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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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Next Generation 2018 – Motivating Agriculture in a Context of Urbanization, Violence, and Economic Instability: A Salvadoran’s Perspective, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, July 19
Examining the challenges—and opportunities—for Salvadoran youth like herself, our fourth installment of our 2018 Next Generation blog series is by Emely Lopez Barrerra, a PhD candidate in Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Trump Administration Plans $12 Billion in Farm Aid to Offset Tariffs, NPR, July 24
The Trump administration is coming to the aid of farmers hurt by its own trade policies, announcing that it will make an estimated $12 billion in government assistance available, including direct payments to growers. The money comes after farmers, especially soybean growers, have felt the brunt of retaliatory tariffs placed on agriculture by China and other nations that the Trump administration has penalized with tariffs on imports.
SEE ALSO: Why Record-Breaking Trade Aid for Farmers Could Fail, Politico, July 25
Next Generation 2018 – A Farm to Fork Culture, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, July 25
Exploring how agricultural knowledge can be shared with an increasingly urban population, our fifth installment of our 2018 Next Generation blog series is by Kinnidy Coley, a BS candidate in Animal Science at the North Carolina A&T University.
The Rise of Female Philanthropists - and Three Big Bets They Make, Forbes, July 25
When women control more wealth, the face of philanthropy will change. One of those changes was reported by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), which found that in 2014, there are more new players committed to supporting women and girls. They are shifting from ‘aid to investment’ and prioritizing business solutions to social and development problems, in line with the Gender Equality as Smart Economics promoted by the World Bank.
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GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
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African Scientists Will Now Access Europe’s Satellite Data for Free, Quartz, July 26
The African Union’s science and technology department recently inked a deal with the European Commission’s Copernicus program, which generates 12 terabytes of earth observation data daily. Considered the third largest data provider globally, the program offers digital aerial photographs of sea topography, land temperature, vegetation changes, and weather patterns. As part of the deal, African scientists and institutions will also receive technical support from European research and space agencies.
India’s Modi Arrives in Uganda in Trip Focusing on Trade, AP, July 24
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $205 million loan to Uganda during a visit to the country, the second stop in his tour of Africa ahead of this week’s summit of the BRICS emerging economies. The money will be used to expand Uganda’s electricity grid and to promote agriculture and dairy farming, the governments said in a joint statement after signing bilateral agreements.
SEE ALSO: India, Rwanda Likely to Sign Agreements in Defense, Agriculture during Narendra Modi's Africa Tour: A Look at Bilateral Ties, Firstpost, July 23
Congo President Approves $4 Billion Plan to Boost Farm Output, Bloomberg, July 23
The Republic of Congo plans to spend $4 billion reviving agriculture as part of a program approved by its President to wean the government off oil revenue. Debt-laden Congo is looking for ways to revive economic growth after two consecutive years of contractions that followed a slump in crude prices. The spending on farm output is envisaged in a four-year National Development Plan that aims to reduce food imports by $1.1 billion and reform the country’s education system.
Asia-Pacific May Meet Only One out of 17 SDGs, Warns UN Official, Economic Times, July 22
The Asia-Pacific region is on track to meet only one of the 17 SDGs by 2030, a senior UN official has warned, underscoring that the global success in achieving the 2030 development agenda is highly reliant on India's performance. Deputy Executive Secretary Kaveh Zahedi also noted that inequality in the region is not just in income and wealth, but also in terms of access to vital services like education, health, social protection, environmental degradation, and impact of disasters.
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A Unified Meat Industry Is Appealing Directly to Trump to Settle the Cell-Cultured Meat Debate, Quartz, July 26
The American meat industry appealed directly to the White House to clarify the regulatory future of high-tech, cell-cultured meats. The letter asks President Trump to give the USDA sole regulatory authority over a class of products that have not yet hit the consumer market: meat grown from cells in a process that doesn’t require slaughtering animals or running large-scale farms.
US Announces $170 Million in Aid to Tackle Food Insecurity in Ethiopia, USAID, July 24
The US announced an additional $170 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of the Ethiopia, many of whom left their homes because of escalating conflict or natural disaster, and who are facing severe food insecurity as a result. The new funding includes emergency food and nutrition assistance, life-saving medical care, shelter, and safe drinking water, as well as programs to improve sanitation and hygiene.
USDA Fights Global Guidelines on Livestock Antibiotics, Bloomberg, July 23
The Trump administration is resisting the World Health Organization’s effort to sharply limit antibiotic use in farm animals, a move intended to help preserve the drugs’ effectiveness. Instead, the US is helping draft an alternative approach that appears more favorable to agribusiness. The WHO guidelines called for an end to giving medically important antibiotics routinely to healthy animals to promote growth or prevent disease.
US, Allies Set to Evacuate Syrian Aid Workers from Southwest, AP, July 20
US officials say the US is finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families from southwest Syria as Russian-backed government forces close in on the area. Two officials familiar with the plans said Thursday that the US, Britain, and Canada are spearheading the evacuation that would transport members of the White Helmets group to transit camps in neighboring countries.
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BIG IDEAS AND EMERGING INNOVATIONS
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Meet the Real-Life Farmers Who Play Farming Simulator, Guardian, July 24
The agricultural simulation game Farming Simulator, a long-running video game played by about one million people, could cultivate a new generation’s enthusiasm for a declining industry. In this way, Farming Simulator can act as a form of wish fulfilment for those unable to afford thousands of acres of land, or the largest or most technologically advanced farming machinery. Moreover, the app is introducing the mechanisms of farming to young people who are not as acquainted with the rural world as generations past.
You Can Farm Anywhere, Even inside a Shopping Mall, Food Tank, July 23
BeGreen, a startup company in Belo Horizonte in Brazil, is producing fresh and organic produce inside the city’s main shopping center. BeGreen was launched with the goal of producing sustainable and healthy food for the urban community, while simultaneously reducing the amount of food wasted along the supply chain. The urban farm uses hydroponic methods to grow fresh and organic produce and sells it locally.
Harnessing the Enemy: As Crops Dry, Malawi Turns to Solar Irrigation, Thomson Reuters Foundation, July 23
Faced with growing losses due to severe drought, farmers in the Zomba district of Malawi have come up with an innovative way to adapt: solar-powered pumps used to pull up underground water, and newly constructed water storage dams that are also used to farm fish. They have also begun growing drought-hardy sweet potatoes to supplement maize, the region’s increasingly at-risk staple.
350 Million Diners Fuel Battle for China's Food Delivery Crown, Bloomberg, July 23
Alibaba’s food delivery platform Ele.me plans to command more than half of all food delivery transaction in China over the short- to medium-term in the midst of Alibaba’s revamped retail strategy, targeting the rise of smartphone-driven demand for food delivery. The company is counting on Chinese food delivery to grow transactions at a pace of at least 60 percent annually in the run-up to 2020. Right now, China has roughly eight million restaurants that are compatible with food delivery apps, but only one-fourth are connected to the internet.
Philippines Sweetens Deal for Scientists Who Return Home, Nature, July 20
A renewed government effort to draw Filipino scientists back to the Philippines by paying them to set up their own research labs or teach has been met with a mixed reception. In particular, the government is hoping to boost the number of agriculture scientists in order to solve some of the Philippines’ most pressing problems, namely climate change and climate migration. Critics are frustrated that the program directs more funds for studying abroad than encouraging local students to pursue degrees at Filipino universities.
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FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES
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Gene-Edited Plants and Animals Are GM Foods, EU Court Rules, Guardian, July 25
Plants and animals created by innovative gene-editing technology have been genetically modified and should be regulated as such, the EU’s top court has ruled. The landmark decision ends 10 years of debate in Europe about what is—and is not—a GM food, with a victory for environmentalists, and a bitter blow to Europe’s biotech industry.
Exploited, Hated, Killed: The Lives of African Fruit Pickers, Al Jazeera, July 22
Around 2,500 African crop-pickers work in Southern Italy and are essential to the local economy; most Italians have either left the countryside over the past few decades or refuse to work for their low wages. They live in cardboard shacks in a polluted industrial area without potable water or electricity. Laborers often work far in excess of their formal work contracts and risk expulsion after the expiration of their visas.
As Milk Production Cools in Summer, Farmers Try to Help Cows Take the Heat, NPR, July 21
The way cows digest food takes a lot of energy and generates a lot of heat. When it gets too warm outside, cows want to cool down. So they spend that energy panting, and as more blood flows to their skin, they sweat. They lose their appetite. Without food, cows stop producing as much milk. The cows at Mill-King dairy farm in Texas give about 33 percent less in the hot summer months. That means less money for this family business.
Crop Failure and Bankruptcy Threaten Farmers as Drought Grips Europe, Guardian, July 20
Farmers across northern and central Europe are facing crop failure and bankruptcy as one of the most intense regional droughts in recent memory strengthens its grip. The abnormally hot temperatures are in line with climate change trends. States of emergency have been declared in Latvia and Lithuania, while the sun continues to bake Swedish fields that have received only 12 percent of their normal rainfall.
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A Major Victory for the Impossible Burger, the Veggie ‘Meat’ That Bleeds, Wired, July 24
The plant based burger owes a lot of its meat-like taste to a yeast modified to carry genes for the soy leghemoglobin protein, which you’d normally find in the roots of soy plant. In 2015, the FDA ruled that soy leghemoglobin is “generally recognized as safe”, a ruling the Impossible Foods was not satisfied with. This week, after a resubmission with additional evidence, the FDA clarified that consuming soy leghemoglobin will not have adverse impacts on human health.
Health Care Industry Branches into Fresh Meals, Rides to Gym, AP, July 23
The health care system is becoming more focused on keeping patients healthy instead of waiting to treat them once they become sick or wind up in the hospital. This isn’t a new concept, but it’s growing. Insurers are expanding what they pay for to confront rising costs, realizing that a person’s health depends mostly on what happens outside a doctor’s visit.
How Salmonella Gets into Processed Foods like Ritz Crackers and Honey Smacks Cereal, Quartz, July 23
A range of Ritz Cracker products that could be tainted with Salmonella bacteria has been recalled, prompted by potentially contaminated whey powder. Salmonella is found in animal intestines and can end up in processed dry-food products through contamination at the processing plant, due to unclean equipment or workers who do not properly wash their hands. It can also happen in the field where the food was produced.
Effect of Genetic Factors on Nutrition: The Genes Are Not to Blame, Science Daily, July 20
Individualized dietary recommendations based on genetic information are currently a popular trend. A team at the Technical University of Munich has systematically analyzed scientific articles and reached the following conclusion: there is no clear evidence for the effect of genetic factors on the consumption of total calories, carbohydrates, and fat. According to the current state of knowledge, the expedience of gene-based dietary recommendations has yet to be proven.
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ENVIRONMENT, WATER, AND CLIMATE
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The Sinking State, Opinion, Joshua Keating, Washington Post, July 26
In the century to come, we’re likely to see dramatic changes to the physical shape of the world as we know it, thanks to rising sea levels and other environmental changes. But the immediate challenges faced by most countries pale in comparison to those of island nation Kiribati, which has an average elevation of less than six feet.
Senegal's Sinking Villages, Al Jazeera, July 25
Changing weather patterns, increasing rainfalls, and damaging coastal erosion is changing the landscape of places like Senegal. Solutions at scale remains hard to find, and mitigation efforts often come with unintended consequences. It is estimated that 200 million West Africans will be climate migrants due to shoreline erosion and agricultural disruption by 2050.
Masses of Seaweed Threaten Fisheries and Foul Beaches, NPR, July 21
A massive seaweed bloom is now appearing almost every year, causing big problems for places like Florida, Barbados, Mexico, and Grenada which depend on fishing and tourism. The blooms are creating huge problems for fishermen, who are having difficulties hauling fish onboard. Researchers hypothesize that farming and development waste—largely from deforestation in the Amazon and urbanization in the Congo watershed—is fueling the accelerating seaweed bloom.
Climate Change and the Giant Iceberg off Greenland’s Shore, New Yorker, July 20
A colossal iceberg arrived on the shore of Innaarsuit, Greenland, about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The iceberg posed a mortal threat to the village population of about a hundred and seventy people. If a big enough part of it sloughed off, in a process known as “calving,” it would cause a tsunami, immediately destroying the little settlement on whose shore it rested.
Building Stronger, Climate-Resilient Farming and Forest Communities, FAO, July 20
Millions of small-scale farmers and foresters will be able to better protect their lands from the impacts of climate change, and improve their livelihoods thanks to renewed global efforts. The Forest and Farm Facility Initiative will scale up its efforts to help forest and farm producers and their organizations develop climate resilient landscapes, strengthen enterprises, and generate work opportunities for women and youth, and create more enabling policy environments for the rural poor.
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GENDER AND GENERATIONAL INCLUSION
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In Belarus, Women Lead the Way, Opinion, USAID, July 23
The Belarus Country Office Director of USAID met with nearly 100 young women in Minsk, Belarus recently to receive guidance on how they could break through the barriers that hold working women back. Women make up more than 30 percent of the workforces of USAID-supported startups in Belarus, compared to the 10 percent national average. The Belarus Office of USAID stands out as unique because every single staff member is a woman.
Menstrual Health, While Excluded from SDGs, Gains Spotlight at UN Political Forum, Devex, July 23
Menstrual health management itself is not part of the SDGs, but the recent high-level political forum at the UN placed a rare spotlight on the issue. Two different side events during the forum focused on menstrual health management. Experts called for broader recognition of menstrual health management challenges, and for more detailed research of how it impacts the lives of women and girls.
Modi’s Government Claims It’s Improved the Lives of Women. But Here’s the Reality, Quartz, July 23
While the Indian government has made strides to improve women’s empowerment, many more issues remain unaddressed. India ranks 147 out of 188 countries when it comes to the number of women in parliament, and when it comes to health and safety from sexual harassment and assault, Indian women continue to fare far worse than many of their counterparts abroad. Most importantly, the traditional status of Indian women as secondary to men has hardly changed.
The Teen-Agers Fighting for Climate Justice, New Yorker, July 22
Hundreds of teen-agers marched across the US to represent a movement that other teen-agers had started, last year, called Zero Hour. They were gravely concerned about politicians doing almost nothing for climate justice, and they had created a list of demands—including, most importantly, achieving negative carbon emissions by 2030.
SEE ALSO: Meet the Young Refugee Behind Zero Hour’s Climate Platform, Grist, July 21
SEE ALSO: ‘Climate Kids’ Suit against Government Allowed to Proceed, AP, July 20
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MARKET ACCESS, TRADE, AND AGRIBUSINESS
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Trump’s Trade Wars Are Bad. They Could Soon Get a Lot Worse., Foreign Policy, July 25
The Trump administration is slowly strangling the World Trade Organization (WTO), has drafted legislation meant to demolish WTO rules, and reportedly still yearns to leave the organization altogether. It’s not hard to imagine a world where the United States bailed out of the trade body it helped put together, said Phil Levy of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “What the US leaving the WTO would look like is what we see this summer, where we start violating rule after rule, and this system of open trade, which has been very good for the US, starts to fall apart,” he said.
SEE ALSO: The World Trading System is Under Attack, Economist, July 19
US, Europeans Agree to Iron out Trade Differences, Wall Street Journal, July 25
President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to begin discussions on eliminating the tariffs and subsidies that hamper trade across the Atlantic, and to resolve the steel and aluminum tariffs the Trump administration had imposed this year as well as the retaliatory tariffs the European Union imposed in response.
2.5 Billion Pounds of Meat Piles up in US as Production Grows, Exports Slow, Wall Street Journal, July 22
Meat is piling up in US cold-storage warehouses, fueled by a surge in supplies and trade disputes that are eroding demand. Federal data shows a record level of beef, pork, poultry, and turkey being stockpiled in US facilities, rising above 2.5 billion pounds. Slowing overseas sales and rising domestic stockpiles threaten profit for meat processors and prices for livestock and poultry producers.
As Wheat Harvest Heads to Parched North, Europe Braces for More Losses, Reuters, July 20
Europe’s grain market is bracing for more downgrades to the size of this year’s wheat crop as harvesting reaches the northern regions that have been worst hit by exceptional drought and heat since spring. Germany, the EUs second largest wheat growers, commented that it could not forecast the crop because of uncertainty about weather damage have added to market jitters.
'Hi, I'm a Soybean': In Trade War, China Deploys Cartoon Legume to Reach US Farmers, Reuters, July 20
In the tense trade war with the US, China’s government has turned to an unlikely weapon: a cartoon bean. The short video in English with Chinese subtitles seems designed to undermine support for the trade dispute from US farmers, key supporters of President Donald Trump, by highlighting the damage tariffs could have on American soybean exports.
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