From Center for market intelligence
Agriculture
Feature Reports
Europe’s Vast Farm Subsidies Face Challenges
The New York Times, December 29, 2009
a new round of maneuvering has begun to reshape the richest system of agricultural handouts in the world. At stake are a host of delicate — some would argue intractable — issues that have hardened to the point where resolution will be all the more difficult: Who should receive the subsidies? What is their purpose? Is there a way to tie payments to a crackdown on fraud and corruption? Can they be more directed at small farmers instead of multinational conglomerates? New ideas for change are springing up, while the traditional beneficiaries — France and the agrarian side of its economy are at the top of the list — are digging in. National self-interest, not surprisingly, underlies the debate.
Climate, Agriculture and Food Security: A Strategy for Change
CGIAR, December 2009
The climate is changing, and agricultural systems must also change if we are to avoid catastrophe. Farming, fishing and forest communities will need to adapt their livelihood systems, while mitigation efforts must address both the contribution of agriculture to the climate change problem, and the great potential of different resource management practices in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The changes that are needed will be many and diverse. They will happen at the local level, tailored to local circumstances and ecosystems, and chosen and managed by the communities.
Recent Food Prices Movements
International Food Policy Research Institute, December 2009
From 2006 to mid-2008 the international prices of agricultural commodities increased considerably, by a factor larger than two. This upward trend in agricultural prices captured the world’s attention as a new food crisis was emerging. Several explanations for these movements in prices, ranging from demand-driven forces to supply shocks, have been provided by analysts, researchers, and development institutions. This paper is an attempt to empirically validate these explanations using time series econometrics and data at monthly frequency. A focus on the international price of corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans is highlighted. Overall, financial activity in futures markets and proxies for speculation can help explain the observed change in food prices.
Tackling Weaknesses in Agricultural Statistics in Africa: the LSMS-ISA Project
WorldBank, November 23, 2009
The World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working together on a new initiative aimed at improving agricultural data in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the heart of this project is engagement with government counterparts in both line ministries and national statistical offices to design and implement panel household surveys emphasizing agriculture.
The Ultimate Crop Rotation
The Washington Post, November 23, 2009
Lured by a new business model, wealthy nations flock to farmland in Ethiopia, locking in food supplies grown half a world away.
How to Feed the World
The economist, November 19, 2009
None of the underlying agricultural problems which produced a spike in food prices in 2007-08 and increased the number of hungry people has gone away. Between now and 2050 the world’s population will rise by a third, but demand for agricultural goods will rise by 70% and demand for meat will double. These increases are in a sense good news in that they are a result of rising wealth in poor and middle-income countries. But they will have to happen without farmers clearing large amounts of new land (there is some scope for expansion, but not much) or using up lots more water (in parts of the world, water supplies are stretched to their limit or beyond). Moreover, they will take place while farmers also wrestle with the consequences of climate change, which, on balance, will do more harm than good to farmland round the world.
U.S. Foreign Assistance Reform: Food Security and Poverty Reduction
breadfortheworld Institute, November 8, 2009
In the last few decades, U.S. foreign assistance has largely supported a collection of disparate projects and interventions rather than a coherent, consistent program that is flexible and responsive to conditions in developing countries. As a result, it has not had a transformative impact at the country level. USAID should once again focus attention on broad-based measures and approaches that will improve agricultural and economic growth rates, and reduce poverty at the national level. This will involve renewed emphasis on agriculture and rural development, women’s
participation in the economy, education, infrastructure and capable national institutions and will require a much more deliberate development strategy carried
out over a longer time horizon.
Climate change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation
IFPRI, November 6, 2009
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security.
Aid for Agriculture: Promises and the Reality on the Ground
Oxfam, November 6, 2009
A year and a half after the High-Level Conference on World Food Security organised by the FAO in Rome, this study attempts to put forward an initial review of the commitments made by the international community, in terms of funding, co-ordination of interventions on the ground and support to national agricultural policies and programs.
The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2009
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009
The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2009 presents the latest statistics on global undernourishment and concludes that structural problems of uderinvestment have impeded progress toward the World Food Summit goal and the first Millennium Development Goal hunger reduction target. This disappointing state of affairs has been exacerbated by first the food crisis and now the global economic crisis that, together, have increased the number of undernourished people in the world to more that one billion for the first time since 1970. This crisis is different from the crisis developing countries have experienced in the past, because it is affecting the entire world simultaneously and because developing countries today are more integrated into the global economy than in the past. In the context of the enormous financial pressures faced by governments, the twin-track approach remains an effective way to address growing levels of hunger in the world. Investments in the agriculture sector, especially for public goods, will be critical if hunger is to be eradicated.
Fraud Plagues Sugar Subsidy System in Europe
The New York Times, October 26, 2009
In the sprawling European subsidy program — which lavishes more than 50 billion euros ($75 billion at current exchange rates) a year in agricultural aid — no commodity is more susceptible to fraud, chicanery and rule-bending, experts say, than simple household sugar.
Back to the Land: The New Green Revolution
Time, October 26, 2009
Fears of food shortages, a rethinking of antipoverty priorities and the crushing recession are causing a dramatic shift in world economic policy in favor of greater support for agriculture.
California’s Food Banks Go Locavore
The New York Times, October 7, 2009
Traditionally food banks have gathered mostly leftover or damaged boxes and cans from supermarkets, food processors and other mass distributors and then passed along the food to soup kitchens and food pantries like the one in East San Jose. Food banks have always found some fresh produce to give away; a few have managed to give away a lot. But for the most part, they have trafficked in processed foods — widely available free, simple to transport and warehouse and quick to fill empty stomachs. Increasingly, though, food banks have been looking to agriculture. California is at the forefront of this change.
Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation
International Food Policy Research Institute, October 1, 2009
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security.
Farmed Out: How Will Climate Change Impact World Food Supplies?
Scientific American, September 30, 2009
The people of East Africa once again face a devastating drought this year: Crops wither and fail from Kenya to Ethiopia, livestock drop dead and famine spreads. Although, historically, such droughts are not uncommon in this region, their frequency seems to have increased in recent years, raising prices for staple foods, such as maize. This scenario may simply be a taste of a world undergoing climate change in the mid–21st century, according to a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Washington, D.C.–based organization seeking an end to hunger and poverty through appropriate local, national and international agricultural policies. By IFPRI's estimate, 25 million more children will be malnourished in 2050 due to the impact of climate change on global agriculture.
Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
International Food Policy Research Institute, September 29, 2009
This study, the most comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change on agriculture to date, compares the number of malnourished children in 2050 with and without climate change.
A Revolution to Combat World Hunger
SciDev.Net, September 24, 2009
Last week, the world mourned the loss of Norman Borlaug, the agronomist credited with saving as many as a billion people from starvation by introducing high-yield crop varieties. As the tributes to Borlaug continue, one networking organization that should be pivotal to addressing world hunger is poised to make far-reaching changes to the way it works. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has already been the backbone of food security research for the poor. But without radical reform — to link research with its applications; eliminate inefficiency and raise the funding bar — some stakeholders and insiders fear that it might not be fit for purpose.
When the Rains Fail
The Economist, September 10, 2009
Many of India’s problems are summed up in its mismanagement of water. Now a scanty monsoon has made matters much worse.
Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food
Time, August 21, 2009
The U.S. agricultural industry can now produce unlimited quantities of meat and grains at remarkably cheap prices. But it does so at a high cost to the environment, animals and humans. Those hidden prices are the creeping erosion of our fertile farmland, cages for egg-laying chickens so packed that the birds can't even raise their wings and the scary rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among farm animals. Add to the price tag the acceleration of global warming — our energy-intensive food system uses 19% of U.S. fossil fuels, more than any other sector of the economy.
Stars Aligning on School Lunches
The New York Times, August 18, 2009
For the first time since a new wave of school food reform efforts began a decade ago, once-warring camps are sharing strategies to improve what kids eat. The Department of Agriculture is welcoming ideas from community groups and more money than ever is about to flow into school cafeterias, from Washington and from private providers.
Agricultural Research Key to Food Security
The Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, August 2009
When we think of problems of hunger, we tend to focus on those individuals without enough to eat. And that is how it should be. Yet, historically, successful campaigns to end hunger have depended on the work of a sufficient number of well-trained agricultural researchers and the presence of adequate numbers of agricultural laboratories and training centres to ensure that first-class research and development can take place.
Organic Foods Get on Private-Label Wagon
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The Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2009
Organic farmers and grocery retailers are embracing the idea of lower-cost, private-label products to retain newly budget-conscious consumers. Supervalu Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. food retailer by sales, expanded its Wild Harvest organic brand to 312 items, from 150 last spring. Safeway Inc., the third-largest U.S. food retailer , last fall began selling its organic food brands to other retailers.
European Subsidies Stray From the Farm
The New York Times, July 16, 2009
This year for the first time, all of the 27 nations in the European Union were forced to disclose how they distribute the money from farm subsidies, with Germany the only nation failing to comply in full. A computer analysis by The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune of recipients in major countries has provided the first detailed look at who receives the money. The data underscore the extent to which the subsidy program has evolved beyond its original goals of increasing food production and supporting traditional farmers as they dealt with market fluctuations. It also illustrates how the European Union has moved to emphasize rural development instead of price support and production incentives, and in the process has decentralized the system, giving countries more discretion over the dispersal of subsidies.
Whatever Happened to the Food Crisis?
The Economist, July 2, 2009
The world food crisis of 2007-08 showed that food prices are not influenced solely, or even mainly, by cyclical factors. They soared in large part because of slow, irreversible trends: population growth; urbanisation; shifting appetites from grain to meat in developing countries. There is no sign that these trends are abating.
Food Outlook
FAO, June 2009
In spite of strong gains in recent weeks, international prices of most agricultural commodities have fallen in 2009 from their 2008 heights, and indication that many markets are slowly moving into balance, in sharp contrast to what was witnessed last year.
Third Time Lucky
The Economist, June 4, 2009
A “third wave” of biotechnology is arriving. Will it be able to avoid a poor reception from the general public this time around?
Betting the Farm
Fortune, June 10 2009
As world population expands, the demand for arable land should soar. At least that's what George Soros, Lord Rothschild, and other investors believe.
Crop Insurance: Opportunities Exist to Reduce the Costs of Administering the Program
United States Government Accountability Office, Released June 1, 2009
In this report GAO recommends that USDA implement a methodology so that the A&O allowance more closely aligns with expenses, as it did before crop prices rose in 2006; require companies to annually report commissions to insurance agencies, by policy; and study costs of delivering crop insurance policies to establish a standard method for assessing agencies’ reasonable costs.
Food Outlook
FAO, June 2009
In spite of strong gains in recent weeks, international prices of most agricultural commodities have fallen in 2009 from their 2008 heights, an indication that many markets are slowly returning into balance, in sharp contrast to what was witnessed this time last year. The apparent easing of market conditions is reflected in the benchmark FAO Food Price Index, which has fallen by one-third from last June’s peak.
So far, the improvement has largely concerned cereals, the critical sector for food security, after production in 2008 overshot prior expectations, yielding even larger crops than originally forecast. The increased global production was sufficient to meet demand for food and other uses but also facilitated a replenishment of global reserves to pre-crisis levels.
The Global Food Crisis
National Geographic, June 2009
Modern society has relieved us of the burden of growing, harvesting, even preparing our daily bread, in exchange for the burden of simply paying for it. Only when prices rise do we take notice. And the consequences of our inattention are profound.
Drought, Politics Trouble Farmers In California
npr, May 11, 2009
California is in its third year of drought, and many farmers in the state's crop-rich Central Valley are looking at dusty fields, or worse, are cutting down their orchards before the trees die. Hardest hit is Westlands, the biggest irrigated region in the country, where much of the nation's fruit, nuts and produce come from. This year, farmers have been told they are getting only a small fraction of the water they need.
To Fill Food Safety Gap, Processors Pay Inspectors
The New York Times, April 16, 2009
With huge losses from food-poisoning recalls and little oversight from the federal Food and Drug Administration, some sectors of the food industry are cobbling together their own form of regulation in an attempt to reassure consumers. They are paying other government agencies to do what the F.D.A. rarely does: muck through fields and pore over records to make sure food is handled properly.
The Science of Our Food
Scientific American, April 2009
From the genetics of tomatoes to building meat and stomachs in the lab, a look at the stuff we stuff ourselves with. How is science trying to improve our food, and how it tastes?
A Food Revolution Seems to Be In Season
International Herald Tribune, March 22, 2009
Advocates of organic and locally grown food have finally found a receptive ear in the White House, which has vowed to encourage a more nutritious and sustainable food supply.
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009
This world over view analyzes fisheries and their resources, utilization and trade while highlighting environmental impacts on the industry.
USDA Agricultural Projections to 2018
USDA, February 2009
This report provides projections for the agricultural sector through 2018. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices.
Women Lead a Farming Revolution in Iowa
The Christian Science Monitor, February 25, 2009
As wives inherit husbands’ farmland, they stress conservation over maximizing profit.
Peanut Case Shows Holes in Safety Net
The New York Times, February 8, 2009
An examination of the Blakely case reveals a badly frayed food safety net. Interviews and government records show that state and federal inspectors do not require the peanut industry to inform the public — or even the government — of salmonella contamination in its plants.
Progress 2009 Ag & Industry: Expect the Unexpected in 2009
Agweek, January 25, 2009
If you thought 2008 had more than enough surprises, get ready for 2009 because there’s plenty more on the way. Input costs and commodity prices are on track for roller-coaster rides. A new presidential administration promises to reform the country’s energy needs, while some in Congress look to reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even weather is expected to be so normal it will be downright abnormal.
How Green Is My Orange?
The New York Times, January 21, 2009
PepsiCo, a manufacturer of soda, salty snacks and cereal based in Purchase, N.Y., is among a growing number of companies that hope to get ahead of potential government mandates and curb their energy use as prices and long-term supply grow less certain.
Heat May Spark World Food Crisis
BBC News, January 9, 2009
Half the world's population could face a climate-induced food crisis by 2100.
Sustaining Agriculture in Urbanizing Counties
American Farmland Trust, December 18, 2008
This report identifies conditions under which farming may remain viable in agriculturally important areas that are subject to substantial development pressures. The report is comprised of 15 county level case studies from 14 different states, and is arranged into chapters covering production inputs, marketing, farmland protection and outlook for the future.
The State of Food Insecurity in the World
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2008
Presents the latest statistics on global undernourishment, reviews the impact of high food prices, and examines how high food prices could offer an opportunity to relaunch smallholder agriculture in the developing world
Bumpy Crop: Farming's Sudden Feasts and Famines
Available by free subscription
The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2008
As Grain Prices Rise and Fall and Perhaps Rise Again, Growers Struggle to Navigate a New Age of Volatility and High Costs
Cities May Sprout Vertical Farms
The Christian Science Monitor, December 24, 2008
Proposed high-rise greenhouses could help solve a looming food crisis.
Financial Crisis May Worsen Food Crunch It Eclipsed
The Christian Science Monitor, December 2, 2008
Although commodity prices for a wide range of crops have fallen by as much as 50 percent from record highs in June, the financial crisis is expected to make food shortages dramatically worse.
A Water Warning
The Economist, November 19, 2008
The rise in the price of basic food has had devastating effects on the most vulnerable—the poor who spend up to two-thirds of their income on food. Some of the measures taken in response, such as export restrictions, have been highly counter-productive. In 2009 the world needs to reflect on the underlying causes of the food crisis and start addressing structural factors, in particular the link to biofuels and water.
Genetically Engineered Crops: Agencies Are Proposing Changes to Improve Oversight, but Could Take Additional Steps to Enhance Coordination and Monitoring
United States Government Accountability Office, November 2008
Unauthorized releases of GE crops into food, animal feed, or the environment beyond farm fields have occurred, and it is likely that such incidents will occur again. While there is no evidence that the six known releases into the food or feed supply or into crops meant for the food or feed supply affected human or animal health, some resulted in lost trade opportunities. Moreover, the total number of unauthorized releases into the environment is unknown. USDA and EPA have the authority to inspect fields in which GE crops are tested, but crop developers have detected most violations. USDA and EPA have taken enforcement actions in response to violations, ranging from warning letters to significant penalties. The agencies have used lessons learned from unauthorized releases to make regulatory and policy changes.
Booming Gulf Looks Overseas for Agriculture Needs
The Boston Globe, November 16, 2008
Lush urban landscaping and ambitious agricultural projects in the United Arab Emirates and in Saudi Arabia are quickly draining aquifers, including some that are millennia old and cannot be refilled. That stark reality -- and rising food prices -- is sending the region's leaders scrambling to lock up even more long-term food supplies abroad. And where once the region was content to spend its petrodollars on food sold on the open market, Gulf nations now are quietly scouring the globe for rich farmland to rent or buy outright.
The State of Food and Agriculture: Biofuel Prospects, Risks and Opportunities
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, October 2008
The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 explores the implications of the recent rapid growth in production of biofuels based on agricultural commodities. The boom in liquid biofuels has been largely driven by policies in developed countries in support of climate-change mitigation, energy security and agricultural development. The growing demand for agricultural commodities for the production of biofuels is having significant repercussions on agricultural markets, and concerns are mounting over their negative impact on the food security of millions of people across the world. At the same time, the environmental impacts of biofuels are also coming under closer scrutiny. But biofuels also offer the opportunity for agricultural and rural development — if appropriate policies and investments are put in place.
Congress Poised To Cut Conservation Funds That Aided Farm Bill’s Passage
Environmental Working Group, September 2008
Behind the thin green gloss Congressional leaders spread across the subsidy-laden 2008 farm bill, key Democratic lawmakers are hacking away at promises to expand conservation and other environmental programs.
Food Safety's Dirty Little Secret
U.S. News & World Report, September 10, 2008
Congress is under pressure to take up major food-safety legislation this fall that would offer sweeping proposals for regulatory change. The country's appetite for reform, however, is likely to collide with an uncomfortable reality: The responsibility for food safety, as it works today, lies heavily in private hands. Even as bacterial outbreaks have become more high-profile and the financial fallout from recalls more severe, the government has been handing off many food-safety responsibilities to industry. Food safety today is a business—and a booming one at that.
Understanding the Nature and Extent of Farm and Ranch Diversification in North America
redOrbit, September 2, 2008
Pressure to adopt enhanced production technologies, changing government support policies, increasing and more diverse competition, and changing markets have posed economic challenges to North American farmers over the past two decades. As a response, farmers are adjusting their production model by incorporating agricultural related enterprises. Although there is evidence that farm diversification is occurring throughout North America, there is a dearth of scientific information regarding the types of enterprises being developed and used in this context. This study aims to fill this void by exploring the extent of farm diversification by identifying and describing eight types of enterprises that farmers and ranchers are using.
Reinvesting in Agriculture to Reduce Poverty
The Brookings Institution, August 4, 2008
As part of an Oxford-style debate hosted by The Economist, Homi Kharas provides further reasoning that there is “an upside for humanity in the rise of food prices.” Higher prices provide incentives for increased food production and opportunities for raised incomes among the poor, and international donor support for the developing world has been accelerated due to this global crisis.
Global Agricultural Supply and Demand: Factors Contributing to the Recent Increase in Food Commodity Prices
USDA, July 2008
World market prices for major food commodities such as grains and vegetable oils have risen sharply to historic highs of more than 60 percent above levels just 2 years ago. Many factors have contributed to the runup in food commodity prices. Some factors reflect trends of slower growth in production and more rapid growth in demand that have contributed to a tightening of world balances of grains and oilseeds over the last decade. Recent factors that have further tightened world markets include increased global demand for biofuels feedstocks and adverse weather conditions in 2006 and 2007 in some major grain- and oilseed-producing areas. Other factors that have added to global food commodity price infl ation include the declining value of the U.S. dollar, rising energy prices, increasing agricultural costs of production, growing foreign exchange holdings by major food-importing countries, and policies adopted recently by some exporting and importing countries to mitigate their own food price infl ation. This report discusses these factors and illustrates how they have contributed to food commodity price increases.
Agricultural Ecosystems: Facts & Trends
World Business Council for Sustainable Developmentand and The International Union for Conservation of Nature, July 2008
Agriculture is suffering from a growing dilemma: it needs to feed a fast growing world population, and conserve biodiversity and manage natural resources of an increasingly depleted planet. How to understand this crisis, and the rapid increase in food prices in many countries, is the purpose of Agricultural Ecosystems: Facts & Trends, a report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The publication presents well-documented facts and figures to help governments, farmers, consumers and industry better understand the challenges facing the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems.
What's Driving Food Prices?
Farm Foundation, July 23, 2008
Written by Purdue University economists Wallace Tyner, Christopher Hurt and Philip Abbott, the study, What’s Driving Food Prices?, identifies three broad sets of forces driving food price increases: global changes in production and consumption of key commodities, the depreciation of the U.S. dollar, and growth in the production of biofuels.
Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water
The New York Times, July 21, 2008
Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates
USDA, July 11, 2008
This report adopts U.S. area, yield, and production forecasts for winter wheat, durum, other spring wheat, barley, and oats released today by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Secret Report: Biofuel Caused Food Crisis
The Guardian, July 4, 2008
Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian. The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.
Food is Good as Gold
Retail Traffic, July 1, 2008
It was a news blast worthy of the Great Depression — at the end of April, Costco and Sam's Club, among other retailers, suddenly slapped rations on U.S. customers, limiting the amounts of flour, rice and cooking oil they sold. The move came as hoarding, by consumers spooked by rapidly rising food prices, left the retailers with dwindling grain supplies.
Hoarding Nations Drive Food Costs Ever Higher
The New York Times, June 30, 2008
At least 29 countries have sharply curbed food exports in recent months, to ensure that their own people have enough to eat, at affordable prices. The restrictions are making it harder for impoverished importing countries to afford the food they need. The export limits are forcing some of the most vulnerable people, those who rely on relief agencies, to go hungry.
International Food security: Insufficient Efforts by Host Governments and Donors Threaten Progress to Halve Hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2015
Government Accountability Office, May 30, 2008
The efforts of host governments and donors, including the United States, to achieve the goal of halving hunger in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015 have thus far been insufficient. First, some host governments have not prioritized food security as a development goal, and, according to a 2008 report of the International Food Policy Research Institute, as of 2005, only a few countries had fulfilled a 2003 pledge to direct 10 percent of government spending to agriculture. Second, donors have reduced the priority given to agriculture, and their efforts have been further hampered by difficulties in coordination and deficiencies in measuring and monitoring progress. Third, limited agricultural development resources and a fragmented approach have impaired U.S. efforts to reduce hunger in Africa.
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017
OECD and FAO, May 29, 2008
Agricultural commodity prices should ease from their recent record peaks but over the next 10 years they are expected to average well above their mean levels of the past decade, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook from OECD and FAO.
The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States
U.S. Climate Change Science Program, May 27, 2008
The rise in concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from human activities is influencing climate patterns and vegetation across the United States and will significantly disrupt water supplies, agriculture, forestry and ecosystems for decades, according to this new federal report.
Commodities Giant's High-Wire Act
Fortune, May 12, 2008
Bunge piles on the debt as its farmers struggle and its hedging operation burns up precious cash.
Agricultural Supply and Demand: Factors Contributing to the Recent Increase in Food Commodity Prices
USDA, May 2, 2008
Reports in this series analyze the forces that are changing agriculture and agricultural trade in selected regions and trade areas. Analysis includes short- and long-term projections for production, consumption, and trade of key commodities in the selected areas. Regions covered vary yearly and can include the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Western Hemisphere, China, Asia, European Union, Former Soviet Union, etc.
Is Ethanol Getting a Bum Rap?
BusinessWeek, May 1, 2008
Corn-based fuel isn't the villain critics contend, but shifting to other crops is critical.
The Synthesis Report
The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, April 8, 2008
Agriculture has brought significant increases in food production, but its benefits have been uneven and have come at a high cost to small-scale farmers, workers, rural communities and the environment, according to this new report by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development. The group, which is sponsored by several UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP), as well as the World Bank, proposes putting measures in place that will boost production while also protecting and conserving precious resources such as water, forests and biodiversity.
World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates
USDA, March 11, 2008
The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report provides USDA's comprehensive forecasts of supply and demand for major U.S. and global crops and U.S. livestock. The report gathers information from a number of statistical reports published by USDA and other government agencies, and provides a framework for additional USDA reports.
USDA Agricultural Projections to 2017
USDA, February 2008
This report provides longrun (10-year) projections for the agricultural sector through 2017. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices.
An Opportunity for Smallholders in Low-Income, Agricultural-Based Countries?
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, February 2008
The recent rapid increases in the international prices of many basic food commodities have raised many questions from policy-makers, the media, the public, and the farmers who have the opportunity to benefit from the situation. Those who have the most reason to be concerned are the vulnerable people who have to adjust to the consequences of their decreased purchasing power, which in some cases, affects their ability to buy enough food to feed their families. This paper, prepared as background to the Round Table discussions at IFAD’s 31st Governing Council, provides a framework for focusing the discussions around the challenges identified and the policy options available to address those challenges.
How Brazil Outfarmed the American Farmer
Fortune, January 19, 2008
After a half-century of dominance, the U.S. is losing its edge in agriculture to a booming, high-tech Latin American powerhouse. Its secret weapon? Soybeans.
Biofuel Impact on Farm Prices Overplayed
Reuters, January 14, 2008
The recent price rally in farm commodities such as grains, oilseeds and sugar beet can be attributed partly to higher biofuel demand but their share of the blame has been exaggerated, a top official of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said.
What Is the “Farm Bill”?
CRS Report for Congress, January 14, 2008
Federal farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development policies are governed by a variety of separate laws. Although many of these policies can be and sometimes are modified through freestanding authorizing legislation, or as part of other laws, the omnibus, multi-year farm bill provides an opportunity for policymakers to address comprehensively most of the programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The omnibus character of the bill can create a broader coalition of support among sometimes conflicting interests for policies that, individually, might not survive the legislative process. This same climate also can stir fierce competition for available funds.
Food and Agricultural Imports from China
Congressional Research Service, January 2, 2008
Increased U.S. food and agricultural imports have caused some in Congress to
question whether the U.S. food safety system can keep pace. A series of 2007
incidents raised safety concerns about the many foods, medicines, and other products
from China in particular.
Facts and Figures – The Status of Global Agriculture
Croplife International, 2008
1.7 billion more mouths to feed by 2030; the ratio of arable land to population declining by 40-55%; 1.8 billion people living with absolute water scarcity by 2025. These are a few of the key factors affecting the future of agriculture. At CropLife International, we work together for sustainable agriculture. The technologies offered by the plant science industry have a long history in improving agriculture and a critical role to play in meeting the challenges in a growing world – from tripling yields and reducing soil erosion to crops that can grow in saline soils and rice that requires less water. Explore the facts and figures of the plant science industry and
global agriculture.
The Community Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents, Antimicrobial resistance and Foodborne outbreaks in the European Union in 2006
European Food Safety Authority, December 17, 2007
In 2006, twenty-four Member States submitted information on the occurrence of zoonoses, zoonotic agents, antimicrobial resistance and food-borne outbreaks to the European Commission and EFSA. Further information on zoonoses cases in humans was acquired from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The information covered 17 diseases. Assisted by its Zoonoses Collaboration Centre, EFSA and ECDC jointly analysed the information and published the results in this annual Community Summary Report.
Food Prices, Cheap No More
The Economist, December 6, 2007
Normally, sky-high food prices reflect scarcity caused by crop failure. Stocks are run down as everyone lives off last year's stores. This year harvests have been poor in some places, notably Australia, where the drought-hit wheat crop failed for the second year running. And world cereals stocks as a proportion of production are the lowest ever recorded. The run-down has been accentuated by the decision of large countries to reduce stocks to save money. Yet what is most remarkable about the present bout of “agflation” is that record prices are being achieved at a time not of scarcity but of abundance.
The USDA's Losing Effort
Washington Post, December 5, 2007
USDA officials refuse to disclose losses on loans to individual companies, even after they go out of business, arguing that it "could substantially harm" the companies' competitive positions. More than three decades after the loan program was created, USDA officials still don't know whether it works. Funds have gone to firms that have hired foreign workers instead of Americans. Millions more have gone to failing and bankrupt businesses.
Toll of Climate Change on World Food Supply Could Be Worse than Thought
Science Daily, December 4, 2007
Global agriculture, already predicted to be stressed by climate change in coming decades, could go into steep, unanticipated declines in some regions due to complications that scientists have so far inadequately considered, say three new scientific reports. The authors say that progressive changes predicted to stem from 1- to 5-degree C temperature rises in coming decades fail to account for seasonal extremes of heat, drought or rain, multiplier effects of spreading diseases or weeds, and other ecological upsets. All are believed more likely in the future. Coauthored by leading researchers from Europe, North America and Australia, they appear in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The World Food Situation
International Food Policy Research Institute, December 4, 2007
The world food situation is currently being rapidly redefined by new driving forces. Income growth, climate change, high energy prices, globalization, and urbanization are transforming food consumption, production, and markets. The influence of the private sector in the world food system, especially the leverage of food retailers, is also rapidly increasing. Changes in food availability, rising commodity prices, and new producer-consumer linkages have crucial implications for the livelihoods of poor and food-insecure people. This report analyzes and interprets recent trends and emerging challenges in the world food situation in order to provide policymakers with the necessary information to mobilize adequate responses at the local, national, regional, and international levels.
Crop Prospect and Food Situation
Food and Agriculture Organization, December 1, 2007
A bimonthly Report released by FAO which highlights World crop prospects and emergency food needs by region. Includes global cereal supply and demand projections.
Commodity Payments, Farm Business Survival, and Farm Size Growth
USDA, November 1, 2007
In the last 25 years, U.S. crop farms have steadily declined in number and grown in average size, as production has shifted to larger operations. Larger farms tend to receive more commodity program payments because most payments are tied to a farm’s current or historical production, but whether payments have contributed to farm growth is uncertain. This study uses farm-level data from the census of agriculture to determine whether there is a statistical relationship between farm commodity program payments and greater concentration in production.
World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
The World Bank, October 1, 2007
In the 21st century, agriculture continues to be a fundamental instrument for sustainable development and and poverty reduction. This report addresses three main questions: What can agriculture do for development? What are effective instruments in using agriculture for development? How can agriculture-for-development agendas be implemented?
Crop Prospects and Food Situation
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, October 1, 2007
A bimonthly Report released by FAO which highlights World crop prospects and emergency food needs by region. Includes global cereal supply and demand projections.
U.S. Agricultural Sales to Cuba: Certain Economic Effects of U.S. Restriction
United States International Trade Commission, July 1,2007
The International Trade Commission has completed a study on the economic effects of restricted agricultural trade with Cuba. The study shows changing current law will directly benefit U.S. wheat growers and the Cuban people. This report provides (1) an overview of Cuba’s purchases of U.S. agricultural, fish, and forestry products since 2000; (2) an analysis of the effects that U.S. government restrictions on export financing terms and travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens have on those Cuban purchases; and (3) estimates of likely U.S. agricultural sales if export financing restrictions and travel restrictions are lifted. The report was prepared in response to a request from the Senate Committee on Finance.
Crop Insurance: Continuing Efforts Are Needed to Improve Program Integrity and Ensure Program Costs Are Reasonable
U.S. Government Accountability Office, June 7, 2007
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) administers the federal crop insurance program in partnership with private insurers. In 2006, the program cost $3.5 billion, including millions in losses from fraud, waste, and abuse, according to USDA. The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 granted RMA authority to renegotiate the terms of RMA's standard reinsurance agreement with companies once over 5 years. This testimony is based on GAO's 2005 report, Crop Insurance: Actions Needed to Reduce Program's Vulnerability to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, and May 2007 testimony, Crop Insurance: Continuing Efforts Are Needed to Improve Program Integrity and Ensure Program Costs Are Reasonable. GAO discusses (1) USDA's processes to address fraud, waste, and abuse; (2) extent the program's design makes it vulnerable to abuse; and (3) reasonableness of underwriting gains and other expenses. USDA agreed with most of GAO's 2005 recommendations to improve program integrity.
USDA Agricultural Projections to 2016
USDA, February 1, 2007
This report provides projections for the agricultural sector through 2016. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices. The projections are based on specific assumptions regarding macroeconomic conditions, policy, weather, and international developments.
Web Resources
Agribusiness Accountability Initiative
A network of academics, activists and food system experts concerned that corporate concentration is threatening the global food system.
http://www.agribusinessaccountability.org/
Agribusiness Center
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.
http://www.agribusinesscenter.org/
News Sites & Portals
AgriMarketting
Market and business headline news and special features from the online version of the magazine
http://www.agrimarketing.com/
Agribusiness Online
AgribusinessOnline is a free market intelligence and technical information service for agribusiness professionals. AgribusinessOnline is brought to you as a free service by Fintrac Inc. as part of its mandate to disseminate market intelligence and new technologies to farmers and other agribusinesses worldwide. It was created through the merger of Fintrac's Global Agribusiness Information Network and MarketAg.
http://www.agribusinessonline.com/
