Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) is a non-profit advocacy group led by farmers who support freer trade and a farmers freedom to choose the tools, technologies and strategies they need to maximize productivity and profitability in a sustainable manner. Since 2006, TATT has brought farmers from different countries together during World Food Prize week in Des Moines to attend …
GAP Report Unveiled at World Food Prize
The Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) released its 4th annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report® (GAP Report®) at the World Food Prize Symposium Wednesday before a record crowd of global scientists, agricultural industry experts, farmers, and development professionals. “This particular report focuses on value chains and what that means for farmers and consumers,” said Dr. Margaret Zeigler, GHI executive director. “We wanted …
Howard Buffett Foundation Initiatives Announced
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and philanthropist/farmer Howard G. Buffett were the stars at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues today in Des Moines, launching new initiatives to address conservation, hunger and poverty issues in Africa. For one, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation has formed a partnership with John Deere and DuPont Pioneer to promote conservation agriculture adoption and …
R&D LifeSciences Supplementing O.H. Kruse Feeds
One of the companies that exhibited at the O.H. Kruse Grand Opportunities event this week was R&D LifeSciences. I visited with David Zehendner, President/CEO, pictured on right with Michael DuBois. The mission of R&D LifeSciences is to produce highly specific, proprietary feed ingredients and formulations, while solving producer problems and offering alternatives to increase their bottom line. As a base …
Cancellation and Postponement of USDA Reports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) have cancelled or postponed publication of selected USDA statistical reports impacted by the lapse in federal funding. NASS’s Crop Production and Cotton Ginnings reports and the WAOB’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) scheduled for October 11th are canceled. The …
Meatless Monday Campaign Flops
This is no surprise to me. The Meatless Monday campaign doesn’t have the participation the organizers would like you to think they have. I have thought for some time that reports and effects of animal activists and their trendy sounding ideas are way over estimated. Thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for doing this research! After weeks of investigation, the …
The Little Plant That Could
This week Aunt Jeanette writes: I love mornings! It may partly be a leftover habit from my teaching days, but I have always been an early riser. If I had slept late, I would have missed these gorgeous blooms on my moonflower plant since these particular flowers wither during the daytime. Melissa has written about my moonflower plants and the …
TATT Global Farmer Roundtable Wraps Up
The Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) Global Farmer Roundtable has come to an end, but there’s still plenty for these farmers from 14 countries to learn, see and do while they are in Des Moines, Iowa at the 2013 World Food Prize. Sixteen farmers from 14 different countries have spent the last several days together learning about not only …
Kleckner Award Presented to Indian Farmer
A highlight of the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) Global Farmer Roundtable on Tuesday was the presentation of the first Kleckner Trade and Technology Advancement Award Fellow to V. Ravichandran, better known to friends as Ravi. He is pictured here with TATT CEO Mary Boote and chairman Bill Horan. Ravi grows rice, sugarcane, cotton and pulses on about 60 …
Zimfo Bytes
The world’s premier agricultural tires are now available from Dawson Tire & Wheel. Charleston|Orwig, a strategic communications consultant that specializes in providing integrated marketing and reputation management services to food system clients, announces the opening of an Austin, Texas, branch. The National Corn Growers Association Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from members for the 2015 Corn Board. Martinez Creative …