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This week's round up of the latest news, research, and policy developments from across global agriculture.
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CONTENT
February 2-8, 2018
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Global Food Security Symposium 2018
March 21-22 | Washington, DC
Space is limited, register now for our early bird rate!
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By 2050, Africa’s population will double, with 1 billion projected to be under 18 years old, and many others regions are experiencing similar trends. How can we harness the potential of this promising demographic to secure economic growth and stability? Global leaders, innovators, disruptors, and trailblazers are shaping the future of food and agriculture. Attend this year’s symposium to learn why this transformative moment is a crucial to global food security and stability.
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The Next Generation: Agricultural Development Holds the Key, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, February 6
Most low-income people globally live in rural areas, and 65 percent of poor working adults earn their living through agriculture. Therefore, a great deal of tomorrow’s youth population will be working in the agriculture and food sector. Investments to make their work more productive are up to four times more effective in raising incomes for the poorest poor than investments in other sectors.
Guest Commentary – Land Rights and Mangoes, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, February 8
In too many places, women’s claim to the land they rely on for food, income, and shelter is through their relationships with male relatives. Even when laws recognize gender equality, customary norms and practices can entrench women’s insecure land rights. A new post from Landesa highlights the work of one Kenyan mango woman’s advocacy to strengthen the rights of female mango farmers.
Sorghum Farmers Are the First Victims in Growing Trade Dispute between China and the US, Washington Post, February 6
Thanks to an escalating trade conflict between China and the Trump administration, the $1 billion sorghum business may be in peril. Chinese officials launched an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum exports—two weeks after President Trump slapped new tariffs on washing machines and solar panels. Observers fear that, should tensions continue to escalate, China may target soybeans next.
SEE ALSO: China Shows How It Will Fight a Trade War, Wall Street Journal, February 5
SEE ALSO: China’s Trade Investigation Takes Aim at Trump’s Voter Base, New York Times, February 8
South African Farmers Lose Crops and Workers Amid Crippling Drought, NPR, February 4
The irrigation board determines how much water each farmer in South Africa’s Western Cape Province needs to grow certain crops, and how much the nearby Elandskloof Dam can spare. The allocations have gotten smaller amid a three-year drought. Analysts estimate between 30,000 and 70,000 seasonal workers could lose their jobs this year.
SEE ALSO: Cape Town’s Water Crisis Is Already Posing a Risk to Public Health, Quartz, February 7
SEE ALSO: Cape Town Pushes Possible Tap Closure on ‘Day Zero’ to May, AP, February 5
SEE ALSO: Cape Town's Water Crisis Highlights City's Rich-Poor Divide, New York Times, February 3
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GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
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What Fuel, Bread, and Water Reveal About How Egypt is Mismanaged, Economist, February 10
Instead of talking about the joke election, Egyptians are talking about inflation, which they do not find funny. Similarly, bread subsidies are a waste of dough; Egyptians buy up to five loaves a day for a tenth of their cost. A simpler system would distort the economy less while helping the poor far more.
AP Exclusive: Rohingya Say Military Cut off Food in Myanmar, AP, February 8
First, the wholesale destruction of villages by the Myanmar military in western Rakhine state forced nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. Now, the food supply appears to be another weapon that’s being used against the dwindling numbers of Rohingya in Myanmar.
SEE ALSO: 'They Want to Erase Us.' Hunger Used to Target Rohingya, New York Times, February 7
We Can Make Agricultural Work Attractive for Africa's Youth. Here's How, Opinion, Esther Ngumbi, Devex, February 7
In Zimbabwe, it is hard to sell agriculture as a meaningful career for the youth. To them, the cities hold more promise than the fields. They have real reasons to back their choice: agriculture can be tedious, labor intensive, a risky business, unrewarding, and unproductive. To build thriving agribusiness, African youth need to tap into new technologies and digital tools.
China Seeks to Rejuvenate Countryside with 2018 Rural Policy, Reuters, February 5
China wants to modernize its farm sector by 2035 to boost rural incomes and living standards, according to a policy statement published by the central government. The document calls for promoting varieties, upgrading farm machinery, and accelerating the development of digital agriculture. The government would also guarantee strategic financial input into the revitalization, with public finance prioritizing rural areas.
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Study Shows Foreign Competitors Increase Investment in Developing Ag Exports While US Lags Behind, Southwest Farm Press, February 8
The European Union spent close to $1 billion in public funds on agricultural export promotion in 2016, outspending the United States four to one. That is an increase of 70 percent in real competitive public spending since 2011. US public funding for the two largest agricultural export promotion programs is about $235 million per year and its real value has declined by 12 percent since 2011.
USDA Charts Course for Strengthening World Aquaculture, USDA, February 6
Aquaculture produces about half of all seafood eaten worldwide. Together, the USDA and the FAO are looking to conserve, sustain, and develop aquatic genetic resources; identify information gaps and threats to effectively manage them; and inform national policy development, legislation, research, education, and training.
Dairy Trade Sours NAFTA Negotiations with Canada, PBS, February 3
As the United States, Canada, and Mexico renegotiate NAFTA, the dairy industry has become a major point of contention. The United States wants Canada to get rid of high taxes on dairy imports, but dairy farmers in Canada worry that cheaper foreign supplies could destroy their livelihoods.
SEE ALSO: GOP Senators Push Trump on Trade, Politico, February 7
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BIG IDEAS AND EMERGING INNOVATIONS
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A Banana Grown at Subzero Temps Also Has an Edible Peel, NPR, February 7
A Japanese farm introduced a new crop this winter: an organic banana with a peel that's thin enough to eat. Farms plant its seedlings in very chilly conditions (minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit) and then thaw and replant them at warmer temperatures. The temperature-shifted bananas grow from seedlings to fruit and an interesting side effect of the process is a thinner banana peel. Without any pesticides, the peel is edible.
Potential Not Wasted: Five Clean Tech Innovations of the Future, Forbes, February 5
Maha Al Muhairi has developed an energy-efficient automated system, FreshFridge, that lets people grow a wide range of herbs and micro-greens in their kitchen. The temperature, water, humidity, and light are controlled via sensors, cameras, and an app. This technology has the potential to start a movement in urban farming in the Middle East.
Ripple Foods Raises $65 Million in Funding in a Victory for Plant-Based Milk, Forbes, February 5
Ripple's main value prop lies in Ripptein, the proprietary pea protein used across its suite of products, which includes pea milk, coffee creamer, and a Greek yogurt alternative. The trademarked product is extracted from peas in a process that isolates the protein from elements of the pea associated with its flavor. With its largest funding round to date, the plant-based milk company brings its total funding to $108.6 million.
Making Space Food with Space Poop, NPR, February 3
Scientists at Penn State think they've found a way for astronauts to create food with help from their own human waste. Scientists collect the solid and liquid waste from the astronaut and put it into a reactor where they have a mixed group of bacteria that break that waste down. The process can grow a bacterium already in use today as an animal feed.
Breeding Super Chickens Could Help Put an End to Antibiotic Use on Poultry Farms, Quartz, February 1
Researchers at the USDA were able to identify roosters with strong immune systems by testing to see which ones had naturally high levels of two particular chemicals in their blood. Birds with high levels of these chemicals have an increased ability to ward off dangerous pathogens. That could be a huge boon to public health and could save billions of dollars along the way.
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FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES
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German Coalition Deal Sets No Timetable to End Glyphosate Use, Reuters, February 7
Germany’s draft coalition deal includes a goal of ending use of the weed-killer glyphosate within the country but gives no time frame. The timing of an end to glyphosate use has been highly controversial in Europe amid a heated debate over whether the chemical causes cancer.
Latin America’s Premium Coffee Growers Branch out to Cheaper Beans, New York Times, February 7
A growing number of farmers in Latin American nations renowned for their high-quality arabica coffee are starting to plant cheaper robusta—a crop still frowned upon or even outlawed in some countries. Many in the industry have feared the low-brow bean will spoil their reputation as suppliers of the world's best coffee.
Berlin Urban Farm-In-A-Box Raises $25 Million for European Expansion, Reuters, February 5
Berlin-based urban farming start-up, Infarm, has raised $25 million to expand its indoor growing system into major supermarket chains and restaurants across Europe. The firm aims to help cities become self-sufficient in food production and lower farming’s environmental footprint as well.
Will Climate Change Move Agriculture Indoors? And Will That Be a Good Thing?, Grist, February 3
Even as the weather outside goes haywire, plants farmed indoors can live out an optimized version of the weather that they coevolved with—the weather of the past. But ending hunger is about more than just growing more food: it’s also about distributing the food we already grow more fairly, eating lower on the food chain, and cutting down on food that is spoiled or wasted.
Zimbabwe to Issue 99-Year Leases to Remaining White Farmers, Chicago Tribune, February 3
Zimbabwe's remaining white farmers will now get 99-year land leases, according to a new government policy that marks a dramatic change from widespread evictions of whites from farms. Land ownership is an emotional issue with political and racial overtones in this country, where under colonial rule whites were allocated the best agricultural land and blacks were pushed out to mostly arid land with poor soil.
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Why Do Poor Americans Eat so Unhealthfully? Because Junk Food Is the Only Indulgence They Can Afford, Opinion, Priya Fielding-Singh, Los Angeles Times, February 7
Families' socioeconomic status affected not just their access to healthy food, but something even more fundamental: the meaning of food. Poor parents said that they could almost always scrounge up a dollar to buy their kids a can of soda or a bag of chips. So when poor parents could afford to oblige such requests, they did.
In Sweeping War on Obesity, Chile Slays Tony the Tiger, New York Times, February 7
The Chilean government, facing skyrocketing rates of obesity, is waging war on unhealthy foods with a phalanx of marketing restrictions, mandatory packaging redesigns and labeling rules aimed at transforming the eating habits of 18 million people. Nutrition experts say the measures are the world’s most ambitious attempt to remake a country’s food culture.
Scientists Have Seen a Shocking Rise in Obesity Levels in Urban Africa over the past 25 Years, Quartz, February 3
Increased urbanization is associated with lifestyle changes such as decreased physical activity. This is often accompanied by increased intake of high caloric fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. This combination has contributed to the rising burden of obesity on the African continent.
More Than Half of American Babies are at Risk of Malnourishment, Huffington Post, February 3
The nutrition children receive during their first 1,000 days has a profound impact on how they develop. Roger Thurow, senior fellow for global food and agriculture at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, says the challenge is to move parents today from a general understanding that nutrition is important to a recognition that poor nutrition in those early days does quantifiable damage.
When It Comes to Nutritional Value, One Plant-Based ‘Milk’ Stands Out, Quartz, February 2
New research compares the nutritional values of four unsweetened plant-based milk products and conventional cow’s milk. The study concludes that cow’s milk beats all the alternatives—but among the substitutes, soy milk was the clear winner.
SEE REPORT: How Well Do Plant Based Alternatives Fare Nutritionally Compared to Cow’s Milk?, Journal of Food Science and Technology, November 2
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ENVIRONMENT, WATER, AND CLIMATE
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The Way the World Catches Fish Defies All Economic Logic, Quartz, February 7
Global fishing effort has surged at least fourfold in the last 40 years, while the level of catches has not even doubled. The global fishing industry landed $164 billion worth of marine fish in 2014. However, taking into account labor, capital, and fuel costs and subsidies, global fisheries produced a net loss of $44 billion.
New Guide Helps Reduce Retail Food Waste at Scale, Food Tank, February 4
The Retail Food Waste Action Guide is designed to help retail businesses implement effective food waste reduction solutions and strategies. The guide aims to provide an overview of national food waste data, statistics, and the retail industry’s opportunity to address waste while improving business outcomes. It also presents a “Solutions Landscape” of proven prevention, recovery, and recycling strategies.
Water, Water Everywhere Can’t Quell a Western Drought, Wall Street Journal, February 4
Many reservoirs are full, and downpours have triggered floods and deadly mudslides in parts of California. But all that water isn’t enough to save the West Coast from another drought. Most of the region has slipped back into the drought conditions that have plagued it on and off for the past two decades. The dry conditions are fueling wildfires, threatening agriculture, and hurting ski resorts.
Scott Pruitt Pushes Back on Finding That Would Restrict Pesticides’ Use to Protect Fish, Gazette, February 2
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced he would press another federal agency to revisit a recent opinion that triggered restrictions on a broad-spectrum insecticide known as chlorpyrifos. Current use of chlorpyrifos threatens the continued existence of 38 species of salmon and other fish in the Pacific Northwest. Pruitt denied a petition to ban the pesticides agricultural use.
SEE ALSO: AP Fact Check: Climate Science Undercuts EPA Chief’s View, Washington Post, February 8
Ethanol's Next Breakthrough? Turning Greenhouse Gas into Fuel, Des Moines Register, February 2
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory unintentionally uncovered a process that uses tiny bits of carbon and copper to convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into ethanol fuel. Ethanol plants produce masses of excess carbon dioxide through the distillation process. If commercialized, the new process could allow ethanol producers to make even more ethanol fuel from the CO2 that's otherwise wasted.
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GENDER AND GENERATIONAL INCLUSION
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Tea Farmer in India Leads Charge for Organic, Evades the Charge of Elephants, NPR, February 6
The young Indian tea grower Tenzing Bodosa transitioned to organic farming after an incident with pesticides on his own farm convinced him he needed to change. He's since shared his knowledge of organic, synthetic chemical-free farming with more than 20,000 farmers.
High Level Event on Empowering Women in Agriculture in Addis Ababa, All Africa, February 6
Femmes Africa Solidarité organized a high-level event on the theme Empowering Women in Agriculture (EWA), attended by representatives of heads of states, rural women in agri-business, partners, and other stakeholders. Chair Olusegun Obasanjo reviewed the processes of EWA as well as the challenges facing rural women in agriculture.
Introducing #GlobalDevWomen: Stories and Advice to Support Women at Work, Devex, February 6
Ironically, just as we work to advance global social equity in other countries, women often can’t expect to be treated the same as male colleagues within their organizations. Over the coming weeks, Devex is publishing anonymous accounts from women who have shared their career stories with Quantum Impact over the course of 2017.
How Sustainable Food Brands Can Appeal to Today's Most Influential Consumers, Forbes, February 2
Food manufacturers have made a notable increase in their commitment and promotion of sustainability policies and practices. The best strategy for them to maximize performance and growth in a sustainable food model comes down to the Modern Consumer Mindsets, which look inside the attitudes, behaviors, and decisions of the consumers who are driving the sustainable food movement: Millennials and Gen Z.
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MARKET ACCESS, TRADE, AND AGRIBUSINESS
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Agricultural Tech Entrepreneur Yevgeniy Kozarenko on Why Nagritech Is Launching an ICO, Forbes, February 6
Natural Agricultural Technologies (Nagritech) fuses agricultural science to create organic plant nutrient products that help farmers in emerging markets to create nutritious food that is plentiful, affordable, and growable. Nagritech is coming up with an innovative new funding method by offering an Initial Coin Offering tied to land, thus helping avoid the greatest pitfall of resource-driven economies: market volatility.
US Farmers Are Producing Too Much Food, Here’s Why They Can’t Stop, Wall Street Journal, February 5
Farmers are producing too much wheat and corn, dragging down economic growth and pushing some farmers out of business. In farming, start-up and expansion costs are large, investments take years to mature, and the nation’s vast network of farmers is too disjointed to cooperate on production cuts. This can result in an economic enigma: rising output amid falling prices.
Bayer Makes New Overtures to Brussels to Clear Monsanto Deal, Financial Times, February 5
Bayer has made Brussels another offer to convince the authorities to approve the chemical giant’s $66 billion takeover of Monsanto. The European competition commissioner was concerned that the companies could increase prices, lower quality, cut choice, and reduce innovation in the pesticides, seeds, and so-called seed-trait markets.
The Alleged Conspiracy to Fix the Price of Chicken Meat, Explained, Washington Post, February 1
Poultry producers—Tyson, Perdue, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Koch Foods among them — control well over 80 percent of the US chicken supply. Food distributors Sysco Corp. and US Foods Holding Corp. claim that the producers coordinated among themselves to keep chicken numbers low and chicken prices high
SEE ALSO: Big Food versus Big Chicken: Lawsuits Allege Processors Conspired to Fix Bird Prices, NPR, February 6
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