After a long history of futures and options open outcry trading, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange is closing its trading pits effective December 19, 2008. The decision to make the transition to exclusively electronic trading was unanimously approved by the MGEX Board of Directors and is pending MGEX ownership approval. According to a MGEX release, the decision comes after an exhaustive …
Iowa Farmer Participates in World Food Prize
There were many corporate, government and organization types at the World Food Prize symposium last week in Des Moines – but there were lots of real farmers as well, from all over the world. The opportunity for farmers from different countries to network with each other is very valuable, especially for sharing ideas to increase productivity. Laura Foell is a …
Truth About Trade and Technology Global Roundtable
For the third year, the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) held a Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable in conjunction with the World Food Prize events. Over 20 farmers from as many nations participated in the event this year to discuss biotech agriculture in their countries, according to TATT chairman Dean Kleckner. “Either how we’re using it and here’s what …
Soybeans Feeding the World
The role of soybeans in helping to feed a growing world population was emphasized at the World Food Prize events in Des Moines this past week by the prominent presence of soybean industry groups like the United Soybean Board. I spoke with USB CEO John Becherer (pictured here on the right with World Food Prize Foundation president Ambassador Ken Quinn) …
The Food and Fuel Story of Soy
Here are a couple of ladies who are World Food Prize winners in my book. They are Victoria Carver (left) with the Iowa Soybean Association who serves on the recently created National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Task Force and Linda Funk with the Soyfoods Council and Soy For Life. I had a chance to visit with both of these lovely ladies …
World Food Prize Winners Meet the Press
The 2008 World Food Prize winners met the press on Thursday, which was also World Food Day. Former Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern took questions from the media on a variety of topics ranging from funding for the school lunch program, to biofuels, to the world financial situation. The two are splitting the $250,000 World Food Prize for their …
Soy Sponsored World Food Prize Luncheon
Several soybean groups – including the United Soybean Board, Iowa Soybean Association, Soy Foods Council, WISHH, and World Soy Foundation – jointly sponsored the luncheon today at the World Food Prize symposium. There was a record crowd of more than 750 in attendance, including over 100 students participating in the WFP Youth Institute. Appropriately, the event today is held on …
Participating in World Food Prize Events
One of the participants in the 2008 World Food Prize symposium who caught my eye yesterday was Dr. Gale Buchanan, USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics. I saw him sitting in on every session I attended, so I caught up with him for an interview about the event and what he thought. This year’s World Food Prize winners …
Conversations at World Food Prize
Panel discussions at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium in Des Moines are called “conversations” and one on Wednesday focused on the “Promises and Challenges of Next-Generation Science and Technology.” Among the presenters was Brazil’s former minister of agriculture Roberto Rodrigues, co-chair of the International Biofuels Commission who made a very compelling case that both food and fuel production …
Blog Action Day and World Food Prize
Today has been “Blog Action Day” and the theme this year is poverty. Coincidentally, that is the basic theme here in Des Moines at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium – since the key focus is on feeding the hungry. So, I actually decided to participate in the event this year – both on AgWired and Domestic Fuel, since …