The cost of Thanksgiving dinner this year is less than it was a year ago, with turkey leading the way in lower prices. At the same time, the amount of corn used to make ethanol will set a new record in 2016, up roughly 3% from last year. A new analysis from Informa Economics takes a look at food prices …
U.S Soy Global Trade Exchange
The 4th annual U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Midwest Specialty Grains Conference and Trade Show hosted by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), took place in Indianapolis, IN and is the premiere global soy and grain trade event. Over 700 attendees gathered with 300 of them representing 55 countries across the globe all focused on U.S. soy. The event …
I AM @USFRA Series
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has been working on behalf of the agricultural industry since it was founded in 2010. Today it is made up of nearly 100 industry affiliates and partners representing virtually all aspects of agriculture, working to engage in dialogue with consumers who have questions about how today’s food is grown and raised. In this …
Senate Passes #GMO Disclosure Bill
Late Thursday evening, the U.S. Senate voted 63-30 to pass the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard that preempts individual state laws to require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. The bipartisan compromise legislation, which was worked out by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), requires mandatory disclosure with several options, including text …
Safe Food Coalition Urges Senate to Act
The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (CFSAF) and leaders of America’s agricultural and food industries are sounding the alarm that Congress needs to act immediately to pass a bipartisan solution, such as the SmartLabel™ Initiative , before Vermont’s mandatory on-package labeling law goes into effect July 1. As of today, there are only seven days left on the legislative calendar before …
Senate Debates GMO Labeling on #AgDay
The Senate heard debate Tuesday on legislation proposed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) to provide a voluntary national standard for foods containing genetically modified ingredients as well as an incentive to provide more information on biotechnology to consumers. During his floor speech on the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions bill, Roberts stressed the pressing need for Congress to act …
Latest ZimmCast Features Hot Dogs & Sausages
His real title is President of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. He’s Eric Mittenthal. But, as Chuck Zimmerman notes during this week’s ZimmCast, we need a much better title for him and perhaps you could suggest one. Eric is taking over the position from the “Queen of Wien” herself, Janet Riley. Both also work for the North American …
CFI Study on Consumer Trust in Food
New research from the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) shows that improved transparency increases consumer trust in food. CFI CEO Charlie Arnot says they surveyed 2,000 people to discover which attributes are most important to consumers when it comes to trust-building transparency – policies, practices, performance or verification – and found that practices are most important. The Center for Food …
World Food Prize 2015/Borlaug 101
The 2015 World Food Prize kicked off in Des Moines, Iowa this week. Also taking place is Borlaug 101: Fundamentals of Global Food Security from October 14-15, 2015. To celebrate the 101st anniversary of founder Dr. Norman E. Borlaug (Green Revolution), and keeping in focus the unprecedented challenge the world faces to sustainably and nutritiously feed 9.7 billion by 2050, …
Vote to End Hunger Campaign Launched @WorldFoodPrize
The Iowa Hunger Summit took place today in Des Moines, Iowa heading into the kickoff tomorrow of @WorldFoodPrize. During the event, the Vote to End Hunger (VTEH) campaign was launched in an effort to urge 2016 presidential candidates to focus on ending hunger and poverty in the U.S. as well as around the world and to encourage consumers to ask …
AFIA Reaction to Food Safety Modernization Act
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) hosted a press conference to provide their reaction to the Food Safety Modernization Act “Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls for Food for Animals” final rule. The call featured staff experts Richard Sellers, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs, and Leah Wilkinson, director of ingredients, pet food and …
Minnesota @USFRA #FoodD
It was a packed house for the USFRA Food Dialogues in Minneapolis entitled “Farm to Consumer: Bridging the Gap between Consumer Concerns and Food Production and Sourcing Decisions,” co-sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the Nebraska Soybean Board. This event, held August 11, was moderated by Minnesota native and Bloomberg agriculture policy journalist, Alan Bjerga, and …
New Food Bio Security Facility Groundbreaking
This week Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack helped to break ground on the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. Secretaries Johnson and Vilsack were joined by a number of dignitaries on Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking, including Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran of Kansas, …
Water for Food Global Conference
Mobilizing new data gathering capabilities to improve global water and food security is the subject of the sixth annual Water for Food Global Conference, hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Oct. 19-22 in Seattle, Wash. The event is the premier gathering of …
USDA Defends Healthier School Lunch Program
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, William S. Wallace, General, U.S. Army (Retired), James A. “Jamie” Barnett, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired) and School Food Service Director Donna Martin of Burke County, Ga. participated in a media call today to “discuss efforts by some Members of Congress and special interest groups to undermine childhood nutrition standards and the effect that would have …