Biofuels Digest Finds Global Impact on Rising Food Costs

Laura McNamara

The media has been pointing fingers at biofuels, blaming them for rising food costs. But a study from The Biofuels Digest suggests rising food costs are the result of global pressures, such as China’s increasing demand for meat. Biofuels Digest says their study finds that for every bushel of grain used to make U.S. ethanol, six are used to support Chinese meat demand.

A change in Chinese meat consumption habits since 1995 is diverting eight billion bushels of grain per year to livestock feed and could empty global grain stocks by September 2010, according to a new study from Biofuels Digest.

The study, “Meat vs Fuel: Grain use in the U.S. and China, 1995-2008,” concluded that a complete shutdown of the U.S. ethanol industry would extend the deadline only until 2013.

“It’s not food, it’s not fuel, it’s China,” said Jim Lane, editor of Biofuels Digest and author of the report.

The study determined that China’s meat consumption since 1995 has increased by 112 percent to 53 kilograms per person per year.

“If the Chinese people had consumed the same amount of meat, per person, in 2007 as in 1995, there would have been enough grain left over to support 927 million people with food for an entire year,” said Lane.Read More

Agribusiness, Beef, Energy, Ethanol, Farming, Food

Rhea + Kaiser Turns 30

Chuck Zimmerman

Rhea & KaiserRhea + Kaiser are turning 30 today. Happy Anniversary Steve and Van.

Rhea + Kaiser Marketing Communications is celebrating its 30th anniversary today. Since Steve Rhea and Van Kaiser co-founded the company in 1978, the business has grown from a six-person advertising agency into a full-service, integrated marketing communications agency with more than 110 employees.

“Van and I saw the opportunity to create and manage an independent agency specializing in agriculture, but we had no idea where this business might take us,” said Rhea, president and CEO. “We’re proud of our accomplishments and grateful to our employees and clients who have become our allies along the way.” Read More

Agencies

Summarizing Some New Media Work

Chuck Zimmerman

NAFB Mult BoxFor those of you who wonder what I mean when I mention a “mult box,” here’s a picture of NAFB’s in heavy use at yesterday’s Washington Watch session. It’s what allows multiple people to easily connect to the audio feed from a podium for example. If you want to help the media out then you need one of these at your press conference.

Today’s a travel day for the agriblogger. I’m looking forward to some email catch up on the plane and a little analysis of some of the new things we’re doing like AgWired Mobile and AgWired Live TV. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

For you aspiring new media ag journalists I thought I’d summarize a one person multi event coverage week. Here’s some stats from the last few days:

370 digital photos, 215 of them loaded into 2 Flickr sets
15 audio interviews/press conference recordings
2 live video/audio streamed press conferences
1 YouTube video
posting/udpating on 5 different blogs
1 recorded/edited podcast
2 client site media production training sessions
12 mobile service story updates

Not too bad for an old guy, eh? If I can do it, then I know that you can do it too. Need help, just give me a call.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

RFA Press Conference Photo Album

NAFB

AgWired Live TV at National Press Club

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWired Live TVHere’s the AgWired Live TV in all it’s glory today. This is the setup that live streamed yesterday from the Sec. of Agriculture’s office and then this afternoon from the National Press Club. My Mac on my briefcase on a chair.

I am looking into some new camera options but I think we demonstrated some new technology in the ag media world and at a very timely event, the NAFB Washington Watch. It’s been a learning experience.

One thing is for sure though, how we distribute information is changing and that’s why “new media” continues to be applicable.

RFA Press ConferenceFor some perspective, here’s the “other” cameras that were in the room today. Lots of media attended this press conference. I would estimate that besides the ones on the dial conference call there were over 50 journalists in the room, including 11 other video cameras.

The only place you could watch this press conference live though was here on AgWired and our Domestic Fuel site. We really did almost nothing to promote it but there were still several dozen viewers of the live stream and who knows how many will view the recorded versions.

You can see an online photo album from the press conference here: RFA Press Conference Photo Album

Ethanol

Live RFA Press Conference at 1pm, Eastern – Updated

Chuck Zimmerman

Post Update: I recorded this AgWired Live TV stream of today’s press conference and updated this post so you can watch the recording. Keep in mind that I just started this yesterday and I was only using my Mac with the built in camera and microphone recording what you heard in the room.

The Renewable Fuels Association, along with National Corn Growers and National Farmers Union will be holding a press conference today at 1pm eastern time. It will be at the National Press Club. How convenient is that, since I’m here and we’ll be finished with the NAFB Washington Watch program by then. So my plan is to stream it live here. The press conference features:

The Honorable John Block, former Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Buis, President, National Farmers Union (NFU)
Bob Dinneen, President of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)
Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA

The topic will be: “Farmers and Ethanol Industry to Present the Facts On Food Price Increases.” This topic just won’t go away and it’s at least in part due to the immense amount of misinformation being spread in the media, most notably this week, the Washington Post with their irresponsible series called, Global Food Crisis.

I’m hoping to be able to stream the press conference live this afternoon and you’ll be able to watch it here with the following player. Basically, starting at 1pm or within a few moments of that, you should be able to click on the player and see the live stream. A lot depends on the internet connection I’ll have there. In any case, I’ll also be recording it to post on Domestic Fuel as well.

Post Update: Here is a recording of the live stream from today in two segments:

Ag Groups, Ethanol, Food, Video

Senator Harkin is Hopeful

Chuck Zimmerman

Senator Tom HarkinThis morning NAFB members are getting fully updated on the farm bill as well as other issues here in the Russell Bldg. First up on our program was Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who was looking a little tired as he took the podium.

The Senator told us that he expects (hopes/dreams) that we’ll actually have a farm bill by today or tomorrow after the House and Senate conferees spent all day yesterday, including meeting with the Administration, on hammering out a final agreement. We’ll see. However, he did provide the group with quite a few numbers and statistics on what we should expect from the final bill.

I asked him what specialty crop producers could expect and you can hear his answer here: ww-08-harkin-specialty.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Audio, Farm Policy, NAFB

Ceres First to Brand Bioenergy Seeds

Laura McNamara

ceres.pngAs technology unleashes more and more energy possibilities from more and more crops, it can get a little confusing as to which plants can do what. Ceres, Inc. plans to clarify bio-friendly seeds with its new bioenergy seed brand.

Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. plans to market its agricultural seeds and traits under the trade name Blade Energy Crops in the United States. Company president and CEO Richard Hamilton unveiled the new brand at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Chicago earlier today.

“Blade will be the first multi-crop seed brand supplying the new market for non-food, low-carbon biofuel feedstocks,” Hamilton said. These biomass-dense crops will be grown as raw materials for next-generation biofuels and biopower. One of the great appeals of energy crops is that they can thrive on agricultural lands that are ill-suited to food production.

“Supported by the latest technology in genomics-based breeding, trait development and compositional analysis, we are positioning Blade as a premium seed brand for biofuel and biopower feedstocks. For growers, that means high yields and greater yield stability. Downstream, it means easier processing, and ultimately, more energy per ton of biomass,” said Hamilton. “From both an economic and environmental perspective, if we are going to turn plant matter into fuel, we should use feedstocks that give us the maximum fuel yield per acre.”

The company says the Blade name was inspired by its first crops, switchgrass, sorghum and canes, which are from a category of closely related grass species, known as C4 grasses. C4 grasses are the natural world’s most efficient engines of photosynthesis, the process by which plants store solar energy in the form of carbohydrates. New technologies have made it possible to convert the most abundant form of these energy-rich molecules, called cellulose, into renewable fuels.

Agribusiness, Corn, Energy, Farming, Seed

Farm Broadcasters Visit Capitol Hill

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm BroadcastersNAFB members are currently sitting in an office of the Senate Bldg. listening to a series of legislators discuss policy and what’s happening on the farm bill from their perspective.

Here’s the happy, smiley group as we walked up the hill past the Capitol to this building.

We’re going to be here all morning and fortunately my AT&T card is working like a charm! The photo album is up to date so feel free to visit and get a better sense of what this group is doing in Washington, DC.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

NAFB

Ladies and Gentlemen, Tom Brand

Chuck Zimmerman

Agraria Restaurant DinnerNAFB’ers were treated to a wonderful dinner at Agraria last night. It’s a restaurant owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union.

Our emcee for dinner was Tom Brand, KFEQ, who was formally announced by Ken Root, WHO. The photo was taken with my camera by Leah Guffey, WFMB.

Sponsors include the National Farmers Union and The Fertilizer Institute. This is a unique restaurant which not only serves an excellent meal experience but is focused on purchasing products from farmers.

Agraria Restaurant is owned by and sources the highest quality products from family-farmers across the country. Enjoy our modern American cuisine derived from the families whose passion for farming not only provides the wholesome ingredients presented on our menu, but also embodies the very fabric of the American way of life.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

NAFB

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Two new fungicides from BASF recently received registration from the EPA for use on cereals, providing growers with broad-spectrum activity on rust, head scab and other major cereal diseases. Caramba™ fungicide, the first fungicide registered, provides activity against head scab. The second fungicide registered for use by the EPA is a premix fungicide product containing the active ingredients pyraclostrobin, the same active ingredient in Headline® fungicide, and metconazole.
  • Thomas Gahm joins the growing team of professionals at ABG, a global performance solutions company serving clients in the agriculture, life sciences and food industries. ABG is an Adayana company, and Gahm will also serve as director of communications and investor relations for Adayana. Most recently head of business communications for Syngenta Seeds in Minneapolis, Minn., Gahm brings more than 30 years of marketing communications experience to ABG and Adayana.
  • Kubota Tractor Corporation is tapping into the National Safety Council’s (NSC) annual celebration of National Safety Month in June to bring added attention to tractor and equipment safety. This year marks the 12th anniversary of National Safety Month, which has the theme of “Make a Difference.” The NSC has designated each of the four weeks in June with a specific safety focus: June 2-6: Emergency Preparedness; June 9-13: Reducing Distracted Driving; June 16-20: Poisoning Prevention; and June 23-27: Falls Prevention.
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