I first saw this on Fox News while working out this afternoon. Apparently 8 Gold Olympics Medals winner Michael Phelps is forgoing the Wheaties box cover for Corn Flakes. Now that’s interesting. He’s also going to be on the cover of Frosted Corn Flakes and that, according to Fox, has “outraged” some nutritionists. If so, there’s not much on the …
Tour of the Chortí Maya Agricultural Training Center
I made it to La Ceiba on the north coast of Honduras. The city is much more set up for tourists and I was able to wander into a local resort and get a good enough connection to load some more video. Finally! So, for those of you interested in getting a better look at the ag program Billy Collins …
Ag Steward of the Chortí Maya
There is a group of indigenous people in Honduras that live off an average of $300 a year… less than one dollar a day. At least two months out of every year they starve. That’s the reality as Billy Collins sees it. Billy has been working with the Chortí Maya, the direct descendants of the Mayan Indians, for five years. …
California Strawberries in China
Thanks to Liza Teixeira, California Strawberry Commission, I just found out that Olympic athletes and visitors will enjoy some juicy red goodness in China. In a historic step for the California strawberry industry, America’s favorite fruit will arrive on Chinese soil for the first time in history today (Aug. 5). After receiving approval from Chinese authorities, the California strawberry industry …
Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy
A new group with some significant resources has jumped head first into the food and fuel debate. Members include the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company, DuPont, John Deere, Monsanto, and the Renewable Fuels Association. The Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy brings together a broad group of visionary companies and organizations committed to sustainably and responsibly improving diets and reducing …
Farm Foundation Food Prices Report
Farm Foundation is holding a forum at the National Press Club at this very moment to release a new study offering a comprehensive, objective assessment of the forces driving food prices. Farm Foundation president Neil Conklin says what the study shows is that today’s food price levels are the result of complex interactions among multiple factors. “However, one simple fact …
Ag Secretary Ed Schafer Urges Private Investors to Develop Africa
Investment in Africa is spurring economic innovation and growth throughout the continent. There’s no question about that for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer. “Make no mistake about it,” Schafer said. “Investment in agriculture, investment in the structure of agriculture to move food to the market, is an investment in Africa’s future.” Schafer urged private sector investors to build …
Real Data, Real Solutions, Real Impact on Africa
The poorest of Africa spend 70 percent of their income on food. That’s the reality the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development Africa Bureau put before the 300 attendees of the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum this week. That’s the reality that Franklin Moore wants the public and private sectors in the U.S. and Africa to …
A New Vision for Africa
Changing the African vision from one of short-term pay-offs to that of long-term success was one of the key issues for panelists at the “Education and Knowledge Building in Animal Agriculture” breakout session. The session was one of fifteen being offered at the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum. The workshop, sponsored by Novus International, featured a panel of experts that …
Providing Africa with a Platform of Exchange
Stock exchanges provide a platform. A platform that Chris Sturgess, assistant general manager of the Agricultural Products Division of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, says helps with price discovery and price risk management. He says Africa needs such platforms. At the same time though, he stresses that stock exchanges do not set prices. Chris presented at the opening session of the …