Florida: Water authorities in South Florida voted to continue to allow public money to be used to buy land owned by Florida sugar companies. The monoculture of sugar cane and its processing causes environmental damage to the Florida Everglades, an area already threatened by over-development. The agreement, backed by state Governor Charlie Crist, allows the state to buy back land used for growing sugar cane and cease sugar cane farming on those lands.

Nebraska: The University of Nebraska Medical Center may have uncovered a new risk to women involved with the application of pesticides. Using data collected through the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences, UNMC researchers found that of the women surveyed who were spouses of farmers licensed to apply pesticides, 12.5 percent had some form of thyroid disease compared to 8 percent frequency in the general population. The study focused on 50 common pesticides used on farms, particularly organochlorides and fungicides.

North Dakota: A report released this month shows that junior and senior high school girls living in rural areas of North Dakota have a weaker sense of opportunity than girls in urban areas. Women’s organizations suggest the state needs to improve programs to raise expectations for rural girls. Creating and increasing access to mentoring programs, improving enforcement of workplace and pay equity laws, and increasing the number of foreign languages and other learning opportunities are all ways North Dakota can work to develop leadership skills and opportunity for young rural women.

Contact: Virginia Wolking, virginiaw@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1017 for more information.