New NAS Prize For Food & Ag Research

Joanna Schroeder

gI_61154_FFAR-Logo_web_trans-backgroundDuring the 2016 Borlaug Dialogue last week in Des Moines, Iowa, an announcement was made officially launching the first National Academy of Sciences (NAS) prize dedicated to food and agriculture research. The new NAS Prize in Food and Agricultural Sciences, endowed in perpetuity by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $100,000 each year, is focused on supporting innovative scientific achievements that will ensure a robust food supply by 2050.

With the creation of the new NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences, which will be awarded each year to a mid-career recipient at a U.S. institution, FFAR and its partners aim to complement the work of the World Food Prize.

“The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is proud to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish this new prize at the National Academy of Sciences recognizing extraordinary scientists for discoveries that transform how we produce and deliver nutritious food,” said Sally Rockey, executive director of FFAR. “As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Food Prize, it is a timely and distinct honor to mark this milestone for food and agriculture sciences alongside our partners and colleagues at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue.”

The inaugural recipient of the new Prize will be honored in January 2017 for an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production.

The news was released during the annual Borlaug Dialogue, an international summit bringing together industry thought leaders, policy makers, farmers, executives from agribusiness and non-governmental organizations, and scientific, academic and development experts to address critical food security issues and honor recipients of the World Food Prize.

Agribusiness, Food, Research, World Food Prize

30th @WorldFoodPrize Laureates Honored

Cindy Zimmerman

wfp16-laureatesDrs. Maria Andrade, Howarth Bouis, Jan Low and Robert Mwanga were awarded the 30th annual World Food Prize last week before an international audience at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Three of the 2016 laureates were honored for their work in developing the vitamin A-enriched orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). Dr. Andrade and Dr. Mwanga, plant scientists in Mozambique and Uganda, bred the OFSP using genetic material from the International Potato Center and other sources, while Dr. Low structured the nutrition studies and programs that convinced almost two million households in 10 separate African countries to plant, purchase and consume this nutritionally fortified food.

Bouis, the founder of HarvestPlus at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), over a 25-year period pioneered the implementation of a multi-institutional approach to biofortification as a global plant breeding strategy. As a result of his leadership, crops such as iron and zinc fortified beans, rice, wheat and pearl millet, along with Vitamin A-enriched cassava, maize and OFSP are being tested or released in over 40 countries.

Bouis created the organization HarvestPlus in 2003 as a global multi-sector, multidisciplinary effort to improve nutrition and public health through bioforitfication. Under his leadership, a large partnership of plant breeders, agronomists, nutritionists, and economists have worked together to form one of the most successful initiatives to improve nutrition through changes in the food systems.

“At a time when malnutrition, stunting and early childhood death remain a scourge for millions on our planet, the four 2016 World Food Prize Laureates have uplifted the health and well being of more than 10 million persons through the biofortication of staple crops, particularly the vitamin fortified orange fleshed sweet potato, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize said. “They have truly fulfilled the dictum attributed to Hippocrates from almost 2,400 years ago – to “Let Food Be Thy Medicine.”

Official events surrounding the 2016 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium concluded on Saturday with the 22nd Anniversary Global Youth Institute.

Uncategorized

Vote for @USFRA New Faces of Farming and Ranching

Cindy Zimmerman

Here’s one vote you can be happy to cast this year!

usfra-facesPublic voting for the third class of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) Faces of Farming and Ranching has begun and will run through October 23. Eight finalists for the third class of USFRA Faces were announced last month and the final five will be announced November 9 at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting.

Visit USFRA’s Facebook Page to learn more about each of the finalists and then vote for the one you believe best represents the passion and innovation behind today’s agriculture. The Facebook voting through ShortStack will appear as a tab on USFRA’s Facebook page (it’s one vote per 24 hours).

USFRA

Kevin Folta Awarded Borlaug CAST Communications Award

Lizzy Schultz

folta-award Dr. Kevin Folta was recognized as the winner of the seventh Borlaug CAST Communication Award (BCCA), and was honored with the award at a World Food Prize side event. Folta gave a memorable keynote address, titled “Unveiling Our Halo – Building Trust with a Concerned Consumer.”

Volta serves as the Chair of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, where he conducts research, educates students, and communicates important concepts about science and the public.

His wide following on social media allows him to actively participate in the public forum about important topics related to agricultural biotechnology. Throughout his career he has received several impressive awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Award for undergraduate mentoring, and the University of Florida Research Foundation Award.

CAST’s annual award is intended to recognize experts in science or agriculture who demonstrate exemplary communication skills, through written material, public presentations, and various forms of media.

According to Dr. Jack Payne of the University of Florida, “Kevin Folta has done as much as anyone in the past decade to help the public understand the biotechnology behind its food.” And many agree with Julie Borlaug Larson’s observation: “He has not shied away from controversial subjects and has often been the number one target of the anti-science movement on behalf of all of us who support biotechnology.”

Ag Groups, World Food Prize

World Food Day is October 16th

Lizzy Schultz

fao-logo Mark your calendars: Sunday, October 16 is World Food Day 2016, and the theme of this year’s event is “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.” The day will be one of the most celebrated events on the UN calendar, with over 150 countries recognizing it during various events and ceremonies.

Rome is hosting several key World Food Day events on October 14th, all of which intend to shine a spotlight on the critical links between our planet’s changing climate change, humanity’s food security, and the future of sustainable development. Mayors and senior officials from more than 45 cities, including Abidjan, Madrid, Mexico City and Shanghai, will also attend a Mayors’ Summit in Rome to discuss progress made in meeting the goals of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

Rome’s event speakers will include:

Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy
Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco
José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
Macharia Kamau, UN Special Envoy on El Niño and Climate
Kanayo Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)

A special message on food security from Pope Francis will also be delivered at the ceremony.

This year’s The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report will be held on October 17th, the day after World Food Day 2016. The report will provide evidence on how a variety of agricultural sectors can help stabilize the global climate while simultaneously raising food output to eradicate hunger. The report will also documents the costs of inaction compared to the cost of interventions. The SOFA report will feature speakers José Graziano da Silva, Director-General FAO, and Kostas Stamoulis, FAO-Assistant Director-General, Hunger Eradication, Food Security, and Nutrition.

A final World Food Day event will be held by Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on October 17th. The session is set to endorse a set of policy recommendations on sustainable agricultural development, including livestock and on smallholder’s access to markets, and will also offer several panel discussions during the week, with topics covering sustainable value chains, experience in using the CFS guidelines on governance of tenure, rural-urban transformation and the review and follow up of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ag Groups, Conservation, Events, Food, International, Sustainability

Meet the Speakers of AgCatalyst

Jamie Johansen

screen-shot-2016-10-13-at-5-35-55-pmThe brightest minds in social media, marketing, agriculture and food production will soon come together for AgCatalyst November 1-2 in Minneapolis, MN to spark conversations and lead the advancement of agriculture in North America.

Keynote speakers include:
– Jay Baer, President, Convince and Convert – Jay Baer is a renowned business strategist, keynote speaker and The New York Times best-selling author of five books, including “Hug Your Haters.” Baer travels the world helping businesspeople get and keep more customers.
– Joe Schwarcz, Director of Office for Science and Society, McGill University – “Dr. Joe” is known for his informative and entertaining public lectures that cover a variety of topics. He has appeared on television hundreds of times, authored best-selling books and received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and interpreting science for the public.
– Matt Sweezey, Principal of Marketing Insights, Salesforce – Matt Sweezey is regarded as one of the top minds in the future of marketing. A consummate researcher and thinker, Matthew’s work is often cited in leading publications and in modern marketing books. He is the author of “Marketing Automation for Dummies,” the first practical guide to marketing.

Learn how to educate, connect and build positive relationships all the way from the field to the consumers – and back again. They say registration is going fast, will you be there to find the best possible path to your customers’ hearts, minds and smart phones?

Advertising, Agribusiness, Marketing

AgriLabs Selects Meyocks for Branding, Marketing

Jamie Johansen

logoAgriLabs has selected Meyocks for branding and marketing communications services after an agency review.

“Meyocks brings proven integrated marketing expertise that will help AgriLabs build a strong strategy and communications platform,” says Sean O’Hare, executive vice president for AgriLabs. “We’re excited about Meyocks’ potential to deliver innovative work that will resonate with our customers and help us stand out in the marketplace.”

Meyocks will help AgriLabs develop strategy and integrated marketing programs for the AgriLabs brand, as well as the company’s vaccine portfolio, calf nutritionals, adjuvants with ENABL® technology and the VetGunTM delivery system for insect control.

Doug Jeske, president of Meyocks, says it’s an exciting time to engage with AgriLabs. “AgriLabs is building on its legacy through the development and commercialization of new, innovative technologies for food animal production. Meyocks is proud to partner with AgriLabs to tell its story.”

Advertising, Agribusiness, Marketing

New Agreement for John Deere and Ag Leader

Kelly Marshall

john_deere_logo_3623Ag Leader and Deere & Company have announced a licensing agreement for Precision Planting’s SeedTube and related planting products.  The agreement states that Ag Leader, a precision competitor, may use Deere technologies and licenses to manufacture and sell the Precision Planting SeedTubes and related technology, including vSet, vDrive and DeltaForce.  Of course, this is contingent on Deere’s acquisition of Precision Planting from The Climate Corporation.

The agreement also states that Ag Leader can build on the technology to develop future planting equipment innovations to support precision agriculture.  This expansion of Ag Leader’s planting choices and the ability to plant at higher speeds will provide their customers with more solutions.

“Ag Leader is continuously looking for opportunities to expand our already impressive line of precision farming technologies. When this prospect arose, we knew it was worth looking into for our customers and dealers, as high-speed planting is an emerging precision agriculture technology,” said Al Myers, president, Ag Leader Technology.

ag leaderAg Leader remains an independent competitor, completely separate of John Deere or Precision Planting, while still selling the Precision Planting products under the name farmers trust.  It will offer customers choice, for buying new machinery or retrofitting older equipment made by a variety of manufacturers.

Deere anticipates Ag Leader will sell Precision Planting components to retrofit Deere and other brands of planters and will provide a separate and competitive source of supply for OEM planter manufacturers that choose to equip their products with Precision Planting components.

Myers said, “The licensing agreement will add cutting-edge precision products and technologies, including SpeedTube, to Ag Leader’s product line, expanding upon our year-round, best-in-class solutions from planting through harvest.”

Ag Leader, Agribusiness, John Deere, Precision Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

Zimfo Bytes

Novus CEO Receives Prestigious Globalist Award

Jamie Johansen

screen-shot-2016-10-13-at-8-09-22-amAt the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, Boeing Institute of International Business honored Novus President and CEO, Francois Fraudeau, for his contributions to advance international trade in the St. Louis region.

The annual Hussmann International Business Awards Ceremony recognizes both professionals and student scholars who are active in international business and trade. The Globalist Award is given to “an individual who has distinguished himself through a commitment to international business development, demonstrated innovation and leadership in his profession, and contributed to or supported the Boeing Institute of International Business.”

As President and CEO of Novus International, a global animal nutrition solutions provider, Fraudeau’s influence in the global agriculture economy has widespread and positive impact in achieving the Company’s vision: to help feel the world affordable, wholesome food and achieve a higher quality of life. With sales in over 100 countries and growing, Fraudeau encourages the organization to develop globally-relevant products and services, while maintaining attention to the minutest of local details.

“It is an honor and a pleasure to be given The Globalist Award by this admired academic institution,” Fraudeau stated. “The Boeing Institute of International Business and the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University are developing a generation of leaders who will ensure success and prosperity in our globalized world.”

In addition to Fraudeau’s Award, undergraduate student, Miranda Koors, was selected for the Novus Global Business Scholarship. She was selected by a scholarship committee based on her academic, service, and professional achievements. Five additional students received similar scholarships from other sponsors. The ceremony took place on October 12 in the Anheuser-Busch Auditorium at Saint Louis University.

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Novus International