FAO Report: Climate Change, Water, and Food Security

"Irrigation is the prime means of intensification and will remain a keystone of food security policies in the face of climatic variability."The FAO has come out with a 200-page PDF report titled "Climate Change, Water, and Food Security." The comprehensive report focuses on water management as climate change conditions evolve. The focus is on irrigated systems that currently produce roughly 40

Farm Photo: New Mexico Corn Harvest 1940

Harvesting new corn from the field of Jim Norris, Pie Town, New Mexico.Russell Lee. October 1940.Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection (Thursday is Luddite Day here at big picture agriculture)

OECD and FAO: Agricultural Production Costs are Rising and Productivity Growth is Slowing

KM: The following are excerpts from the very interesting OECD and FAO report, "Agricultural Outlook 2011-2020." Please note the following sentence:There are signs that production costs are rising and productivity growth is slowing. Energy related costs have risen significantly...One of my greatest concerns regarding food security, is that as the cost of producing food rises, the amount of food

Agriculture News June 28, 2011

KM: Isn't it ironic that the policy of corn ethanol came about to support corn prices here in the U.S. and now our grain commodities are uncompetitive on the global market? The stronger dollar, plenty of global competition, and domestic high grain prices are resulting in fewer grain exports. Talk about a snake eating its tail.Black Sea feed-grain is offered in the world market a dollar a bushel

Brazil is Pulling Ahead in Cotton Production

Cotton yields in Brazil have risen the fastest of major world producers in recent years. Brazil and India had similar yields in 1992, both below the United States and the world average.With the adoption of modern, large-scale farming and improved access to inputs—and due to the extremely favorable climate in Brazil’s new production regions—Brazil’s cotton yields have surged to more than double

Diesel Prices and Farming. What is the Plan?

1-Year Diesel Price Graphsource: thefinancials.comToday's nationwide average diesel price is $3.95 per gallon.3-Year Diesel Price Graphsource: thefinancials.comThe record price for diesel was set in July, 2008, at $4.76 per gallon.Some analysts listed the price of diesel as one of the reasons the IEA announced plans to release oil from the emergency reserves last week.Earlier this year, I

An "On Your Honor" Farmstand in Vermont

h/t cooking up a story

A New Documentary About Dumpster Diving and Food Waste in America

Dive! Living Off America's Waste by Jeremy Seifert

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for June 24, 2011

~June 24, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were moderate to sharply lower. Early in the week the grains had support from outside markets as the stock market, crude oil was higher and the dollar lower. Flooding concerns and rumors of China buying corn helped to support the market. However, corn was limit down with wheat and soybeans also having sharp losses as a heavy wave of

A Positive 2011 Food Security Story: Rice Production

Golden rice, on the right, was engineered in 1999 to contain β-carotene. It is capable of preventing blindness and immune deficiency in children vulnerable to Vitamin A deficiency.Rice is the food staple for half of the world's population. More than 90% of the world’s rice is grown and consumed in Asia by 60% of the world's population, on about 11% of the world’s cultivated land. Due to rapid

The G-20 Food Summit Goals. What is the Agricultural Market Information System or AMIS?

Lady on tractor with cell phone, Orchha (India)photo via flickr hartjeff12The G-20 summit currently taking place in Paris has focused primarily upon the subject of international food security. The group's goal is to help stabilize world food prices, especially in the poorer developing nations. Helping to achieve this goal through increasing the use of data collecting is possible because of

Farm Photo: Cotton Fields in Georgia 1941

Chopping cotton on rented land near White Plains, Greene County, Georgia.Jack Delano - Farm Security Administration. 1941.(Thursday is Luddite Day at big picture agriculture)

June 2011 Updated Stocks-to-use Ratios for U.S. and World Wheat, Rice, Corn, Soybeans, Cotton, Sorghum

Global stocks-to-use ratios2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11estimate2010/11forecast(June 2011) World Cereal 19.8 19.3 22.7 23.421.221.0Wheat 25.9 22.6 27.7 30.927.727.1Coarse Grains 14.6 14.9 17.5 16.914.213.9Rice 23.9 25.2 28.228.829.130.6 chart: http://bigpictureagriculture.blogspot.com/source: June 2011 FAO Report~~~~~Stocks-to-use 2011/12U.S. ratio Global Ratio Corn 5.2

Global Sugar Stocks-to-use Ratios: Why is there a Discrepancy? Anybody?

Readers,Over the next few days I am working on a few reports based upon stocks-to-use ratios. I noticed a huge discrepancy between the USDA and FAO sugar global stocks-to-use ratios. The FAO has percents in the 30's and the USDA has percents in the teens. (see below) If there is anyone here who would care to take the time to leave a comment explaining why, I'd really appreciate it, as I'm

Current and Potential Arable Land use in Africa

Out of the total land area in Africa, only a fraction is used for arable land. Using soil, land cover and climatic characteristics a FAO study has estimated the potential land area for rainfed crops, excluding built up areas and forests – neither of which would be available for agriculture. According to the study, the potential – if realised – would mean an increase ranging from 150 – 700%

A Dose of Authentic Phonie Starbucks® Horse Hoof Gelatin

photo flickr: by the 3786 cups of water[Note that the following article is from the July 2011 Agsight, written by Nevil Speer, PhD, MBA of Western Kentucky University. Dr. Speer is always good at pointing out "the other side of the story."]My family and I stopped at Starbucks® for some coffee during a recent vacation trip. While getting into line we chanced upon an ongoing conversation between

Agriculture News June 20, 2011

Goss Report: No Double Dip Signals for Rural Mainstreet Economy: Farm Land Price Growth Weakens for June Global rice prices may decline as increased harvests in the biggest producers exceed demand and boost stockpiles, according to the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization.Food Reserves Could Come Back Into VogueCorn has very rare premium over wheatA rare inversion in prices of corn and

Missouri River Floods a Million Acres of Farmland

The flooding of the Missouri River story is from my old stomping grounds. In college, I spent a spring afternoon somewhat dangerously on the Mighty Mo with three friends in a small rubber raft floating to Omaha when the river was high. I've biked the Steamboat Trace Trail many times near Brownville, Nebraska which follows the river near the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant which has been in the news

Six Month Precipitation Map for the U.S. December 2010 to May 2011

Chief Seattle. We shall see. 1854.

photo: wikipedia ~ Chief Seattle"All things are connected."The following speech is attributed to Chief Seattle. It seems timely, but then it is a timeless piece.~Chief Seattle's 1854 Speech on the Environment~How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?Every part of

Thirty Cattle Breeds Described

To follow is a photographic listing of thirty types of cattle, of the genus Bos, subfamily Bovinae. They are truly an example of natural selection at work as many have adapted to specific climatic conditions such as heat, cold, mountains, drought, and tropics. Some do better surviving on scrubby vegetation and others produce tender marbled meat on grass diets because of their unique genetics.

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for June 17, 2011

~June 17, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were moderate to sharply lower. The markets were under pressure with the dollar sharply higher as Greece’s debt default fears help to spark a wide sell-off in the equities and energy markets with the Stock Market and crude oil suffering sharp losses. Additional pressure for corn was noted on improved crop weather across the Midwest and

Decorah, Iowa Eaglets Will Leave Nest in the Next Ten Days

I included this most-popular-webcam-ever (over 151 million views) in my news links here a month ago. Today's post is a reminder that these eaglets are soon to leave their nest! To find out the history of this nest, go here. UPDATE: The very day after I posted this two have left the nest and are out on the tree limb Thursday. Very cute, good camera work!

Top Reasons for Rising Energy Use in the Food Industry

About half of the growth in food-related energy use between 1997 and 2002 is explained by a shift from human labor toward a greater reliance on energy-intensive technologies. High labor costs in the foodservices and food processing industries, combined with household outsourcing of manual food preparation and cleanup efforts through increased consumption of prepared foods and more eating out,

It's Gettin Real in the Whole Foods Park'n Lot

h/t Nevil Speer

Corn Acres have replaced Barley, Oats and Sorghum Feed Grains

World Corn Stocks ChartEnding Stocks vs. Stocks/Usage Ratio 1981-2011from the Hightower ReportThe tightness of corn supplies is likely to heighten the backlash against the use of the grain by ethanol plants, which are for the first time in 2011-12 set to consume more of the crop in the US than livestock farmers. ... Tom Elam of FarmEcon added that the picture on feed supplies appeared even more

Agriculture News June 13, 2011

Map Showing Record Temperature Events from the Past WeekUSDA’s June Supply & Demand Report Is Worth Reading!Super wheat to combat deadly food supply threatCommodity farmers hope gas prices stay high, small produce growers hoping for reliefFarm Debt and the Farm Real Estate BubbleBrazil Sees A Promising Future Restarting The Ethanol BusinessBig money moves into the Midwest grain tradeGrain bins: A

The Top Fifteen Pesticide Laden Fruits and Vegetables that you Buy in your Grocery Store

1. Apples2. Celery3. Strawberries4. Peaches5. Spinach6. Nectarines (imported)7. Grapes (imported)8. Sweet Bell Peppers9. Potatoes10. Blueberries (domestic)11. Lettuce12. Kale/collard greens13. Cilantro14. Cucumbers15. Grapes (domestic)This list is from the Environmental Working Groups "2011 Shopper's Guide To Pesticides in Produce." For more (including a list of the cleanest) see: [pdf]

A Round-Up of the NYT's Recent Food Security Articles by Justin Gillis

NYT's environmental writer, Justin Gillis, did a recent series of articles on the subject of agriculture related to global warming and food security. All are worth reading, so I decided to devote a thread to linking them here. There are many links to articles within the links below for readers who'd like to delve deeper into any of these subjects.This first article, listed below, started the

The German E. coli Outbreak and Its Impact Upon Vegetable Producers

photo of E. coli from wikipediaNote that the following article is from Policy Pennings, by Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer, of the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Policy Analysis CenterE. coli again: A troubling new twist with serious consequencesAs we are writing this column, 2,153 people have become ill from an E. coli outbreak that is centered in Germany, 22 have died and

Cheese Consumption Growth from 1975-2008

Cheese sales are a key economic component of the U.S. dairy industry. As consumer demand for cheese products has risen over time, more of the milk produced on American dairy operations has been allocated to making a variety of cheeses. About 188.9 billion pounds of milk were marketed in the United States in 2008, and 127 billion pounds were used in the manufacture of dairy products. Cheese

What the White House Garden Would Look Like if it were Planted to Reflect the Relative Costs of the Main Crops Subsidized by U.S. Taxpayers

Gravity Drip Bucket Irrigation Systems for Vegetable Gardens Enhance Food Security for the Food Insecure

source: double harvest.org in KenyaWith growing water challenges and a changing climate, one simple technology that is gaining a foothold for subsistence farmers in Africa, India, and at least 150 other nations, is that of drip irrigation. According to Ezemvelo Eco Campus Blog, "Studies in Kenya have shown that two of these kits can provide the water needed to produce enough vegetables to feed

Trailer: Urban Roots

Urban Roots is a documentary film which follows the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit. Urban Roots is a timely, moving and inspiring film that speaks to a nation grappling with collapsed industrial towns and the need to forge a sustainable and prosperous future.

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for June 10, 2011

~June 10, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were lower with yellow corn higher. Wheat was under pressure most of the week as rain was reported in Europe’s wheat country and bearish supply/demand report. Wheat had new crop ending stocks at 687 million bushels, 15 million bushels lower than last month, but winter wheat production for 2011-2012 is forecast at 2.068 billion bushels,

U.S. Ethanol Export Numbers and Trends

(Note that undenatured product is pure ethanol and denatured product has additives to make it undrinkable.)Ethanol exports set another record in March, as 84 million gallons of product (denatured and undenatured, non-beverage) were shipped to destinations around the world.Brazil imported nearly 23 million gallons of U.S. ethanol in 2010.Denatured ethanol exports totaled a record 58.6 million

Farm Photo: 1938 Prefab House Delivery

Truck loaded with parts of prefabricated houseRoanoke Farms, North Carolina. April 1938.Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph (Thursday is Luddite Day at big picture agriculture)

Distillers Grains Exports are Slowing

Distillers Grains ExportsDDGS exports increased 100% from 2008 to 2009.DDGS exports increased 60% from 2009 to 2010.More than 25% of total U.S. distillers grains production, totaling 9 million tonnes, was exported in 2010.In 2010, China was the largest buyer with 2.5 million tonnes, or 28% of the total. But, in January, China started an anti-dumping investigation on U.S. DDGS, which halted

Bob Dinneen is Exuberant over Ethanol Exports to Brazil

“Biofuels are like cholesterol. There’s good and bad cholesterol.” ---Brazil’s former President Lula@ethanolbobThese recent tweets, below, by Renewable Fuel Association's CEO and ethanol lobbyist, Bob Dinneen, caught my attention. I think you'll agree with me that they are quite interesting in a voyeuristic way in which one watches someone present a very biased "rah-rah" side of a tainted

"big picture agriculture" Makes its Second Appearance on NYTs Dot Earth

This weekend, the NYTs ran a big agricultural article by Justin Gillis titled "A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself." The article is worth reading, but I detected the usual MSM sensationalism long on alarmist rhetoric and short on fact. There was just so much relevant information left out. None-the-less, the article derived a great deal of attention and mentions.I was thrilled to see Dot

Bees, Clothianidin, Boulder County, and My Poppies

Bees on my Poppies on this June Morning Here in BoulderWhen I walked into my garden this morning it was ablaze with eight open poppies and swarming bees. What a beautiful sight. Poppies are one of my favorite flowers and I moved this plant with me from Lincoln, Nebraska to Boulder, Colorado three years ago. They apparently love our rich volcanic alluvial soil and the weather here, as they're

Agricultural News June 3, 2011

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/Global food crisis: China land deal causes unease in ArgentinaChina’s Interest in Farmland Makes Brazil UneasyTanzanians hack farmer in Manyara to death in land rowIGC cuts forecast for 2011/12 global wheat crop see [pdf]German Outbreak is new form of E.coliSpain takes on Germany after cucumber scare cripples farm exportsTo address unemployment, Georgia governor

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for June 3, 2011

~June 3, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were higher with wheat trading moderately lower. After the Memorial Day Holiday all three wheat exchanges opened the week with sharp losses on bearish influences as China is on track to produce a record wheat harvest and there is less worrisome world stock situation at this time. Follow through selling continued as Russia announced to

Farm Photo: Before the Auction 1938

Farmers waiting for the auction to begin. Oskaloosa, Kansas. October 1938.Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph(Thursday is Luddite Day at big picture agriculture)

The Perils of International Farmland Investing

In this age of global uncertainty in the area of food producing and wealth preservation, productive farmland around the world has been placed into the spotlight by "guru investors," wealth management funds, growing mega agri-industries, wealthy individuals, and especially, food insecure nations.If ownership of the farmland of a nation doesn't define a nation, then what does, I ask? Why are the

A Comparison of Farmland Prices Around the World

How do farmland prices vary around the globe?The world's farmland prices are in continual flux, and vary greatly based upon location, soil quality, regional weather, infrastructure, water, and irrigation potential. Prices also depend upon respective national politics and farm policies. Currently, there is a great deal of interest in arable farmland acquisitions throughout the world by sovereign

Video: Planet for Sale - Big Ag Buying Up World's Fertile Land

(55 minutes)

Summer Blogging Reader Note

June 1, 2011Dear Valued Readers,This note is to inform you of a blogging style change here for the coming summer months.I know from past experience that blog readership gets lighter in the summertime. I also know that I have a growing list of topics in the queue that I wish to write about and never seem to get to and that list grows longer each week. So, I've decided to focus on more in depth