Retail prices for meat and milk are disconnected from increases in the price that farmers receive for corn, according to a Food & Water Watch analysis of food and corn prices over the past three decades. Retail consumer food prices have generally risen steadily with inflation or even faster irregardless of the price farmers receive for corn used to feed livestock.

Industrial animal production, the practice of confining thousands of cows, hogs, chickens or other animals in tightly packed facilities has become the dominant method of meat production in the United States. This report, which accompanies Food & Water Watch’s online map of factory farm animal production, explains the forces that have driven the growth of factory farms, as well as the environmental, public health, and economic consequences of the rise of this type of animal production.

Not all BioFuels are Equal - Rising oil prices, energy security, and global warming concerns have all contributed to the current hype over biofuels. This report reviews the most up to date scientific evidence and concludes that corn-based ethanol is not the silver bullet everyone is seeking. (Full Report)

Rising oil prices, energy security considerations, and concerns over global warming are all contributing to the current hype surrounding biofuels. This report summarizes the fact that biofuels are being promoted as the way to curb greenhouse gas emissions and develop homegrown energy sources that reduce our dependency on foreign oil. (Report Summary)

The Food and Drug Administration oversees the safety of seafood imports. However, inadequate funding and a mediocre inspection program contributed to the federal government agency physically inspecting less than two percent of the 860,000 imported seafood shipments in 2006. Only 0.59 percent of shipments were tested for contaminants in a laboratory. "Import Alert: Government Fails Consumers, Falls Short on Seafood Inspection", looks at data from FDA import refusals of seafood shipments at the border and identifies trends in the data from 2003 to 2006 and highlights issues related to imports of shrimp, the most popular seafood among U.S. consumers.

Whether you buy food at a grocery store, a farmers market or a cafeteria, the next farm bill will affect what you eat. Congress is debating the policies that shape the quality and sustainability of our food, who grows and processes it, and how. The 2007 farm legislation also will determine who can afford to buy food and where. "The Farm Bill: Food Policy in an Era of Corporate Power" discusses food policy in an era of corporate power.

This report presents the current status of food irradiation around the world. The first section presents updates by country. The second section provides information about the multinational organizations working to promote food irradiation, including governmental, industry and non-governmental organizations.

The bacteria Salmonella is the leading cause of food-borne illness in the United States with nearly a million cases of salmonellosis attributed annually to meat and poultry consumption Food & Water Watch obtained the Salmonella testing results through the Freedom of Information Act. We report here on: the performance trends in the broiler chicken industry; the relative performance of the largest seven broiler chicken companies, and; plants that failed to meet USDA’s Salmonella standards between 1998 and 2005.

Trade representatives at the World Trade Organization are demonstrating once again that they value the ease at which exporters make profits over the public good. The government has a responsibility to protect our food supply, not to sell off consumer health in the name of “free trade.”

This report reveals how the agribusiness lobby influences Congress to squash mandatory country-of-origin-labeling (COOL).