Carbon A List, partnering with Danone North America and others, has been awarded $70 million by the USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities initiative. As one of the 14 high-investment projects, the partners will use the awarded funds to transform the farmer-to-consumer supply chain with implementation of climate-smart projects and infrastructure investments. The five-year collaborative program allows project partners to …
Some Climate-Smart Commodities Partnerships
There’s something for almost every commodity in the $2.8 billion dollars in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities announced this week by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Of the 70 proposals, five involve timber and forests, 13 involve livestock, 12 corn and soybean projects, six cotton, peanut and nuts projects; nine dairy projects, 13 projects involving fruits, vegetables and specialty crops; three involving …
USDA Announces Climate Smart Commodities Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first wave of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, with more projects to be announced later this year. More than 450 proposals were submitted for the funding opportunity and the strength of the projects identified led USDA to increase its investment from …
Sec. Vilsack Visits Farm Progress Show
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the Farm Progress Show in Iowa Tuesday, the first time he has visited the show since 2012. Vilsack used the occasion to talk about some recent accomplishments, including expanding rural broadband, conservation and biofuel provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, new opportunities to improve nutrient management, an organic transition initiative, and funding for higher …
USDA Announces Framework to Transform the Food System
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced details of a “framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.” Vilsack said the framework “builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions caused by Russia’s war …
USDA Announces Meat Supply Chain Actions
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack used an appearance before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday to make a few announcements, including issuing a new Packers & Stockyards Act rulemaking, making available $200 Million to expand competition in meat processing, and investing $25 million in workforce training. Vilsack said the actions build on President Biden’s whole-of-government effort to promote competition in …
Biden Announces Actions for Farmers to Address Food Costs
President Joe Biden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the family farm of Jeff and Gina O’Connor in Kankakee, Illinois Wednesday to discuss new efforts to give farmers the tools and resources they need to boost domestic food production. Specifically, the actions include: Increase the number of counties eligible for double cropping insurance Cut costs for farmers by increasing …
Vilsack Talks Trade With Mexican Officials
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack met with his counterpart Mexico Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Victor Villalobos this week to “continue cooperation on shared priorities including open trade, science-based policy making, and sustainable and climate-smart agricultural production.” That meeting resulted in Vilsack and Villalobos announcing that the two countries have agreed to final actions to expanded access to the …
Yield Forecast Challenge Launches April 15 on AEI Premium
AEI Premium, the online community for agricultural decision makers, is launching a new online contest called the Yield Forecast Challenge. Beginning April 15, you are invited to forecast 16 questions about USDA yield estimates for corn and soybeans. The questions will span the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports from May through November 2022. You can earn …
Plantings Report Expects More Soybeans, Less Corn
U.S. farmers expect to plant more soybeans and less corn acreage, according to the 2022 Prospective Plantings report released today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Producers surveyed say they intend to plant a record high 91.0 million acres of soybeans in 2022, up 4% from last year, at the same time decreasing corn acres by 4% to 89.5 …