California Water Retention and Global Food Costs Lower

**California water officials have delivered a mixed report card on local plans to curb over pumping of groundwater to protect the state’s aquifers.

State law requires plans for bringing groundwater supplies into balance within 20 years.

The California Department of Water Resources recommended six San Joaquin Valley sustainability plans for approval but rejected six others as inadequate.

An inadequate determination triggers a state intervention process, which authorizes the state to step in and manage the basin.

**Global food costs moved lower again for the 11th straight month, the longest string of lower food prices in 30 years.

The Financial Post says while consumers are still spending more for food, prices are at their lowest level in the last 17 months.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Price Index averaged 129.8 points last month, dropping from 130.6 in January.

**The National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and other industry stakeholders prevailed in their battle to protect generic names in the U.S.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld prior court decisions finding the term “gruyere” (groo-YAYR) is a generic term for a type of cheese.

The decision should end attempts by Swiss and French groups to take away a common food name through a U.S. certification mark registration.