World Agriculture
Developments, trade, data, and topics in world agriculture
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FAO: Climate change threatens food security~~FAO: Climate change threatens food security 12/1/2015 - by World Grain Staff Share This: Search for similar articles by keyword: [FAO], [Sustainability], [Hunger] ROME, ITALY - Droughts, floods, storms and other disasters triggered by climate change have risen in frequency and severity over the last three decades, increasing the damage caused to the agricultural sectors of many developing countries and putting them at risk of growing food insecurity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a new report released on Nov. 26 ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris, France. Worldwide, between 2003 and 2013 - the period analyzed in the study - the average annual number of disasters caused by all types of natural hazards, including climate-related events, almost doubled since the 1980s. The total economic damage caused is estimated at $1.5 trillion. Focusing specifically on the impact of climate-related disasters in developing countries, some 25% of the negative economic impacts were borne by the crop, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors alone, FAO said. In the case of drought, over 80% of the damage and losses affected the agriculture sector, especially livestock and crop production. The FAO report is based on a review of 78 on the ground post-disaster needs-assessments conducted in developing countries coupled with statistical analyses of production losses, changes in trade flows and agriculture sector growth associated with 140 medium and large-scale disasters - defined as those affecting at least 250,000 people. The report shows that natural hazards - particularly extreme weather events - regularly impact heavily on agriculture and hamper the eradication of hunger, poverty and the achievement of sustainable development, FAO said. The group said the situation is likely to worsen unless measures are taken to strengthen the resilience of the agriculture sector and increase investments to boost food security and productivity and also curb the harmful effects of climate change. "This year alone, small-scale farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists and foresters - from Myanmar to Guatemala and from Vanuatu to Malawi - have seen their livelihoods eroded or erased by cyclones, droughts, floods and earthquakes," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. He noted how the international community recently committed itself to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30 and is expected to reach a climate change agreement at the COP 21. Measuring progress made in meeting these global targets will require accurate, up-to-date information, including on the impact of disasters, Graziano da Silva said. "National strategies for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation that support resilience must address the types of disasters with the greatest impact on the agriculture sector," Graziano da Silva said. He noted how sector-specific data on damage and losses are essential for effective policy and practice," and that the FAO study aims to contribute to national, regional and global efforts to develop comprehensive disaster data collection and monitoring systems. Drought has an especially detrimental impact - around 90% of production losses - on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa where the sector on average contributes to a quarter of GDP, rising to a half when agribusiness is included. At a conservative estimate, total crop and livestock production losses after major droughts were equivalent to more than $30 billion between 1991 and 2013 in the region. Drought often has a major cascading effect on national economies as shown in Kenya where, between 2008-11, it caused significant losses in the food processing industry, particularly grain milling and coffee and tea processing. Many Asian countries are particularly vulnerable to the impact of floods and storms. For example, crop production losses caused by the 2010 floods in Pakistan directly affected cotton ginning, rice processing and flour and sugar milling, while cotton and rice imports surged. In this case, some 50% of the $10 billion in total damages and losses fell on the agriculture sector. Understanding the impact of different types of disasters is crucial to ensure that the most appropriate policies and practices are implemented. Floods cause more than half of the total damage and loss to crops which are also very vulnerable to storms and drought. Around 85% of the damage caused to livestock is due to drought, while fisheries are overwhelmingly affected by tsunamis and storms such as hurricanes and cyclones. Most of the negative economic impact to forestry is caused by storms and floods. Beyond production losses, the study shows how disasters can cause unemployment and erode incomes, especially for small-scale family farmers, thus threatening rural livelihoods. For instance, the 2010 floods in Pakistan affected 4.5 million workers, two-thirds of whom were employed in agriculture and over 70% of farmers lost more than half of their expected income. Worldwide, the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people depend on agriculture, yet only 4.2% of total official development assistance was spent on agriculture between 2003 and 2012 - less than half the United Nations target of 10%. Investment in disaster risk reduction is extremely low: only around 0.4% of official development aid in 2010 and 2011. FAO said that aid should better reflect the impact of disasters on the agriculture sector. Investments into disaster response and recovery should also build resilience to future shocks through risk reduction and management measures, particularly in countries facing recurrent disasters and where agriculture is a critical source of livelihoods, food and nutrition security, as well as a key driver of the economy. Related Articles Groups asking for revision of national laws governing pesticides Read more World Grain News>
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USDA: Working with farmers and pastoralists to address climate change and food security challenges~~Partnering with Farmers and Ranchers to Address Climate Change and Food Security Challenges Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on December 1, 2015 at 4:00 PM Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listening to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) supervisory plant physiologist Dr. Jerry Hatfield explain the equipment to gather information on climate changes and impacts on corn and soybean plants in Iowa Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listens to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) supervisory plant physiologist Dr. Jerry Hatfield explain the equipment to gather information on climate changes and impacts on corn and soybean plants in Iowa. As world leaders gather in Paris this week to negotiate a new global climate agreement, it is important to recognize the contributions of farmers, ranchers and foresters in the United States towards achieving a more food secure world while adapting to climate change, increasing carbon sequestration, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over the course of my tenure as Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. producers have faced a record drought, which the University of California estimates has cost farmers in California alone an estimated $3 billion in 2015. We've seen increasing incursions of invasive pests and diseases and extreme weather, everything from bark beetle to severe droughts, which have cost billions in lost productivity. We've faced a series of record wildfire seasons in the western United States-the worst decade in U.S. history for wildfire. The growing El Nino weather pattern in the Pacific has created the perfect storm for disasters to strike the already damaged and weakened western landscape. Tomorrow in Paris at COP 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will release a new report, titled Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System. This report will outline the impacts of climate change on global food security, including food availability, access, utilization, and stability. Never before has agriculture faced challenges of this magnitude. We've all seen the statistics: Nine billion people by 2050. Feeding these new citizens will require at least a 60 percent increase in agricultural productivity. We must do all of this in the face of climate change that is threatening the productivity and profitability of our farms, ranches and forests. As we embark on our efforts, we have found that one of the first steps is to educate and inform our farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers - and our own USDA professional staff in the field - about climate change and the threats posed to our resources and the opportunities to contribute to solutions. For example, earlier this year, USDA announced our 10 Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture, a comprehensive set of voluntary programs and initiatives that we expect to reduce net emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2025 - about 2 percent of economy-wide emissions, building upon a U.S. government-wide commitment to emission reduction. And through efforts by the federal government and a broad coalition of partners, the United States has restored more than 9 million hectares of lost or degraded forest since 2011 - more than half way to our Bonn Challenge commitment of restoring 15 million hectares by 2020. We are promoting the building blocks strategy through our extension and technical service providers. To support our efforts, we have established a network of regional climate hubs to analyze risks and deliver localized information to help farmers adapt to climate change. We continue to support research into technologies and practices that will reduce climate risks. We are moving rapidly to integrate climate change into our domestic conservation and renewable energy programs. Collectively, these efforts make U.S. agriculture and forestry a more publicly visible part of the climate change solution in the United States and abroad. They demonstrate to the world that these sectors can provide solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously boosting productivity to meet growing demands for food and fiber, stimulating the rural economy, and offering compatible environmental and economic benefits. We don't face these challenges in a vacuum. These same conditions have dire effects across the world, especially for poor, rural smallholder farmers in developing nations. Drought in the western United States and drought in Central America threaten farmers and livelihoods, disrupt communities, and strain food systems. Increasing climate threats, whether it is drought, high temperatures, increases in pests, or wildfire, are separate symptoms of the same problem. That is why the United States is committed to sharing information globally. The lessons we learn, we want to share through the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture. Through our collective efforts, agriculture can make meaningful contributions to the effort to limit global temperature increases to less than two degrees Celsius. We are also proud of our efforts through the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition initiative, which supports efforts to make data available, accessible, and usable for unrestricted use worldwide. USDA also directly supports international cooperation and development projects to help promote climate-smart agriculture. For example, last year we supported 11 Borlaug Fellows to work on climate change topics. This program allows agricultural scientists from around the world to work side-by-side with U.S. scientists on finding ways to increase food production while mitigating the effects of climate change. In order to address climate change, we have to get ahead of it, and I'm convinced that no one innovates in the face of challenge better than agriculture. This will not be an easy task, but I am confident that working together and building on a legacy of partnership, efficiency and innovation, the Alliance members and other interested parties will continue to strive to achieve the three important goals of climate-smart agriculture: achieving food security, sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible. Food security has implications far beyond what's on our plates. A more food-secure, nourished world, able to feed itself and the future, is essential to the long-term prosperity and security of individuals, communities, economies, and nations. -See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/12/01/partnering-with-farmers-and-ranchers-to-address-climate-change-and-food-security-challenges/#sthash.skuvwLMp.dpuf
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Paris climate summit: world must focus on food security as population grows~ ~ Paris climate summit: World must keep food security in focus as population grows Jose Graziano da Silva says food security has to remain a key concern at the talks, given global warming's devastating impact on food production The Paris climate conference, in the aftermath of the barbarian acts of terrorism, is a fresh opportunity for the international community to come together and show its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, as the most appropriate way to promote a fairer, safer and more inclusive world. READ MORE: Climate change and food security are key to global stability Goal 13 says countries should take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects. Failure to do so would put at risk the achievement of all the other goals, in particular the fight against hunger. Countries gathering in Paris must bear this in mind. A world free of hunger is within our reach. We produce enough food, we possess the technology, and we know what policies and actions work best. Yet climate change, including more frequent extreme weather events, represents a barrier that stands in the way of realising this goal. A coffee farmer in Uganda shows plants infected with leaf rust, a fungal disease that coffee production experts say has become more prevalent because of rising temperatures. Photo: AP Global warming affects food production - staple crop yields are decreasing and, by 2050, drops of 10-25 per cent and above are likely to be widespread. Meanwhile, droughts, floods, sea level rises and hurricanes increasingly threaten the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. Such climate-related disasters contribute heavily to economic losses and population displacement. At the same time, the world population continues to grow. Only through close co-operation can we ensure the progress we have made on food security is not compromised by the impact of climate change We need a global framework to support development and growth while conserving our planet's natural resources, particularly in rural areas. The Sustainable Development Goals are a central part of this framework. Our overarching goal is to ensure food security for all remains at the centre of the climate debate. To this end, the Paris framework needs to support technology transfer, capacity development and the mobilisation of finance. These efforts will benefit everyone. A Senegalese farmer carrying her baby works in a field in Daga Birame. Since 2013, local farmers have taken part in a new project teaching them farming pratices adapted to climate change. Photo: AFP In particular, we must strengthen the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, fishers and foresters who are most at risk of food insecurity and are being disproportionately affected by climate change. Farmers, fishers and foresters are more than food producers. They are custodians of the earth, and, as such, help steward our natural resources on behalf of us all. They are thus central to the solution and cannot be made to bear alone the burden and cost of dealing with the effects of climate change. READ MORE: Winter is not coming: man-made climate change is wiping out seasonal temperature differences Only through close co-operation can we ensure the progress we have made on food security is not compromised by the impact of climate change. Simply put: achieving food security and adequate nutrition for all for a growing population under a changing climate means we have to learn to produce more with less. This is a call to action. Jose Graziano da Silva is director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation
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Report: Eating less meat could help meet climate change goalsThe Royal Institute of International Studies released a report on the 24th, saying that driven by the strong demand for meat consumption, the animal husbandry industry at full capacity has become a "big producer" of greenhouse gas emissions, which is contrary to the global efforts to reduce emissions to control warming. It is necessary for countries to promote healthy diets and reduce meat consumption. The report was produced by researchers from the Institute and the University of Glasgow in the UK. According to the report, meat consumption in many developed countries has reached a very high level, and with the rise of consumption in developing countries, global meat consumption is expected to increase by 76% from the current level by the middle of this century. The report said that if the meat consumption of the growing global population reaches the level of developed countries, "it will definitely bring huge social and environmental costs". This is because livestock production is often an inefficient use of scarce land and water resources, and it accounts for almost 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year. Increasing demand for meat means that livestock emissions will continue to increase, which will undoubtedly hinder the global emission reduction goals. The report said that before the Paris climate change conference, most countries had put forward corresponding emission reduction targets and measures, but this was not enough to achieve the goal of controlling temperature rise. Reducing meat consumption is obviously a feasible strategy, "if the world chooses a healthy diet, it will be able to achieve the required emission reduction 1/4 by 2050". The researchers said that many governments are worried that intervening in meat consumption will cause a great public response, and the researchers' previous surveys in 12 countries showed that once consumers understand the impact of animal husbandry on the environment, they can still accept the government in this regard. Measures taken in this regard. To this end, the report recommends: strengthen publicity to raise public awareness of the health and climate change impacts of meat consumption; the government should adjust procurement, regulations, and pricing to reduce the proportion of meat in the public diet; Strengthen research and development, find meat substitutes, etc. Laura Wellesley, one of the authors of the report, said that reducing meat consumption is not only good for health, but also a cost-effective way for governments to reduce emissions. (Reporter Zhang Jiawei) 2015-11-25 Source: Xinhua
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Europe's two largest food retail groups merge for heatingThe two major European retail "century-old stores" announced the merger on June 24, 2015, and the newly established Ahold-Delatce Group will become one of the world's largest chain retailers. According to US media reports, the two companies that announced the strategic merger are the Dutch Ahold Group (Ahold) and the Belgian Delattre Group (Delhaize). According to the merger agreement reached by the two parties, Ahold shareholders will obtain 61% of the equity of the new company. The merged new company will be named "Ahold-Delatse" with a market value of approximately 26.2 billion euros. After the merger, Dletts Chairman Mat Jensen will become the chairman of the new company, and Ahold CEO Dick Bohr will become the CEO of the new company. After the merger of the two food retail groups, the new company will have more than 6500 chain stores and will serve more than 50 million customers every week. In terms of scale, Ahold and Delatse will become the sixth largest food retailer in the United States when combined. Ahold operates "Stop & Shop" and "Giant" brands in the United States, and Delattre owns "Hannaford" and "Food Lion" brands in the United States. The merger requires a vote by shareholders of both companies and approval by relevant national regulatory authorities and is expected to be completed by mid -2016. The boards of both companies are calling for shareholders to vote in favor of the merger. The two "century-old stores" of Ahold and Delatse stated in a joint statement that the one-time payment cost caused by the merger is about 0.35 billion euros, but starting from the third year after the merger, the new company is expected to save each year. Cost 0.5 billion euros. The two companies will share resources in advertising, marketing, warehousing and logistics to save money. Meredith Adler, an investment analyst at Barclays Bank, pointed out that in the retail sector, more and more companies are not only focusing on market share, but many companies are trying to actively integrate resources, fully improve efficiency and form synergies through mergers and acquisitions. Another analysis pointed out that in the declining traditional retail market, large-scale life product retailers are also helpless to keep warm. Ahold and Delatse merged, mainly to counter competitors in the U.S. market "Safeway" and "Albertson's", the two also recently announced a merger, at the same time can work together to resist the impact of Wal-Mart supermarkets. Some analysts believe that the merger may be difficult to ease the impact of online retail on traditional industries. As of the close of trading on the 24th, Ahold's shares fell 1.3 per cent to 18.70 euros, while Delets' shares fell 5 per cent to 83.42 euros. The Ahold Group was founded in 1887 by Albert Hain and his wife in Ostzane, the Netherlands, as a small grocery store. At present, Ahold is headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands. There are about 3200 chain life supermarkets in Europe and the United States, with sales reaching 32.8 billion euros in 2014. The company's brands include Albert Hayne, Etos and Albert. The Delaits brothers founded the Delaits Company in 1867. At present, Delattre operates about 3400 supermarkets in the United States, Europe and Asia, with sales of 21.4 billion billion euros in 2014. http://www.twwtn.com/Enterprise/42_283897.html Science and Technology World Network
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China-Kazakhstan border agricultural products fast customs clearance "green channel" will be promoted pilotXinhuanet, Urumqi, November 12 (Reporter Li Xiaoling) The meeting between the leaders of the border customs of the Urumqi Customs of China and the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan ended recently. The minutes of the meeting were signed by Mr. Kovzapergonov Yelemik, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Kyinamu Yematisha, Deputy Commissioner of Urumqi Customs. During the talks, the customs of the two sides conducted in-depth consultations and exchanges on issues such as the "green channel" for rapid customs clearance of agricultural products between China and Kazakhstan, advance information exchange, trust channel, law enforcement cooperation, statistical data exchange, strengthening anti-terrorism, and cultural exchanges, and reached an agreement on relevant issues. Among them, the effectiveness of the pilot project of "green channel" rapid customs clearance for agricultural products at the China-Kazakhstan Baktu-Bakert port has been recognized by both sides, and it has been agreed that the pilot project will be promoted at other ports in China and Kazakhstan as soon as possible. In addition, the two sides also held consultations on the location and content of the exchange of customs statistics. Baktu-Bakert Port Agricultural Products Rapid Customs Clearance "Green Pass" was put into trial operation on December 23, 2013. Through the evaluation, the two sides believe that the "green channel" has achieved remarkable results. In 2014, the import volume of baktu port was 28600 tons, up 1018.6 percent year-on-year; the value of imports was 18.169 million billion US dollars, up 196.8 percent year-on-year, and the net storage of two taxes was 27.0743 million yuan, up 444.96 percent compared with the same period last year. Among them, the import volume of agricultural products is 26200 tons, accounting for 91.6 percent of the total import volume, and the value of imports is 13.4087 million billion US dollars, accounting for 73.8 percent of the total import value. Agricultural products have become the main import commodities at the Baktu port. At the same time, the growth of export agricultural products also contributed to the sustained growth of exports. In 2014, Baktu's export freight volume was 156000 tons, up 38.9 percent year on year. The value of exports was US $1.265 billion billion, up 33.3 percent year on year. Exports of agricultural products were 66700 tons, with a value of US $48.314 million billion, up 35 per cent and 37 per cent respectively over the same period last year. Exports of agricultural products accounted for 42.75 per cent of total exports. The export freight volume of agricultural products accounts for nearly half of the total export freight volume, and the steady growth of agricultural exports has played a driving role in maintaining sustained growth in exports. The opening of the "green channel" effectively promotes the improvement of customs clearance efficiency. From January to June 2015, the average import customs clearance time at Baktu Port was 3.98 hours, which was 16.9 hours faster than the average customs clearance time of the customs in the customs area and 16.67 hours faster than the average customs clearance time of the national import customs in the same period. The average export customs clearance time was 0.33 hours, 3.49 hours faster than the average level of customs in the customs area and 1.69 hours faster than the average time of export customs in the same period. Source: Agricultural News Network | Release Date: November 14, 2015 | Editor: Zhai Tianchang
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Argentina's agricultural exports fall in global rankingsThe Argentine media "Chronicle" reported on November 5 that according to the latest report of the Argentine Agricultural Federation, among the 11 major agricultural products exported by Argentina from 2005 to 2015, 8 kinds of export rankings have declined to varying degrees, of which the ranking has declined the most. The most serious is cow meat, wheat, apple sunflower seeds and their by-products. Beef export ranking dropped from 3rd in 2005 to 12th in 2015. Wheat and apple dropped from 4th to 8th. Sunflower oil and seed powder dropped from 1st to 3rd. Lemon dropped from 3rd to 4th. Pear dropped from 1st to 2nd; corn on the Cob from second to third place. Only 11 agricultural products soybean the global ranking of exports of its by-products remained unchanged, with soybeans in third place and soybean oil and soybean flour in first place. The Argentine media "Chronicle" reported on November 5 that according to the latest report of the Argentine Agricultural Federation, among the 11 major agricultural products exported by Argentina from 2005 to 2015, 8 kinds of export rankings have declined to varying degrees, of which the ranking has declined the most. The serious ones are beef, wheat, apples, sunflower seeds and their by-products. Beef export ranking dropped from 3rd in 2005 to 12th in 2015; wheat and apple dropped from 4th to 8th; sunflower oil and seed powder dropped from 1st to 3rd; lemon dropped from 3rd to 4th; pear dropped from 1st to 2nd; corn dropped from 2nd to 3rd. Among the 11 agricultural products, only the global ranking of soybean and its by-products remained unchanged, of which soybean ranked third; soybean oil and soybean meal ranked first. Source: First Agricultural Economic Co-operation | Release Date: November 09, 2015 | Responsible Editor: Zhai Tianchang
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US agricultural prices still face downward pressure~ ~ U.S. ag prices remain under pressure Large inventories, strong dollar, Chinese economy all weighing down on U.S. agriculture prices Published on: Nov 4, 2015 Farm income in the United States will continue to be challenged by a confluence of global economic factors - mounting supplies of grain and oilseeds, the U.S. dollar's continued strength and slowing growth in China - through the remainder of 2015 and into 2016, according to the new Quarterly Rural Economic Review from CoBank. Net cash farm income will probably continue to decline over the next year or two, though to a lesser extent than the 25 to 30% drop posted in 2014-15. U.S. interest rates will be rising during the next year or two, as the Fed moves to normalize short-term rates. As a result, farmland values will recede, but it should be an orderly, measured decline, with cropland values bottoming out 10 to 15% on average below the cyclical high. With inventories growing, crop prices should stay near their current levels well into 2016, according to the report. At the same time, those weak crop prices will continue to aid ethanol producers as well as the animal protein and dairy sectors. All three of these industries have suffered their own declining prices of late. Aggressive expansion The animal protein industries are at different stages of what promises to be an aggressive expansion of meat supplies, while dairy producers also are intent on bolstering output, the report noted. Animal protein - beef, pork and poultry - supplies are all on the rise after several years of challenges brought on by drought, higher feed grain prices and disease. In fact, the animal protein complex is now growing per capita meat supplies at the fastest rate in nearly 40 years. The larger supplies will likely cause meat prices to erode over the next two years, but should also improve capacity utilization for some links in the supply chain. "Low feed costs will continue to benefit both animal protein and dairy sectors, but the dairy industry will face heightened risk in 2016 due to its growing export dependency and sharp increases in global and domestic milk supplies," the report stated. http://farmfutures.com/story-ag-prices-remain-under-pressure-18-133830
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E-farming could help European farmers save time and money~~'E-agriculture' could save EU farmers time and money EurActiv.gr by Sarantis Michalopoulos ? 20 Oct 2015 - 06:51 updated: 27 Oct 2015 - 11:26 SPECIAL REPORT / The introduction of new information and communications technologies in the EU agricultural sector could significantly contribute to its future sustainability, as well as the quality of life for farmers and consumers. The new Common Agricultural Policy for 2014-2020 prioritises innovation in order to help the sector adapt to the new competitive environment, and promote “greener” policies. In a recent interview with EurActiv, Phil Hogan, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, talked about an "Agri-tech revolution" and the use of advanced ICT at all stages in the food chain on the farm, through to processing and retailing. “Such innovations will improve the quality of crop production, the quality of livestock health, but also, crucially, the quality of life for farmers," he noted. Irish farmers getting “mobile” Herdwatch is a cloud-based farming app which allows cattle farmers manage their beef or dairy herds via a smartphone, tablet or computer. It started 3 years ago in Ireland, as a small project between the FRS Network, a farmer-owned Irish co-operative, and their IT Manager, Fabien Peyaud, who came up with the initial concept, and conducted most of the research and development since. FRS started looking for ways to help farmers become more efficient through the use of technology, and discovered that over 90% of cattle farmers did not use any form of computerised herd management system. The Herdwatch Team ran farmer focus groups, attended agricultural events and discussion groups in order to connect with farmers face to face and determine what they were looking. Herdwatch is using innovative mobile technology to enable livestock farmers around Ireland, the EU and the world to spend as little time as possible on farm compliance and paperwork, so they can spend as much time as possible adding value to their business, which feeds billions of people. Currently, more than 1,300 farmers are using this farming app, and its founders have already started the plans for the expansion of the app in the EU. "Farmers live the quintessential "nomad" lifestyle, always on the go, and despite the popular urban perception, they are a technologically strong group of people, and it makes perfect sense for them to adopt mobile technology to improve their lifestyle and make them more efficient," Peyaud told EurActiv. He continued, stressing that it gave farmers exactly what they were looking. “A truly mobile herd management solution, which saves them time, gives them peace of mind and is both easy to use and value for money, at less than €2 a week ." "Compliance and traceability are key for EU consumer confidence, and therefore, it's critical to EU farm businesses trying to access new markets, but it is also an extra administrative burden which Herdwatch helps reduce greatly. Our farmers never have to use pen or paper in order to be compliant," he added. “Map your meal” But smart farming apps could also benefit farmers and consumers. “Map your meal” is an agriculture-related smartphone application which aims at enhancing the public awareness understanding of global interdependence via exploring the global food system. The partners of the project, Future Worlds Center (Cyprus), Sudwind (Austria), C.E.G.A (Bulgaria), Fair Trade Hellas (Greece), and CDEC (UK) are planning to launch the EU-funded application in April. Currently is it in the research phase. With this smartphone application, farmers and consumers will “scan” the products to see their “fairness” and “how much green” they are. They will be aware of selected products' journey, tracing each step of the way, from production to selling, as well as the product's socioeconomic and environmental impact on farmers, work and local communities (Fairness and Greenness indicator). “Consuming in a responsible way regarding fairness and greenness is a citizen's act like our vote is. Our food choices really matter in our interconnected world”, Kelly Garifalli, a researcher for the Map Your Meal app, told EurActiv. Consumers will also have the opportunity to be informed about a possible usage of GMOs and pesticides in the ingredients and in the production process, the extent to which the ingredients used are fairly traded, and the distance of transportation for each product. The database of the application currently under development will be gradually enriched with more and more products. “We are planning a public launch of the smartphone app with street actions in city centers, in front of supermarkets, in April," Garifalli added. The role of EU digital policy Dr Adam Ulrich, Secretary General of the European Agricultural Machinery (CEMA), told EurActiv that the EU Digital Policy should play an important role in accompanying and supporting the truly transformative path that lies ahead. “Digital technologies are set to transform the world of agriculture in the years ahead and will fundamentally reshape the agri-food value chain in Europe and beyond," he said. He stressed that a smart regulatory framework was needed which would help to unlock the full potential of the digital economy in European agriculture and rural areas. “This [framework] will empower relevant actors to master and manage the upcoming digital transition in a sustainable and inclusive way ." According to Ulrich, a dedicated Commission taskforce should be put in place to formulate a coherent EU policy strategy to promote the digital transformation in European agriculture and rural areas and improve broadband infrastructure in rural Europe for rapidly growing data flows. The European Commission's Digital Single Market strategy, outlined on 26 March, brought farm policy into the digital picture for the first time by associating the EU's Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan with the team of contributors. The promotion of hi-tech in agriculture, including a move towards precision farming, was already part of the programme of the previous Commission, with initiatives such as theEIP-AGRI innovation partnership. Precision farming involves data-based technologies, including satellite navigation tools and the Internet, to manage crops, and reduce the use of fertilisers, pesticides and water. Hi-tech farming is being actively promoted by the European Commission, and is eligible for funding under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU's €50-billion a year agriculture support programme. http://www.euractiv.com/sections/innovation-feeding-world/e-agriculture-could-save-eu-farmers-time-and-money-318644
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US farmers protest TPP~~US farm lobby group campaigning against the Trans Pacific Partnership ABC Rural By Brett Worthington The 12-country deal seeks to make it cheaper, and easier, to trade throughout the Pacific rim. But the National Farmers' Union fears currency manipulation threatens to wipe out all the gains the deal might make. "It's very obvious after reading through the text that this is another cookie cutter free trade agreement," NFU senior vice president Chandler Goule said. The NFU wants US politicians to vote down the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) when it goes to the Congress next year. It fears countries will manipulate, or devalue, their currency, making US products more expensive in foreign markets while capitalising on tariff reductions on offer selling back into the US. "Without effective currency manipulation recourse in this agreement, we definitely see that that's going to be an issue moving forward," Mr Goule said. "We're not concerned about that with New Zealand and Australia, but it's the other countries in the Pacific rim that are involved in this ." Presidential candidates speak out against the TPP Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump used this week's pre-selection debate in Milwaukee to again vent his opposition to the TPP. "Currency manipulation is the single great weapon people have - they don't even discuss it in this [TPP] agreement," he said. "I say it's a very bad deal [and] should not be approved ." The two front runners vying for the Democrat presidential candidacy - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders - have both distanced themselves from the TPP. Mrs Clinton said, while a vocal supporter of the early TPP talks when she was a cabinet secretary in the Obama administration, she had since changed her stance. She said the TPP no longer met her "standards ". Calls for enforceable currency protections TPP countries, of which China is not one, have agreed on a side deal to combat currency manipulation. Essentially, they've agreed not to manipulate their currencies but opponents say this deal is a toothless tiger. Mr Goule said his country shouldn't agree to any further trade deals until enforceable currency provisions were included. "Time and time again we keep signing free trade agreements with countries and then they devalue their currency," he said. We've got bad actors out there that are willing to make these agreements and then devalue their currency Chandler Goule, US National Farmers' Union vice president "This has got to become a part of the boilerplate language that's in these trade agreements. "Let's call it. We've got bad actors out there that are willing to make these agreements and then devalue their currency and you lose all of the gains that were negotiated for US producers. "To us, that's too big of a concern and one of the biggest reasons why we oppose the TPP ." China's devaluing of its currency prompted other Asian countries to follow suit. Economists have since said the Yuan was now at a fair level. Mr Goule said he feared future Chinese adjustments would prompt Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea to adjust their currencies. Farm lobby groups with mixed reactions to the TPP The National Farmers Union represents 200,000 family farmers, ranchers, fishermen and consumers in the United States. It's the second largest, and oldest, general farm organisation in the country. The country's largest general farm organisation, the American Farm Bureau, has backed the TPP agreement. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the National Chicken Council have also publically supported the deal. But Mr Goule said he feared beef snapback provisions in Japan would also harm US farmers. "The tariff reduction schedule for Japan, which is one of the largest, markets that they're trying to get to is over a 30 year time period," he said. "It also includes a snapback provision that should the Japanese government determine that their domestic prices are being affected by imports from the United States, they can immediately put the tariffs back on. "We didn't get any of those protections from dairy from New Zealand or from sugar from Australia or anything else that the US had to give up ." Mr Goule said he expected the US Senate would first endorse the TPP, with a battle in the House of Representatives to follow. "That's clearly where we are targeting," he said. "You've got the far-left Democrats and then the freedom caucus - the far right Tea Party Republicans - that don't like this agreement. "If they come together I think that's the only place we will be able to stop this agreement here in our legislative process ." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-12/national-farmers-union-tpp-opposition/6935608
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US suspends duty-free treatment of South African farm products~ ~ Sunday Times Business By Bloomberg, 2015-11-06 US to suspend South Africa duty-free farm trade status At the heart of the dispute were American chicken and cattle farmers who wanted the South African government to remove trade restrictions imposed to protect the local industry. Image: JAMES OATWAY / SUNDAY TIMES The US plans to suspend trade benefits on agricultural goods from South Africa, intensifying a dispute over the country's restrictions on farm imports that had pitted farmers in the two nations against each other. The action follows a US review of South Africa's status as a full beneficiary of a preferential trade agreement under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, which eliminates import levies on more than 7,000 products ranging from textiles to manufactured items. The US determined that South Africa has continued imposing barriers to US trade, including American agricultural exports, according to a letter President Barack Obama sent to the Congress on Thursday. The suspension will become effective in 60 days, according to the notice. The value of duty-free South African farming exports to the US market was $176 million in 2014, just a fraction of its $1.7 billion of trade under AGOA, according to US Department of Commerce data. While that proportion may be low, the suspension threatens to strain trade relations between the nations. The trade program has helped South Africa more than double its exports to the US since 2000. Shipments under the agreement accounted for more than a fifth of the nation's exports to the US last year, according to data compiled by the Trade Law Centre, based in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town. Total two-way trade between South Africa and the US was about $14 billion last year. Pact Assessment “I will continue to assess whether South Africa is making continual progress toward the elimination of barriers to US trade and investment in accordance with AGOA eligibility requirements, as well as whether this suspension of benefits is effective in promoting compliance with those requirements," Obama said in the letter. South Africa has ignored US concerns about blocking US beef, chicken and pork for years, said Representative Ed Royce of California, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a statement on Thursday. “It is important for the South African economy, and our continued strong relationship with the people of South Africa, that they resolve these problems and regain AGOA eligibility," Royce said. AGOA, renewed by US lawmakers in June, benefits 39 sub- Saharan African nations. To remain a beneficiary, countries are required to eliminate barriers to US trade and investment, operate a market-based economy, protect workers' rights and implement economic policies to reduce poverty. Trade Restrictions At the heart of the dispute between the US and South Africa were American chicken and cattle farmers who wanted South Africa's government to remove trade restrictions imposed to protect the local industry from a flood of cheaper imports. South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said in September that his country had done all it could to retain access to AGOA. “We are not too sure what is going on because the message we got from the poultry industry is that things are running well and that it was all systems go, but obviously that was not the case," Johan Pienaar, deputy chief executive officer of Agri SA, the biggest representative of the nation's agriculture industry, said by phone on Friday. “It came as a surprise to us and this is a pity. We will have to pull out all the stops as of today and engage with the department and hopefully with the minister as well ." South Africa's poultry industry won't change its requirements unless the government says it should, Kevin Lovell, CEO of the country's Poultry Association, known as SAPA, said. African nations that no longer qualify as beneficiaries under AGOA include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia and South Sudan. The US announced last week Burundi will be expelled from the trade pact after deadly violence connected to a political crisis in the East African nation. Swaziland lost its access in January because of an alleged lack of protection of workers' rights, while Zimbabwe and Sudan aren't eligible. SA 'surprised' by move Reuters on Friday reported that South Africa's agriculture minister was surprised by the United States planned to revoke duty-free status. "I am surprised because our veterinarians were meeting with the Americans last week," Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana said on ENCA television. "They exchanged information. We are waiting for the Americans to respond to the suggestions we have made ." Trade Minister Rob Davies meanwhile told a news conference in Cape Town that they are taking the warning seriously. "We also believe that we are pretty close to resolving the sanitary matters that were outstanding ."
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The Impact of TPP on Agriculture: Explained by Six Agricultural ProductsThe TPP's impact on agriculture, explained in 6 products What the Trans-Pacific Partnership means for your plate - and 800 million other people's. Updated by Dara Lind on November 10, 2015, 10:50 Agricultural products have always been one of America's major export industries, and improving American farmers' access to foreign markets was a key negotiating objective for the United States in putting together the Trans-Pacific Partnership. At the same time, no domestically focused agriculture industry is cheering the TPP as an unmitigated victory. But the most powerful domestic industries in particularly rich TPP countries fared a lot better than others. "In part because there was such a last-minute push and desire to get it all done, there was a degree of settling," says Phil Levy of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The result is an agreement that is long on complicated details and kludgy compromises in a way that defies easy summary. But it should add up to a major change in global patterns of trade in meat and dairy products: with cow products crisscrossing the Pacific from the United States to Asia and from Australia to Canada, while also significantly boosting US output of staple crops like corn and soybeans. But beyond simple changes in trade patterns, TPP also encodes a major conflict between the United States and Europe over philosophical approaches to regulation, with the US government and US farm producers trying to convert Asia to their lighter-touch approach in hopes of eventually defeating the more intense European regulatory framework on a larger world stage. American soybean farmers scored a huge win On the face of it, the biggest winners from the TPP in American agriculture are livestock farmers and ranchers. The TPP cuts import taxes (I .e., tariffs) on meat products sent from one TPP country to another. In many cases, it eliminates the tariffs entirely over time. That's a big market opportunity for US producers who are looking to sell more beef and chicken to densely populated Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia, whose growing economies are fueling middle-class appetites for meat. But the biggest winners aren't ranchers - they're soybean farmers. TPP provides soybean farmers with more export opportunities, but also stands to create substantially more demand for domestic consumption of soybean products as livestock feed. Export benefits: The US makes more money exporting soybeans than it does off any other crop (and it isn't close). The US already sends $5.5 billion in soybeans and soybean products (like oil and meal) to the TPP countries a year. Soybean growers are assuming that once consumers no longer have to pay higher prices to cover the cost of tariffs, they'll buy more of them. Domestic benefits: What most excites the American Soybean Association is the TPP's reductions in meat tariffs. That's because while more than half of American soybeans grown right now get shipped abroad, the domestic market is large in its own right, and it's driven by consumption of soybean meal for farm animals. The more US-grown meat Asian people eat, the more US-grown soymeal America's farm animals will consume. industrial soybean export Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times The industry is also looking forward to a broader, tertiary effect. If the TPP helps create a class of affluent consumers in emerging countries like Vietnam and Malaysia, argues Patrick Dempsey, the director of policy communications for the American Soybean Association, that's good for American agriculture, too. "As economies develop and really emerge, their taste for meat protein increases," Dempsey says. "There's this idea of the meat protein continuum: You start at fish, then you go to chicken, then you go to pork, then you go to beef." All of those changes are presumably good for American exporters - but especially beef, Dempsey says. Not only is it the highest level on the continuum of meat consumption, but "smaller countries tend not to have enough land resources to raise beef." So they end up with a significant demand for imports from the sparsely populated United States. Beef tariffs will remain in Japan Even as tariffs tumble in developing Asia, the agriculture provisions of the TPP will allow Canada, the US, and especially Japan to maintain tariff protections for domestic producers, albeit at reduced levels. The ultimate impact of these changes is a little difficult to estimate in advance. When it comes to beef in Japan, for example - a product America shipped $2 billion of to Japan last year, despite tariffs as high as 35 percent - even American farmers are in disagreement with one another about whether the TPP improved their access to the Japanese market. The TPP drastically cuts beef tariffs for Japan: Eventually, the basic tariff will fall to 9 percent. But there's a "safeguard" provision - otherwise known as a "snapback" - that gives Japan the option of bringing tariffs back up to a high rate if the amount of volume of beef imports soars too high. The National Farmers' Union says the snapback provision basically wipes out any benefit to US farmers from Japanese tariff reduction. In a statement, the group described beef export opportunities under the TPP as "very modest ." But Kent Bacus of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, generally a less politically left-wing group than the NFU, is more sanguine and says that while the snapback is "not ideal, it's still much better than the current framework ." cattle George Rose/Getty His logic: Right now, Japan already hikes tariffs when imports exceed a certain amount - meaning tariff rates can reach 50 percent. Under the TPP, the "snapback" rate would start at only 38.5 percent. Furthermore, as time goes on, Japan would have to increase the amount of beef it could let into the country before applying snapback rates, while reducing the amount of tariff it could charge. Sooner or later, Uden suspects, Japanese beef imports won't even meet the threshold for snapback to begin. Even if the more pessimistic projections of the National Farmers' Union were right, "very modest" opportunities would still be better than no opportunities at all. What really worries the National Farmers' Union is that the US is cutting its own tariffs for beef imports - eliminating tariffs on Wagyu beef from Japan, as well as on beef from Australia and New Zealand. "Japan's protection, coupled with the very generous access the U.S. gave the rest of the world, will likely push down domestic prices," NFU's statement says. Conversely, ranchers from Australia and New Zealand are thrilled about the deal: New Zealand alone exported $1.5 billion worth of beef to TPP countries in 2014, and the United States was the biggest market of all. But here, too, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is more optimistic about TPP than the Farmers' Union. The NCBA agrees that the domestic market for beef consumption will get a little more competitive, though Uden maintains that "we're not giving up a whole lot" to Australia and New Zealand in comparison with the TPP's "tremendous opportunity in Japan, in Malaysia, in Vietnam." But Uden also claims that sometimes importing beef can actually help American beef producers charge more for their products. "Most of that beef we import" from Australia and New Zealand right now, Uden says, "is used in commercial beef. We mix that with 'trim' - some of the fat from US beef - to meet the growing ground beef demands here in the United States. And some of those muscle cuts that we would be using for ground beef, we're turning into higher-value cuts like flat iron steaks, which yield a better profit ." Japan will pay farmers to grow rice they don't sell japan rice office building John S Lander/LightRocket Most rice in Japan is not grown inside office buildings. One odd example of the contortions national governments ended up going through to make the full interest group politics of TPP work comes from the Japanese rice industry. Japan ended up making significant concessions to would-be rice exporters in the TPP itself - although negotiations on rice tariffs literally ran up until the morning the deal was finalized in early October - but got the Japanese government to pick up the slack domestically. The deal cuts Japanese rice tariffs moderately, and increases the amount of rice the US and Australia can export to Japan with no tariff by 84,700 metric tons. But Japan has agreed to offset that by purchasing 84,700 metric tons of domestic rice each year "for stockpiling, thus isolating it from the domestic market and preventing any falls in the domestic price," according to the East Asia Forum. Canadian dairy protectionism will relax slightly The Canadian dairy industry managed to turn TPP's treatment of its interests into an issue in the country's general election this fall. The industry is currently governed by a philosophy called "supply management." Sylvain Charlebois of the University of Guelph described this to the Financial Post as meaning "producing what we need domestically, and that's it." Canadian dairy production is regulated by consumer demand; it isn't designed for export, and it doesn't allow tariff-free imports, either. The TPP doesn't exactly throw Canada's dairy market totally open to competition, but it does begin to pry the door open. The deal requires Canada to allow an amount of dairy imports equal to 3.25 percent of domestic dairy production - as measured by butterfat content. Cow-rich New Zealand and Australia, in particular, are greatly frustrated that the deal doesn't do more to open up dairy markets (or sugar markets, thanks to the US). But it's a fundamental change in the type of policy Canada is using to regulate dairy. The TPP means the country is moving away from pure "supply management," in which domestic production and domestic demand are equal, and toward something different. (The US sugar industry, which also got largely protected from the TPP, is also described as operating on "supply management" principles.) industrial butter John Patriquin/Portland Press Herald A Portland dairy turns a product less threatening to Canadian dairy into one more threatening to Canadian dairy. So Canadian dairy farmers are worried about a "slow erosion" of supply management. As Sandra Da Silva of the Dairy Farmers of Canada said, "We continue to persist in saying that the best scenario would have been no access granted to the Canadian dairy market" at all. A new food safety framework will help American grain farmers Safety regulations are set by individual countries, but they obviously have a powerful influence on trade: One country can simply block an import from another country if it doesn't meet regulatory standards. That means, of course, that an importing country could hypothetically use strict regulations as a replacement for tariffs, as Levy of the Chicago Council explains: "If I can slap a 100 percent tariff on your product, I don't have to argue it's unsafe. But now that I have to get rid of (the tariff), I might want to claim, 'Aah! Her things will kill you within two years.' It has the same effect, it keeps them out, but I didn't need to resort to that earlier." These are called technical barriers to trade, and the TPP's chapter on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues seeks to reduce them. The US Grains Council, in an article praising the TPP, brings up an example: Mexico recently held up shipments of U.S. corn because it required additional fumigation under the presumption that the shipments had excessive soil contamination. [...] The SPS incidents started occurring after Mexico was unable to apply new raised tariffs to corn imported from the United States and Canada due to the North American Free Trade Agreement. SPS agreements like the one in the TPP don't directly set standards for fumigating corn or anything else. Instead, they represent an agreement by the participating countries that they all share the same principles in safety regulation - and, sometimes, a mechanism for one country to challenge another if it thinks those principles are being violated. In other words, SPS agreements don't require anyone to regulate imports more strictly (although they do include guidelines for when importers can inspect facilities in exporting countries). But they can pressure countries to deregulate. For that reason, SPS agreements in trade deals in general are distrusted by progressives who see SPS as a way for American businesses to force poorer countries to accept inferior or unsafe products through sheer economic force. nebraska corn harvesting Andrew Burton/Getty This corn seems pretty safe! But this is also a philosophical disagreement about when a government should regulate particular ingredients or processes: Do you assume that something is safe until it's proven not to be, or do you assume it's harmful until it's proven safe? The US advocates for the former approach, which it calls "scientific." Europe takes the latter approach, which it calls "precautionary ." The World Trade Organization's standards for SPS say it's sometimes okay for countries to take a precautionary approach to food safety, but they also say regulations should be based in science. That's created constant haggling over what exactly those terms mean. Most trade agreements simply echo the WTO's language on SPS. The TPP very much does not. Instead, it fully embraces the "scientific" side of the argument: Substances should be safe until proven otherwise. By extension, if a country bans a product - or simply forces a company to go through more effort to meet safety standards - just because something's untested is sufficient reason for a TPP exporter to accuse the importing country of protectionism. It's no mistake that the adoption of "scientific" standards is happening in a trade deal that doesn't include European countries. The US is hoping that the TPP, especially as other countries join it, helps create a countervailing power to Europe when it comes to bigger international fights over regulation - especially if, as it hopes, the Southeast Asian countries involved in the TPP continue rapid economic growth. As Levy says, "You can set these standards and then say to your French friends, 'Aha! Fait accompli! '" More American regulations on products like catfish might get challenged Another way the TPP encourages deregulation of national food safety regimes is by increasing the speed with which one country can challenge another's regulations. The government stresses that losing a regulatory challenge doesn't result in automatic deregulation, just the reinstatement of tariffs on the losing country by the winner. But that's only a punishment because no country's businesses want to deal with tariffs again. So progressive groups are concerned that business interests will pressure their governments to deregulate (or water down regulations) to resolve disputes quickly. What's especially worrisome about the TPP in particular, to progressive critics, is that it encourages countries to resolve regulatory fights quickly and informally. When one TPP member blocks an agricultural import shipment from another, it has seven days to notify the exporter as to why the shipment's been blocked and what information it needs to get the dispute resolved. Industry groups like the US Grains Council love this idea, arguing that it ensures that trade disputes can be resolved quickly without forcing perishable exports to go to waste. Conversely, when a country exporting a good to another TPP member believes it's being asked to meet "unscientific" regulatory standards, it doesn't have to go through the formal (and time-consuming) dispute process; it can set up a quick bilateral meeting within 30 days, and the two countries are encouraged to figure out a plan to resolve the dispute within 180 days. Historically, it's been more typical for America to use SPS challenges against other countries than the other way around. And since America is a lot wealthier than most of the countries it's challenging, with more money to pay its lawyers, it tends to win. So for economic reasons, as well as political ones, America has a reason to push SPS standards that make it easy for countries to deregulate. But the relative ease of challenging another country within the TPP agreement, according to TPP critic Steve Suppan of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, could make challenges to US regulations more common - especially as subsidiaries of multinational corporations pop up in emerging Southeast Asian countries. In fact, the US has already seen a glimpse of what that future might look like: catfish. catfish Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times In 2008, the domestic catfish industry, which is anchored in Mississippi and Louisiana, successfully lobbied the government to increase safety inspections and regulations on catfish. It arranged for catfish inspections to be moved out of the purview of the Food and Drug Administration (which handles all other seafood regulation) and into the purview of the US Department of Agriculture, which conducts more frequent inspections and has stricter guidelines. American catfishers were worried about the increasing volume of Vietnamese catfish imports, which were being raised under lower regulatory standards, particularly when it came to antibiotics in the water supply, than American catfish were. It took a long time for the US to finalize the regulatory shift. And suddenly, this spring, it briefly looked like it wouldn't happen at all. Vietnam was in the late stages of negotiating the TPP with other member countries, and it felt that the catfish regulations were exactly the kind of "unscientific" thing the TPP was designed to protect. It purportedly threatened not to open its market to American beef unless the US agreed to keep the old catfish inspection standards. The US won the standoff - nothing about the catfish was included either in the main text of the TPP or in the US's separate agreement with Vietnam. But that's not to say that, somewhere down the line, Vietnam can't decide that the US is in fact implementing its catfish regulations in an unscientific manner, and force the US to the table to work out a solution. An agreement for farmers, not eaters The overarching story of TPP's agricultural provisions is that even though everyone eats food and only a few people grow it, national negotiating priorities in rich democracies consistently reflect the interests of farmers rather than eaters. The Canadian government sought to protect the country from the threat of cheaper milk and butter, while America partially staved off lower prices from imported Australian beef (while making sure its beef producers got access to export markets). Japan did agree to let its population avail itself of cheaper rice, but is doing so only reluctantly and is offering Japanese rice farmers monetary compensation. The hope is that out of this muddle of producer interests arises a series of wins for consumers, and on the tariff side, at least, it's easy enough to trace the lines through which that happens. But as modern trade deals increasingly reach into regulatory issues that are contentious domestically as well as internationally, the elite-focused nature of the negotiations creates anxiety among those predisposed to worry about underregulation of major industries. http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/11/10/9704368/tpp-agriculture-food-safety
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Israel, China sign action plan for agricultural cooperation~ ~ Israel, China sign joint agricultural action plan to strengthen cooperation Experts cautiously optimistic about future growth in mutual trade, research AGRICULTURE MINISTER Uri Ariel and Chinese Deputy Agriculture Minister Yu Xinrong shake hands after AGRICULTURE MINISTER Uri Ariel and Chinese Deputy Agriculture Minister Yu Xinrong shake hands after signing an agricultural development plan on Thursday.. (photo credit:NAAMA ROSENBERG) Aiming to expand existing agricultural trade and research opportunities between the two countries, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and China's Deputy Agriculture Minister Yu Xinrong have signed a joint action plan for future collaborations with the hopes of doubling agricultural trade volume between the two nations over the next five years. The signing, which took place on Thursday at the Israeli Agriculture Ministry in the presence of China's Vice Prime Minister Wang Yang, was a follow-up to an August meeting between the Israeli and Chinese agriculture ministers in Beijing. The joint action plan aims to promote cooperation between the two nations in the sector, specifically focusing on bilateral trade, knowledge exchanges and collaborative research projects, the Agriculture Ministry explained. “We are excited about the economic and trade cooperation between Israel and China," Ariel said. “There are many successes, but it is not enough. There is more to do to broaden the bilateral ties, and the purpose of this meeting was to advance further achievements. Let us increase our exports to Asia and, thereby, help farmers, as well as limit the European boycott ." By continually strengthening cooperation, the action plan aims to speed up agricultural trade volume between China and Israel to $450 million by 2020. Such a goal is reasonable because the number is approximately double the agricultural trade volume between the two countries now, the Agriculture Ministry's deputy director-general for foreign trade and international relations, Itzik Ben-David, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, since China in the past has not been a typical target for food imports and exports in Israel due to the long distance involved and various other aspects of the Chinese market. Israel currently is exporting about $60m. of food products to China and about $2.5 billion of food products globally, while importing about $180m. of food products from China, and about $5.5b. of food products from the rest of the world, according to Ben-David. Trade likely will grow in more significant volumes in the agricultural technology market, Ben-David said, so the two countries are aiming to mutually promote agricultural trade and encourage entrepreneurs to engage in collaborative work on issues such as food quality and crop protection systems. Also key to the plan is promoting cooperation in and establishing joint research centers and laboratories that focus on areas such as genetics, desert agriculture, plant and animal cultivation and food safety, the ministry said. The two countries also will promote other collaborative projects, such as the future Ningxia-Israel Training and Demonstration Farm, the Agriculture Ministry added. The fruits of an agreement signed between MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation - and the local Ningxia government at the end of October, the demonstration facility is slated to showcase Israeli agricultural and irrigation technologies, the Foreign Ministry said at the time. Another existing place where the action plan calls for expanded cooperation is MASHAV's Chinese-Israeli International Center for Training in Agriculture, at the Agricultural University of China, established in 1993 by then-foreign minister Shimon Peres, which began operations in 1998. A central motivator behind the joint action plan is the insufficient amount of cooperation on a scientific level in the Chinese and Israeli agricultural sectors, explained Prof. Sheenan Harpaz, deputy director for research and development at the Agricultural Research Organization's Volcani Center - the research arm of the Agriculture Ministry. “There's a lot of activity that MASHAV does that is giving on-the-ground instruction, but from a scientific point of view, [Israel and China] would like to see more mutual scientific work," Harpaz told the Post on Sunday. “For that, they are prepared to consider establishing a center for scientific cooperation ." One crucial area that scientists from both countries are likely to work on together is that of post-harvest, he said. Research collaborations with their Chinese colleagues would have great benefits for Israeli agricultural scientists since the collaborators would be able to receive input from each other and funds from both governments, Harpaz explained. “We tend to look at it as one and one yields three," he said. “There's a synergistic effect here ." Regarding the demonstration farm planned for Ningxia, Harpaz said the Chinese government is eager to invest in Ningxia, as the country works on promoting its autonomous regions. There, the government would like to bring in technologies that help farm the desert, he added. Being involved in such demonstration facilities around the world benefits Israel as the people on the ground begin to become familiar with innovation developed by Israeli companies, Harpaz said. “It enhances the Israeli industry here," he continued. Moving forward, Harpaz said he had a positive feeling about the future of Israeli and Chinese collaborations in the agricultural sector, acknowledging that the growth would be gradual. Doing business in China is still not easy, he explained, citing his own experience of the past two years trying to bring the Kora aquaculture firm there. “It seems like it's getting better now," he said. “In the area of agriculture, it's been difficult to get business going with the Chinese. But hopefully once it gets going, it will have it's own momentum ." “My overall outlook is optimistic," Harpaz added. “I think the time that has passed over the past few years and the realization that they need to feed their people has prompted them to seek our innovative technologies ." http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Environment/Israel-China-sign-joint-agricultural-action-plan-to-strengthen-cooperation-433203
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Precision agriculture improves aquaculture productivity~~Precision agriculture driving productivity in the livestock sector ABC Rural Cassie Hough New technology in livestock industries is allowing graziers to collect and use data from their properties to make decisions to productivity and minimise risks. For years precision agriculture has been dominated by the cropping sector but livestock production increasingly turning to precision technology to drive profitability. The University of New England's SMART farm has be set up to showcase the latest on-site technologies that aim to improve productivity, environmental sustainability and safety on Australian farms. One of the trials showcased at the Northern Tableland Local Land Services Livestock Innovation Forum looked at how optical sensor technology could improve the way farmers measure and manage their pastures. The handheld pasture sensor measures the colour of the groundcover and amount of biomass on the ground. That data is then translated into information farmers can use to work out stocking rates. UNE precision agriculture lecturer Mark Trotter said the aim was to create a quick and accurate way of measuring pasture. Knowing how much grass you have available is a critical bit of information if you're trying to manage your stocking rates to increase productivity. University of New England precision agriculture lecturer Mark Trotter "Knowing how much grass you have available is a critical bit of information if you're trying to manage your stocking rates to increase productivity," Mr Trotter said. "So there are many management decisions based around how much feed there is in a paddock in terms of putting pregnant ewes into a paddock or maintaining a minimum amount of residual feed so you can encourage pasture growth ." Once this system is operational Dr Trotter said the aim was to have some mapping capabilities to allow producers to map paddocks in terms of variation in pasture in paddocks and then use that to refine fertiliser decisions. Bringing gaming technology to the yards Cameras used in video games could potentially change the way live animals and carcases are assessed and valued for meat yield, meat quality and fatness. Cattle are subjectively assessed and graded by people and the carcasses that don't meet specifications can receive a discounted price from buyers. Livestock research officer with NSW DPI Brad Walmsley said helping cattle producers meet the market specifications would improve profitability. Audio: Dr Brad Walmsely explains how gaming technology could transform live cattle assessment. (ABC Rural) "In two studies done in the last two or three years we've found that on average the non-compliance rate for hot standing carcase weight and pH fat is somewhere between 10 and 20 per cent, and in one data set for a long-fed market we actually found the non-compliance rate to a minimum marble score of two was 70 per cent," Dr Walmsley said. "(That's costing) somewhere around $35 dollars per carcase in the data sets and the data sets are around 20,000 animals so $35 for 20,000 animals ." The cameras will reconstruct their image and assess the animals for their live traits such as frame score, muscle score and fat. Brad Walmsley - Livestock research officer with NSW DPI Dr Walmsley said a simple X Box camera might be a way cattle producers can objectively assess their cattle which could ultimately improve their overall market compliance. To help graziers accurately and objectively assess carcases for live cattle the DPI is working on a research project to use X Box cameras in the yards to record 3D information on the animals. "The cameras will reconstruct their image and assess the animals for their live traits such as frame score, muscle score and fat," Dr Walmsley said. "By doing that we actually move the trait from being a subjective trait when a person assesses it on the animal and gives a value to actually being an objective trait where it's done using the cameras ." "When it's an objective trait we lose all the inconsistencies that exist between people. If we can link them all together we can have someone assess the cattle in real-time and within an hour they could be on a website and you could have a buyer ." Farming with big data When agribusiness giant Monsanto paid a little under $1 billion in 2013 for the Climate Corporation, a company that specialises big data, it put the world on alert that "big data" was the next big thing in agribusiness. Livestock research officer with NSW Department of Primary Industries Brad Walmsley said around the world agriculture groups were not sure what big data was but everyone thought it was important. Mr Walmsley said precision agriculture was ultimately "about people and decisions, not data and information ". Beef and sheep producer Matt Ryan from Sodwells on the Central Tablelands is using data to improve his herd. "We want to make sure we know what every cow and every bull on our place is doing in terms of their progeny's performance, in order to do that we have to be able to identify the sire and the dam of the progeny ." This means when Mr Ryan gets back carcase details he is able to match it up with the bulls and cows to know which animals in the herd are making him the most money. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-16/precision-ag-driving-livestock-innovation/6940094
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UN expert: climate change a major threat to food security~~Climate change poses 'major threat' to food security, warns UN expert 3 November 2015 - Climate change poses severe and distinct threats to food security, and could subject an additional 600 million people to malnutrition by 2080, a United Nations human rights expert warned today. “Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as floods and droughts have a significant impact on the right to food," said Hilal Elver, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, in a news release. “All these climate incidents will negatively impact on crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and on people's livelihoods," she added, warning that responding to the food demand through large-scale production oriented agricultural models is not the right solution. Ms. Elver also underlined that there is a need for a major shift from industrial agriculture to transformative systems such as agro-ecology that support the local food movement, protect small holder farmers, respect human rights, food democracy and cultural traditions, and at the same time maintain environmental sustainability and facilitate a healthy diet. “Those who have contributed the least to global warming are the ones set to suffer the most from its harmful effects," she stressed. “Urgent action is needed to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, but mitigation and adaptation policies should respect the right to food as well as other fundamental human rights ." The Special Rapporteur made her recommendations in advance of the UN climate change conference, known as COP 21 due to take place in Paris from 30 November to 11 December. The aim of the summit is to achieve a universally applicable legal instrument under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Civil society pressure is mounting on the parties of the UNFCCC to achieve results in Paris by adopting a human rights approach to the climate change agreement that will respect, protect and fulfil human rights of all persons, and especially those most vulnerable. Any agreement must include a clear commitment by all relevant parties to ensuring climate justice and food security for all," Ms. Elver said. “As jointly stated by all special procedure mandate holders on World Environment Day in June, Governments should ?make sure that human rights are at the core of climate change governance .'" Meanwhile, the Special Rapporteur highlighted her concerns surrounding the impact of climate change on the right to food in her recent report presented to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee in October. Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52454#.VklA803skic
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2015 EU wheat production forecast raised to 0.149 billion tons2015 EU wheat production forecast raised to 0.149 billion tons 2015-11-05 14:34 | source: China Grain Network | the monthly data released by the European Commission this week showed that the EU's soft wheat production in 2015 will reach 0.1492 billion tons, 4.6 million tons higher than the forecast last month, and also higher than the record 0.1487 billion tons last year. The European Commission also raised its 2015 EU barley production forecast from 59 million tons to 60.9 million tons this month, up from 60.2 million tons the previous year. The 2015 EU corn production forecast was lowered from 58.4 million tons to 57.4 million tons, which is far lower than the previous year's record of 77.9 million tons.
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IGC cuts 2015/16 global wheat production estimateIGC cuts 2015/16 global wheat production estimate 2015-11-02 15:29 | source: China Grain Network | the International Grains Council (IGC) lowered its global wheat production forecast for 2015/16 on October 29. Due to poor weather conditions in Australia, the recent drought and frost have suppressed production expectations. In its monthly report, the IGC expects the current annual wheat production to be 0.726 billion tons, down 1 million tons from last month's estimate. The IGC expects a wheat production of 0.721 billion tonnes in 2014/15. IGC lowered its global wheat consumption forecast by 1 million tons to 0.718 billion tons, and its consumption forecast for 2014/15 is 0.707 billion tons. The IGC raised its all-grain production estimate to 1.999 billion tonnes, compared to its previous estimate of 1.996 billion tonnes. Despite the increase in consumption, the high yield is expected to expand global grain stocks to 0.454 billion tons next year, compared with 0.447 billion tons at the end of the previous year.
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CONAB cuts Brazil corn yield forecast~ ~ CONAB cuts Brazil corn yield forecast 2015-11-11 10:33 | source: China Grain Network | zhongda u.S. officials said a larger-than-expected drop in Argentine corn production would lead to an eight-year low in exports, despite positive election prospects. The Commodity Supply Company (CONAB), a subsidiary of Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, released a monthly report, predicting that Brazil's corn production in 2015/16 will be reduced to 81.1 million to 82.7 million tons, lower than the 8260 to 83.6 million tons predicted in October, and up to 4.2 percent lower than the 85.5 million tons in 2014/15. CONAB said that because corn planting income is not as good as soybeans, farmers will be corn farmland to relay soybeans, resulting in a decline in Brazil's corn planting area and production. Brazilian farmers start planting corn for 2015/16 in September and the planting season lasts until December. Most of the corn will be harvested between January and April. The corn year in Brazil begins in July each year.
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Supply and demand situation "face" cotton price trend will be reversedAccording to reports, the monthly analysis of the U.S. Cotton Company believes that ICE futures prices continued to fall slowly throughout July, breaking through the 63-68 cent consolidation range for the first time in August. However, the USDA monthly report released subsequently significantly lowered the U.S. cotton output and final inventory in 2015/16, resulting in a sharp rebound in cotton prices, jumping from 62 cents to around 65 cents. Over the same period, the Courtruk A Index fell below 70 cents for the first time since April 2015. Spot prices edged lower in China, India and Pakistan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed its August forecast for global cotton production and revised historical data for consumption. Globally, global production in 2015/16 was reduced by 2.5 million packets to 0.109 billion packets and consumption was increased by 210000 packets to 0.1146 billion packets. After the adjustment, global ending inventory fell by 2.9 million packages to 0.1052 billion packages. Despite this, global cotton stocks in 2015/16 are still well above historical long-term levels, and the stock-to-consumption ratio is still as high as 92%. In terms of global production, the largest adjustments include the United States (1.4 million to 13.1 million bales), China (1 million to 26 million bales) and India (500000 to 29 million bales). At the same time, Brazil's output increased by 250000 bales to 7 million bales, Australia's output increased by 200000 bales to 2.2 million bales, Pakistan's output increased by 200000 bales to 10.2 million bales, and Uzbekistan's output decreased by 200000 bales to 3.7 million bales. From the perspective of global consumption, according to the trade data since 2011/12, Bangladesh's cotton imports and consumption in recent years have been more than 100 million bales higher than the previous forecast. Therefore, the historical data of Bangladesh's consumption have been completely revised. In 2015/16, Bangladesh's consumption increased by 1.1 million packets to 5.7 million packets, China's consumption decreased by 500000 packets to 34 million packets, India's consumption decreased by 250000 packets to 26 million packets, Pakistan's consumption decreased by 100000 packets to 10.9 million packets, and Vietnam's consumption decreased by 100000 packets to 4.7 million packets. Taiwan, China, increased 100000 packages to 925000 packages and Turkey reduced 100000 packages to 6.5 million packages. The reaction of ICE futures to the USDA monthly report was mainly affected by the sharp adjustment of the US supply and demand forecast. Judging from historical experience, it is not uncommon for USDA to significantly adjust US production and demand data in its August forecast, because the forecast basis for July and August is completely different. From May to July, USDA's new annual forecast is based on data statistics and analysis, while in August, yield and output forecasts are based on field surveys of cotton fields. In 2015, many cotton-producing states in the United States had heavy rainfall, and there was great uncertainty in cotton planting area, abandonment rate and yield per unit area. Therefore, the forecast obtained by field survey in August changed greatly. According to the USDA's August forecast, the actual cotton sown area in the United States will be reduced by 100000 acres to 8.9 million acres in 2015, and the abandoned area will be increased by 500000 acres to 1 million acres, with the average yield falling by 3% month on month. The above adjustments led to a reduction of 1.4 million bales, or 10%, in the US cotton production forecast. As a result of the sharp reduction in production forecasts, US cotton exports and ending inventories were reduced in 2015/16. In 2014/15, the US cotton export forecast increased by 200000 bales to 11.2 million bales, resulting in a drop of 500000 bales in ending inventory. In 2015/16, the US cotton export forecast was cut by 800000 bales to 10 million bales due to a sharp cut in the US cotton production forecast. The above situation shows that the tight supply of cotton in the United States may become a factor supporting cotton prices in 2015/16. http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/58_288614.html Science and Technology World Network
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Thailand to create a "one village, one product" upgradeRecently, in combination with the economic stimulus plan, the Thai government has made great efforts to create an "upgraded version" of the "one village, one product" project, guiding relevant enterprises and cooperatives to improve product quality and service level, and helping products to enter the international market. In addition to the government's establishment, Thai non-governmental organizations have also actively participated in the transformation and upgrading of the "One Village, One Product" project. Recently, the Thai Chamber of Commerce has also launched a project called "One Business (Association) One (Cooperative) Society", hoping to use the channel advantages of the Chamber of Commerce to help expand the sales scope of rural products and actively explore overseas markets. According to the plan, next year, the Thai Chamber of Commerce will help about 100 agricultural cooperatives complete their transformation and upgrading and create about 3000 cooperative demonstration projects, which are expected to help relevant farmers and cooperatives increase their income by about 30%. The northern region of Thailand is one of the regions with relatively developed rural handicrafts. As the center of northern Thailand, the "One Village, One Product" project of Chiang Mai Prefecture has achieved great development, and its industrial level is in the forefront of Thailand. As the "first brand" of Chiang Mai tourism products, handmade umbrellas in Baoshan Village have become one of the preferred souvenirs for tourists in the local area. At the Handmade Umbrella Production Center in Baoshan Village, the person in charge, Canica, introduced the history and craftsmanship of traditional handmade umbrellas to reporters. According to reports, the village's handmade umbrella skills have been handed down for more than 200 years, but in the past it was only well-known in the surrounding areas. With the promotion of the "One Village, One Product" project, their handmade umbrella production has become a characteristic industry of the village and has developed rapidly, and its popularity has spread overseas. At present, the center directly drives more than 2000 farmers in the village and surrounding areas to participate in production, with an annual output of 300000 handmade umbrellas, 60% of which are sold to overseas markets through trade fairs and international trade, and about 3000 handmade umbrellas are exported to the Chinese market every year. She said that with the popularity of e-commerce and the continuous expansion of the market in China and other places, they plan to continuously improve the quality of products and expand the scale of exports to meet market demand. The "One Village, One Product" project not only provides a way for farmers to increase their income, but also opens up a new way to protect the traditional rural culture. Canica said that through the development of handmade umbrella processing, the income of participating farmers has been significantly increased, and young people in the village have gradually realized the value of traditional crafts. Now they are working with local schools to organize training courses for students during the holidays, gradually cultivating the younger generation's interest in learning traditional crafts, and cultivating successors for this ancient craft to continue to pass on. In addition, industries such as longan planting and processing and organic rice planting in Chiang Mai have also become representatives of the development of "one village, one product. In the process of developing characteristic industries, local farmers have introduced cooperative mechanisms and used low-interest agricultural loans provided by the government to improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, and expand the sales market, and achieved good development. At present, the Thai government is also stepping up the formulation of a new "one village, one product" plan, improving the project website, expanding product distribution channels, and planning to expand the "one village, one product" champion program to build it into a tourism project. Thailand's "One Village, One Product" project was launched in 2001 to help Thailand's rural areas resume production and improve farmers' living standards after the Southeast Asian financial crisis. This project encourages farmers to develop traditional or new industries, set up relevant trading companies or cooperatives, and develop rural industries with their own characteristics under the big brand of "one village, one product" under the unified management of the government. At present, Thailand's "one village, one product" project has 40000 varieties, including rice, fruits and vegetables from traditional agriculture, flowers and coffee imported from overseas, and handicrafts such as silk and handmade umbrellas handed down from generation to generation. It is expected that this year's "one village, one product" project will create a benefit of 100 billion baht (1 yuan is about 5.6 baht). According to Suyi, Deputy Minister of Commerce of Thailand, there are 5000 products with high export potential. The export market is expected to reach 20 billion baht this year, and it is expected to grow by 20% next year. November 10, 2015 07:57 Source: People's Daily Author: Zhang Zhiwen