AgWired

News From the world of Agribusiness
03.19.2010
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  • Syngenta Announces New Sustainaiblity Team

    Syngenta made two announcements during Commodity Classic last week - a new sustainability team and that their water optimization technology is on track. I spoke with Terry Stone who is heading the new sustainability team as well as Tracy Mader, Project Marketing Head who is working with the team developing the water optimization technologies.

    I asked Stone to tell me what the mission of the new sustainability team was and he explained, “Our focus is helping growers produce more from less and to realize where they’re at in terms of not just how much they are producing but now much energy, water, soil loss and other impacts they are having from production.”

    There is a lot of talk now about how the world will need to feed nine billion people in the next 30 years so I asked Stone how sustainability and world food production go hand in hand. “Farmers are the original stewards of the land and when you think about land, you have to think about soil and the soil is the farmer’s bread and butter,” explained Stone. “They’ve been very careful about the health of their soil and the more healthy the soil, the more productive it will be.”

    Water optimization also goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and Mader gave me an update on their technology that is close to market. “Our water optimization technology is on track and has made several technical milestones. We plan to introduce this technology in the 2011 planting season for growers in the plains and the Western cornbelt of the United States.”

    Nebraska and California are the two most irrigated states and Syngenta did research in both of these states as well as other regions. However, they are developing the technology to both work during drought conditions and during optimal conditions.

    “We are really committed to two guiding principals,” said Mader. “Number one to help the plant maximize its yield based on the available water and number two, when growing conditions are ideal, that the technology doesn’t offer any yield penalty. And our initial hybrids will meet both of these criteria.”

    Listen below to my back-to-back interviews with Terry Stone and Tracy Mader.

    Commodity Classic Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
    is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

    Sustainable Definitions

    Commodity LeadersCan you define sustainability? Neither can I. But that was the first task of the panel discussion of commodity group leaders this morning at Commodity Classic. Moderated by Mark Mayfield, the panel discussed what sustainability means to them. Panelists included: Darrin Ihnen, President, NCGA, Rob Joslin, President, ASA, Karl Scronce, President, NAWG and Gerald Simonsen, Chairman, NSP.

    You’ll hear the panel says what sustainability isn’t and provide some good reasons why farmers are very much involved with this issue.

    You can listen to the commodity group leaders with Mark below.

    Commodity Classic Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
    is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

    Animal Ag Sustainability Summit at Poultry Expo

    The sustainability of animal agriculture was the topic of a well-attended summit at the 2010 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo in Atlanta.

    poultryC. Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc., was keynote speaker for the two day summit and his main message was that the animal agriculture industry, both processors and farmers, need to listen to and engage the people and groups who are attacking them. He said that it is important to talk with these individuals and groups to show them the industry’s side of the story. “We need to educate all of the groups that challenge our practices,” Pope said.

    Because the public has developed misconceptions about animal agriculture practices, Pope issued a challenge to those involved in the animal agriculture industry “to make two visits to a community group or school to educate the public on industry practices and to dispel the myths about industry practices that exist now.”

    poultryAlso on the program was Christian Richter of The Policy Group, who discussed the regulatory mood in Washington when it comes to animal agriculture. “Hyper command and control mode is coming back at EPA,” said Richter. “The current administration is shifting personnel from cooperative voluntary programs to enforcement programs.” He notes this represents a major shift in focus from the Bush administration which advocated the role of non-government drivers in prompting more voluntary action on the part of corporations towards sustainable practices.

    2010 International Poultry Expo photo album

    AgWired coverage of International Poultry Expo is sponsored by:
    Novus

    Agrotain Talks Sustainability at AG CONNECT

    Sustainable agriculture is a much talked about trend right now and Agrotain International has a product that can help a farmer be profitable and sustainable at the same time – the Agrotain line of products. Micheal Stegmann, President of the company, explained to me during the AG CONNECT Expo what Agrotain does and why it is both economical and sustainable.

    AgrotainAgrotain is a product to be used with urea fertilizer. “Urea is a really great product for farmers to be using because it’s safe and abundant and it’s relatively inexpensive,” said Stegmann. “But it’s got a problem and that problem is when its applied to the surface, part of it is lost back into the environment.” A third actually. Stegmann continued, “When that loss occurs it’s not only an economic loss to the grower but also represents an environmental issue.”

    Agrotain is not crop specific and can be used with any urea fertilizer. It is actually added to the fertilizer by the dealer and then the farmer applies the product as usual. The benefit to the grower is that it makes the urea more efficient and is a lot less expensive to use than the cost of the loss of nitrogen.

    The company is a big believer in sustainability needing to be a big part of their future of agriculture. However, Stegmann notes that sustainability means different things to different people. “In my opinion, sustainable means a way to endure that reconciles the needs of society, the needs of the environment and economic needs as well.” He stresses the importance of the general public in understanding that farming is a business and needs to make a profit. “If we’re going to meet the growing demands and if we’re going to do it in a way that is satisfactory to the public, we have to be able to make money in the process.”

    He concludes that regulations or rules or pactices that prevent the industry from being profitable are also going to prevent it from doing the things the public wants them to do — feed the world.

    Listen to my interview with Michael below.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    54.9 Million Acres Irrigated, Says USDA

    usda-logo As a livestock producer, I like to follow the trends as pastures are converted to cropland. In many places, pastures will always be there, as the land is too steep, hilly or rocky for modernizing or farming. However, the low profit margins in the livestock industry are pushing many farmers and ranchers to expand their crop enterprise and decrease their cowherds. On another note, it seems that water is in short supplies these days, and an increasing number of acres are being irrigated. Since we have had such a wet, cold year here in South Dakota, I can only imagine the troubles those are experiencing in places of drought. Check out the statistics from the USDA as printed by the Delta Farm Press.

    In 2008, farmers and ranchers spent $2.1 billion on expenses related to irrigation equipment, facilities, land improvements and computer technology. USDA’s 2008 Farm and Ranch Survey has found that farmers and ranchers are now irrigating 54.9 million acres farmland across the United States, an increase of nearly 5 percent since 2003. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collected the data for the Irrigation Survey earlier this year.

    “Water is the most critical, limited resource for our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said Molly Jahn, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. “For farmers and ranchers who are looking for more efficient ways to irrigate their land and ways to reduce their expenses, the results of the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey provide a valuable tool to help them make informed decisions about the future of their operations.”

    Dirt!

    9780520248700 Yesterday, at the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association’s Annual Trade Show and Convention, I had the opportunity to listen to Terry Gompert, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Educator with a speciality in grazing. His presentation was titled, “Money Saving Ideas Including Extending the Grazing Season,” and he offered up tips for producers to consider in cowherd management, improved grazing systems and evaluating calf performance.

    One of his points was derived from a book he is currently reading titled, Dirt, by David R. Montgomery. He discussed how the book showed him the importance of good soil to societies. An interesting thought? Yes, but I think this book looks like it might be worth checking out. Here is a description of its contents:

    “Dirt, soil, call it what you want—it’s everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it’s no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are—and have long been—using up Earth’s soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.”

    Will you be reading this book?

    American Meat Institute Unveils New Sustainability Website

    American_Meat_Institute_Logo The American Meat Institute recently unveiled a a new website on sustainability. The website opens with its main mission, which states, “A sustainable meat industry is one that takes a long term view of a business’ impact on natural resources, animal welfare, employees, consumers and the communities in which we work and live. The meat industry is proud of its efforts to be responsible coorporate citizens working to sustain our industry’s bright future in feeding our nation and the world.” The website is available for anyone involved in agriculture or the meat industry and for those dedicated to global sustainability. Kudos!

    The site was developed by AMI’s Sustainability Committee chaired by Paul Rutledge of Johnsonville Sausage, LLC, and Leigh Ann Johnston of Tyson Foods Inc. Information contained on the site is grouped in key areas that fall under the sustainability umbrella: caring for the environment, caring for livestock, benefiting communities, ensuring safe and nutritious meat and poultry and caring for our employees.

    The site was launched at the close of AMI Chairman Rod Brenneman’s tenure. Brenneman, the president of Seaboard Foods, initiated an effort to enhance the Institute’s sustainability efforts through expanded education, now underway in Chicago at Worldwide Food Expo; through a benchmarking survey and through a dedicated Web site that consolidates sustainability resources for the meat industry’s unique needs.

    Each section of www.SustainableMeatIndustry.org details industry guidelines and showcases examples of actual programs that have been implemented by industry members. The site also features a section about communicating about sustainability to various audiences and a resource section for small businesses that are just beginning sustainability programs. On the site’s home page, members of the industry may download a self-inventory to determine what practices they have in place in broad areas and which ones they may wish to explore further and consider implementing.

    Give Up Meat To Save the Planet?

    Fall-Reggie A group called the Vegetarian Society is standing up once again attribute global warming and the end to the universe to meat eaters. The article, Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet, published in Times Online, urged folks to turn vegetarian in order for the world to conquer climate change.

    In an interview with The Times, Lord Stern of Brentford said: “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better.”

    He predicted that people’s attitudes would evolve until meat eating became unacceptable. “I think it’s important that people think about what they are doing and that includes what they are eating,” he said. “I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible. They will increasingly ask about the carbon content of their food.”

    This is absolute bogus and total hypocrisy. I recently compiled a top ten list of ways that meat production is beneficial to the environment, and I firmly believe that agriculturalists are the original environmentalists, serving as stewards of the land and care givers to the livestock. And, more importantly consumers should feel confident in serving a well-balanced, wholesome meal (that includes animal protein) to their families. It’s amazing how a few animal rights activists and trendy green advocates can create a buzz so big with their banter that they can actually change mainstream public perceptions on the good, wholesome food we eat. Thanks for the soap box. Now, here is a few statistics from my list

    1. American agriculture is sustainable for the future. In the United States, 98 percent of farms are family farms. Today’s American farmer feeds about 144 people worldwide. 2009 versus 1960: 1.8 million less farms are feeding a U.S. population that has increased 61 percent. (Explore Beef)

    2. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the entire U.S. agriculture sector accounts for only 6 percent of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Of this, livestock production is estimated to account for 2.8 percent of total U.S. emissions. (EPA Climate Change Report)

    3. If livestock production disappeared tomorrow, wouldn’t we just be transporting more tofu around? And wouldn’t we just be plowing and fertilizing the land to supply PETA’s vegetarian utopia? (Center for Consumer Freedom)

    4. Grazing animals on land not suitable for producing crops more than doubles the land area that can be used to produce food. If 1955 technology were used to produce the amount of beef raised today, 165 million more acres of land would be needed – that’s about the size of Texas! (Explore Beef)

    Bill Gates Defends Biotech Crops

    At the World Food Prize Forum in Des Moines on Thursday, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke out in support of biotechnology to help feed the world.

    “We have to develop crops, including new inputs to go with them that can grow in a drought,” Gates said. “We have to have crops that can survive a flood, that can resist pests and new diseases. We need higher yields on the same land, despite more difficult weather. And we will never get there without a continuous and urgent, science-based search to increase productivity, especially focused on the needs of small farms in the developing world.”

    WFPGates took environmentalists to task for having an idealistic attitude that jeopardizes the ability of developing countries to grow enough food. “They have tried to restrict the spread of biotechnology into sub-Saharan Africa without regard to how much hunger and poverty might be reduced by it.”

    While Gates said that major breakthroughs in the fight against hunger and poverty are now within reach, he cautioned that progress toward alleviating global hunger is “endangered by an ideological wedge that threatens to split the movement in two.” On one side, he said, there are groups that support technological solutions to increase agricultural productivity without proper regard to environmental and sustainability concerns. On the other, there are those who react negatively to any emphasis on productivity.

    “It’s a false choice, and it’s dangerous for the field,” Gates said. “It blocks important advances. It breeds hostility among people who need to work together. And it makes it hard to launch a comprehensive program to help poor farmers. The fact is, we need both productivity and sustainability—and there is no reason we can’t have both.”

    Let’s put this in the Blog Action Day Climate Change category under the topic of Food Production. We can have both – productivity and long term sustainability. In fact, we already do have both here in the United States. The majority of our nation’s farms are models of both productivity and sustainability for the world. We are using less land, less fertilizer, and less energy to produce more food than ever before. If developing nations are able to utilize biotech crops, we can and will be able to feed the billion people across the globe who are suffering from malnutrition, as well as the increasing global population. I’m not a big fan of Bill Gates, but I have to applaud him today for standing up to radical environmentalists who want us to move backward instead of forward.

    Sustainability and Modern Farming

    The new president of the National Corn Growers Association, Darrin Ihnen of Hurley, S.D., is the star of a new video on the subject of increasing sustainability in agriculture that debuted Oct. 3 on the television program This Week in Agribusiness. The short video features Darrin and other family farmers telling the story of how better management and modern technology spells good news for both consumers and the environment.

    Darrin says, “The only thing as important as growing a crop and getting a fair price is doing so in a way that is socially responsible and assures opportunities for the next generation of farmers and consumers.”

    Take a look.

    Sustainability in Focus at Plant and Soil Science Conference

    “Footprints in the Landscape: Sustainability through Plant and Soil Sciences” is the theme for the joint annual meetings of three agricultural science organizations coming up next month in Pittsburgh.

    ASAMore than 3,000 international scientists, professionals, educators, and students will present new technologies and discuss emerging trends in agriculture, energy, climate change, carbon trading, science education, and related issues at the event November 1-5 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Other informative sessions will focus on nutrition, wines, food security, invasive species, organic agriculture, hazardous waste, plant breeding, and turfgrass science.

    The event is jointly sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. The meetings will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. For meeting information, including searchable abstracts and other event details, visit www.acsmeetings.org.

    MOSES Helping Organic Farmers

    Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education ServiceAt this year’s Farm Progress Show Eric Hatling, Development and Communications Coordinator for the MOSES, the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service, visited with me about the organization. It sounds like their has continued to grow.

    Eric says that since last year the organization continues to grow. He says they had almost 2,700 people attend their Annual Organic Farming Conference and Organic University. He says they exist to help farmers who want to grow organic become successful. The next annual conference is scheduled for Feb. 25-27 in Lacrosse, WI with over 60 workshops on all aspects of organic and sustainable farming.

    You can listen to my interview with Eric here:

    Discussing Sustainability With Novus

    David WeatherspoonAlthough I didn’t get to attend the Novus Media Day dinner last night, Jeremy Lutgen helped me out so you can actually hear the guest speaker. He’s Dr. David Weatherspoon, Assoc. Professor, Ag., Food & Resource Econ., Michigan State University.

    David spoke about sustainability in agriculture and from what you’ll hear him say he believes we’ve got some big challenges which may even be overwhelming.

    Novus International Media Day Photo Album

    You can listen to David’s remarks here:

    Novus Joins Sustainable Ag Platform

    SAINovus International is one of three companies that have just been accepted as members of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative platform. The others are General Mills and Cayuga Marketing.

    NovusSAI Platform is an organization created by the food industry to communicate worldwide, and to actively support the development of, sustainable agriculture involving the different stakeholders of the food chain. According to SAI, the three new members will be actively participating in SAI Platform’s activities, and in particular its working groups on arable crops, coffee, dairy, fruit, water and agriculture.

    Sustainability Important to Novus International

    Thad SimonsAt the conclusion of the World Ag Congress in St. Louis last week, Novus International held a sustainability roundtable for some of the congress participants to discuss how the livestock industry can step up to the sustainability challenge. Novus president and CEO Thad Simons, pictured here with his son Kenneth, were among the participants. Thad says this year’s World Ag Congress was the best they have ever had. “One of the reasons this is the best congress is that people are really coming to understand the value of agriculture again,” he says. “We’ve become sexy again as an industry.”

    Thad says they work with their customers to improve efficiency and deal with issues of sustainability, which is more than just a word for Novus International. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk as well, which can be seen in their new headquarters building in St. Charles, MO. “We just received the certification from the Green Building Council of the United States for the Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and we are very proud of that,” Thad says. He says their goal for the building was that it be sustainable in three ways – economically, environmentally and socially. “It was intended to be an open, team-based work environment and the environmental design part of the LEED program is really focused on the employees, so it is very open and very light.”

    The grand opening of the new Novus International headquarters is coming up next week – June 3 – and we will be able to provide you with a peek inside this new sustainable building.

    You can listen to my interview with Thad here:

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    Flickr Photo Album for World Ag Forum

    AgWired coverage of the 2009 World Agricultural Forum World Congress is sponsored by:
    Novus.

    Defining Sustainability For Alltech Symposium

    One of the things we’ve learned in recent weeks is how many definitions there are for “sustainability.” The Alltech Symposium theme was The Sustainability Principle so it was our primary topic of discussion. At the Great Debate roundtable our panelists each took a turn answering the question, “How do you define sustainability? There were also asked to put that in terms of how the audience should be interested in it.

    Alltech Lutz GoeddeOur first panelist to tackle this question was Lutz Goedde, Deputy Director, Agricultural Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He says the Foundation he works for looks at sustainability “through a very different lens compared to many other organizations.” He then proceeded to say that there are a billion people in the world who live on under a dollar a day and described what that is like. He says that agriculture is the primary means for most of them to get food and earn a living. He says they follow the Bill and Melinda sustainability philosophy that “every person on the planet has the right to live a healthy and productive life.” Next he says that there are normally three dimensions to sustainability which are economic, social and environmental.

    Listen to Goedde’s reply here:

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    You can also download the reply here: Lutz Goedde Question Reply (mp3)

    Alltech Michael BoehljeNext up was Dr. Michael Boehlje, Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and the Center for Food and Agricultural Business, Purdue University. He said we could look at sustainability from a traditional farm management standpoint of carrying capacity that recognizes current and future capacity on a global basis and deals with absorbing waste in terms of the economic or production activity you’re involved in. He says that although government is involved in this issue, it will be consumers who “will be the ultimate in terms of whether in fact sustainability practices are adopted and those who adopt them are compensated for them.”

    Listen to Boehlje’s reply here:

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    You can also download the reply here: Michael Boehlje Question Reply (mp3)

    Alltech Philip WilkinsonFinally we heard an answer to this question from Philip Wilkinson, Order of the British Empire, Executive Director, 2 Sisters Food Group. He said that the definition he would use is the one used by the United Nations but since that has already been brought up by earlier speakers he composed a slightly different one. He says, “A sustainable agricultural system is one which maximizes production by increases in yield while minimizing environmental impact and does not compromise animal welfare.” He says farmers are the logical custodians of the land who can accomplish this. He also quoted a former United Kingdom Minister who summed it us as, “Don’t cheat your children.”

    Listen to Wilkinson’s reply here:

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    You can also download the reply here: Philip Wilkinson Question Reply (mp3)

    Alltech Symposium Photo Album

    Sustainability Questions And Responses

    Alltech Aidan ConnollyOne of the highlight sessions at the Alltech Symposium is The Great Debate. This is a roundtable discussion and featured well known panelists Michael Boehlje, Professor at Purdue University, Lutz Goedde, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Philip Wilkinson, 2 Sisters Food Group. The moderator (pictured) was Alltech Vice President, Aidan Connolly. The subject was “Sustainability – For realists or for dreamers?”

    Before Aidan got into the questions for the panel he reviewed the results of a pre-Symposium survey they conducted with Watt Publishing. Some of the interesting results I made note of included the following:

    When asked “What does agricultural sustainability mean to your organization?” 64% of respondents said “staying in business” and 62% said “being environmentally friendly.” A majority said that their commitment to sustainability has remained the same or increased in 2009.

    When asked “What are barriers to sustainability?” 68% said “cost,” 56% said “lack of information and management” and 35% said “lack of reliable measures.”

    There is a lot more information from the survey which you can hear Aidan summarize in his opening comments which I recorded for you.

    Listen to Aidan’s remarks here:

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    You can also download the remarks here: Aidan Connolly Debate Remarks (mp3)

    Alltech Symposium Photo Album