World Agriculture

Developments, trade, data, and topics in world agriculture

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2013-10-30
FAO: Promoting the use of biotechnology by family farms to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers.A new FAO publication explores the role of biotechnology, from breeding to pathogens, in small-scale farming, livestock and fish production harvest Jian carp. 2013 rome, 29 October-A new FAO publication calls for increased national and international support to teach agricultural biotechnologies to small producers in developing countries. This is entitled 《 biotechnology for Smallholder Production: Case Studies of Crops, Livestock and Fish in Developing Countries the publication insists that biotechnology can help smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods and food security. Biotechnology for Smallholder Production contains 19 case studies on crops, livestock and fisheries, prepared by scientists and researchers from around the world. It describes the realities and experiences of biotechnology research in different parts of developing countries and its application to smallholder production such as bananas, cassava, rice, livestock and shrimp. These case studies cover a number of biotechnologies, including older or "traditional" biotechnologies such as artificial fertilization and fermentation, as well as cutting-edge technologies based on DNA rather than transgenic methods. The publication was prepared by a multidisciplinary team from FAO as part of an agricultural biotechnology project activity funded by the Government of Canada. "With the right institutional and financial arrangements, governments, research institutions and organizations can help to transfer biotechnology to smallholder farmers and increase their capacity to respond to challenges such as climate change, plant and animal pests and diseases, and overuse of natural resources," said Andrea Sonino, Chief of FAO's Research and Extension Section. Case Study there were four case studies from India, two from China, and one each from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand. The researchers used their knowledge of DNA markers to develop a waterlogging-tolerant rice variety in India that could yield 1-3 tonnes per hectare more under flood conditions than previously used varieties. This new variety called "Swarna-Sub1" was quickly promoted after its release in 2009 and was adopted by 3 million farmers in 2012. "In short, waterlogging-tolerant varieties provide an opportunity to improve and stabilize yields in flood-stricken areas and play an important role in ensuring national food security," said Uma Singh, who prepared the case study at the International Rice Research Institute, and his colleagues. In China, Jian carp is a breed developed using intraparty breeding and gynogenesis (a breeding technique that results in whole-female offspring containing only maternal genes). At present, there are about 160000 fish farms breeding Jian carp, accounting for more than 50% of China's carp production. In northern Cameroon, the use of DNA diagnostic tools has enabled veterinary authorities to rapidly diagnose outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants in the field. Peste des petits ruminants is a highly contagious viral disease affecting goats and sheep. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of the disease means that authorities can eliminate the outbreak in time to stop the spread of this deadly disease to other herds. "Without this rapid response mechanism, thousands of sheep would have died during the outbreak, resulting in millions of CFA francs in losses," affirmed Wade and Soule of the National Veterinary Laboratory in Cameroon. The editors of the publication believe that biotechnology can improve livelihoods related to crops, livestock and fish by increasing yields and facilitating market access. The adoption of new and traditional biotechnologies on family farms can also reduce production costs and improve the sustainable management of natural resources. Lessons learned the publication presents lessons learned from these case studies to inform decision makers and to assist them in making decisions on programmes involving biotechnology. Important lessons include the need for political State commitment to increase smallholder productivity and improve livelihoods; financial support from non-governmental sources to complement State efforts; and long-term State investment in scientific and technological personnel and infrastructure. The publication also notes that international and national partnerships are key to ensuring effectiveness, as is the sharing of genetic resources, technology and knowledge at the national and global levels. The publication also emphasizes that smallholder farmers should be involved in the entire process, given their knowledge, skills and initiatives. http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/203672/icode/ man of Feeding
2013-10-29
India to Relax Pesticide Production and Export Regulations2013/10/29 13:50:00 China Agricultural News Network content Summary: According to Indian officials, India may relax the use of foreign technology in the country to export pesticide production and pesticide export-related regulations. India is one of the most dynamic generic pesticide producers in the world, with more than 60 pesticide compounds produced locally and more than 500 pesticide formulation companies nationwide. India may ease the use of foreign technology for the production and export of pesticides in the country. Pesticides export-related regulations. According to Indian officials, the relaxation of restrictions is to make India a center for pesticide production, especially those produced by buying technology from foreign companies. These high-quality pesticides, once produced, will be used directly for export and will not be sold in India's domestic market. Therefore, according to the proposal, the quality and production process of these products will not have to be subjected to strict inspection. However, overseas companies carrying out such technology transfers and companies producing in India must comply with safety, environmental norms and labor standards. The main target markets for Indian agrochemical exports are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, South Africa, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore. India is one of the most dynamic non-patented pesticide producers in the world, with more than 60 kinds of pesticide raw drugs produced locally, more than 125 large and medium-sized manufacturers (including about 10 multinational companies), and more than 500 pesticide formulation companies nationwide. However, according to official reports, the economic benefits of the industry are limited due to rising input costs, government duties and taxes, and financing costs. The consumption tax rate on intermediates and end products is also high, with consumption tax and sales tax accounting for nearly 20% of the cost of pesticides. India is one of the largest pesticide producers in Asia. The size of the pesticide industry in India was $3.8 billion in value terms in 2011. Some companies also produce pesticides in India that are banned in developed countries. The agricultural industry is part of the chemical industry. The turnover of the globalized industry is reported to be over $3000 billion. India's chemical industry ranks 12th in the world in the production of chemical products. At present, the scale is about 108 billion US dollars, accounting for about 3% of the global industry. According to the Planning Board of India, the size of India's chemical industry will reach $224 billion or $290 billion by 2017 (about 6% of the world's total). India's chemical industry accounts for about 7 per cent of India's GDP and accounts for about 11 per cent of the country's exports. In terms of output, India is the third largest producer of chemicals in Asia after China and Japan. Citation from Science and Technology World Network http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/58_207575.html man of Feeding
2013-10-27
Japan supports development of promising multi-functional food2013/10/18 13:28:00 People's Network content Summary: The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan has developed promising functional foods, such as putting the commercial technology of "functional oligosaccharides" from cheap raw materials on the agenda, developing functional foods that help improve fatty liver, and starting to prevent bedridden The commercialization of bedridden foods, etc. According to reports, on October 15, 2013, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the 2013 "Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Food Industry" science and Technology research Advancing the Cause, which contains 88 new research topics. According to reports, the Japanese government supports the research and development work required for the foundation of agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and food industries from the beginning to the commercialization stage. This includes a variety of functional foods, such as the commercialization of "functional oligosaccharides (oligose)" from cheap raw materials on the agenda, the development of functional foods that help improve fatty liver, the development of "super lotus root" for the treatment of allergies, the start of the commercialization of bedridden prevention foods, and so on. Citation from Science and Technology World Network http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/53_206007.html man of Feeding
2013-10-27
Israel is committed to using technology to solve the problem of eating2013/10/17 14:31:00 International Online content Summary in the face of population growth, climate change, arable land reduction and other factors, Israel continues to adhere to agricultural innovation, through in-depth scientific research on crop genes, the use of biotechnology, advanced breeding methods and agricultural chemistry to improve plant traits, with science and technology to solve the problem of eating. At a time when population growth, climate change, and the reduction of arable land have made coping with food shortages an important challenge for agriculture around the world, Israel, which has 60% of its land area in desert areas, continues to insist. agricultural innovation use technology to solve the problem of eating. The Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is the largest agricultural research organization in Israel, where more than 70 percent of all agricultural research in Israel is conducted. Dr. Assaf Sagif is in charge of the transformation and application of agricultural science and technology at ARO. He said that the transformation and application of agricultural science and technology is the result of multi-party interaction and cooperation. "Our work has always been closely linked to the development of agriculture. We share data in agricultural production, and our extension agencies provide free information support to Israeli farmers. At the same time, we are also committed to rural development." ARO has made remarkable achievements in many fields such as animal science, plant science, crop post-harvest treatment and agricultural engineering, and has cooperated with many countries in agriculture. Sagif said that in the past year and a half, they have begun to carry out large-scale cooperation with the Chinese government. China is very interested in Israel's research results in fruit trees and vegetable cultivation, as well as agricultural engineering and irrigation technology. "We have received 12 delegations from different provinces and regions in China. We have consulted on the licensing of some agricultural technologies and are looking for strategic partners in China for research and commercialization in different agricultural fields." in addition to government-level support for agriculture, many Israeli entrepreneurs have also recognized the impact of technology on agriculture. Evogene is a world-leading plant genetic research company in Israel. Ido Dole, the company's director of commercial development, said that under the influence of dwindling land and water resources and climate change, people are facing the challenge of getting more output with less input. "We are committed to improving plant traits. On the one hand, we include research on how to increase the yield of crops. On the other hand, we also include how to make crops more effective against diseases and insect pests. Of course, we also improve the quality of crops and make them have more excellent characteristics." dole said that the Evogene through in-depth scientific research on crop genes, the use of biotechnology, advanced breeding methods and agricultural chemistry to improve plant traits. The company is currently working with Beijing Dabei Agricultural Technology Group on a rice project. For innovative companies that are committed to the development of agricultural science and technology, Israel, the "country of entrepreneurship", also provides them with a good entrepreneurial environment. The government provides financial support for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs will repay the government with funds after they succeed. If the business fails, they do not need to repay the funds. In addition, entrepreneurs get help from seed futures investors. The Israel Trendlines Group is committed to creating, investing in and nurturing innovative medical and agricultural companies. The company invests primarily through the Israeli government-chartered business incubator platform, which creates 8 to 10 new companies per year. Trendlines Chairman and CEO Steve Rhodes said that agricultural technology is a very important investment area with a huge market because people all over the world have to eat. "At present, we are not providing enough food for all, and about one billion people in the world are still hungry. The problems we are facing now are exacerbated by climate change, water shortages and the loss of arable land. To feed these people and the new population in the future, we must rely on technology." salai Kemp, Trendlines's commercial development manager in charge of agricultural science and technology investment, said the company began working on agricultural science and technology investment two and a half years ago. "Most of what we invest in is Israeli technology, but it's not limited to Israel. We have a lot of technology to choose from in terms of investment, but we still actively look for projects to invest in. Some entrepreneurs may be farmers who have good ideas but don't know how to implement them, and we need to help them set up a business plan, apply to the government for funding, and build a business from scratch." Trendlines just launched investment promotion activities in China in August 2013, hoping to attract Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in agricultural science and technology. Citation from Science and Technology World Network http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/53_205838.html man of Feeding
2013-10-24
Peruvian organic food exports up 7% year-on-year2013/10/23 14:09:00 China Agricultural News Network content Summary: The economic crisis in the United States and Europe has not affected the popularity of Peruvian organic food in these two markets. According to statistics, from January to August 2013, the export volume of organic food in Peru reached 0.11 billion billion US dollars, an increase of 7% over the same period in 2011. The economic crisis in the United States and Europe did not affect Peru. organic food sell well in both markets. On October 14, 2013, Eduardo, President of the Peruvian Exporters Association (ADEX), said that from January to August 2013, the export volume of organic food in Peru reached 0.11 billion US dollars, an increase of 7% compared with the same period in 2011, but slightly lower than the figure of 0.146 billion US dollars in 2012. The main organic foods are bananas, coffee, maca, cocoa, mango and quinoa. Europe is the most important export market for organic food, accounting for 61% of total exports, followed by North America, with an export value of US $33 million. Citation from Science and Technology World Network http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/58_206700.html man of Feeding
2013-10-23
FAO to work with Farmers' Path, the world's largest small producer organizationFAO signs new agreement with the most representative movement of small producers elizabeth Mbofu, General Coordinator of the Farmers' Way, and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. 2013 year10 month4 day, Rome-FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and the General Coordinator of Farmers' Way, Elisabeth Mbofu, today formally signed an institutional framework for cooperation between the two institutions and developed proposals for cooperation in areas of common interest. The agreement is a milestone in the development of the relationship between FAO and civil society organizations, as Farmers' Path is the world's most engaged movement for food producers. The agreement, reached during a meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome, is part of a new FAO strategy for partnerships with civil society organizations. This new strategy aims to strengthen links with social movements, institutions and non-governmental organizations that share the common goal of eradicating hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. Through the initiative, FAO also recognizes the Farmers' Path in coordinating the voices of small-scale food producers around the world and their efforts to build societies free of hunger and malnutrition in a spirit of solidarity, equity and social justice. "This exchange is important because FAO works with a movement that represents more than 0.2 billion farmers around the world, and with a network that is committed to pioneering efforts to realize the right to food for all," Graziano da Silva said, ". He added: "I have always believed that working together does not mean that we have to agree on everything. The important thing is to have the same goal, and we believe that small farmers are part of the solution to hunger." "It has been a long journey and we are very happy to be here today. The Farmers' Path defends food sovereignty and protects ecological smallholders, so I think the partnership that is launched today will bring about many changes." today's meeting is a continuation of a series of consultations launched in Jakarta last May, when Graziano da Silva and an international delegation from Farmers' Way discussed ways to strengthen the links between FAO's work and the goals of the campaign. During that discussion, the two sides decided that the cooperative relations established in areas of common interest will be formalized through the exchange of letters in Rome today. The Farmers' Way is one of the largest social movements in the world. It brings together more than 0.2 billion small farmers and producers, landless farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples, migrants and agricultural workers from 164 organizations in 79 countries around the world. The network of these organizations is an autonomous movement that defends small-scale sustainable agriculture as a way to promote social justice and dignity. FAO will support Farmers' Way to engage effectively at different levels in the political process and promote dialogue for the development of sustainable local initiatives, projects and emergency interventions. This relationship is based on cooperation in the areas of knowledge sharing, dialogue, policy development and normative activities. The meeting will also discuss various issues of common interest, including land, seeds and agro-ecological methods for smallholder farmers. Regional leaders of the Farmers' Way from Mozambique, Italy, India, South Korea, Niger, Nicaragua, Canada, Romania, Spain and Argentina also attended the meeting. During her visit to FAO headquarters, Elizabeth Mbofu and other regional leaders also participated in a session entitled "Dialogue with Civil Society: Dialogue with the Farmers' Path", which covered the role of women and youth in agriculture and explored the synergy between the campaign's priorities and FAO policies and strategies. http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/201833/icode/ man of Feeding
2013-10-22
Latin American Economic Outlook: Innovation, diversification and better logistics are key to sustainable developmentInnovation, diversification and better logistics key to sustainable and inclusive growth, says latest Latin American Economic Outlook 18/10/2013 - After a decade of relatively strong growth, Latin America is facing headwinds associated with declining trade, a moderation in commodity prices and increasing uncertainty over external financial conditions, according to the latest Latin American Economic Outlook jointly produced by the OECD Development Centre, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) and CAF - Development Bank of Latin America. The report was released in Panama City during the XXIII Ibero-American summit. Weak economic performance in the euro area, the slowdown in some emerging economies and uncertainty over U.S. monetary and fiscal policy are also weighing on Latin America's weaker outlook. “Latin America can still achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, but the window is narrowing," said OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría. “To meet the new challenges and opportunities posed by an increasingly interconnected global economy, countries across the region need to boost competitiveness, through economic diversification, improved logistics performance and a move up the value chain towards higher value-added activities," Mr Gurría said (read the full speech in Spanish). Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC Executive Secretary said: “It is necessary to adopt reforms to enhance productivity and reinforce the capacity of governments to respond to the demands of an 'emerging middle class,' while redoubling their efforts to reduce the levels of poverty and inequality ." The Latin American Economic Outlook says technological innovation and economic diversification will be key to boosting productivity and potential growth, which remain low when compared to other regions. Latin America's contribution to global GDP growth has remained virtually unchanged (I .e., between 7% and 9%) since the early-1990s, while that of emerging Asia has more than doubled in the same period. Many Latin America economies remain heavily focused on natural resources - commodities make up 60% of the region's goods exports, up from 40% at the beginning to the last decade. The report presented today encourages countries to use their natural wealth as a foundation for transitioning to production processes that use technology and knowledge. It also advocates that Latin American economies diversify exports, particularly toward the services sector, which offers greater opportunities over the medium and long-term future. Deepening the regional market would offer additional room for the services sector to grow and diversification to flourish. “Further investment in transport infrastructure, and better logistics performance in general, is needed." said Enrique García, President and Chief Executive Officer of CAF. “Latin America's production structure is more sensitive to logistics than that of the OECD countries. The share of time-sensitive exports in Latin America is three times that of the OECD countries, which underlines the importance of improving logistics to strengthen overall economic performance”, Mr García, added. Transport infrastructure remains deficient, with an urgent need for investment in roads, railways, ports and airports. Investing 5.2% of regional GDP per year in infrastructure projects would help Latin America close the infrastructure gap with other emerging regions and could increase GDP growth by an estimated 2 percentage points per year. Much can also be done in the short term to improve the transport of goods and services using existing infrastructure, through integrated logistics policies, modern storage facilities, efficient customs and certification procedures, and promoting competition in transport. http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/innovation-diversification-and-better-logistics-key-to-sustainable-and-inclusive-growth-in-latin-america.htm man of Feeding
2013-10-21
Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resources Economics and Technology report: hand, foot and mouth disease is the biggest biosafety riskFoot and mouth disease - our biggest biosecurity risk 11 October 2013 A new report by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) puts the cost of a large foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Australia at more than $50 billion over 10 years. Acting Executive Director, ABARES, Dr Kim Ritman, said producers of beef, sheep, dairy and wool would be devastated by such a large FMD outbreak. “All red meat, live animal and livestock product exports to most major trading partners would stop until the disease was eradicated and market access could be renegotiated," Dr Ritman said. Dr Ritman noted this could be a lengthy process, pointing to the experiences of other countries with disease outbreaks and Australia's own challenges in opening new export markets. “It could take several years before we could get our product back into our major export markets," Dr Ritman said australia's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, said the ABARES report served as a timely reminder about the importance of maintaining an effective biosecurity system in Australia. “Australia has a comprehensive biosecurity system designed to keep diseases such as FMD out of the country," Dr Schipp said. “We have stringent controls at the border and we do quite a lot of work with our near neighbours in south-east Asia to minimise the risk of it getting in ." Dr Schipp explained that plans are in place to ensure that, in the unlikely event that the disease did get into the country, it would be eradicated as quickly as possible. “This involves the Australian Government working closely with the states and territories as well as with industry to ensure we're prepared and respond rapidly," Dr Schipp said. The ABARES report assesses the economic and social impacts under a few FMD outbreak scenarios and shows that while still very costly, a small outbreak that is identified and eradicated quickly is not as devastating for producers and rural communities. http://www.daff.gov.au/abares/media-releases/2013/fmd man of Feeding
2013-10-21
USDA announces funding for biofuel development projectRelease No. 0195.13 Contact: Jay Fletcher (202) 690-0498 USDA Announces Availability of Funding to Develop Advanced Biofuels Projects WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2013 -Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of $181 million to develop commercial-scale biorefineries or retrofit existing facilities with appropriate technology to develop advanced biofuels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today's announcement is one part of the Department's efforts to strengthen the rural economy. "This financing will expand the number of commercial biorefineries in operation in the U.S. that are producing advanced biofuels from non-food sources," Vilsack said. "USDA's Biorefinery Assistance Program is yet another way USDA is helping to carry out the Obama Administration's 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy to develop every possible source of American-made energy. But the benefits go beyond reducing our dependence on foreign oil. These biorefineries are also creating lasting job opportunities in rural America and are boosting the rural economy as well ." The Biorefinery Assistance Program was created through the 2008 Farm Bill and is administered by USDA Rural Development. It provides loan guarantees to viable commercial-scale facilities to develop new and emerging technologies for advanced biofuels. Eligible entities include Indian tribes, State or local governments, corporations, farmer co-ops, agricultural producer associations, higher education institutions, rural electric co-ops, public power entities or consortiums of any of the above. Sapphire Energy's "Green Crude Farm" in Columbus, N.M., is an example of how this program is supporting the development of advanced biofuels. In 2011, USDA provided Sapphire Energy a $54.5 million loan guarantee to build a refined alga oil commercial facility. In continuous operation since May 2012, the plant is producing renewable algal oil that can be further refined to replace petroleum-derived diesel and jet fuel. According to the company, more than 600 jobs were created throughout the first phase of construction at the facility, and 30 full-time employees currently operate the plant. The company expects to produce 100 barrels of refined algal oil per day by 2015, and to be at commercial-scale production by 2018. After receiving additional equity from private investors, Sapphire was able to repay the remaining balance on its USDA-backed loan earlier this year. In 2011, USDA issued a $12.8 million loan guarantee to Fremont Community Digester for construction of an anaerobic digester in Fremont, Mich. The digester, which began commercial operations late last year, is the largest commercial-scale anaerobic digester in the United States. It has the capacity to process more than 100,000 tons of food waste annually to produce biogas and electricity. Biogas from the digester runs generators that total 2.85 megawatts in capacity. The electricity produced is sold to a local utility and is providing power for about 1,500 local homes. Applications for biorefinery assistance are due by January 30, 2014. More information about how to apply is available in the October 2, 2013 Federal Register announcement or by contacting the USDA Rural Development National Office. Since the start of the Obama Administration, the USDA Biorefinery Assistance Program has provided approximately $684 million in assistance to support biofuels projects in eight states. Secretary Vilsack noted that today's funding announcements are another reminder of the importance of USDA programs such as the Biorefinery Assistance Program for rural America. A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy, Vilsack added, saying that's just one reason why Congress must get a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill done as soon as possible. President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). http://www.usda.gov/ man of Feeding
2013-10-17
CFS: Biofuel development should not endanger food securityThe Committee on World Food Security also highlighted policy and investment support for smallholder farmers and producers. The Committee on World Food Security promotes policy convergence to better address food security issues. 2013 rome, 11 October-After a week of intense discussion, committee on World Food Security emphasizing the link between biofuels and food security, the Committee stated that the "progressive realization of the right to adequate food for all" should be a priority concern in the development of biofuels. According to CFS, the world's foremost intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder platform on food security and nutrition, the development of biofuels "should not affect food security and should give special consideration to the interests of women and smallholder farmers." the CFS meeting on 7-11 October attracted nearly 750 participants, including 130 government delegations, 100 civil society groups and 50 private sector organizations. Following consultations, the Committee also agreed on the need to integrate smallholder agriculture into national policies, strategies and research aimed at promoting investment and sustainable development. According to a recent UN hunger report the State of Food Insecurity in the World most of the world's 0.84 billion chronically hungry people are farmers, fishers and others in developing countries who make a living from small-scale production. opportunities and risks the CFS received information on biofuels and food security from a report of the High-level Panel of Experts on Biofuels and Food Security (OHCHR) and recognized that biofuel development "presents economic, social and environmental opportunities and risks," depending on the context and approach. It also argues that "in some cases, current biofuel production creates competition between biofuel crops and food crops." the Committee encouraged FAO and other stakeholders to examine ways to help countries strengthen their capacity to assess their biofuel status, taking into account issues of food security and legal land tenure at the global, regional and national levels. "Governments and other stakeholders are encouraged, where feasible and necessary, to assess in a balanced and scientific manner the opportunities and risks that biofuel policies may pose to food security," the Commission said. It called on biofuel research and development partners to improve the efficiency of biofuels in terms of resources and processes, and encouraged research partners to develop solutions that are responsive to the needs of all stakeholders, in particular the least developed countries and women and smallholder farmers who most need access to modern energy services. The CFS recommendation calls for R & D action partners to adapt biofuel production and processing so that they can adjust the supply chain between food, feed and energy according to conditions. In particular, the CFS states that existing international agreements and instruments provide guidance on this issue, including: the CFS Strategic Framework for Global Food Security and Nutrition, the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenement of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security, the Global Bioenergy Partnership Sustainable Bioenergy Indicators and the FAO Bioenergy and Food Security Approach ". Investing in small farmers with regard to the issue of investment in smallholder agriculture addressed in the report of the High-level Expert Group, the CFS adopted a policy recommendation urging Governments to work together with smallholder organizations, civil society, the private sector, scientific institutions and international development partners to "build a nationally owned vision" to expand investment in smallholder agriculture. The Committee recommended that countries consider how agricultural and urban and rural policies, strategies and budgets can most effectively help smallholder farmers, especially women, to gain access to productive assets; to local, national and regional markets; and to appropriate training, scientific research, technology and farm support services. The Importance of Smallholder Agriculture Will Be 2014 international Year of Family Farming during the period was highlighted. The Committee also discussed a number of issues related to support efforts to end chronic hunger and extreme poverty, including responsible investment in agriculture and food security in protracted crises. Regional consultations will continue discussions in this regard in the coming months. At the weekend, Gerda Feilburg of the Netherlands was elected CFS Chairman to replace Yaya Olaniran of Nigeria for a two-year term. http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/202672/icode/ man of Feeding
2013-10-16
The United States and Japan have a mutually beneficial partnership in the trade of organic products.U.S. Organic Industry Praises U.S.-Japan Partnership in Organic Trade WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2013-Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the United States and Japan formed a partnership that will recognize the two organic programs as equivalent and allow access to each other's markets. Formal letters creating this partnership were exchanged earlier today in Baltimore, Maryland at Natural Products Expo East, one of the largest trade shows for organic products in the United States. The equivalency arrangement was signed by Anne L. Alonzo, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator; Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator; and Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Director General, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau. USDA continues to expand markets for American organic products abroad, works aggressively to break down barriers to trade, and assists U.S. businesses with the resources needed to reach consumers around the world. U.S. organic exports to Japan are currently estimated at $80 million, with growth due to the arrangement expected to reach at least $250 million in 10 years. Through the National Organic Program, USDA has helped farmers and businesses create an industry that today encompasses over 17,000 organic businesses in the United States alone, and has grown to $35 billion annually in U.S. retail sales. Representatives from the U.S. organic industry-including trade associations and organic producers-praised the U.S.-Japan partnership. "This monumental agreement will further create jobs in the already growing U.S. organic sector, spark additional market growth, and be mutually beneficial to producers both in the United States and Japan and to consumers who choose organic products ," -Christine Bushway, Executive Director and CEO of the Organic Trade Association "This is welcome news for the U.S. organic grain industry, which will see its products more easily traded and welcomed in the burgeoning Japanese market. Organic grains are a vital part of organic offerings, and crucial to global trade ." -Lynn Clarkson, president of Clarkson Grain Co. Inc. "As an organic certifier with a significant foot print in the west, we see the Japanese market as an important opportunity for organic companies. This agreement will benefit many small, medium and large organic businesses by reducing their costs, simplifying their certification and giving them access to the JAS seal, the official mark of organic products in Japan. Nearly 600 of CCOF's farmers and processors will benefit directly and immediately from this change ." -Jake Lewin, Chief Certification Officer, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) "This agreement is vital to specialty crop growers, who number more than 2,000 in California alone. These producers will be able to expand sales in a vibrant Japanese market, inspiring growth in a sector that is already creating jobs and economic opportunity ." -Cathy Calfo, Executive Director, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) "We increasingly live in a global economy. Any time countries can collaborate to eliminate or reduce trade barriers, the market is strengthened. This agreement will allow our company to greatly simplify exports to Japan our largest export market for organic walnuts, and increase organic production here in the United States ." -Jenny Lester Moffitt, Sales and Marketing for Dixon Ridge Farms "All of us at Amy's Kitchen truly welcome this news. We are especially encouraged that the larger shared values and practices relative to organic and sustainable food production between us are no longer overshadowed by minor, technical differences. This new understanding now facilitates an unimpeded flow of Amy's products into the Japanese market, creating jobs in our U.S. production facilities and making our organic offerings available to the many Japanese consumers who are seeking a higher- quality organic vegetarian meal option ." -Andy Berliner, founder of Amy's Kitchen http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/09/0193.xml&contentidonly=true man of Feeding
2013-10-15
Canada develops greenhouse vegetable industryNiagara Falls, Ontario, October 9, 2013- The Harper Government is advancing Ontario's greenhouse vegetable sector by investing in research and innovation. Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced today an investment of $2.7 million to the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) during the Canadian Greenhouse Conference in Niagara Falls. “The greenhouse sector provides Canadians with fresh, locally grown produce year-round and our government is proud to support this key industry," said PS Lemieux. “This investment will contribute to the health and sustainability of the sector by helping to improve production capacity and product quality ." OGVG is a not-for-profit organization that represents all greenhouse tomato, pepper, and cucumber growers in Ontario-approximately 220 in total. This investment will help to develop new products and practices to enhance the competitiveness of the greenhouse sector. Research will focus on improving the year-round production of greenhouse cucumber, pepper, and tomato crops, including improvements to yield and produce quality. The project will also enhance the environmentally sustainable practices of greenhouse production. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers will collaborate on many of these projects, such as developing effective ways to guard against pests and diseases using biological control programs and ways to detect viruses in tomato and pepper crops. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to AAFC for their support. This project will drive the efficient production of year-round high-quality produce, which will allow our farmers to effectively compete in the global market and to continue to prosper and contribute to the Canadian economy," said Don Taylor, Chair of OGVG. “Adoption of the anticipated project outcomes by even 10 per cent of Ontario greenhouse vegetable farmers will result in a $20 million annual boost to the sector ." The AgriInnovation Program is a five-year, up to $698-million initiative under the Growing Forward 2 policy framework. The Industry-led Research and Development Stream supports pre-commercialization research, development, and knowledge transfer leading to innovative agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based practices, processes, and products. The terms of this investment are subject to the signing of contribution and collaboration agreements. The new Growing Forward 2 policy framework, which came into effect on April 1, 2013, will continue to drive innovation and long-term growth in Canada. In addition to a generous suite of business risk management programs, governments have agreed to invest more than $3 billion over five years in innovation, competitiveness, and market development. http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2013&page=n131009 man of Feeding
2013-10-15
Norway invests $23.7 million in crop diversity to help farmers cope with climate changeNorway invests $23.7 million in crop diversity to help farmers face climate change Conserving, breeding and sharing plant varieties key to resilience and sustainability Seedlings in a plant laboratory. 24 September 2013 Muscat Oman - The government of Norway has pledged $23.7 million to conserve and sustainably manage the world's most important food crops, citing the critical need for crop diversity at a time when populations are soaring and climate change is threatening staples like rice and maize. "In just ten years we will have a billion more people at the global dinner table, but during that same time we could see climate change diminish rice production by ten percent with a one degree increase in temperature," said Marie Haga, Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which will play a key role in distributing the funds. "Our best hedge against disaster is to make sure we have a wide array of food crops at our disposal to keep harvests healthy in the bread baskets of the world ." The announcement of the new investment in crop diversity came at the opening of the Fifth session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The meeting has drawn more than 450 participants from governments, science and civil society to Muscat, Oman, where they are discussing plans for sharing food crop varieties among farmers and plant breeders around the world and the Treaty activities over the next two years. During the Ministerial Conference for the Near East and North Africa Region, Fuad bin Jafaar Al-Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries for Oman, commended Norway for its generous contribution to the Treaty's Benefit-sharing Fund and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. "Norway has been most generous in supporting this vital Treaty. I appeal to all donor countries, funds and foundations, especially those in the Arab countries, to follow Norway's example to help meet our Region's needs by contributing to the alleviation of poverty and the achievement of sustainable agriculture through the International Treaty," Al-Sajwani said. The Norwegian investment, to be channelled through an endowment being raised by the Crop Trust and through the Benefit-sharing Fund of the Treaty, is intended to facilitate greater collaboration internationally in the collection, conservation and utilisation of seeds and plants. It adds to recent contributions from Italy and the European Union to help carry out the Treaty's mission and another from the United States to help fulfil the Crop Trust's endowment. The Treaty, which is hosted at FAO, is intended to help ensure farmers and researchers have access to a large diversity of seeds and other plant genetic material to address a variety of risks, including those caused by extreme weather and plant pests and diseases-all of which could become more commonplace as climate change alters growing conditions. For example, a trait which needed to ensure maize can continue to be productive as temperatures rise in Kenya might lie in a variety only found in Mexico. "For farmers to adapt to climate change, we need to make sure we preserve every known variety of crops like rice, maize, wheat, potatoes, along with those of less familiar crops like sorghum and cassava," Haga said. "And we need to preserve their wild relatives as well ." The world's crop diversity is conserved in farmers' fields, which is called "in-situ" conservation, and in genebanks, which is known as "ex-situ" conservation. But diversity has dwindled as farmers have steadily cultivated a narrower band of crop varieties and genebanks have suffered from insufficient funding. Meanwhile, a recent study the 29 most important food crops revealed severe threats to just over half of their wild relatives-species that can hold valuable traits for plant breeders. The Crop Trust and the International Treaty are close partners in efforts to conserve and manage crop diversity. The Treaty's Benefit-sharing Fund is focused mainly on in-situ conservation while the Crop Trust has concentrated on ex-situ conservation. "The Benefit-sharing Fund started 5 years ago but it's already had activities in 31 countries," said Dr Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the Treaty. "Treaty-supported projects are helping farmers use crop diversity to adapt to the effects of climate change. To give one example, there are efforts underway in several countries to test and disseminate drought tolerant crop varieties, including varieties developed with genetic material from wild relatives and from samples stored in crop genebanks. At the same time, we seek to integrate lessons learned from such projects into national plans for ensuring farmers are prepared for climate change ." According to Bhatti, “the challenge in the coming years is to ensure long term conservation of important crops while at the same time strengthening the capacity of farmers and researchers to utilize these irreplaceable resources. "Conserving and making crop diversity available provides options," concluded Haga. "One of these options might just save the future of agriculture and the future of the food we eat ." http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197662/icode/ man of Feeding
2013-10-14
Canada actively seeks agricultural trade opportunities in EuropeLondon, United Kingdom, October 8, 2013 -Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz concluded a successful trade mission today to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. During the mission, Minister Ritz promoted Canada's high-quality food products at ANUGA, the world's largest food show, and met with key counterparts and industry stakeholders to advance mutual agricultural interests. “By creating and expanding trade and business opportunities in Europe, we are increasing farmers' profitability and competitiveness while contributing to the economic growth of our country," said Minister Ritz. “Our Government continues to support free and unfettered trade rooted in sound science to strengthen the farm gate, grow our economy, and feed the world ." In Germany, Minister Ritz supported Canadian agri-food businesses at ANUGA, the world's largest food and beverage business platform, which provides an excellent opportunity for the Canadian agricultural industry to meet and forge relationships with potential new customers. This year, 39 Canadian companies are exhibiting in the Canada pavilion in the Fine Food Hall and 28 pork and beef companies in the Meat Hall. In 2011, Canada's pavilion at ANUGA resulted in $97 million in actual and anticipated sales, including $8.5 million in on-site sales. At ANUGA, Minister Ritz took the opportunity to meet with other counterparts present from the United Kingdom and India, as well as a delegation from Portugal. In Dublin, Minister Ritz met with his counterpart to strengthen the Canada-Ireland agricultural trade relationship. He also met with key investors and companies doing business with Canada, as well as with executives from Ireland's agricultural sector. In the United Kingdom, Minister Ritz met with Canada's most important wheat customer in the U.K., the Warburtons company. Warburtons is a long-standing, valuable customer of Canadian wheat. Canadian producers grow wheat for Warburtons to very exacting quality specifications. That great relationship has continued through the first year of marketing freedom, which gave western Canadian grain producers the same freedom to market their crops as their counterparts across the country. In fact, Canadian wheat sales to the U.K. have increased by 50 per cent for the first year of the open grain market, with 466.8 thousand tonnes being sold in the 2012-13 crop year. http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2013&page=n131008 man of Feeding
2013-10-11
FAO calls on countries to take measures to tackle food price volatilityPrice volatility will continue-Ministers from 30 countries gather to discuss international food prices FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva addressed the ministers of the 30 countries attending the meeting. 20137 October, Rome-Despite the current period of calm in the markets, the issue of global food prices is not over, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told 30 agriculture ministers attending a ministerial meeting on international food prices today. The Director-General acknowledged that this year's meeting was in a quieter period than in October 2012, when international food prices surged three times in five years and ministers gathered to discuss ways to deal with it. "The outlook for the international food market seems to be calming this year," he said. "Food production has picked up and the increase in the stock-to-use ratio has contributed to price stability. The FAO Cereal Price Index is down 20 percent from a year ago." the Director-General believes that, although prices have stabilized, they should not be taken lightly. He warned: "Although international prices have fallen recently, they are still above their historical levels, and prices are expected to continue to fluctuate in the next few years." long-term solutions but Graziano da Silva also stressed that although the decline in food prices has relieved poor consumers, the rise in prices is not necessarily all bad news, because it comes after three decades of stagnation, which has adversely affected agriculture in many poor countries. He urged countries to take advantage of this period of relative calm to prepare for future market volatility and to find lasting solutions to the problem of food price volatility. "If prices continue to be high and volatile, we have to find ways to adapt," he stressed. Two key issues that countries must address are how to help poor small farmers benefit from rising food prices, and how to protect low-income families affected by price increases, he said. "The current situation provides farmers with an opportunity to reinvest in agriculture," he continued, calling for a set of policies that would effectively ensure that small farmers have the means to take advantage of current opportunities. Social protection at the same time, in order to protect low-income families, it is also necessary to strengthen social protection schemes, including cash grants to special hardship case families, and to open up new ways to link social protection with agricultural production support measures, the Director-General said. "Countries around the world have had great success in using the tools of social protection and production support to fight hunger and poverty," he added. Global Governance improved global governance has played an important role in countering the surge in food prices that occurred after July 2012, Graziano da Silva said. In particular, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), created by the G-20 in 2011, has proved to be an effective new weapon in curbing excessive price volatility, providing reliable information and increasing transparency in international food markets, according to the Director-General. today's ministerial meeting on international food prices coincides with the opening of the meeting of the committee on world food security. The CFS meeting at FAO headquarters will last until 11 October. http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/201939/icode/ man of Feeding
2013-10-11
Japan and Trans-Pacific Cooperation: Sacred Cattle, Rice, and OtherJapan and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Sacred cows, rice and the rest of them Oct 9th 2013, 5:29 by T. B. | TOKYO FARMING types are fond of earthy metaphors, and Toshio Yamada, a Japanese lawmaker who champions the agriculture industry in parliament, does not disappoint. That Japan would consider lowering or eliminating import tariffs on some of the five “sacred” farm products, he said this week, was unacceptable. It was as if the country were dropping its knickers, he added, before it was even asked. The special five are rice, wheat, beef and poultry, dairy products and sugar. The prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said in March that this group would continue to be protected in “sanctuaries” even though Japan plans to sign up to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a regional free-trade agreement currently under negotiation. But on October 6th, Koya Nishikawa, the chairman of the committee that Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has established to negotiate the TPP, said that tariffs could in fact be eliminated on some of the five. He was speaking in Bali, where APEC and other meetings were taking place. Other senior figures, including Akira Amari, the economy minister, and Shigeru Ishiba, the LDP's secretary-general of the LDP, broadly echoed his words. That Japan is being so obliging to its international partners, so soon, is extremely welcome news. It joined the 18th round of talks on the TPP in July. Its membership is a crucial part of “Abenomics”, a three-part plan of Mr Abe's to revive the economy. The idea is to use trade liberalisation as a way to reform important sectors of domestic industry, such as agriculture, health care and finance. But opposition to it is also strong. Ever since Mr Abe announced that Japan would join, in March, farmers have been howling at the possible damage to their livelihoods. Overseas Japan has been regarded as one of the chief obstacles to reaching a speedy and ambitious agreement. But now that its negotiators are dropping their insistence on protecting the bulk of agricultural products (those five sacreds include 586 products within tariff classifications), other countries may find it easier to abandon their own “sensitivities ”. Back at home attention is now shifting to questions about what, precisely, the LDP promised of the five sacred areas. Over the summer, when an election for the upper house of parliament was ahead of them, the LDP had feared a backlash from anti-TPP farmers and their powerful lobbying group, Japan Agriculture (JA). It pledged promptly to withdraw from talks on the TPP if the five areas were not to be defended. On the campaign trail in Yamagata, a rural heartland to the north of the country's main island, Mr Abe wooed the crowds with a promise to protect agriculture in “Japan, the land of vigorous rice plants ”. It worked; despite widespread anti-TPP sentiment in the countryside, the LDP won handily. One reason was that the farmers and JA had no other party to turn to; the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) also backs the TPP, mildly. But this week LDP lawmakers who were elected from rural areas are complaining that their constituents can now accuse them of outright betrayal. In response, Mr Abe and his government can just about claim that there was always a grey area. Even before the elections in July, observers noted that “sanctuaries” were not quite the same as full “exceptions” to trade liberalisation. And Japan will lower tariffs on as little as it can in order to meet a target of liberalising 95% of products over time. It should be able to achieve that by targeting secondary agricultural products, which are slightly less sensitive. In the case of rice, for instance, that would mean rice flour and rice flakes, rather than the symbolic rice bowl itself. Nevertheless, the government's signal on TPP suggests that that Mr Abe's government is more firmly committed to an ambitious trade agreement than anyone had thought. Farmers and the JA, after all, are by sheer numbers the country's most powerful vested interest. The statement also speaks well of Mr Abe's determination to press ahead with economic reform more broadly. If he dares to disappoint the farmers, other vested interests should also tremble. (Picture credit: Wikimedia Commons) http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/10/japan-and-trans-pacific-partnership contributions by Zhang Hongzhou
2013-10-11
Asian countries worry about food security as food piles upAsian gov'ts fret over food security as grain piles up Posted Oct. 10th, 2013 Increased inventory | Governments are hoarding food to prevent a shortage but often lack adequate storage facilities SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Towering grain mountains in Asia, already large enough to feed China for eight months, are set to grow even bigger as governments persist in shoring up their safety buffers against hard times .? Haunted by a 2008 food crisis that sparked unrest and panic buying, states will keep piling grain into reserves despite the strain on their finances and storage problems, buoying prices that have been hit by expectations of bumper harvests .? “The most populated countries, especially in Asia, will be very reluctant to see their inventories go down," said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome .? “Lessons learned during the '90s and 2007-08 have convinced policymakers that the international market is important, but it cannot be relied on 100 percent for food security ."? With hoarding the name of the game, Asia's top grain-buying states have accumulated a whopping 100 million tonnes of rice and 90 million tonnes of wheat since a combination of high energy prices, bad weather and growing demand for biofuels sent grain prices soaring in 2008 .? India halted rice exports at that time, when global prices for the staple grain jumped to an all-time high of $1,050 a tonne, triggering similar restrictions from other suppliers and panic-buying in importers such as the Philippines .? “Higher grain stocks reflect the government's priority of having a more-than-sufficient buffer to avoid any shortage and to run its welfare food program," said N. R. Bhanumurthy, a professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in New Delhi .? “The entire stock will evaporate if one single crop fails ."? India was forced to start exporting grains in 2011 after scenes of wheat and rice rotting in open fields grabbed international headlines. But half-hearted attempts to sell grains have not had much impact on stockpiles .? India's rice stocks at government warehouses stood at 21 million tonnes on Sept. 1, against an official target of 9.8 million tonnes, thanks to four consecutive years of good monsoon rains. It had 38 million tonnes of wheat against a target of 17.1 million tonnes .? Asian nations with large populations to feed will not reduce their stockpiles unless they see inventories rising in top exporting countries such as the United States, Australia and Russia .? “I don't think people are comfortable with grain supplies just yet," said one Melbourne-based analyst. “As of now, stockpiles have merely shifted from producers to buyers ."? World supplies have been tight in the last six years, as the global grain market lurched from one crop crisis to another, including a devastating drought in the United States, Brazil and Argentina in 2012 .? In contrast to Asia's giant reserves, the United States - the world's main corn exporter - ended the marketing year in August with its lowest stocks in 16 years .? Australia, the No. 2 wheat exporter, was left with 3.7 million tonnes of wheat at the end of last month, just half of year-ago closing stocks of more than seven million tonnes .? And the grain storage situation in Asia is only going to worsen with near-perfect weather likely to boost stocks .? India, which already has some 12 million tonnes of rice and wheat stored in the open, covered with just tarpaulin sheets, will see up to 30 million tonnes of rice added to its stocks by the end of the year .? India's rice production is forecast to reach close to last year's all-time high, while good monsoon rains have left ample moisture for wheat to thrive in the months ahead .? In Thailand, the government is extending its controversial rice intervention scheme for a third year. The scheme supports farmers by paying them above market rates, making supplies uncompetitive and costing the country its title as the world's biggest rice exporter .? The populist move will add about 10 million tonnes by year-end to existing stocks estimated at 16 million currently, or roughly half of annual global trade. With warehouses bursting at the seams, Thai officials are considering renting air force airport hangars for storage .? Although wheat stocks in China have fallen in the last few years, the country is seen emerging as the world's No. 1 importer as it rebuilds depleted reserves and meets a shortfall in domestic supplies .? China is expected to buy around 9.5 to 10 million tonnes of wheat in the year to June 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and traders .? In addition to piling up reserves, the Philippines is striving for self sufficiency in rice supply by the end of 2013 .? “Our target is to increase our inventory to ensure food security and stable prices," said Orlan Calayag, an administrator at the National Food Authority. “We are prepared to spend more to improve and expand our storage facilities ." contributions by Zhang Hongzhou http://www.producer.com/2013/10/asian-govts-fret-over-food-security-as-grain-piles-up/
2013-10-10
OECD, FAO Agriculture Outlook: Projected deceleration in global agricultural productionOECD-FAO expect slower global agricultural production growth 06/06/2013 - Global agricultural production is expected to grow 1.5% a year on average over the coming decade, compared with annual growth of 2.1% between 2003 and 2012, according to a new report published by the OECD and FAO today. Limited expansion of agricultural land, rising production costs, growing resource constraints and increasing environmental pressures are the main factors behind the trend. But the report argues that farm commodity supply should keep pace with global demand. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2013-2022 expects prices to remain above historical averages over the medium term for both crop and livestock products due to a combination of slower production growth and stronger demand, including for biofuels The report says agriculture has been turned into an increasingly market-driven sector, as opposed to policy-driven as it was in the past, thus offering developing countries important investment opportunities and economic benefits, given their growing food demand, potential for production expansion and comparative advantages in many global markets. However, production shortfalls, price volatility and trade disruption remain a threat to global food security. The OECD/FAO Outlook warns: “As long as food stocks in major producing and consuming countries remain low, the risk of price volatility is amplified. A wide-spread drought such as the one experienced in 2012, on top of low food stocks, could raise world prices by 15-40 percent ." China, with one-fifth of the world's population, high income growth and a rapidly expanding agri-food sector, will have a major influence on world markets, and is the special focus of the report. China is projected to remain self-sufficient in the main food crops, although output is anticipated to slow in the next decade due to land, water and rural labour constraints. Presenting the joint report in Beijing, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said: “The outlook for global agriculture is relatively bright with strong demand, expanding trade and high prices. But this picture assumes continuing economic recovery. If we fail to turn the global economy around, investment and growth in agriculture will suffer and food security may be compromised. (Read Mr. Gurría's speech )" “Governments need to create the right enabling environment for growth and trade," he added. “Agricultural reforms have played a key role in China's remarkable progress in expanding production and improving domestic food security ." FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said: “High food prices are an incentive to increase production and we need to do our best to ensure that poor farmers benefit from them. Let's not forget that 70 percent of the world's food insecure population lives in rural areas of developing countries and that many of them are small-scale and subsistence farmers themselves ." He added: “China's agricultural production has been tremendously successful. Since 1978, the volume of agricultural production has grown almost five fold and the country has made significant progress towards food security. China is on track to achieving the first millennium development goal of hunger reduction. While China's production has expanded and food security has improved, resource and environmental issues need more attention. Growth in livestock production could also face a number of challenges. We are happy to work with China to find viable and lasting solutions ." Developing countries to gain Driven by growing populations, higher incomes, urbanization and changing diets, consumption of the main agricultural commodities will increase most rapidly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, followed by Latin America and other Asian economies. The share of global production from developing countries will continue to increase as investment in their agricultural sectors narrows the productivity gap with advanced economies. Developing countries, for example, are expected to account for 80 percent of the growth in global meat production and capture much of the trade growth over the next 10 years. They will account for the majority of world exports of coarse grains, rice, oilseeds, vegetable oil, sugar, beef, poultry and fish by 2022. To capture a share of these economic benefits, governments will need to invest in their agricultural sectors to encourage innovation, increase productivity and improve integration in global value chains, FAO and OECD stressed. Agricultural policies need to address the inherent volatility of commodity markets with improved tools for risk management while ensuring the sustainable use of land and water resources and reducing food loss and waste. Outlook for China china's consumption growth is expected to outpace its production growth by some 0.3% per year, signaling a further but modest opening of China's agricultural sector, the report said. China's imports of oilseeds are expected to rise by 40% over the next ten years, accounting for 59% of global trade. Both the meat and dairy sectors will continue to expand which will result in higher imports of feed grains. China is expected to become the world's leading consumer of pigmeat on a per capita basis, surpassing the European Union by 2022. China should maintain its leading role in global aquaculture at 63% of global production and remain the largest fish exporter. Output growth is anticipated to slow in the next decade. Key uncertainties around the agricultural outlook for China should be closely monitored and addressed, the report said. These include the sustainability of high levels of economic growth, increasing resource constraints on production, land degradation and water depletion, and greater production variability due to climate change. According to FAO estimates, China's food security has improved with the number of undernourished falling by almost 100 million since 1990, despite adding an additional 200 million people to its population. Ensuring the food security of the estimated 158 million persons still undernourished remains a major challenge, the report said. http://www.oecd.org/site/oecd-faoagriculturaloutlook/oecd-fao-expect-slower-global-agricultural-production-growth.htm man of Feeding
2013-10-09
A successful example of Australian eco-agriculture, a "greenhouse farm" in the desert.www.xplus.com january 8, 2013 Western Times sunny Drop members display their produce. ■ Wen/Shen Min inspired by the ideas of British engineer Charlie Peyton, former German banker Philip Schomwebel led a young team to build a high-tech greenhouse in the coastal desert of southern Australia, using the rich local free resources-sunlight and sea water., Plant a variety of pollution-free fruit and vegetable crops. Today, the crop products of "Desert Greenhouse" have been mass-produced and sold on the market, which is regarded as a successful model of ecological agriculture and the gospel of saving the world food crisis. The Desert Miracle there is a sandy wasteland on the outskirts of Port Augusta in southern Australia, dotted with coal-fired power plants and lead smelters. Occasionally, poisonous pythons, red-backed spiders, kangaroos and emus can be seen, and salty water overflows the shore from time to time. The only abundant natural resource here is sunlight. German Philip Schomwebel led a group of young people from Europe, Asia and North America to this barren land, bought a large piece of land, and built a "desert greenhouse" called Sunshine Drop Farm (hereinafter referred to as Sunshine Drop). As a result, the land began to come to life. The computerized planting system at Sunspot Farm looks simple, but the design is actually quite complex. The core technology of this system is solar power generation and seawater desalination. A 75-meter-long large parabolic cylindrical mirror rotates in the direction of the sun around the clock, concentrating the absorbed solar heat on an oil pipeline. After the oil is heated, it can heat the nearby water storage tank. Water is extracted from the depths of the sea, the greenhouse is only about 100 meters from the coast, the extraction of sea water is not only convenient and free. The sea water can be heated to a maximum of 160 degrees Celsius, and the steam generated turns the turbine to provide electricity. Part of the hot sea water is used to heat the greenhouse, and the rest is used for desalination and purification. The daily supply of treated fresh water amounts to 10000 litres, which is sufficient for irrigation needs and is pure enough to add various nutrients. In the greenhouse, a honeycomb fan system is installed on one wall to ventilate and spray water to keep the greenhouse cool and humid. The planting process can be controlled remotely. When Dave Pratt, a 27-year-old Canadian who is in charge of cultivation, has something to go to town or return to Canada, he can master the growth status of all plants in the greenhouse through a smart phone software. Creating it all was 33-year-old Schom Webel, founder and CEO of Sunny Drops. Schom Webel is a German, wealthy family, educated in Gordonstown, England, has a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University, began his career in hedge fund management, worked for Goldman Sachs Bank, and later joined a Munich-based family business engaged in agricultural investment. After starting an agricultural business, Schom Weber realized that no matter how "environmentally friendly" modern agriculture is, the core is only "turning diesel into food and then watering water". He began to look for ways to change, and "saline agriculture" aroused his interest. Because the earth's freshwater resources are so scarce, agriculture uses 60% to 80% of them, and "the sea is so much that it almost drowns us". Schom Webel went to the library and found the British engineer Charlie Peyton and his experiments. "Seawater Greenhouse" the use of pure natural resources such as sunlight and seawater to cultivate crops is Peyton's invention. Peyton, 62, a former London theater lighting engineer, founded Seawater Greenhouse 21 years ago. In the 1980 s, Payton went on a honeymoon trip to Morocco. When traveling by bus on a rainy day, Payton saw that the clothes of the people on the bus were drenched and the rainwater turned into steam in the warm carriages. Therefore, he thought that heat energy could be used to make water in an arid and hot country like Morocco, and then he thought of using rich seawater resources. "But seawater is usually harmful to plants, and even if it is distilled, it still does not provide enough water to irrigate the plants. The key is not only how to make water, but also how to create an environment where plants can grow better without as much water. The answer is to use seawater to humidify and cool down." Payton thinks. In 1995, Peyton worked with some scientists to create an experimental greenhouse on Tenerife, which worked well and aroused interest. The EU agreed to partially finance the project. In 1999, Payton's project won the Rational Design Award, and the £ 40000 prize allowed his team to build greenhouses in Abu Dhabi and Oman in the Middle East. The main mode of operation of the "seawater greenhouse" is to extract seawater in arid areas. On the one hand, seawater is used to humidify and cool the air, and on the other hand, solar heating equipment is used to volatilize salt in the evaporation process to produce fresh water suitable for watering plants. Finally, the remaining moist gas is released out of the greenhouse to improve the growth environment of the plants outside the greenhouse. The salt and other components left by the distillation of seawater can be processed for reuse or dumped directly into the sea. In Peyton's words: "In theory, our simple technology can turn the Sahara Desert back into a forest, just as it was 6000 years ago. The question is whether countries are willing to make it a political issue." peyton's experiment inspired Schom Weber. "Although his methods were clearly thought of behind closed doors, and none of his experimental projects were really put into operation, in fact all of them were abandoned halfway, his ideas still have development potential that can not be ignored," Schom said." the future is boundless neil Palmer, the head of the Australian government-funded Desalination Research Institute, praised the sunshine and said: "These people actually believe that they can do all this, which in itself is brave enough and adventurous. To grow food in their way, there is no need to worry about any risks. Not only can problems such as floods, frost, and hail not affect production, but also the problem of water shortage. From an economic point of view, this is feasible and can be upgraded indefinitely, because Australia will not have the problem of lack of sunlight or sea water. It's all very attractive." the Sunshine Team is confident that their career is "promising". "First of all, we are both young and ambitious, and we select new people by that standard. We have proved to old-fashioned gardeners, economists and supermarket buyers that our approach works and is commercially viable, and that it is now possible to grow protein food in these closed, controlled greenhouse environments. That means being able to feed the world, without exaggeration." Yangguan drip project manager, from the Netherlands water conservancy engineer Reinier Walbeck said. Today, Sunny Drip has crossed the experimental stage. The successfully cultivated vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are produced in tons and have entered the Port Augusta Vegetable and Fruit Grocery to be sold as high-end environmentally friendly products. According to Australian regulations, because it does not grow in natural soil, sunny agricultural products cannot be classified as organic food, but it does not use pesticides and fertilizers in the cultivation process, and it sells well, which is quite attractive to consumers. Man of Feeding
2013-10-07
FAO: Livestock is on track to achieve large-scale greenhouse gas reductionsWider adoption of existing best practices and technologies can contribute significantly to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in this sector livestock farming provides livelihood support for hundreds of millions of people. 2013 september 26, Rome- according to a new study released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector could be reduced by up to 30 per cent through wider adoption of existing best practices and technologies. This paper is entitled 《 addressing Climate Change through Livestock: A Global Assessment of Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities> the report is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the role of livestock in global warming and the sector's potential to help address the problem. Overall, annual GHG emissions associated with livestock supply chains total 7.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq), or 14.5 per cent of total human-caused GHG emissions. The main sources of emissions are: feed production and processing (45% of total emissions), greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows during digestion (39%) and manure decomposition (10%). The remainder comes from the processing and transportation of animal products. In order to obtain these estimates, FAO analyzed in detail the greenhouse gas emissions of different stages of the livestock supply chain, including the production and transportation of animal feed, energy use on farms, emissions from animal digestion and manure decomposition, and the transportation, refrigeration and packaging of animal products after slaughter. Emission reduction potential is huge after an in-depth exploration of emission sources and emission patterns, the report shows that livestock producers are on track to achieve large-scale emission reductions. By promoting the use of existing best practices and technologies in feeding, sanitation and livestock and manure management, as well as currently underutilized technologies such as biogas generators and energy-efficient equipment, to improve efficiency and reduce energy waste, the global livestock sector could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent. The FAO report points out that within livestock production systems, there is a strong link between resource use efficiency and greenhouse gas emission intensity. The potential for achieving emission reductions lies in enabling all livestock producers to make a change and adopt practices that have been adopted by most efficient operators. "These new findings show that the potential to improve the sector's environmental performance is huge and that there is a real possibility to realize this potential," said Ren Wang, FAO Assistant Director-General for Agriculture and Consumer Protection. "Efficiency gains can be achieved by improving production methods, not by changing production systems. But we need political will, more effective policies and, most importantly, joint action." he added that demand for livestock products continues to grow strongly in almost all developing countries, so "the sector must act now to meet emission reduction targets to help offset the overall growth in emissions from the future development of livestock production." many of the actions recommended by FAO to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions would also boost production-providing more food and higher incomes for people, contributing to food security and reducing poverty. Livestock farming currently supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people and is an increasingly important source of protein for many areas suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition. overall potential according to the FAO report, significant emission reductions can be achieved in all species, systems and regions, with the greatest potential for emission reductions in low-productivity ruminant systems in South Asia, Latin America and Africa ( definition). However, in developed countries, where emission intensity is relatively low but emissions are high due to the large scale of overall production, even small reductions in emission intensity can add up to significant benefits. Examples include dairy farming in Europe and North America, and meat pig farming in East Asia. Cattle farming accounts for 65 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector, but it also has the greatest potential to reduce emissions. make a change livestock production is a diverse and global activity, and the level of development of the livestock sector varies greatly from country to country-improving the efficiency of the livestock production sector and reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require a set of policies, incentives and field work, FAO said. Emphasis should be placed on innovation in practice, complemented by knowledge transfer, financial incentives, regulations and awareness-raising. In particular, there is a need to adopt more appropriate policies to promote the transfer and use of effective practices and technologies that are already in use for a few producers, and to encourage the development of new solutions. The use of a "life-cycle" approach can help decision-makers to identify emission hotspots along livestock supply chains, identify clear emission reduction opportunities and facilitate context-specific actions. Fiscal incentives are also critical, given that changes in operational practices involve certain risks and require upfront investment. Developing countries have great potential for reducing emissions. To ensure the participation of developing countries, it is important not only to focus on emission reduction targets, but also to set specific targets. Planning "nationally appropriate mitigation actions" for the livestock sector helps to integrate these goals into national action. Work should be undertaken at the international level to ensure that emission reduction commitments made within and outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are strengthened, that stronger incentives are provided for emissions reductions in the livestock sector and that efforts across economic sectors are coordinated. Any effort to shift the livestock sector to another track requires a broad-based and inclusive approach to cooperation. "Only with the participation of all stakeholders, including the private and public sectors, civil society, research and academia, international organizations, will we be able to implement solutions that address the diversity and complexity of the livestock sector," Mr. Wang said. To this end, FAO works with the public and private sectors, production, research and academic institutions, civil society, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations to develop strategies to support the sustainable development of the livestock sector. Currently, the agenda identifies three priority areas to achieve significant results by improving production methods: promoting more efficient practices, improving grassland management, and improving manure management. http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/198241/icode/ man of Feeding