During the Animal Ag Sustainability Summit 2012 held in conjunction with International Poultry Expo, Scott Hine, Vice President – Product Management and Operations, Novus, spoke about the company commitment to sustainability.
Scott says the Summit was an opportunity for Novus and his message was that “if you want to be engaged in sustainability, which Novus believes is core to the future, that you really need to set up a way forward to engage your people and then set your goals and then achieve those goals and report on it.” He says they’ve developed their platform around SEE (Social, Economic and Environmental) which helps employees visualize what they’re doing. Those are linked to their goals. It’s obvious that it is critical to have employees understand and buy in to the company sustainability plan.
Listen to my interview with Scott to learn more about how Novus is working toward sustainability here: Interview with Scott Hine
The Global Poultry Market Manager for Novus International is Scott Carter (on right). I got an overview from him of all the activities Novus is involved in during IPE Week.
To start with Scott says they participated in the International Poultry Scientific Forum with a sponsored lunch featuring David Armano who spoke about social media. David was my interview in this week’s ZimmCast. Scott says he learned a few key things from that presentation, including the fact that academics are the most trusted source of information. Another learning point was that “everybody is empowered, everybody has a voice.” That’s social media.
Another way Novus was involved was with the Animal Ag Sustainability Summit where Scott Hine, Novus Product Management and Operations, spoke about Novus’s commitment to sustainability. I’ll have more on that topic in my interview with Scott coming up soon. Besides these programs Novus is catching up with “old” friends and customers in the trade show.
The website includes the 2010 Novus Sustainability Report which documents and measures the company’s comprehensive social, environmental and economic sustainability program at a global level following the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework, the most widely used guidelines for sustainability reporting standards.
“This website outlines the goals and progress of our integrated sustainability initiatives worldwide,” said Joyce Cacho, Ph.D., Chief Sustainability Officer at Novus. “This allows us to engage with a diverse group of stakeholders: our customer base, the agricultural industry and the public.”
Novus’s sustainability program forges strong links between performance, food safety, the environment and animal well-being – market drivers shared by urban and rural communities worldwide. In achieving GRI Level B-Check, Novus reports sustainability performance in the areas of economic, environmental, human rights, labor, society and product responsibility.
In addition to meeting with President Obama, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales gave the keynote address at “The Future of Food” conference at Georgetown University, sponsored by the Washington Post.
Since the prince has “tried to farm as sustainably as possible for some twenty-six years” he was about the closest to an actual farmer that the conference had on the agenda (see Chuck’s previous post). On the Royal Website, there is a page about the Prince’s farm which is “a completely organic system” he developed “to demonstrate the environmental and commercial benefits.” Among the farm’s produce is organic mutton. “The Prince is enthusiastic about restoring mutton (meat from a two-year-old sheep), to the dinner tables of the nation after speaking to struggling sheep farmers who found they could no longer get a decent price for older ewes. To this end, The Prince launched the Mutton Renaissance campaign.” I am not making that up.
So, HRH believes that we can feed nine billion people on this planet with a food system that is “not dependent upon the use of chemical pesticides, fungicides and insecticides; nor, for that matter, upon artificial fertilizers and growth-promoters or G.M.” and he provided His Royal Vision of a “sustainable food production” system during his address in Georgetown.
“For me, it has to be a form of agriculture that does not exceed the carrying capacity of its local ecosystem and which recognizes that the soil is the planet’s most vital renewable resource,” he said, adding that “genuinely sustainable farming maintains the resilience of the entire ecosystem by encouraging a rich level of biodiversity in the soil, in its water supply and in the wildlife – the birds, insects and bees that maintain the health of the whole system. Sustainable farming also recognizes the importance to the soil of planting trees; of protecting and enhancing water-catchment systems; of mitigating, rather than adding to, climate change. To do this it must be a mixed approach. One where animal waste is recycled and organic waste is composted to build the soil’s fertility. One where antibiotics are only used on animals to treat illnesses, not deployed in prophylactic doses to prevent them; and where those animals are fed on grass-based regimes as Nature intended.”
Christopher Bell with the FFA Foundation said it was a good opportunity for the officers to visit an agricultural company that is making a difference in the world. “Novus has put a lot of emphasis on sustainability in agriculture and that’s becoming one of our big initiatives in the FFA is making sure that our 523,000 students are practicing sustainable agriculture,” he said.
“I’m very passionate about agriculture and it’s great to come here today and visit with people from Novus and see the passion that they have for making a difference in the agriculture industry,” said National FFA Secretary Landan Schaffert of Colorado, pictured on the right next to Christopher listening to Novus’ Jim Richards on the laboratory portion of the tour.
Shannon Norris of New Mexico, who serves as Western Region Vice President for FFA, is pursuing a career in agricultural communications and possibly a doctorate in ruminant nutrition so she was very interested in getting to know the people at Novus. “It’s interesting to see how the mission of the company is intertwined with the values of each individual employee,” she said.
For those interested in becoming involved in exploring traditional techniques and cutting edge research in sustainable agriculture should consider applying for Green Mountain College’s summer program. In its third year, the 12-credit summer intensive program Farm Life Ecology: A Field and Table Intensive, runs for 13 weeks from May 23-August 19. For the first time the College is also offering half-sessions for 6 credits from May 23-July 2 and July 7-August 19.
“Modern agriculture is heavily reliant on fossil energy sources, and we’ll need to find ways as a society to incorporate more energy-efficient solutions to growing food,” said farm manager and program director Dr. Kenneth Mulder. “Students in this program get a chance to manage our campus farm while gaining a rigorous foundation in sustainable agriculture.”
Over the past three years, the college’s Farm & Food Program has received nearly $250,000 in grant funding to further develop their fossil-free agriculture initiatives.
“The Farm and Food Intensive combines a rigorous classroom experience with individual research projects and hands-on farm work,” Mulder continued. “Students also get a chance to participate in some pretty exciting research that will teach them to run farms that are productive, profitable, and environmentally sustainable.”
While in the program, students will manage all aspects of Green Mountain College’s 22-acre Cerridwen Farm while receiving a curricular focus in three core areas: the fundamentals of organic crop and animal management; efficient integration and management of diverse farm systems; and development and utilization of appropriate technologies in agriculture. In addition, their home base will be the Solar Harvest Center where the students prepare communal meals from produce they grow and harvest from the farm.
Phillip Ackerman-Leist, Director of the College’s Farm & Food Project and Associate Professor of environmental studies added, “Cerridwen Farm has become an agricultural lab of sorts, and our students contribute to that research. Like traditional ag programs students will learn a lot about agricultural practices and systems. They’ll also learn how to be part of the current food revolution that is transforming farming and how we view food.”
Agriculture often gets a bad wrap on the sustainability scale but growers know that they aren’t going to jeopardize their livehoods and they are great stewards of the land. But for those growers who are still looking for some unique ways to be a little “greener” with their operations, they should consider algae.
Kent Bioenergy has its roots in aquaculture. The company was a pioneer in fish farms and needed a way to clean the water. Enter algae. Over time, the company has discovered how to harvest the algae and the co-products can be used for a variety of things depending on where the nutrients came from to grow the algae.
For example, Barry Toyonaga, Ph.D. who is the Chief Business Officer for the company, explained that they have been working with growers and livestock, dairy and hog producers to use algae as a way to reduce normal agricultural run-off.
Most of the waste is unused fertilizer coming straight off farm land and so if our algae is just recapturing the used fertilizer, and we’re harvesting that algae, its really a renewable resource for fertilizer,” explained Toyonaga.
What is especially interesting about using algae to capture run-off is that the agriculture industry is being criticized for causing “Dead Zones” in the ocean, areas where marine life cannot be supported due to depleted oxygen levels. Integrating algae can reduce this run-off, and help to remove the criticism that agriculture is causing this problem. It’s also beneficial for the grower because once the algae is harvested, it can be “reused” on the farm as an organic fertilizer, reducing costs and reducing another common criticism launched against agriculture – using fossil-fuel based inputs.
Toyonaga truly believes that his company is on to something and they are trying to interest both the agricultural community and the USDA in the technology. So if you’re a grower who is open to trying something new, considering reaching out to Kent Bioenergy.
To learn more about how integrating algae into your farm or livestock operations, listen to my interview with Barry here. Barry Toyonaga interview
The Pennsylvania Farm Show kicked off a little greener this year. The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center has some new “eco” features including a 124 kW rooftop photovoltaic solar array that were part of an energy savings project complements of the Pennsylvania Guaranteed Energy Savings Act. The new energy efficient, eco-features were celebrated during an opening day celebration coined “Switch to Solar”. The construction was actually completed in October of last year.
The ceremony highlighted recent efforts by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Farm Show Complex to make the facility more eco-friendly, energy efficient and energy wise through an energy savings performance contract implemented by Pepco Energy.
Some of the “eco” improvements included a comprehensive recycling program and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s installation of a demonstration storm water garden and a 20,000-gallon water storage tank, which will reduce run-off into Paxton Creek and reduce the Farm Show Complex’s water costs.
The $3.6 million project also included a 124 kW rooftop photovoltaic solar array and a variety of energy efficiency and solar hot water implementation measures. The project is estimated to save the complex more than $300,000 annually in operating utility costs and should decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 1,650 metric tons each year.
“The completion of the GESA project represents the Farm Show Complex’s dedicated investment to environmental stewardship,” said David Weiss, Chief Operating Officer of Pepco Energy. “Pepco Energy is pleased to offer its expertise and ongoing commitment to providing the energy solutions for this project to reduce costs, consumption and emissions.”
The emcee for the Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable conducted by Truth About Trade & Technology was Bob Thomson once again. He says the participating farmers were looking at what it’s going to take to thrive in the next several years. High on their list is modern technology. He says they realize that to feed the projected population equivalent of two more countries the size of China in the next forty years it will take very high productivity agriculture. The alternative will be massive destruction of forests and that will lead to a lot of undesirable results.
A real concern and frustration expressed, especially by European participants, was the extent that some activist organizations have dominated the debate and how little their governments are doing to help them. It’s hard to be competitive when you’re overburdened by regulations. Participants from countries like India said that biotechnology products will be critical for them. They weren’t so much interested in subsidies as being on a level playing field. A need to communicate their stories was also expressed. Of course, I hope they’ll look to social media and networking to help that. Maybe it’s time for an International AgChat Foundation!
One of the places visited by the TATT Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable was Couser Cattle Company. Our host was Bill Couser. Bill conducted a fascinating presentation about his marriage of row crop farming (corn/soybeans), livestock production and ethanol production! You can see a portion of his explanation in the video below. He used a long table to display all the products he produces starting with an ear of corn and winding up with ethanol (2.81 gal/bushel of corn) as well as by-products like DDGS and ultimately fine quality beef. I loved his description about the whole food vs. fuel debate, “It’s rubbish!”
Here’s our panel at the Biodiversity World Tour town hall mtg. with Sec. of Ag Vilsack (right). It has been a very interesting discussion with lots of questions about organic vs. traditional agriculture and sustainability. I believe you’ll be able to watch a recording of the session on the BWT website.
The participants include:
Rajesh Kumar, Vegetable Farmer from Tamil Nadu, India.
Camila Illich, Field Crop Farmer from Guarapuava, Brazil
Pam Johnson, Corn and Soybean Farmer from Central Iowa, United States.
Gary Munkvold, Seed Science Endowed Chair, Chair of the Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business, Iowa State University.
Judy Chambers, Director of the Program for Biosafety Systems in the Environment and Production Technology Division at IFPRI, Senior Advisor to USAID.
Our moderator is Orion Samuelson, WGN (left).
After this morning’s session I’ll be following the TATT Global Farmer To Farmer Roundtable participants to a farm tour before we return to Des Moines for their opening session. So I’ll see you along the way, especially on Twitter.
U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was an opening speaker at the Biodiversity World Tour stop on the campus of Iowa State University. It is being webcast live right now and I believe a recorded version will be available later. If you’d like to hear the Secretary’s comments I have them posted below.
The theme of the town hall meeting taking place here is “How can we feed a growing world while protecting our environment?”
I am going to find out how agriculture protects water quality and improves
soil health at this year’s Conservation Technology Information Center, Conservation In Action Tour. The tour will take place in the Virginia/Maryland area and looks like it is at capacity. Yesterday was the last day to get registered but you can probably still get in if you call today.
I just spoke with CTIC Executive Director, Karen Scanlon, who says this has become the organization’s marquee event. We’re going to “visit farms and farmers in east central Virginia who run profitable operations and provide communities with valuable ecosystem services.” That sounds like fun to me. I’ll be getting to know CTIC and its members and thought a great way to start was a conversation with Karen about their mission and what we’ll be doing on the tour.
Karen Scanlon Interview
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a national, public-private partnership that envisions agriculture using environmentally beneficial and economically viable natural resource systems.
CTIC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is comprised of members of ag industry, ag publications, ag associations, conservation organizations and producers and is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and other public entities.
It is our mission to champion, promote and provide information about comprehensive conservation and sustainable agricultural systems that are beneficial for soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable for agriculture.
My coverage of the tour is being sponsored by CTIC and AGROTAIN. Thank you!
Sustainability was the focus of the 2010 BASF Agricultural Solutions media summit held last week in Chicago and as part of that event BASF released a new survey on attitudes toward farmland stewardship, and a new YouTube video highlighting how farmers are feeding a hungry planet.
I talked to Paul Rea, VP of BASF U.S. Crop Operations, about the survey and the video and decided it would make a good ZimmCast this week because it reflects what agriculture is up against and how companies like BASF are helping farmers face the future.
Paul says the survey, done by Padilla Speer Beardsley, found some significant perception gaps between growers and the general public when it comes to farmland stewardship. “The good news would be that farmers and most consumers say that stewardship practices are better today than they were ten years ago,” Paul says. The bad news is that nearly 23 percent of consumers believe stewardship practices are worse today than they were ten years ago, compared to just seven percent of farmers. A whopping 77% of farmers say stewardship practices are better now than 10 years ago, which of course they are.
So, clearly there is a disconnect that needs to be addressed and BASF believes social media is a way to get correct information out to the general public. That’s why they had “One Hungry Planet” produced for YouTube. “The video really does convey the amazing job that farmers and the ag industry has done in the last 50 years, much of it unnoticed,” Paul said. “To think that we’re producing 40 percent more corn from the same amount of land just compared to 20 years ago is incredible.”
The video is entertaining, yet educational, and packs a lot of facts in just four minutes. Take a look at the video and listen to or download this week’s ZimmCast is the audio player at the bottom of the post.
Hope you enjoy the song I picked to end the podcast called “Planet Earth” by James Larson from Music Alley. Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems for their support. The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page.
“Holistic” and “durable” were two definitions for sustainable that were set forth by representatives of the food value chain, from farmers to food companies, who took part in a panel discussion at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit on Sustainability last week in Chicago.
Nevin McDougall, BASF senior vice president for crop protection in North America, was part of the discussion and he says it will take a holistic approach to bring more sustainable solutions to the grower. “The more that we can engage in dialogue with food processors, with those who are marketing end use food products to the consumer, with the growers, with other technology providers – the more dialogue and collaboration we have, I think we can identify better and more sustainable solutions for the grower,” Nevin said in an interview after the panel. “With respect to durability, I think it really speaks to the point that we’re looking for long-lasting solutions.”
Corn growers have been the hardest hit by those who criticize the sustainability of production agriculture, despite the fact that we are growing more on less acres using less inputs than ever before. Mike Geske, a Missouri farmer who serves on the board of the National Corn Growers Association, represented growers on the board and he was asked about those who attack the sustainability of ethanol based on studies that use outdated crop production figures to show a negative energy balance for the fuel. “I call those people members of the Flat Earth Ethanol Society because they’re denying science and they’re denying facts,” Mike says. He also drew a good laugh from the audience when he noted that ethanol is biodegradable and is the same as the alcohol we drink before it is denatured, “So if ethanol had been spilled in the Gulf, the fish would be putting on their party hats.”
Defining and improving sustainability is important for all of production agriculture around the globe, which is why BASF has taken a keen interest in the subject.
Markus Heldt is president of crop protection for BASF global, located in Germany, a position he took last year after serving for many years as head of crop protection for the company in North America. During a conference on sustainability for ag media in Chicago this week, he said that while the general public trusts farmers, they have little confidence in farming methods. “What we find increasingly disturbing is the disconnect of how the general public views farming operations, especially in the US and in Europe,” Markus said. “A very romantic and idealistic picture of agriculture that is not existing any longer.”
Markus says farmers are taking care of the land and improving the way they do business, but consumers do not understand that and it is a challenge for the entire agriculture industry. “We as a company, as an industry, have to a better job to try and bridge that gap,” he said.
Listen to my interview with Markus in the player below.
Sustainability has become a challenge to the agriculture industry because everyone seems to have a different definition of the word and ways to objectively measure sustainability are seriously lacking.
BASF announced an Eco-Efficiency Analysis tool during the 2010 Ag Media Summit in Chicago today that examines the entire lifecycle of a crop to measure and manage sustainability. “When we look at all the inputs that go into producing, storing, transporting, applying and then disposing of a crop protection product, we have a more detailed approach of measuring inputs, outputs and benefits,” says Paul Rea, BASF vice president for crop protection in the U.S.
The real bottom line to better sustainability is really simply increasing yields, and Paul says that can be achieved in a variety of ways. “Such as the use of new technologies, new innovations that can actually help farmers achieve more with less,” he said. That includes plant health products like BASF Headline that increase yields, as well as biotech advancements in areas such as drought tolerance.
Listen to an interview with Paul in the player below.
Sustainability is the buzz word for agriculture these days, but what it really means on the ground is a matter of perspective. That’s why BASF Crop Protection is bringing agricultural thought leaders and media together in Chicago June 8-10 to discuss a grounded approach to agricultural sustainability.
Participants will focus on collaboration between producers and industry stakeholders to improve agricultural sustainability, differing industry and public perception, and continuous improvements shaping the future of sustainable productivity in the U.S. and globally.
The event will feature discussions with BASF senior agricultural leaders, including Stefan Marcinowski, member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors; Markus Heldt, President of BASF Crop Protection; and Peter Eckes, President of BASF Plant Science, along with representatives from multiple agricultural perspectives. BASF will also share its in-house analysis tool, which can measure the sustainability of products and production processes.
“BASF is creating a forum to discuss agricultural sustainability and practical solutions to help growers,” said Stefan Marcinowski. “Farmers have a tremendous responsibility to produce more than ever while continuing to protect the environment for future generations. Our conversations with representatives from stakeholders throughout the value chain will help to bring together the many visions of agricultural sustainability to a practical point of what growers need from all of us.”
In addition to focused discussions on the scientific and practical aspects of agricultural sustainability, BASF will present a U.S.-based example of its sustainability analysis tool. This scientific model compares the social, economic and environmental profiles of products and production methods. The tool can help provide tailored solutions to help growers run their businesses profitably while keeping the environmental impact of farming to a minimum and meeting the needs of society.
Panelists from throughout the agricultural value chain representing growers, economists, manufacturers, and consumer interests will share their views on sustainability and what it means to farmers. Featured speaker, Roger Thurow, former correspondent of The Wall Street Journal and co-author of “Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty,” also will share his perspective.
Agwired will be there to share the thoughts and opinions of presenters and panelists, including photos, video and audio interviews. Next best thing to being there!
If we can have urban cowboys then I guess we can have urban farmers.
Following the astounding growth of Urban Farm magazine, and the burgeoning interest in urban farming, BowTie, Inc. announced the launch of UrbanFarmOnline.com.
“The sustainable lifestyle is of interest to a growing number of people,” said June Kikuchi, Vice President Chief Content Officer. “People want to live in a manner that encourages energy conservation, healthy foods and supporting local goods and services.”
UrbanFarmOnline.com will feature a wide variety of topics, including urban livestock, sustainable living, and gardening in an urban environment as well as an online community for sharing tips and ideas for starting your own backyard or patio farm.
To celebrate the launch, visitors have the chance of winning daily prizes from May 18, 2010 to May 28, 2010. Prizes include chicken coops, pens, feeders, garden tools, trimmers, food dehydrators, outdoor grills, work-wear for women and more! Over 40 prizes totaling more than $6,500 in value will be given away in one week.
When it comes to sustainable food production, enhanced efficiency fertilizers are starting to play a role. At the Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Charlie Walker, Incitec Pivot Ltd., Australia was on the program to talk about how they’re using urease and nitrification inhibitors to accomplish this. If you like a good Aussie accent then you’ll enjoying listening to Charlie. He’s a technical and development manager for his company.
He told the audience that EEF’s can improve environmental quality. However, when he thinks of sustainability he also thinks about profitability and minimizing off-target impacts. He calls it a “double whammy.” It has to not only help the environment but also make sense financially for the farmer. He recommends working with a well informed agronomist since there isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to EEF’s. He says that in Australia EEF’s are in the very early stages of adoption.
You can listen to my interview with Charlie below.
In this week's program Chuck talks with Mike Adams, AgriTalk.
Chuck and Mike often wind up at the same events all over the country so it seemed like a good idea to do a little AgriTalking about the changes they've seen in the ag media landscape.
During the Animal Ag Sustainability Summit 2012 held in conjunction with International Poultry Expo, Scott Hine, Vice President – Product Management and Operations, Novus, spoke about the company commitment to sustainability.
Since the prince has “tried to farm as sustainably as possible for some twenty-six years” he was about the closest to an actual farmer that the conference had on the agenda (
Christopher Bell with the FFA Foundation said it was a good opportunity for the officers to visit an agricultural company that is making a difference in the world. “Novus has put a lot of emphasis on sustainability in agriculture and that’s becoming one of our big initiatives in the FFA is making sure that our 523,000 students are practicing sustainable agriculture,” he said. 
Shannon Norris of New Mexico, who serves as Western Region Vice President for FFA, is pursuing a career in agricultural communications and possibly a doctorate in ruminant nutrition so she was very interested in getting to know the people at Novus. “It’s interesting to see how the 
Sustainability was the focus of the 2010 
I talked to Paul Rea, VP of BASF U.S. Crop Operations, about the survey and the video and decided it would make a good ZimmCast this week because it reflects what agriculture is up against and how companies like BASF are helping farmers face the future.
“Holistic” and “durable” were two definitions for sustainable that were set forth by representatives of the food value chain, from farmers to food companies, who took part in a panel discussion at the 
Defining and improving sustainability is important for all of production agriculture around the globe, which is why 
Sustainability has become a challenge to the agriculture industry because everyone seems to have a different definition of the word and ways to objectively measure sustainability are seriously lacking.
Participants will focus on collaboration between producers and industry stakeholders to improve agricultural sustainability, differing industry and public perception, and continuous improvements shaping the future of sustainable productivity in the U.S. and globally.
When it comes to sustainable food production, enhanced efficiency fertilizers are starting to play a role. At the Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Charlie Walker, 
In this week's program Chuck talks with Mike Adams, AgriTalk.
