Herbicide sales hurt Monsanto's profits

Sep 10, 2009
Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, will be falling short on their earnings this year. That'll end eight years of gain. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Recession finally hits the farm

Aug 28, 2009
Up til now, farmers have survived the recession relatively unscathed. But according to a forecast by the U.S. Agriculture Department, farm profits will fall 38% this year. How will this play out at the grocery store? Jeff Tyler reports.

Sowing seeds that will take the heat

Aug 25, 2009
As the planet warms, fewer crops will survive the summer heat. Yet the world's population will keep growing. Some scientists are responding by keeping seeds on ice for future generations, but one Arizona seed farm is cultivating them in the desert sun. Sam Eaton reports.

Rural areas' hard times not in the stats

Aug 17, 2009
Nebraska has one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates at 5%. But numbers that may look good on paper don't always translate well in real life -- especially in real rural life. Sarah McCammon reports.

We're gonna have a lot of corn

Aug 12, 2009
The USDA says there's going to be a near-record crop for corn this year. Blame it on the weather and the number of corn-ears-produced-per-acre in the Midwest grain belt. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Opium doesn't need to be high priority

Jul 22, 2009
The White House wants to cork the opium trade in Afghanistan by paying farmers not to grow it. Is this realistic? Bill Radke talks to Jacob Townsend with the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime in Kabul.

G8 wants to invest in world agriculture

Jul 10, 2009
G8 leaders are discussing a new $20 billion plan for world food aid that would encourage agriculture over sending homegrown U.S. produce. The idea is to help farmers in poor countries become more productive. Stephen Beard reports.

For public good, not for profit.

Monsanto profits in tough season

Jun 24, 2009
In recent years, profitability at Monsanto has been driven by its Roundup herbicide, and sales of the once-hot item are decreasing as cheap alternatives enter the market. Adam Allington reports.

Paris Air Show wowed by crop-duster

Jun 18, 2009
It was a dull and gloomy Paris Air Show, and then came the AT-802 -- a machine-gun totting, bomb-friendly crop-duster. But why would a plane used for farming need James Bond technology? Stephen Beard reports.

Deep South's farm-worker jobs vanish

Jun 17, 2009
Agriculture workers are used to long hours for low pay, but cutbacks and layoffs are making it even harder to get work where jobs were already tough to find. Jeff Tyler talks to farm workers in Tchula, Miss.