[Image: Jiri Hera / Shutterstock]

• As grain prices have increased, the availability of organic milk has dropped. Farmers who feed their cows organic grain and hay are feeding cows less and less, leading to slower milk production. Customers have been experiencing shortages of organic milk on grocery store shelves around the country. Farmers suggest that a higher price on organic milk would better support their businesses and ability to keep cows in high production.
• Al Jazeera features a fascinating look at how politics and agriculture interact in Egypt. The authors discuss how farmers have developed methods for growing in the desert, and why water and seed allocation was heavily corrupted during the Mubarak regime. Food prices have risen in the past ten years in the region, and food riots played a major role in sparking the Egyptian uprising last spring. The article is part of a larger series about how the world will feed 9 billion people.
• An interesting piece on the Yale Environment 360 blog discusses the impact of climate change on the global wine industry. Warming temperatures have boosted wine production in cooler regions, like Britain and parts of California. But as temperatures continue to rise, many wineries with centuries-old traditions are facing tough choices about which grapes to grow. Wine producers with particularly respected appellations, such as Burgundy and Rioja, have less flexibility to move their operations to a cooler region. So far the industry hasn't felt much impact , but producers are worried about possibilities for the future.
• Tis the season for 2011 round-ups. Bakery and Snacks has an interesting one on policy stories from the past year. Many of these industry events may have slipped through the cracks of mainstream media, making this slideshow particularly helpful. The list is lawsuit-heavy, including suits against Oreo imitators and SunChips.
• And, not quite policy related, but here's a nice post over on The Salt that shows what communities around the world eat to celebrate the new year. From enormous cakes to roasted pig, traditions vary widely. I hope your new year's feast was as delicious!

About the Author: A student in Providence, Rhode Island, Leah Douglas loves learning about, talking about, reading about, and consuming food. Her work has also been featured in Rhode Island Monthly Magazine.