June, 2023

article thumbnail

The UNICEF-WHO Congress on infant formula marketing: a brief report

Food Politics

Last week, I attended and spoke at the UNICEF-WHO Global Congress on Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes at WHO headquarters in Geneva. The meeting was attended by more than 400 government, health, and advocacy representatives from more than 100 countries. Representatives of infant formula companies were not invited to participate.

Marketing 344
article thumbnail

Soybean School: Could higher seeding rates salvage poor plant stands?

Real Agriculture

Strong plant stands can set a soybean crop up for big yields. But difficult spring conditions can leave soybean seedlings fighting to emerge and unable to contribute to the population levels needed to reach yield expectations. In Ontario, typically one to four per cent of the soybean acres fail to establish adequate plant stands and. Read More Strong plant stands can set a soybean crop up for big yields.

Seeding 246
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Some Career News

Jayson Lusk

I’m excited to announce that I will serve as the next Vice President and Dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University, beginning early August. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University, and I will miss my friends and colleagues in West Lafayette.

Science 189
article thumbnail

Berkeley pushes AI innovation, research with ‘Woodstock of Hackathons’

Berkeley Blog

We're at a fascinating 'epi-inflection point' in generative AI. There are so many valid concerns surrounding it, but if events like this, and others, help set a strong cultural orientation toward AI innovation that is ethical and responsible, there is much room for advancement that improves our lives in ways we can’t begin to fathom.

Science 145
article thumbnail

Letter supporting America Grows Act

NASDA

Letter Dear Chairs and Ranking Members, As organizations concerned about the future of food and agricultural science, the undersigned are writing to express our support for the America Grows Act of 2023 (S.1628), a bipartisan bill Senators Durbin and Moran have recently introduced that would significantly increase our nation’s investment in agricultural research and development.

Science 130
article thumbnail

Soybean Aphids Have Arrived. Send in the Scouts

AgWeb Farm Journal

The pest is showing up in early-season soybeans. Current numbers don't necessarily warrant treatment. But the pests can double in population in only a few days, so scouting is the only way to stay on top of them.

120
120
article thumbnail

Weekend reading: IPES Food on corporate governance of food systems

Food Politics

The prolific International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems has produced another must-see report: Here’s what it’s about: Corporate influence over food system governance has become the new normal: the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit exposed the ability of multinational agri-food corporations to influence food system decision-making and dominate seemingly inclusive ‘multi-stakeholder’ processes…corporations have succeeded in convincing governments that they must be central in any discussi

Food 264

More Trending

article thumbnail

Did You Know That Soil Health Affects Human Health?

The Equation

As a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Package passed in 2022, Congress directed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to investigate the links between human health and soil health, looking into how soil management practices that support healthy soils influence the nutritional content of foods and affect overall human health.

Food 116
article thumbnail

What happens when open source AI falls into the wrong hands?

Berkeley Blog

A researcher was granted access earlier this year by Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to incredibly potent artificial intelligence software – and leaked it to the world. As a former researcher on Meta’s civic integrity and responsible AI teams, I am terrified by what could happen next. Though Meta was violated by the leak, it came.

Science 144
article thumbnail

Letter supporting Innovative FEED Act

NASDA

Letter Dear Chairman Sanders and Ranking Member Cassidy: We are writing to encourage the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Congress to quickly pass the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act of 2023 (S. 1842), the legislative solution needed to modernize the regulatory approval of innovative feed ingredients for use on U.S. farms and ranches.

Grain 130
article thumbnail

11 Ways to Practice Random Acts of Kindness on the Farm

AgWeb Farm Journal

Don’t let day-to-day farm tasks stand in your way of showing some extra gratitude to your hardworking employees.

Farming 119
article thumbnail

Industry influence of the week: pork

Food Politics

A member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the professional association for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, sent me this emailed announcement from Pork & Partners, a program of the National Pork Board Checkoff. The accompanying message: A Friend To All Foods + CPEUs for You! Pork & Partners is an exciting new community for RDNs, tailored to help you meet your professional needs.

Food 264
article thumbnail

The five Ws of combine prep

Real Agriculture

It’s never too early to start thinking about harvest prep, especially as fall-seeded crops race towards the finish line in mid-summer. Jim Franceschetti, product marketing manager, crop harvesting, hay & forage for CASE IH, says that starting combine prep early means avoiding too-busy service bays and techs and avoids waits for parts, too.

Forage 130
article thumbnail

Making Sense of Agrisolar in Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy

Global Ag Tech

The solar and ag industries can work together to make significant progress towards transforming food supplies and accelerating the transition to clean energy. The post Making Sense of Agrisolar in Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy appeared first on Global Ag Tech Initiative.

article thumbnail

Why Living Above the Poverty Line Doesn’t Guarantee Food Security

The Equation

If you are worried about the rising cost of food, you are not alone. In the United States, approximately 1 in 10 households experience food insecurity (although research suggests it’s actually many more than that). Dramatic inflation , coupled with the premature expiration of additional dollars for those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and new work requirements for some SNAP recipients, has led to widespread worry about hunger.

Food 107
article thumbnail

South Dakota Seeking Watershed Protection Program Administrator

NASDA

News Article The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is seeking applicants for a Watershed Protection Program Administrator. The DANR Watershed Protection Program works to assess, protect, improve, restore and maintain the health of South Dakota waters by providing local government bodies, natural resource management agencies and the general public with information, funding and technical assistance for watershed assessment and restoration projects.

Forestry 130
article thumbnail

Derecho Packs Punch of 100 MPH Winds, Flattens Cornfields and Crushes Grain Bins Across the Midwest

AgWeb Farm Journal

Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.

Grain 117
article thumbnail

Weekend reading: Update on the International Code on infant formula marketing

Food Politics

Earlier this week I wrote about the UNICEF-WHO meeting I went to in Geneva on implementing the 1981 International Code governing marketing of infant formulas. UNICEF has just issued an update: What I [meaning you ] Should Know about the Code This new publication—a one-stop shopping guide to the issues—summarizes UN resolutions on the Code since 1981 as well as subsequent research on breastfeeding and infant formula marketing, most notably the Lancet Commission reports I wrote about earlier.

Marketing 246
article thumbnail

Wheat School: World record wheat with Eric Watson

Real Agriculture

What does it take to grow 258-bushel-per-acre wheat? On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Peter Johnson peppers New Zealand wheat grower Eric Watson on how he achieved that world record wheat yield in 202o. His record has since been broken but the Ashburton, New Zealand farmer is now planning another assault on the record. Read More What does it take to grow 258-bushel-per-acre wheat?

Acre 130
article thumbnail

Significance and Uses of Fall Flowers

Agric4profits

Fall flowers, with their captivating hues and delicate beauty, provide a breathtaking finale to the colorful tapestry of nature's yearly cycle.

105
105
article thumbnail

The United States Needs to Protect Its Farmworkers from “Danger Season”

The Equation

Farmworkers face many hazards while performing the labor that props up the $1.264 trillion US food and farm economy, yet a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that federal agencies focused on agriculture and health invested an average of only $16.2 million dollars per year in farmworker health research projects between fiscal years 2019 and 2022.

Pesticide 106
article thumbnail

Food Safety for Food Security – How FDA and State Agriculture Departments Meet Global Food Safety and Supply Needs

NASDA

News Article This article was originally published by Food Safety Magazine. The NASDA Foundation works with FDA and state agencies under a cooperative agreement to improve produce safety The U.S. has one of the safest domestic produce industries in the world due to the unique partnership between state and federal regulatory agencies. At present, 45 state agriculture departments are partnering with the U.S.

Food 130
article thumbnail

Ghost Manure Digesters Scheme Sends California Man to Prison

AgWeb Farm Journal

A California man has shown that ghost cattle are unnecessary to create a Ponzi scheme, just ghost manure. Or, at least, ghost manure digesters.

Manure 116
article thumbnail

Artificial sweeteners: the backlash

Food Politics

This has not been a good year for artificial sweeteners. The World Health Organization says don’t use them for weight control and don’t give them to children. The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.

Science 187
article thumbnail

The Agronomists, Ep 117: Controlling volunteer crops with Drew Thompson and Jason Voogt

Real Agriculture

Volunteer corn or canola aren’t just a plant out of place — both can eat yield and quality, depending on the following crop. Managing volunteers benefits from several layers of cultural practices, such as harvest settings and row spacing, and a well thought-out herbicide strategy. To delve into the challenge of volunteers, this episode of. Read More Volunteer corn or canola aren’t just a plant out of place — both can eat yield and quality, depending on the following crop.

Crop 130
article thumbnail

Let’s embrace the creative possibilities of AI

Berkeley Blog

Engaging with AI's unique form of creativity could help us and learn new things, combine and extend previous ideas, and design new molecules, new medicines, and new works of art.

Science 104
article thumbnail

Weather-Proofing Your Workforce for Summer 2023

DTN

For employers and managers, summer is not just about welcoming college interns, onboarding seasonal workers, and juggling an influx of vacation requests; the warmer weather also means additional planning and management for outdoor work and activities. The summer of 2023 will be no different — though potentially more extreme. In April, DTN meteorologists shared during a U.S.

article thumbnail

Letter regarding implementation framework for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

NASDA

Letter Dear Mr. Wise, The undersigned organizations are writing to provide comments on the implementation framework for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) as representatives of America’s farmers, ranchers, forest owners and foresters as well as supporting organizations that share an interest in fostering voluntary market incentives for climate-smart agriculture and forestry.

article thumbnail

Which Are The Best BBQ Cities in America?

AgWeb Farm Journal

Which cities have the best barbeque? The answer depends on who you ask, and two recent rankings provide different results.

116
116
article thumbnail

Innovations in food product development: now we have to deal with AI?

Food Politics

I am indebted to the daily newsletter, Food Navigator Europe, for keeping me up to date on the latest developments in European food marketing. With all of the fuss at my university about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we live, I was riveted by this article. Artificial intelligence designs soda for Swiss market: ‘We were gripped by AI fever’ Its subtitle: It took just two days for Swiss beverage company Vivi Kola to develop the artificial intelligence-designed beverage using

Food 186
article thumbnail

Peggy Brekveld named chair of CAHRC

Real Agriculture

Ontario dairy farmer and producer group leader Peggy Brekveld has been acclaimed as chair of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC). Brekveld also serves as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. She replaces Paul Glenn, representing the Canadian Young Farmers Forum, who completed his 2021 to 2023 term as of June 20, 2023.

article thumbnail

Nibbles: Business, CGIAR & FARA, Agrobiodiversity Index, Beans, Artisanal sake, Nabhan on mezcals, Kernza anniversary, Fish diversity, Amazon trees, Dark extinctions

Agricultural Biodiversity

Gardening pioneer says “ Be as diverse as possible! “ Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, says businesses should be as biodiverse as possible. CGIAR and FARA launch an initiative to transform agriculture in Africa but the role of biodiversity is unclear. Maybe they should embrace the Agrobiodiversity Index , now that it has won a big prize.

article thumbnail

Consumer Food Insights - May 2023

Jayson Lusk

The May 2023 edition of our monthly Consumer Food Insights survey is now out. A few highlights: Consumer food spending is at its highest level since our survey began in January 2022. Food insecurity ticked up to 16%. There has been a decline in the length of time individuals report being on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (conditional on being in the program) Some good news: we continue to see a steady decline in the share of consumers who report not being able to find items the

Food 100
article thumbnail

A Deep Dive on the Senate’s FY2024 Appropriations Bill

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Credit: Jonathan P. Larsen/Diadem Images On June 22, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill in what has become a rare occurrence – unanimous, bipartisan approval. The Senate’s approval of the Agriculture bill stood in stark contrast to what transpired in the House Appropriations Committee just a week earlier – an eight plus hour partisan slog that res

article thumbnail

Soybean Outlook for the Next 90 Days (6/30/23)

AgWeb Farm Journal

With notably smaller soybean acres, weather over the next month will be especially significant.

Acre 114
article thumbnail

Unify the FDA’s food programs—says Congressional Ag Appropriations

Food Politics

Once again I am indebted to Bill Marler for keeping me informed about items related to food safety: Publisher’s Platform: The House Appropriations Committee Directs the FDA to Restructure – will it be Ignored? He points to this item on page 79 of the House Agriculture Appropriations bill. I’ve written about problems with the FDA’s oversight of food and food safety previously (see this for example ).

Food 130
article thumbnail

Do More Ag Foundation launches AgTalk moderated community platform

Real Agriculture

The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) has launched AgTalk, powered by Togetherall. The 24/7 peer support platform will be accessible across the entire Canadian agriculture industry, equipped with bilingual clinical moderation for open discussions on mental health. Do More Ag says anyone 16 and older can connect, share, and receive support from a.