The European Union Court of Justice ruled this week that gene edited crops should be treated the same genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The court ruled that “organisms obtained by mutagenesis are GMOs within the meaning of the GMO Directive,” however it does not apply to gene-editing techniques which “have conventionally been used and have a long safety record.” The American … Read More
Nebraska Water for Food at 8th World Water Forum in Brazil
The 8th World Water Forum, held in Brazil last month, drew more than 20,000 participants from 170 countries to focus on the challenges and solutions to ensuring water security around the world. The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) coordinated the Water for Food track of sessions with the Food and Agriculture … Read More
Nebraska Congressman Praises Water for Food Forum
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) is very proud of the work that the Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska has been doing for the future of sustainable agriculture by encouraging the involvement of young people in the industry. “Agriculture has become cool! I never thought I would see that,” said Fortenberry at the recent Water for Food … Read More
Water For Food Charts the Way Forward
The Water for Food International Forum last week ended on a high note as more than 40 high-level participants from around the globe shared their vision for and commitment to how the private and public sectors can work toward expanding access to irrigation. Kicking off the very large round table discussion was World Food Programme Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, Distinguished Fellow … Read More
A Growing North Asia U.S. Soy Market
To kick off the 2017 U.S. Soy GLobal Trade Exchange eleven Chinese purchasing agreements were signed with five U.S. soybean exporters for 3.8 MMT valued at $1.561 billion. The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and Midwest Shippers Association serve as hosts for the conference where over 250 international buyers representing over 55 countries attend. “These companies are very loyal buyers … Read More
Perdue Remarks on Bilateral Talks in Mexico
While meeting with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today held a teleconference for U.S. media. The two leaders engaged in bilateral talks, including a panel discussion with U.S. and Mexican producers, several agricultural site visits, and a joint press conference – seeking to build on the U.S. and Mexico’s well-developed track record … Read More
Expanding Ag Technology in Africa
The “Upscaling Solutions: Expanding access to irrigation for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa” session at the 2017 Water for Food Global Conference explored how public and private sector investors can support smallholder-irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. The presentation included a whitepaper synthesis of case studies relevant to this topic. One case study was from International Development Enterprise (iDE), a global effort that spans … Read More
Water for Food Improving Sub-Saharan Security
The 2017 Water for Food Global Conference took place this week at at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. More than 400 experts attended the event to focus on ways to grow more food with less water. One of the major topics of concern at the conference was finding new ways to increase sustainable irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa for increased water … Read More
John Deere Receives SIMA Award for Prototype Electric Tractor
In advance of the Paris International Farm Show (SIMA) in France John Deere has unveiled what it says is the “First fully battery-electric high-hp tractor.” This photo is from the SIMA new products website page. Here is information from the company news release about the SIMA award winning product. Citation Award: SESAM: the first all-electric tractor With its SESAM Tractor … Read More
No Progress on US-China Biotech Issues
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were among those who participated in a Thanksgiving week session of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington last week, the last one for the Obama Administration. The talks resulted in some progress in the areas of intellectual property protection, pharmaceutical and medical devices, and information … Read More