 Nov 2007 10:06:24 GMT18098WTOhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/WTO_18151/Lately, the Canadian government has gotten itself stirred up over American corn, and it has spent the cold winter months reinforcing trade barriers.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT181515/01 - Searching for the "real" story on biotech wheathttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/501_-_Searching_for_the_real_story_on_biotech_wheat_18171/ It isn''t often that the Washington Post reports on political doings in Manning, North Dakota--a little town of about two-dozen people.It isn''t often that the Washington Post reports on political doings in Manning, North Dakota--a little town of about two-dozen people.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT18171''Tis the Season for Freer Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Tis_the_Season_for_Freer_Trade_18194/Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT18194An Affordable Feasthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/An_Affordable_Feast_18235/Ambrose Bierce was one America''s greatest cynics.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT18235Trade Deficit – Symptom of a healthy economyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Deficit_150_Symptom_of_a_healthy_economy_18245/This year’s trade deficit is forecast to top $700 billion.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT18245Somebody’s Watching Us….http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Somebody146s_Watching_Us133_18247/I was hoping to score a laugh.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:17 GMT18247Trading Strategyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trading_Strategy_18255/When protectionists know that they can’t win an economic argument, they try to change the subject.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:21 GMT18255Peace through Cornhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Peace_through_Corn_18292/ Looking back at Khrushchev's historic visit to an Iowa farm. Looking back at Khrushchev's historic visit to an Iowa farm.

]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Sep 2009 14:59:05 GMT18292Get the Most Bang for the Buckhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Get_the_Most_Bang_for_the_Buck_18345/ “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed,” quipped the English poet Alexander Pope in the 18th century. “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed,” quipped the English poet Alexander Pope in the 18th century.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 06 Mar 2009 10:02:40 GMT183452/20 -- Making Points That Counthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/220_--_Making_Points_That_Count_18393/ In basketball, a field goal is worth two points if a shot swishes through the hoop or bangs between the rim and backboard a few timesIn basketball, a field goal is worth two points if a shot swishes through the hoop or bangs between the rim and backboard a few times]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT18393The Potato: Fascinating Roots……Exciting Futurehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Potato__Fascinating_Roots133133Exciting_Future_18402/It''s a tradition to plant potatoes on Good Friday--a habit most observed by an older generation, perhaps, and most applied to family gardens rather than large commercial operations.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT18402Organic Originalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Organic_Original_18422/Dean KlecknerFri, 01 Feb 2008 11:18:56 GMT18422PB & J Should Not Be a Four-Letter Wordhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/PB__J_Should_Not_Be_a_Four-Letter_Word_18501/Students across America are heading back to school--but in many places they aren’t heading back with a staple food of childhood in their lunch boxes: the peanut-butter sandwich.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT18501Enough is Enoughhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Enough_is_Enough_18530/Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:28 GMT1853011/25 - Thankful For Moral Leadershiphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1125_-_Thankful_For_Moral_Leadership_18554/"The Pope? How many divisions has he got?" sneered Josef Stalin in 1935, upon hearing the suggestion that the Soviet Union go easy onDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:50 GMT1855410/16 - World Food Prizehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1016_-_World_Food_Prize_18575/ "Everybody has won, and all must have prizes!" That''s what the Dodo declares at the end of a race in Lewis Carroll''s"Everybody has won, and all must have prizes!"

That''s what the Dodo declares at the end of a race in Lewis Carroll''s]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT18575The Question No One Is Askinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Question_No_One_Is_Asking_18577/The 2008 presidential campaign is well underway, and so far nobody has asked the candidates in any of their debates what may be the single most important question the next president will face on international trade: “Do you support the renewal of Trade Promotion Authority?”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:22 GMT18577Exports Fuel the Economyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Exports_Fuel_the_Economy_18592/ Worried about a recession? Worried about a recession?]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 26 Sep 2008 14:36:59 GMT18592A Seat at the Tablehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Seat_at_the_Table_18634/ “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” says one of the minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” says one of the minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Dec 2009 11:39:51 GMT18634Healthy Oilhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Healthy_Oil_18722/“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital and dying of nothing,” joked the comedian Red Foxx.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:15 GMT18722A Worthy Role Modelhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Worthy_Role_Model_18751/The story of Rosalie Ellasus might have ended in undistinguished failure.Dean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:11 GMT18751Reaping the Benefits of Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Reaping_the_Benefits_of_Trade_18759/"What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it ..."Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT18759Addicted To Innovationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Addicted_To_Innovation_18810/"The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot," Sid Caesar once joked.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:59 GMT18810Future Stockhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Future_Stock_18824/Dean KlecknerFri, 30 Nov 2007 15:31:37 GMT1882406/09 - President Reagan: We Rememberhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0609_-_President_Reagan__We_Remember_18836/The biggest building in the entire federal government is the Pentagon. The second biggest sits across the Potomac River, in downtown Washington,Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT1883611/27 - My Biotech Thanksgivinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1127_-_My_Biotech_Thanksgiving_18844/ The Kleckners are having a biotech Thanksgiving this year--but that shouldn''t surprise you.The Kleckners are having a biotech Thanksgiving this year--but that shouldn''t surprise you.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:40 GMT18844Ba-ba-ba Ba-ba-Bahrainhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Ba-ba-ba_Ba-ba-Bahrain_18847/The enemies of free trade weren''t pleased when Congress approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement in July.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT18847Concentrate on Abundancehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Concentrate_on_Abundance_18860/ Perhaps you’re wondering what American biofuels have to do with the price of tea in China. Perhaps you’re wondering what American biofuels have to do with the price of tea in China.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 09 May 2008 09:00:05 GMT1886010/02 - Growing A Miraclehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1002_-_Growing_A_Miracle_18861/ "Our nation depends on our hard-working farm and ranch families for food, fiber, and the good stewardship of our environment,""Our nation depends on our hard-working farm and ranch families for food, fiber, and the good stewardship of our environment,"]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT18861Trading Laborhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trading_Labor_18890/Should United Nations bureaucrats in Switzerland tell you how to run your farm?Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:21 GMT18890Containing Costhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Containing_Cost_18904/ Barges get a bum rap. They aren’t flashy like NASCAR vehicles. Barges get a bum rap. They aren’t flashy like NASCAR vehicles.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Jul 2008 07:55:38 GMT1890408/04 – WTO Agreement Could be Framework for Disasterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0804_150_WTO_Agreement_Could_be_Framework_for_Disaster_18905/An agreement is generally an arrangement between two parties in which both sides acquire something. However, that isn''t the case with the WorldDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:48 GMT18905A Smallholder Farmer's Quest: Produce More Food For More Peoplehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Smallholder_Farmers_Quest__Produce_More_Food_For_More_People_18924/ 14 million farmers planted biotech crops in 2009 - someday I'd like to be one of them 14 million farmers planted biotech crops in 2009 - someday I'd like to be one of them

]]>Dean KlecknerSun, 07 Mar 2010 23:18:12 GMT18924Norman Borlaug, RIPhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Norman_Borlaug_RIP_18939/ Norman Borlaug once told me that he would trade away all of his life’s accomplishments just for the chance to play second base for the Chicago Cubs. Norman Borlaug once told me that he would trade away all of his life’s accomplishments just for the chance to play second base for the Chicago Cubs.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 21 Sep 2009 11:10:06 GMT18939A Declaration for Trade Interdependencehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/A_Declaration_for_Trade_Interdependence_18953/ As members of Congress prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, they ought to perform an act of patriotism and embrace free trade--just as the Founding Fathers did in 1776. As members of Congress prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, they ought to perform an act of patriotism and embrace free trade--just as the Founding Fathers did in 1776.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 02 Jul 2009 11:28:20 GMT189534/10 - WTO in Cancun - It''s Going to be All Workhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/410_-_WTO_in_Cancun_-_Its_Going_to_be_All_Work_18955/ Perhaps the world''s ag trade negotiators thought they''d get to lounge on the beach and sip margaritas when they arranged for theirPerhaps the world''s ag trade negotiators thought they''d get to lounge on the beach and sip margaritas when they arranged for their]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:33 GMT18955African Debt – Getting to the Heart of the Matterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/African_Debt_150_Getting_to_the_Heart_of_the_Matter_18972/“If you owe the bank $100, that’s your problem,” said the late industrialist J. Paul Getty. “If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem.”Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT189724/8 - Death By Regulationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/48_-_Death_By_Regulation_18975/"I started out with nothing," a wag once said, "and I''ve still got most of it left." That grim joke crossed my mind lastThat grim joke crossed my mind last]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT18975[Fill In The Blank] Alarmist Group At It Againhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/[Fill_In_The_Blank]_Alarmist_Group_At_It_Again_18990/Sometimes there’s no point in mocking the opponents of biotechnology, because they do such a fine job of looking like fools on their own.</Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT18990Headline Reality Checkhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Headline_Reality_Check_18996/ If headline writers could win Pulitzer Prizes for envy, there would be stiff competition for this year’s award, based upon what a few newspapers have said recently about those of us who work the land: “Rise in food prices means bounty for farmers” ( International Herald Tribune ), [...]If headline writers could win Pulitzer Prizes for envy, there would be stiff competition for this year’s award, based upon what a few newspapers have said recently about those of us who work the land: “Rise in food prices means bounty for farmers” (International Herald Tribune), “Farming flush with profits” (Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif.), “As food prices spiral higher, U.S. farmers and others reap profits” (the Canadian Press).]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 13 Jun 2008 15:20:59 GMT18996Sweet Motivationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Sweet_Motivation_18999/ On his fourth voyage across the ocean, Columbus captured a large trading canoe off the coast of what is now Honduras. On his fourth voyage across the ocean, Columbus captured a large trading canoe off the coast of what is now Honduras.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Aug 2008 08:30:02 GMT18999Pivot Timehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Pivot_Time_19028/ I’m ready for a change I can believe in--specifically, for Barack Obama to back away from the protectionist rhetoric that has marred his presidential campaign I’m ready for a change I can believe in--specifically, for Barack Obama to back away from the protectionist rhetoric that has marred his presidential campaign]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 20 Jun 2008 07:28:48 GMT19028No Free Lunch – No Free Voteshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/No_Free_Lunch_150_No_Free_Votes_19099/They say there''s no such thing as a free lunch.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:10 GMT1909912/09 - Actions Speak Louder Than Wordshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1209_-_Actions_Speak_Louder_Than_Words_19132/ Some people are best known for the promises they don''t keep. Several months ago, the European Union said it would start considering Some people are best known for the promises they don''t keep.

Several months ago, the European Union said it would start considering]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:52 GMT19132Fueling the Futurehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Fueling_the_Future_19162/The TruthDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:55 GMT19162Searching For A Newsworthy Dealhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Searching_For_A_Newsworthy_Deal_19186/ Police in Switzerland had to break up a violent rally last weekend when anti-globalization protestors burned cars and smashed windows to express their objections to the World Trade Organization’s ministerial meeting. Police in Switzerland had to break up a violent rally last weekend when anti-globalization protestors burned cars and smashed windows to express their objections to the World Trade Organization’s ministerial meeting.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Dec 2009 13:51:56 GMT19186Playing by the trade ruleshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Playing_by_the_trade_rules_19218/ US needs to live up to same standards it asks of others US needs to live up to same standards it asks of others

]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 19 Mar 2010 00:41:37 GMT1921802/26 - Don’t Unravel Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0226_-_Don146t_Unravel_Trade_19223/Sometimes all it takes to unravel a whole tapestry is to yank on a single thread. Right now, the fate of free trade between the United States andDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:45 GMT19223Challenging the Green – Gene Revolutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Challenging_the_Green_150_Gene_Revolution_19227/The day after President Bush presented Norman Borlaug with the Congressional Gold Medal, the recipient of our country’s highest civilian honor described the great challenges that await agriculture in the 21st century: “persistent poverty and environmental degradation in developing countrie [...]Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT19227How Does Your Garden Grow?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/How_Does_Your_Garden_Grow_19240/ Michelle Obama’s decision to plant a vegetable garden at the White House is one stimulus project that every American should support. Michelle Obama’s decision to plant a vegetable garden at the White House is one stimulus project that every American should support.]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 13 Apr 2009 10:14:06 GMT19240Going Bananashttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Going_Bananas_19276/The United States may be the world''s biggest banana republic.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT19276I’m Dreaming of a GM Christmashttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/I146m_Dreaming_of_a_GM_Christmas_19292/Wouldn’t it be great to have Christmas trees that didn’t shed their needles?Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:16 GMT19292NAFTA Successfully Comes of Agehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/NAFTA_Successfully_Comes_of_Age_19299/Dean KlecknerFri, 21 Dec 2007 10:24:53 GMT19299Self-Inflicted Protectionismhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Self-Inflicted_Protectionism_19376/ Senators John McCain and Barack Obama promise change. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama promise change. ]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 19 Sep 2008 15:04:29 GMT193765/20 - Reality Check from Wheat Countryhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/520_-_Reality_Check_from_Wheat_Country_19384/ Anti-biotech activists declared victory last week when Monsanto announced that it was shelving plans to press ahead with a form of wheat thatAnti-biotech activists declared victory last week when Monsanto announced that it was shelving plans to press ahead with a form of wheat that]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:46 GMT193843/06 - Biting the "Billion-Dollar Bug" Backhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/306_-_Biting_the_Billion-Dollar_Bug_Back_19401/ The timing was impeccable - The very week we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA, we also learned of a majorThe timing was impeccable - The very week we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA, we also learned of a major]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:29 GMT19401Counting Up! A Billion Acres…and Growinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Counting_Up__A_Billion_Acres133and_Growing_19412/Thomas Jefferson once offered a good piece of advice: When angry, count to ten before you speak--and when very angry, count to a hundred.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:00 GMT1941207/15 - Another “Drought” that Drainshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0715_-_Another_147Drought148_that_Drains_19441/The news from across the Atlantic this spring made it look like the European Union finally was getting around to a grudging acceptance of biotechDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:47 GMT19441The Farmers Choicehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Farmers_Choice_19447/   I noticed a news headline the other day, “Biotech reports spark debate over potential benefits.” I discovered two things upon reading the article.  
I noticed a news headline the other day, “Biotech reports spark debate over potential benefits.” I discovered two things upon reading the article.
]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 25 Feb 2008 11:43:35 GMT19447Trade Expectationshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Trade_Expectations_19496/It surprises many people to learn that the United States exports more merchandise than China .Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:18 GMT19496Elected For the Common Goodhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Elected_For_the_Common_Good_19519/ In his victory speech on Election Night, Barack Obama said that America has “sent a message to the world.” In his victory speech on Election Night, Barack Obama said that America has “sent a message to the world.”]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 07 Nov 2008 10:41:07 GMT19519The Business of Farminghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Business_of_Farming_19539/ Farming is a business. It's my business. Farming is a business. It's my business.]]>Dean KlecknerThu, 19 Nov 2009 13:18:08 GMT19539Protecting the Common Man’s Foodhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Protecting_the_Common_Man146s_Food_19604/It''s purple, shaped like a billy club, and full of seeds.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:11 GMT19604Best of Intentionshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Best_of_Intentions_19653/ When President Obama took the oath of office two months ago, he became the 44th president of the United States and the 11th president who has had to confront Fidel Castro since he assumed power in Cuba in 1959. When President Obama took the oath of office two months ago, he became the 44th president of the United States and the 11th president who has had to confront Fidel Castro since he assumed power in Cuba in 1959.]]>Dean KlecknerFri, 20 Mar 2009 10:04:20 GMT19653TV Fit For Public Consumptionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/TV_Fit_For_Public_Consumption_19657/Television is to news what bumper stickers are to philosophy," joked Richard Nixon.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT19657My favorite Things Or What''s in the biotech pipeline?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/My_favorite_Things_Or_Whats_in_the_biotech_pipeline_19668/If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible he is almost certainly right," said author Arthur C. Clarke in 1969. "But if he says that it is impossible it is almost certainly wrongDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:56 GMT1966810/23 - Biofortification – Feeding More Betterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/1023_-_Biofortification_150_Feeding_More_Better_19684/There''s a new word you need to know: Biofortification. It''s not in the dictionary, so don''t think it''s going to win your next game ofBiofortification.

It''s not in the dictionary, so don''t think it''s going to win your next game of]]>Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:39 GMT19684The Numbers Don''t Liehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Numbers_Dont_Lie_19696/Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Jan 2008 13:57:55 GMT19696Data Tells the Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Data_Tells_the_Truth_19699/“Money isn’t everything,” billionaire industrialist J. Paul Getty once quipped.</Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT1969902/02 - Our Treeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/0202_-_Our_Trees_19724/"I think that I shall never see/ A poem as lovely as a tree," wrote Joyce Kilmer a century ago, in lines that have become some of theDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:53 GMT19724Send in the Cloneshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Send_in_the_Clones_19765/We''re always told that diversity makes us stronger.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:57 GMT19765The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_19938/Peace Through TradeDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT19938Stewardship and Compliance: Doing what’s right for the right reasonhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Stewardship_and_Compliance__Doing_what146s_right_for_the_right_reason_20022/Few people appreciate the importance of genetic change as well as farmers. After all, we''ve been cross-breeding to build better plants forDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:34 GMT20022The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_20141/Democratic OasisDean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:10:23 GMT20141Judging the Facts About Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Judging_the_Facts_About_Biotechnology_20377/Supreme Court rules on biotech alfalfa in a 7-1 landslideDean KlecknerFri, 25 Jun 2010 04:22:02 GMT20377Hong Kong Makes Short Gainshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Hong_Kong_Makes_Short_Gains_20846/"A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done," joked Fred Allen, the late comedian.Dean KlecknerMon, 24 Sep 2007 17:09:58 GMT20846The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_21025/Trucking in ReverseDean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:10 GMT21025Seoul Food: Approve the Trade Agreement with Korea Nowhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Seoul_Food_Approve_the_Trade_Agreement_with_Korea_Now_21105/Time for U.S. to stand up for its longtime allyDean KlecknerFri, 02 Jul 2010 10:56:13 GMT21105The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_21228/Sustainable TechnologyDean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:10 GMT21228The Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/The_Truth_21262/Trading AggravationDean KlecknerFri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:10 GMT21262Honoring Those Who Mobilize to Feed the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Honoring_Those_Who_Mobilize_to_Feed_the_World_21322/2010 World Food Prize Laureates are grassroots warriorsDean KlecknerFri, 18 Jun 2010 01:01:27 GMT21322South African Agriculture on the World's Stagehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/South_African_Agriculture_on_the_Worlds_Stage_21351/World Cup draws attention to a nation that's also a leader in agricultural biotechnologyDean KlecknerFri, 09 Jul 2010 13:02:01 GMT21351Wanted: A Few Good Bookshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Wanted_A_Few_Good_Books_21556/Schools pushing books that are one-sided attacks on the modern food industryDean KlecknerThu, 15 Jul 2010 17:46:44 GMT21556Regulation That Kills Jobshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/Regulation_That_Kills_Jobs_21630/EPA assault putting ag jobs at stakeDean KlecknerSat, 24 Jul 2010 14:28:32 GMT21630We Need a Grand-Slam Trade Agendahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/We_Need_a_Grand-Slam_Trade_Agenda_21648/Little proof of progress from D.C. on trade issuesDean KlecknerFri, 30 Jul 2010 11:54:00 GMT21648GM Crops: Engine of Economic Mobilityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/gm_crops_engine_of_economic_mobility/The Philippines where Rosalie Ellasus lives and farms is embracing the benefits of biotechnologyDean KlecknerTue, 10 Aug 2010 10:29:00 GMT21697Wheat Fearshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/wheat_fears/The world needs more wheat. But Terry Wanzek says he's growing a lot less of it—and that probably won’t change until wheat hops on board the biotech bandwagon.​Dean KlecknerThu, 12 Aug 2010 16:18:00 GMT21716Currency of Currencieshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/currenc/Lenin’s phrase that wheat was the "currency of currencies" reminds us that Moscow’s rulers never have shied away from interfering with the production and distribution of food.Dean KlecknerWed, 18 Aug 2010 17:35:00 GMT21752Multilingual Measurement Milestonehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/multilingual_measurement_milestone/Agricultural biotechnology has just passed an important milestone: Farmers around the world have now planted more than a billion hectares of genetically modified crops.Dean KlecknerThu, 26 Aug 2010 16:44:00 GMT21808Let's Get The Deal Donehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/lets_get_the_deal_done/The looming possibility of Korean reunification makes passing the FTA more pressing than ever. Prepare now, or be forced to play catch up later...Dean KlecknerWed, 01 Sep 2010 19:47:00 GMT21860Growing the economyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/growing_the_economy/The latest export numbers suggest that farmers have the potential to lead the United States out of its economic doldrums Dean KlecknerWed, 08 Sep 2010 23:17:00 GMT21897Safe Salmonhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/safe_salmon/The FDA's potential approval of GM salmon represents an incredible breakthrough for consumers.Dean KlecknerWed, 15 Sep 2010 15:38:00 GMT21945A Sugar By Any Other Name...http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_sugar_by_any_other_name/Corn sugar is a much better and accurate moniker than high fructose corn syrupDean KlecknerWed, 22 Sep 2010 16:18:00 GMT21992Litigating in Favor of Weedshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/litigating_in_favor_of_weeds/Weeds drove me out of the sugar beet business. Now lawsuits threaten to do the same to others.Dean KlecknerWed, 29 Sep 2010 23:19:00 GMT22059Strangulation By Regulationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/stra/When the Environmental Protection Agency thinks about farmers, it must have in mind the lyrics from that song by Kansas: “All we are is dust in the wind.”​Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Oct 2010 12:15:00 GMT22122Freedom to Choose - A Farmer's Basic Righthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/freedom_to_choose_-_a_farmers_basic_right/Gabriela Cruz from Portugal is the 2010 recipient of the Kleckner Trade & Technology Advancement AwardDean KlecknerSat, 16 Oct 2010 18:37:00 GMT22194Who's Leading Now?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/whos_leading_now/Excuse me, but aren’t political leaders supposed to lead? Dean KlecknerWed, 20 Oct 2010 18:19:00 GMT22222Standing Up Against Gene-ocidehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/standing_up_against_gene-ocide/I tried to keep my cool. But when the enemies of biotechnology attacked me at a forum a few years ago, I couldn’t help myself. Dean KlecknerWed, 27 Oct 2010 21:58:00 GMT22277Let's Get It Done!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/lets_get_it_done/The next Congress, when it meets in January, almost certainly will be more supportive of economic engagement with the world than the outgoing Congress has been.Dean KlecknerThu, 04 Nov 2010 14:20:00 GMT22328Soda Pop Tax: "The Sell By Date" has Passedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/soda_pop_tax_the_sell_by_date_has_passed/The soft-drink tax is a bad idea whose time has come--and gone.Dean KlecknerThu, 11 Nov 2010 11:40:00 GMT22376Epic Fail: Obama's Korean Disasterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/epic_fail_obamas_korean_disaster/On free trade, the president has over-promised and under-delivered.Dean KlecknerThu, 18 Nov 2010 18:02:00 GMT22439Changes in Wheat Breeding in the U.S.http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/changes_in_wheat_breeding_in_the_us/New relationships on wheat breeding have the potential to provide a win-win-win situation for the technology owners, wheat growers, and consumers.Dean KlecknerFri, 26 Nov 2010 12:12:00 GMT22485Suing the hand that feeds youhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/suing_the_hand_that_feeds_you/The phosphate industry is crucial to food production and has been under attack in Florida with lawsuits driven by ideological environmentalists.Dean KlecknerThu, 09 Dec 2010 14:08:00 GMT22566Let's Kill Three 'Trade-Birds' With One Stonehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/lets_kill_three_trade-birds_with_one_stone/John Boehner, the incoming Speaker of the House, has such a good idea: Congress and the Obama administration should combine our country’s three pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and consider them at once.Dean KlecknerThu, 16 Dec 2010 13:01:00 GMT22614O Tanenbaum: Ready for an Evergreen Revolutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/o_tanenbaum_ready_for_an_evergreen_revolution/When President Obama called for an “Evergreen Revolution” last month, he was thinking about agriculture rather than ChristmasDean KlecknerWed, 22 Dec 2010 16:27:00 GMT22661Best of TATT 2010http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/best_of_tatt_2010/Before the year 2010 slips into the history books, here’s a quick review of what the farmers who lend their voices to Truth about Trade & Technology said about some of the most pressing issues of the day.Dean KlecknerWed, 29 Dec 2010 15:13:00 GMT22705Litigation is the Root of the Problemhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/litigation_is_the_root_of_the_problem/Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced that his department may impose severe restrictions on GM alfalfa farmers. If enacted, these regulations would lead to what the New York Times calls “a stark reversal” of previous policies.Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Jan 2011 11:29:00 GMT22764India is Ready for a Gene Revolutionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/india_is_ready_for_a_gene_revolution/It's time for India to let the Green Revolution grow into the Gene RevolutionDean KlecknerSat, 15 Jan 2011 13:51:00 GMT22852Strengthening the State of the Unionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/strengthening_the_state_of_the_union/This year’s speech probably won’t contain a similar free-trade surprise. But it will give the president an opportunity to deliver a progress report --as well as a chance to outline the steps he’s taking to meet the goals he set for himself and his administration.Dean KlecknerFri, 21 Jan 2011 11:42:00 GMT22888An Unnecessary Technology Crossroadshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/an_unnecessary_technology_crossroads/There’s a separate market for expensive organic products--and now the special interests behind it are insisting that they can’t coexist with biotechnology. They’re lobbying the Department of Agriculture to impose special restrictions on GM alfalfa. Dean KlecknerWed, 26 Jan 2011 15:53:00 GMT22930Regulating Interferencehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/regulating_interference/Secretary Vilsack let politics hijack the regulatory process. He very nearly capitulated to a small group of outspoken activists regarding GM alfalfaDean KlecknerWed, 02 Feb 2011 17:36:00 GMT22986Feeding Unresthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/feeding_unrest/When he visited Egypt last year, Tim Burrack was impressed by the country's ancient heritage. But the proud nation has been brought to its knees in part by something quite basic: food.Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Feb 2011 10:54:00 GMT23046Philippines Eggplant Project Delayedhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/philippines_eggplant_project_delayed/The enemies of biotechnology will stop at nothing to prevent farmers in the developing world from growing GM crops. Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Feb 2011 11:10:00 GMT23111Time to Trade With Egypthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/time_to_trade_with_egypt/We have the opportunity to use trade policy to advance both the economic and national security interests of the United States in the Middle East.Dean KlecknerThu, 24 Feb 2011 13:00:00 GMT23161Trade Paralysishttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/trade_paralysis/This was supposed to be a great year for free trade. Yet America is more protectionist today than it was just a few weeks ago. What went wrong? Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT23214A Lenten Appeal for Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_lenten_appeal_for_biotechnology/According to a Kenyan farmer - biotechnology is a tool of empowerment for farmers everywhere--and especially in the developing world.Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Mar 2011 13:30:00 GMT23257Past Time For A Trade No-Brainerhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/past_time_for_a_trade_no-brainer/If the president had worked harder to finish the deals with Colombia and Panama, his trip to Latin America could have been a victory lap.Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT23319A Farmer's Hope for Japanhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_farmers_hope_for_japan/A half century ago the area of Japan now decimated by earthquake and tsunami was then devastated by a super typhoon - but from that came what's now known as the Yamanashi Hog Lift.Dean KlecknerThu, 24 Mar 2011 12:14:00 GMT23372Labeling A Rally For What It Ishttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/labeling_a_rally_for_what_it_is/Outside the White House last weekend, anti-biotech activists sponsored an event called “Rally for the Right to Know.” Their goal was to promote a personal ideology: They want the federal government to slap warning labels on non-organic food products.Dean KlecknerThu, 31 Mar 2011 11:33:00 GMT23412Exports Matterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/exports_matter/Here’s the really good news: Exports can do even better, especially if Washington gives itself the proper tools.Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Apr 2011 11:05:00 GMT23453Sen. Baucus vs. Free Tradehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/sen_baucus_vs_free_trade/Sen. Baucus is one of the major reasons why Congress has not yet approved the U.S.-Korea Free Trade AgreementDean KlecknerThu, 14 Apr 2011 11:34:00 GMT23498Malnutrition: A Slow-Motion Natural Disasterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/malnutrition_a_slow-motion_natural_disaster/Spammy is a fortified turkey spread whose specific purpose is to fight malnutrition. Dean KlecknerThu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:00 GMT23539A Kenyan's Determination to Fight Malnutritionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_kenyans_determination_to_fight_malnutrition/Sometimes people get plenty of calories and not enough nutrients. This is a less obvious form of food insecurity. Some call it “hidden hunger” and it poses incredible challenges.Dean KlecknerThu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT23606Plan B: A Global Trade Bunthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/plan_b_a_global_trade_bunt/The trade diplomats behind the Doha round of world trade talks have bargained for nearly a decade--and now, at long last, they find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to take what they can get.Dean KlecknerThu, 05 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT23647Royal Skepticism Requiredhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/royal_skepticism_required/Prince Charles who spoke about farming at Georgetown University recently loves organic food, which is fine. But he’s wrong to think it can save the world because it’s so inefficient. Dean KlecknerThu, 12 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT23694Innovative Greening of Americahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/innovative_greening_of_america/Can biotechnology save the American chestnut tree? The early evidence is encouraging--but success will require scientific ingenuity as well as the public’s full acceptance of genetic modification.Dean KlecknerThu, 19 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT23747Big Sky Hopeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/big_sky_hopes/A place called Big Sky can find room for anything but small ambitions. Yet the Asia-Pacific trade ministers who gathered at this resort community in Montana last week sounded distressingly pessimistic.Dean KlecknerThu, 26 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT23812Conventional Trade Wisdomhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/conventional_trade_wisdom/A new study from the USDA asks an important question in its title: “Are Competitors’ Free Trade Agreements Putting U.S. Agricultural Exporters at a Disadvantage?”​Dean KlecknerThu, 02 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT23864Oxfam's Approach To Food Security Is Brokenhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/oxfams_approach_to_food_security_is_broken/Farmers around the world are feeding more people than ever before in human history. So what does Oxfam, the celebrated advocacy group, have to say about this remarkable achievement?Dean KlecknerThu, 09 Jun 2011 11:30:00 GMT23913Put Free Trade on the Political Stagehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/put_free_trade_on_the_political_stage/The political primary season offers all candidates the opportunity to state their case for trade and the American economy. What we need is an authoritative voice to get the conversation started.Dean KlecknerThu, 16 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT23963Truth About Trade & Technology's Greatest Hitshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/truth_about_trade__technologys_greatest_hits/“The Food Security Reader: The Best of Truth about Trade & Technology” - the greatest hits from TATT over the last decade.Dean KlecknerThu, 23 Jun 2011 11:30:00 GMT24009Farmers Want to Feed the World - Let Them Do It!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/farmers_want_to_feed_the_world_-_let_them_do_it/Going forward, as the G20 agriculture ministers strive to improve food security, they should work to unleash the power of trade and technology.Dean KlecknerThu, 30 Jun 2011 11:45:00 GMT24057Food Security Depends on the Truth of Sciencehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/food_security_depends_on_the_truth_of_science/The source of the E.coli fatalities may be an organic farm in Germany or possibly seeds grown in Egypt. What we know for certain right now is that the solution to the problem of food-borne illness is technology—and that’s true whether we’re talking about advanced nations in Europe or developing coun [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Jul 2011 11:46:00 GMT24100An Olympic-Sized Economic Freeze Outhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/an_olympic-sized_economic_freeze_out/How strange that just as South Korea scores the Winter Olympics, we’re choosing to freeze ourselves out of a great economic opportunity. There’s a simple way to fix the problem: Congress must approve the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Dean KlecknerThu, 14 Jul 2011 11:09:00 GMT24165Stop the Madness: A Public Thank You For Correcting a Broken Trucking Promisehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/stop_the_madness__a_public_thank_you_for_correcting_a_broken_trucking_promise/On July 6, the United States signed an agreement with Mexico that ends a vexing dispute over trade and trucks. It wipes out Mexican tariffs that have hurt potato farmers like me as well as many other Americans during the toughest economic times many of us have ever experienced. Dean KlecknerWed, 20 Jul 2011 11:15:00 GMT24213Greenpeace Declares War on Food Securityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/greenpeace_declares_war_on_food_security/In July, Greenpeace and its allies launched a new round of aggression against biotech food, attacking sites in Australia and Germany. Earlier this year, they targeted the Philippines.Dean KlecknerThu, 28 Jul 2011 11:30:00 GMT24260Border unemploymenthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/border_unemployment/Washington DC’s insistence on treating people who lose their jobs because of foreign competition as different from other reasons imperils three trade agreements that will help the entire U.S. economy.Dean KlecknerWed, 03 Aug 2011 16:03:00 GMT24311A Call For Common Sense Biotech Crop Regulationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_call_for_common_sense_biotech_crop_regulation/Federal regulators are supposed to take about six months to approve new biotech crop traits. In reality, the process now takes an average of almost three years.Dean KlecknerThu, 11 Aug 2011 12:18:00 GMT24357Trade, Not Just Words, Builds Jobshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/trade,_not_just_words,_builds_jobs/One of the best ways to build jobs is to boost trade. And, on this topic, all of the presidential candidates must say more!Dean KlecknerWed, 17 Aug 2011 20:43:00 GMT24420Breaking the Cycle of Food Shortages in Africa with Fertilizer and Technologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/breaking_the_cycle_of_food_shortages_in_africa_with_fertilizer_and_technology/As much as East Africa needs help right now, the long-term solution isn’t more of the same. Food aid is at once an urgent need and evidence of a deeper problem. Dean KlecknerThu, 25 Aug 2011 10:32:00 GMT24468Fedoroff: An Outstanding Case for Regulatory Common Sensehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/fedoroff__an_outstanding_case_for_regulatory_common_sense/Have you ever read a newspaper column that says something so well you had to clip it out and save it? That’s how I felt when I read Nina V. Fedoroff’s recent op-ed in the New York Times. It was headlined “Engineering Food for All,” and it expressed my own views far better than I ever could hope t [...]Dean KlecknerWed, 31 Aug 2011 18:19:00 GMT24507When Food Is Short, Danger Lies Aheadhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/when_food_is_short,_danger_lies_ahead/A new study suggests that unrest in the Arab world has its origin not in a desire for freedom, as many casual commentators have claimed, but in the desperation that follows food insecurity. Dean KlecknerThu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:00 GMT24549Send The Free Trade Agreements to Congress….Right Away!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/send_the_free_trade_agreements_to_congress…right_away/Here’s something President Obama can do “right away” to create jobs: submit to Congress three free-trade agreements that have languished for years.Dean KlecknerThu, 15 Sep 2011 12:30:00 GMT24591Fish Tales in Washingtonhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/fish_tales_in_washington/Some members of Congress are trying to stop a technology company that has figured out a way to make salmon less expensive for ordinary consumers. If they succeed, they’ll destroy jobs, raise prices in grocery stores, and place new pressures on wild fish populations.Dean KlecknerThu, 22 Sep 2011 12:30:00 GMT24649U.S. Trade Show: Deal or No Dealhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/us_trade_show__deal_or_no_deal/Last week, the U.S. Senate voted down a bill that, among other things, would have given President Obama Trade Promotion Authority – effectively strengthening his ability to conduct trade diplomacy with other countries.Dean KlecknerThu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT24697Controlling Food Borne Diseasehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/controlling_food_borne_disease/Amid the tragedy of the Listeria outbreak, in quick fashion our food regulators discovered a problem, identified its source, and took steps to contain the damage. They spotted a bad situation and kept it from growing significantly worse. And it’s possible that in the future, we could do even better [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT24762A Kenyan Smallholder Speaks Up For Farmers Around the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/a_kenyan_smallholder_speaks_up_for_farmers_around_the_world/As the World Food Prize Celebration and Norman Borlaug Symposium unfold in Des Moines, Iowa, a farmer from sub-Saharan Africa was able to interact with a top American official.Dean KlecknerThu, 13 Oct 2011 11:16:00 GMT24850At Lasthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/at_last/After five years of exhausting struggle, Congress finally has approved a trio of free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. So what’s next for U.S. trade policy? Dean KlecknerThu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT24906“A Separate Peace” With Cubahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/“a_separate_peace”_with_cuba/In his earliest book of short stories, Ernest Hemingway has one soldier say to another; “You and me, we’ve made a separate peace.” It’s a famous phrase that comes to mind with the news about a twist in the bitter relationship between Cuba and the United States.Dean KlecknerThu, 27 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT24964Three Billion Acres of GM Crops and Counting!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/three_billion_acres_of_gm_crops_and_counting/As winter approaches in the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, here in the southern hemisphere it’s springtime. That means we’ve started planting. And sometime on Friday, November 4, a farmer will put a seed in the ground and make agricultural history: He (or she) will plant the [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT25034Shutting A Port: Occupy Oakland Overstepshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/The_Truth_223/shutting_a_port__occupy_oakland_oversteps/Farmers depend on the Port of Oakland because it’s a major export center for wine, rice, fruit, and nuts.Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT25113African Farmers Will Help Feed the Billionshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/african_farmers_will_help_feed_the_billions/Agriculture in African nations is held back by Western scientific illiterates whose well-paid jobs involve frightening people about biotechnology.Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT25178TPP Needs TPAhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/tpp_needs_tpa/The potential payoff of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is very significant. Yet it’s also a risky move--and complete failure is a distinct possibility, especially if Obama presses forward without Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)... Dean KlecknerWed, 30 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT25223Farm Production Success in the Ukraine Will Require Changehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/farm_production_success_in_the_ukraine_will_require_change/Traveling through Ukraine and looking at its farmland is like a trip in a time machine for someone who farms in Iowa - yet this region is essential to the world’s food security.Dean KlecknerThu, 01 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT25290Request for Consideration: An FTA with Egypthttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/request_for_consideration_an_fta_with_egypt/There's a bipartisan effort to persuade the Obama administration to begin trade talks with Egypt.Dean KlecknerThu, 08 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT25366Transatlantic Zero: A Winning US-EU Trade Proposalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/transatlantic_zero_a_winning_us-eu_trade_proposal/It’s time for America to zero out its relationship with Europe. No, I don’t mean we should cut ties. Quite the contrary: We should cut tariffs...Dean KlecknerThu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT25429How the Butter Tariff Grinch Almost Stole Christmas in Norwayhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/how_the_butter_tariff_grinch_almost_stole_christmas_in_norway/Norway’s butter shortage is an entirely man-made political problem. There’s no sensible reason why Norwegians, who enjoy one of the world’s highest per-capita GDPs, ought to run out of something as basic as butter.Dean KlecknerThu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT25499Best of TATT 2011http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/best_of_tatt_2011/In a few days, the year 2011 will belong to the history books. Here’s what some of the farmers who offer their voices to Truth about Trade & Technology said while 2011 was still happening.Dean KlecknerThu, 29 Dec 2011 12:10:00 GMT25509Iowa Caucus -- A Comparison Plot for Candidateshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/iowa_caucus_--_a_comparison_plot_for_candidates/Pundits say that Iowa picks corn and New Hampshire picks presidents. Dean KlecknerWed, 04 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT25596Vote for Trade, Not Warhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/vote_for_trade,_not_war/The New Hampshire primary provided a glimpse of our political future—and not only in terms of who may win the Republican presidential nomination. It also foreshadowed a coming national debate over trade with China.Dean KlecknerMon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT25686An Antidote of Truth for The Atlantic’s Misinformationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/an_antidote_of_truth_for_the_atlantic’s_misinformation/On January 9, The Atlantic’s website published an article whose headline won’t win any awards for subtlety: “The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods,” by Ari LeVaux. It sounded like a press release from Greenpeace, or one of the other radical groups that crusade against agricultural te [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT25771Don’t Mess With the Single-Focused USTRhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/don’t_mess_with_the_single-focused_ustr/Given that USTR does so much so well, we shouldn’t try to change the way it works. Stuffing it inside the Department of Commerce would downgrade its status, eliminate its independence, and thwart its objectives.Dean KlecknerThu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT25841Take the President's China Trade Enforcement Unit Back to the Drawing Boardhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/take_the_presidents_china_trade_enforcement_unit_back_to_the_drawing_board/“I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products,” said President Obama last week, in his State of the Union address. He also indicated that he’s willing to risk a trade war with China, possibly leading to a result that’s the exact opposite of his stated goal: the swift [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT25900Numbers Matterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/numbers_matter/The US Must Increase Export Volume AND Dollar ValueDean KlecknerThu, 09 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT25995Powered By Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/powered_by_biotechnology/Most of the products stocked on America’s grocery-store shelves can make a plausible claim that they’re “powered by biotechnology.”Dean KlecknerThu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT26065Citizen Diplomacy: Agriculture Brings People Togetherhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/citizen_diplomacy__agriculture_brings_people_together/While politicians in Washington and on the campaign trail have made a sport of bashing Beijing, citizen diplomacy here in the heartland shows us that China is best understood not as a geopolitical rival but as an economic partner.Dean KlecknerThu, 23 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT26126Organic Farming Cannot Feed the Worldhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/organic_farming_cannot_feed_the_world/ new study in a scientific journal has much to teach about food security in comparing conventional and organic yieldsDean KlecknerThu, 01 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT26205Words Matter -- Biotechnology Does Not Contaminatehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/words_matter_--_biotechnology_does_not_contaminate/I do not grow organic crops on my farm and often do not listen to discussions about organic rules and regulations. That is a mistake, because some pretty obscure language from USDA is important to me and other farmers who plant biotech seeds.Dean KlecknerThu, 08 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT26264A Portuguese Farmer’s Request for the Freedom to Choose Technologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_portuguese_farmer’s_request_for_the_freedom_to_choose_technology/Europe’s illogical hostility to advanced agricultural technology costs us dearly.Dean KlecknerThu, 15 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT26343Mr. President: It’s Time to Ask For (and Receive) Trade Promotion Authorityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/mr_president__its_time_to_ask_for_and_receive_trade_promotion_authority/In its just-released 2012 Trade Policy Agenda, the Obama administration said hardly a word about the one thing it will need before it can achieve any new breakthroughs in trade diplomacy: Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).Dean KlecknerThu, 22 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT26394The Politics of Exports and Jobshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/the_politics_of_exports_and_jobs/This week TATT board member John Reifsteck takes a look at Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and trade issues.Dean KlecknerThu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT26486Dude, It’s Sustainable Real Beefhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/dude,_it’s_sustainable_real_beef/“Dude, it’s beef.” That’s what cool heads are saying in response to a bogus controversy over lean finely textured beef, a food that irresponsible critics have labeled “pink slime.” Dean KlecknerThu, 05 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT26555Rebuild the African Breadbasket with the Power of Fertilizer and Promise of Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/rebuild_the_african_breadbasket_with_the_power_of_fertilizer_and_promise_of_biotechnology/There’s no simple solution to Africa’s problems, and the root causes involve everything from political instability to unrelenting poverty. These challenges won’t vanish soon. Yet a few simple steps would make them appear less daunting.Dean KlecknerThu, 12 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT26614Vermont’s REAL Food Safety Issuehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/vermont’s_real_food_safety_issue/It would be a shame if Vermont’s legislators were to pass a bill that would hurt farmers not just in the Green Mountain State, but across America.Dean KlecknerThu, 19 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT26686Enjoying US Beef with Confidencehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/enjoying_us_beef_with_confidence/The reality is that the recent BSE incident in California demonstrates the amazing success of our regulatory system, which is working exactly as it should to protect our food supply.Dean KlecknerThu, 03 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT26835An Open Letter to Oprah: Come to My Farm and See Why Biotech Crops Make Sensehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/an_open_letter_to_oprah_come_to_my_farm_and_see_why_biotech_crops_make_sense/Dear Oprah, Come to my farm. Visit the land that I’ve worked since I was a boy. See this place so that you’ll never again let bad articles on agriculture tarnish the pages of your magazine or the pixels on your website... Dean KlecknerThu, 10 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT26920Let’s Expand The Trans Pacific Partnershiphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/let’s_expand_the_trans_pacific_partnership/A photo released by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative last week shows Carol Guthrie, an American trade diplomat, meeting with what her office euphemistically calls “key trade stakeholders.” They are in fact some of the bitterest enemies of global trade: the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, the Ci [...]Dean KlecknerFri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT26968Food: The Ultimate Weapon of Warhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/food_the_ultimate_weapon_of_war/Napoleon said that an army travels on its stomach. Feeding the troops is one of the great challenges of military leadership. Feeding civilians during war can be even tougher. As we approach Memorial Day, it’s worth remembering that there isn’t much difference between food security and national se [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT27076Hawaii’s Biotech Papayas Hold a Lesson for Americahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/hawaii’s_biotech_papayas_hold_a_lesson_for_america/A new supply of fresh papayas from Hawaii will reach grocery-store shelves in Japan this year and consumers have biotechnology to thank for it.Dean KlecknerThu, 31 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT27123A Farmer's Testimony to Decontaminate an Organic Proposalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_farmers_testimony_to_decontaminate_an_organic_proposal/Our country is going broke faster than a roadrunner on hot asphalt. That hasn’t stopped certain sectors of the organic-food industry from demanding special compensation for when trace amounts of biotech ingredients show up in organic fields, suggesting that this poses a serious economic hazard. Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Jun 2012 13:00:00 GMT27185The Trade War of 1812http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/the_trade_war_of_1812/Two hundred years ago this week, America’s worst trade war erupted into America’s worst shooting war. The War of 1812 started out as a trade war, with the United States trying to use commerce as a weapon. According to Iowa farmer and TATT board member Reg Clause…”it didn’t go so well.”Dean KlecknerThu, 14 Jun 2012 13:00:00 GMT27242Down Under Doesn’t Want to Be Left Behind When It Comes to Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/down_under_doesn’t_want_to_be_left_behind_when_it_comes_to_biotechnology/Around the world, biotechnology is transforming agriculture for the better, helping farmers grow more food on less land and in sustainable ways. Australia should place itself on the cutting edge of this development.Dean KlecknerThu, 21 Jun 2012 13:00:00 GMT27296Common Sense Labelinghttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/common_sense_labeling/In the United States and around the world, we’re fighting a war over food. Most people don’t even know that it’s going on, but it affects all of us. The conflict pits ordinary consumers and farmers like you and me against radical activists and professional protestors.Dean KlecknerThu, 28 Jun 2012 13:00:00 GMT27360Propaganda against Agricultural Progresshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/propaganda_against_agricultural_progress/If your friend was drinking too many glasses of Jack and Coke, what would you do -- take away the Coke? That’s the crazy logic behind a smear campaign by anti-biotech activists.Dean KlecknerThu, 05 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT27413A Costly California Food Labeling Proposalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_costly_california_food_labeling_proposal/The referendum on food labeling in California may sound reasonable on the surface, but it’s really a big mistake.Dean KlecknerThu, 12 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT27471Where’s the Beef From?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/where’s_the_beef_from/“Where’s the beef?” was a catchphrase in the 1980s. “Where’s the beef from?” is a question for our own times--possibly an important one for consumers, but also one that was starting to do them a big disservice by becoming a job-killing, price-hiking tool of protectionism. Dean KlecknerThu, 19 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT27518Measuring Global Food Securityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/measuring_global_food_security/The drought we're suffering through is a serious economic problem for farmers, but it’s not a life-threatening event. Crops may fail, but Americans won’t starve to death.Dean KlecknerThu, 26 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT27546Mexico’s New President Can Usher Us Into the 21st Century with Agricultural Reformhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/mexico’s_new_president_can_usher_us_into_the_21st_century_with_agricultural_reform/Mexico, the native home of corn, soon will enjoy a new beginning--and has a remarkable opportunity to join the revolution in farming that is sweeping the rest of the world.Dean KlecknerThu, 02 Aug 2012 13:00:00 GMT27611How Dry Is It? It’s so dry farmers need drought-resistant crops!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/how_dry_is_it_it’s_so_dry_farmers_need_drought-resistant_crops/Genetic modification won’t ever allow us to turn desert into farmland, and the worst droughts will continue to inflict a terrible price on agriculture. Yet biotechnology gives us a tool for pushing back. Just as it has helped farmers fight weeds and pests, it can help them battle dry spells too.Dean KlecknerThu, 09 Aug 2012 13:00:00 GMT27654Here’s to Healthy Delicious Sweet Cornhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/here’s_to_healthy_delicious_sweet_corn/For the first time in my area, I had the opportunity to grow genetically modified (GM) sweet corn. I’ve been growing sweet corn for more than 40 years--and this summer’s sweet corn is the very best I’ve ever eaten. Dean KlecknerThu, 16 Aug 2012 13:00:00 GMT27715It’s Back to School for Potatoeshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/it’s_back_to_school_for_potatoes/Consumers are going to love what biotechnology can do for potatoes. Not only will GM potatoes look and taste better than the conventional varieties we already love--they’re going to be healthier as well.Dean KlecknerThu, 23 Aug 2012 13:30:00 GMT27786What Women Really Care About: An Economy That Roarshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/what_women_really_care_about__an_economy_that_roars/I’m fed up with politicians and pundits who want to lecture me about so-called women’s issues. Right now, no issues are more important to women than jobs and the economy--so I want to know what the presidential candidates have to say about reviving global trade.Dean KlecknerThu, 30 Aug 2012 13:00:00 GMT27826A Trade Agenda? (Or not)http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_trade_agenda_or_not/Between now and Election Day, President Obama must explain where he wants to take the country on trade issues if he's re-elected. Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT27907An Open Letter To California Voters From An Iowa Farmer: Prop 37 Impacts Me Toohttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/an_open_letter_to_california_voters_from_an_iowa_farmer_prop_37_impacts_me_too/The brand-new labels that would be mandated by Prop 37 are pointless - except in the eyes of trial lawyers, and special-interest groups that want to manipulate consumer preferences.Dean KlecknerThu, 13 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT27956No TPA Means No TPPhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/no_tpa_means_no_tpp/The presidential candidates should say that no matter who takes the oath of office in January, the next president must have Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).​Dean KlecknerThu, 20 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT28025Dean Kleckner: A Global Farmer Leader with Vision and Resolvehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/dean_kleckner__a_global_farmer_leader_with_vision_and_resolve/Last month, Dean Kleckner stepped down as chairman of Truth about Trade & Technology--and we all owe him a tremendous debt for having devoted his life to American farming.Dean KlecknerThu, 27 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT28066You Have the Right to Know What California Prop 37 Really Does!http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/you_have_the_right_to_know_what_california_prop_37_really_does/Let’s exercise our right to know. Prop 37 is widely described as a referendum to require special labels for foods with genetically modified ingredients, but it’s much more than this... The first thing to know is that Prop 37 wasn’t drafted by concerned consumers. Instead, it was written by a tria [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 04 Oct 2012 13:00:00 GMT28144An Indian Smallholder Farmer Speaks Out: Allow Us to Embrace Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/an_indian_smallholder_farmer_speaks_out_allow_us_to_embrace_biotechnology/Rajesh Kumar from India is the recipient of the 2012 Kleckner Trade and Technology Advancement AwardDean KlecknerThu, 11 Oct 2012 14:00:00 GMT28229Kenyan Farmer to California Voters: Your vote on Prop 37 will impact mehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/kenyan_farmer_to_california_voters__your_vote_on_prop_37_will_impact_me/Nobody outside California can vote on Proposition 37, a ballot initiative that would require labels for many types of food that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients. If it passes, however, Proposition 37 will hurt global efforts to improve food production through modern technology.Dean KlecknerThu, 18 Oct 2012 15:00:00 GMT28266Pulling Back the Dr. Oz Green Curtain Cover-Uphttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/pulling_back_the_dr_oz_green_curtain_cover-up/he real agenda of Dr. Oz’s show on biotech food was political. It aimed to promote California’s Prop. 37, a poorly written initiative that threatens to raise grocery-store prices, depress innovation, and pad the pockets of trial lawyers.Dean KlecknerThu, 25 Oct 2012 14:00:00 GMT28342Trade: The Keystone Connecting Domestic and Foreign Policyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/trade_the_keystone_connecting_domestic_and_foreign_policy/In all three of their debates, President Obama and Mitt Romney both mentioned international trade and how it benefits the United States.Dean KlecknerThu, 01 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT28410Growing Trade And Our Economy Will Require Leaders Working Togetherhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/growing_trade_and_our_economy_will_require_leaders_working_together/“America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made,” said President Obama early in the morning on Wednesday, during his victory speech in Chicago. Let’s hope he’s right, especially in the area of free trade. Success will require a renewed commitment to helping Americans sell their goods [...]Dean KlecknerThu, 08 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT28485Truth Beats False Food Politicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/truth_beats_false_food_politics/The rejection of California Proposition 37, a deeply flawed ballot initiative, shows that an informed electorate can make wise choices about food policy. In the face of a propaganda campaign that relied on junk science and scare tactics, 53 percent of voters said no to Prop 37.Dean KlecknerThu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT28573We Must Remove the Landmines That Limit Access to Biotechnology in Africahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/we_must_remove_the_landmines_that_limit_access_to_biotechnology_in_africa/Back in the dark days of apartheid, many South African farmers like myself were forced to drive our tractors through fields full of landmines as we worked hard to grow maize and other vegetables. That’s now a part of history, thank goodness. Yet farmers in today’s Africa continue to face landmin [...]Dean KlecknerWed, 21 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT28644Lugar: A Natural Option for US Trade Representativehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/lugar__a_natural_option_for_us_trade_representative/The Obama administration’s second-term shakeup will include a new top trade diplomat as the current U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, is eyeing the exit door.Dean KlecknerThu, 29 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT28692India Must Listen to Its Farmers: An Indian Farmer’s Appeal to Access Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/india_must_listen_to_its_farmers__an_indian_farmer’s_appeal_to_access_biotechnology/India is a poor country, and sometimes I’m forced to wonder if anti-GM activists want to keep us that way. Dean KlecknerThu, 06 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT28775Standing Up to the True Mission of the “Just Label It” Crowdhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/standing_up_to_the_true_mission_of_the_“just_label_it”_crowd/The opponents of biotechnology try to present a reasonable face to the public, but their real agenda is radical--and it’s already on full view in the state of Washington...Dean KlecknerThu, 13 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT28825Time To Move Our Country Off the Export Cliffhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/time_to_move_our_country_off_the_export_cliff/In October, U.S. exports plummeted, not just in agriculture but across every major category of trade. They declined by 3.6 percent in the largest month-to-month drop since January 2009.Dean KlecknerThu, 20 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT28907Best of TATT 2012http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/best_of_tatt_2012/A look at the many important issues and topics tackled over the past year by the Global Farmer Network...Dean KlecknerThu, 27 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT28950Decoding Wheat’s Genome: Separating wheat from chaff at the genetic levelhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/decoding_wheats_genome__separating_wheat_from_chaff_at_the_genetic_level/Several weeks ago, researchers announced that they had tapped into key parts of the wheat genome. With this success, we could be on the path to doubling wheat production and increasing food security for people around the world...Dean KlecknerThu, 03 Jan 2013 13:15:00 GMT28993Salmon-Lovers Unite: Help Science Trump Politicshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/salmon-lovers_unite_help_science_trump_politics/As soon as next year, salmon could become more abundant and less expensive, meaning that salmon lovers will enjoy this heart-healthy food more easily and often. Before that can happen, however, GM salmon must overcome the harsh opposition of radical anti-biotech groups. Dean KlecknerThu, 10 Jan 2013 13:15:00 GMT29045Science Helps Mark Lynas Change His Mindhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/science_helps_mark_lynas_change_his_mind/I was in the room when Mark Lynas revealed his change of heart GM crops whilst delivering the Frank Parkinson Lecture at this year’s Oxford Farming Conference. Dean KlecknerThu, 17 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT29132Canadians Have a Right to Know: Technology is a vital part of our food securityhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/canadians_have_a_right_to_know__technology_is_a_vital_part_of_our_food_security/The public has a right to know that biotechnology is an essential part of our food security in the 21st-century.Dean KlecknerThu, 24 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT29186Trading Up For a No-Cost Economic Stimulus Programhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/trading_up_for_a_no-cost_economic_stimulus_program/The White House should actively pursue a U.S.-European Union free-trade agreement, which would benefit Americans directly but also improve conditions around the globe.Dean KlecknerThu, 31 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT29246U.S. Beef Is Going Globalhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/us_beef_is_going_global/A decade ago, the U.S. beef industry was going global like never before. Production was rising, demand was growing, and everyone just wanted to buy more cattle. The excitement was contagious. Then the growth markets crashed to a halt. Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Feb 2013 13:15:00 GMT29295Trade Will Strengthen the State of the Unionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/trade_will_strengthen_the_state_of_the_union/Trade and infrastructure are inseparable--and we need them both if we plan to strengthen the State of our Union.Dean KlecknerThu, 14 Feb 2013 13:00:00 GMT29379Poland Must Not Turn Back the Clock on Food Productionhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/poland_must_not_turn_back_the_clock_on_food_production/By banning a couple of previously approved GM crops, Poland is moving in exactly the wrong direction and his government has turned back the clock on food production, says Roman Warzecha.Dean KlecknerThu, 21 Feb 2013 13:15:00 GMT29430Protecting Innovationhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/protecting_innovation/Just as it’s against the law to pirate DVD’s, computer software and digital-music files, it’s against the law to pirate patented seeds.Dean KlecknerThu, 28 Feb 2013 13:00:00 GMT29503What’s the Beef?http://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/what’s_the_beef/In free-trade negotiations, agriculture is usually one of the trickiest sectors--and it will definitely be the toughest part of any deal with the EU. In addition to the ban on beef, we must also confront the EU’s politically (not science or health)-based resistance to biotech crops.Dean KlecknerThu, 07 Mar 2013 13:30:00 GMT29559A Moral Weight for the Agricultural Tool of Biotechnologyhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_moral_weight_for_the_agricultural_tool_of_biotechnology/While ancient, the Vatican also stands in the vanguard of science and technology. It’s one of the world’s strongest supporters of genetically modified crops.Dean KlecknerThu, 14 Mar 2013 13:30:00 GMT29628Trade Barriers: An Unnatural Disasterhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/trade_barriers_an_unnatural_disaster/Late is better than never: President Obama finally has requested that Congress grant him Trade Promotion Authority, a power he should have requested long ago.Dean KlecknerThu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT29677No Labeling Needed When Consumers Know the Whole Truthhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/no_labeling_needed_when_consumers_know_the_whole_truth/Shop at Whole Foods. Spend your Whole Paycheck. That’s the popular description of the upscale grocery store. Last year, in a Consumer Reports survey, Whole Foods tied with Jewel-Osco as America’s most expensive supermarket. Now its prices almost certainly will go up. Dean KlecknerThu, 28 Mar 2013 14:00:00 GMT29749Sustainable Intensification In Global Agriculturehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/sustainable_intensification_in_global_agriculture/“Sustainable intensification” describes what should be the goal of farmers around the planet: We need to grow more with less, while at the same time preserving the environment and remaining economically profitable.Dean KlecknerThu, 04 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT29820People and the Soil Need a Balanced Diet to Thrivehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/people_and_the_soil_need_a_balanced_diet_to_thrive/Just like people, agricultural soil also needs a balanced diet so that it can produce healthy crops. That’s why fertilizer is so important. It’s the food that feeds the soil. Farmers everywhere must have easy access to it, especially in the developing world, where it’s often in short supply. Dean KlecknerThu, 11 Apr 2013 13:30:00 GMT29890Litigation is the Root of the Problemhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/litigation_is_the_root_of_the_problem/The Farmer Assurance Provision has a simple purpose: It assures farmers like me that frivolous junk-science lawsuits won’t stop them from planting safe and healthy crops that have been USDA approved.Dean KlecknerThu, 18 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT29947Agricultural Chess: The Age Old Battle of Farmers Against Weedshttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/agricultural_chess_the_age_old_battle_of_farmers_against_weeds/Biotechnology antagonists try to stoke fear by warning about “superweeds" - but this age old battle has nothing to do with biotechnology.Dean KlecknerThu, 25 Apr 2013 13:30:00 GMT29999A Forward-Looking Kenya Can Lead the Global Biotech Movementhttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/a_forward-looking_kenya_can_lead_the_global_biotech_movement/Success will require setting aside the bad mistakes of the recent past and embracing the bright future of biotechnology.Dean KlecknerThu, 02 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT30048USTR Nominee Froman is a Good Sign for a Robust US Trade Agendahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/ustr_nominee_froman_is_a_good_sign_for_a_robust_us_trade_agenda/Froman’s resume looks promising. Yet the thing that matters most may be his personal connection to the president: Froman has the president’s ear.Dean KlecknerThu, 09 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT30110The USDA of Europehttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/the_usda_of_europe/Last Friday, in an unexpected announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture took an unfortunate step toward Europeanization when it delayed the approval of two crops that will help farmers control weeds and produce more food. Dean KlecknerFri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT30185Azevedo Goes to Genevahttp://www.agweb.com/profarmer/blog/the_truth_about_trade/azevedo_goes_to_geneva/With the election of Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo as the next director-general of the World Trade Organization, it’s time to hope for a “Nixon goes to China” moment.Dean KlecknerThu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT30242