Around 200 B.C., when the Silk Road opened the transportation of silk, fruits, livestock and grain from China to modern-day Europe, the lesser-known Royal Road had already been a major communication link for almost 300 years, providing a route for couriers from present-day Iran to western Turkey. One could say that communication and the transportation of food have been connected ever since, for over 2,600 years.
This year’s United Nations Climate Conference turned the spotlight on food and agriculture, with a full day devoted to recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming and shielding agriculture from the worst impacts of climate change. The focus on food and agriculture in the context of climate must include a look at the many ways in which biotechnology is delivering solutions, from animal feed engineered to reduce methane emissions from livestock, to crops that are bioengineered to withstand growing pressures from disease and drought.
The Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow unites partners including the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) across the animal agriculture supply chain in the largest-ever effort to strengthen animal protein’s contributions to the people, animals and climate of tomorrow. Following the Protein PACT’s launch in July 2021, the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) and our partners have been hard at work to set measurable baselines, verify progress toward ambitious achievements and communicate transparently about how nutrient-dense animal-sourced foods contribute to sustainable food security solutions.
All of food and agriculture, including the U.S. animal food industry, waited with bated breath this week to see if the rail companies and their labor unions would achieve a labor agreement before the Friday deadline. I’m sure we all breathed out a collective sigh of relief when we heard the good news that the parties reached a tentative agreement late last night. Now, we wait to see if the unions will ratify this agreement, which is anticipated.
Ukrainian wheat fields turned mine fields and farmers turned soldiers – the implications of these disruptions will be felt in global agriculture for years to come. Recent news coverage has been peppered with stories of Russia’s brutal attacks on Ukrainian citizens, including its efforts to destroy the infrastructure necessary to sustain the Ukrainian people and export agricultural commodities to the global marketplace. While these stories certainly pull at our heartstrings, and as an industry, we are working diligently to head off a looming food crisis, we are also concerned about what the long-term ramifications may be from this war.
This week, we were thrilled to host representatives from the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) to explore opportunities for cooperation between the United States and the European Union to not only enhance trade opportunities between the trading partners, but also to safeguard food security by strengthening the resiliency of feed and food value-chain partners.
Thanksgiving is much more than turkey, football games and naps on the couch (anyone else?) – it’s right in the name, giving thanks. As you sit around the dinner table, take a hard look at your plate. For your Thanksgiving turkey to make it to the table, farmers grew the corn and soybeans used in turkey feed, equipment manufacturers produced the machines used to process the ingredients, feed manufacturers mixed and made safe and nutritious feed, farmers raised and cared for the birds, and then meat processors prepped and readied them for the grocery store.
From comedy to drama, computers have provided rich themes for movies for nearly 60 years from bringing about the end of the world with a computerized nuclear program using the slapstick humor of “Dr. Strangelove” (1963) to the drama of “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968). For many businesses, 2021 has been the year that the reality of cybersecurity became stranger than fiction as data was encrypted and ransoms were paid in the wake of several high profile cyberattacks. It is time for business of all sizes to address computer safety and take steps to protect their data and wallets from cyber criminals.
Across the U.S. animal food industry, our members have gone above and beyond throughout the coronavirus pandemic to help their local communities in need – from providing food (and pet food!) donations to manufacturing hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment at their facilities to everything in between. We recently had the opportunity to speak with one of our members – Balchem – on a “kool” project it is working on to support local communities.
Recently, we read an article about an organization in the United Kingdom that launched a program, “Organuary,” to promote consumer awareness and the human consumption of organ meats, citing their nutritional and environmental benefits. It’s an interesting concept.