The World Trade Organization has accepted Russia into its membership. The agreement specifies that Russia should ratify within 220 days or by about July 22, 2012. Then Russia would become a member 30 days after it notifies the WTO of that ratification.

Ministers welcomed the agreement and the forthcoming membership of the last large economy to remain outside the WTO. Switzerland was credited for broking an important deal between Russia and Georgia during the final stages of the negotiations.

The Federal Government spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend had implication for the land. According to Dustin Van Liew, Public Lands Council executive director and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association director of federal lands, the bill included – critical policy provisions related to livestock grazing as well as greenhouse gas reporting requirements. Van Liew says PLC and NCBA encourage President Obama to waste no time in signing the bill into law.

Specifically, Van Liew pointed to a two-year extension of a provision to allow federal lands grazing permit renewals, despite a backlog of National Environmental Policy Act reviews, and a provision to allow grazing permits to be transferred without undergoing a NEPA analysis as long as the permit remains under current terms and conditions. Van Liew says – this commonsense grazing provision will continue to provide livestock producers relief from the uncertainty and instability of the federal lands grazing permit renewal process.

In addition, Van Liew says language exempts the Bureau of Land Management from environmental law, litigation and regulation until the agency is able to complete environmental reviews of livestock trailing and crossing permits, the issuance of which is crucial to many ranchers on federal lands. He said the omnibus will also prohibit the U.S. Forest Service from using funds to reduce domestic sheep grazing due to management for bighorn sheep unless the management is consistent with a state wildlife plan.

Finally, Van Liew hailed Congress for including report language requiring EPA, USFS and BLM to report fees paid by the agencies through the Equal Access to Justice Act. 

Another part of the federal funding package passed by Congress over the weekend includes The Keystone XL Pipeline project, a 36-inch pipeline running 1,600 miles from Canada to Texas. It would transport oil from supply fields in Alberta and North Dakota to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Missouri’s U.S. Representative Sam Graves, says construction of the pipeline would quickly create thousands of jobs for pipefitters, welders, mechanics, and electricians among others. That does not count the hundreds of other jobs that would be created for manufacturers or for the local businesses along the route. Graves points out that – one Department of Energy analysis concludes that it would essentially eliminate our dependence on Middle East oil.

The President has delayed the final okay of the XL Pipeline until after the election. However, Graves believes – the administration should approve the Keystone Pipeline without delay. We should not wait for an election to create thousands of good-paying jobs. H.R. 3630 requires the President to approve the pipeline or tell Congress why it’s not in our national interest.

Over the weekend the Senate passed a package of spending bills that include support that enables the Army Corps of Engineers to repair levees along the Missouri River damaged by flooding. Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns says – he voted to ensure this disaster funding didn’t add to the debt, but unfortunately the legislation offsetting the cost of the relief did not pass. 

According to Johanns, – most people would agree that Washington spends too much money and rarely stops to think about how to pay the bill. The Nebraska Senator called on Congress to make tough choices like reducing annual discretionary spending.  He says – much more needs to be done to get our debt under control, but setting priorities and adhering to budget constraints is a step in the right direction.

The legislation now goes to the White House for President Obama’s signature.

Technology giant IBM and Shangdong Commercial Group, a major retailer in China, have teamed up to build a pork traceability system in China’s Shandong Province. The new system is aimed at improving food safety and public confidence in pork after a series of high profile scandals involving illegal feed additives rocked the industry. Pork is a “major pillar” of the Shandong Province economy.

According to Wang Guo Li, director of the National Agricultural Research Center for Modern Logistics Engineering, the research arm of Lushang Group, – when fully deployed, this system will give consumers in the Shandong Province confidence in the pork products they serve to their families. The official adds, – as an agricultural powerhouse within China, our province is committed to improving food safety and this system marks a significant step toward that goal.”

How exactly does the system work? At slaughterhouses, each pig is tagged with a bar code and a unique serial number that follows through the supply chain all the way to the packed product. On top of tagging, cameras are used to monitor the production process. Temperature and humidity sensors are used to ensure meat is transported at the right temperature and GPS technology is used to track the location of product. According to IBM, if something goes awry, the system will send an alert to prompt corrective action.