Cotton Grower’s Post

Agriculture is the single largest industry in Nebraska and one that different administrations can impact differently. When Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen looks at the last two presidential administrations, he can see some of those differences, while acknowledging, "We work with whoever gets elected." On two issues that impact agriculture, competition and climate change, Hansen sees significant differences between the Biden-Harris and former Trump-Pence administrations. "In the competition arena, you got to give the Biden administration an A or an A+. " ... For daily news and analysis subscribe to the https://lnkd.in/gEFx2TMZ newsletter. #Agriculture #Farming #AgriTech

National farmers’ union urges members to vote: Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) chairperson Vetuundja Kazapua has called on all Namibian farmers to vote in the presidential and National Assembly elections next week. In a media statement on Friday, Kazapua said farming is a key sector of the economy and national livelihood, hence it is of vital importance that all farmers in the country participate in the elections. “Various political parties in their race for the elections have made promises that seem to be addressing pressing farming issues directly related to agriculture or farm businesses. There have also been considerable discussions regarding the importance of sustainable environmental conservation, governance, green hydrogen and carbon credits,” he said. The primary role of farmers’ associations and unions is to advocate, lobby and ensure a conducive farming or production environment for farmers. In the process, supportive policy and reassuring legal frameworks are the foundation for a prosperous farming environment, he highlighted. “National governance structures, represented by elected members and parliamentarians, are custodians of the policy making process. Therefore, farmers’ participation in electing capable leaders must be an undoubtedly important act. “In addition, farmers must participate to elect and assign our interests in skillful hands, through the voting process. Moreover, it is through the elected government and its governance structure where trade agreements, policies and bills will be deliberated and enforced,” he said. Kazapua highlighted that tight margins and low profitability in various farming sub-sectors, such as crop, dairy, poultry, beef and fuel/energy, have worsened considerably. “This is putting some farm operations at the brink of financial disaster. Access to land, land tax, crop and livestock production expenses, land rental rates and input costs have increased substantially over years. Not forgetting, the severe impact of climate change on agricultural production, [through] drought and disasters. “Farmers’ leaders and operators also focus on the importance of having strong, responsive and flexible trade agreements and access to solid lucrative markets for our export products, as well as less trade disputes within the value chain’s components,” Kazapua added. The post National farmers’ union urges members to vote appeared first on The Namibian.

⚡ Protecting the IRA climate guardrails for USDA conservation programs is critical to maintain momentum in supporting farmers build resilience to a changing climate. Recent research from our team found that for every 1C of warming, Kansas farmers net income dropped by 66% in the last four decades. Funding climate resilience in the Farm Bill will keep farmers farming by adapting to a changing climate.

While citing the ideal climate conditions as a factor in the successful crops, Mr Gebert said it also came down to water access. "It's all about water. While there's water, everything else lines up," he said. "At the end of the day, water, water." ==> Australian politicians on both sides of politics screwed Australian families out of our constitutionally protected water rights in favour of institutional (Marxist) and large corporate agribusiness and oligarch (fascist) control over our food supply chain, with control over our water resources centralised into Canberra, in direct contravention of Section 100 of the Australian Constitution. Our constitutional rights were overridden by an Act of Parliament, without a referendum. The Australian Water Holdings scandal is just the tip of the iceberg of what was happening at that time, with politically exposed persons profiteering off the misery of Australian dairy farming families, in acts of treason committed by politicians on both sides of Australian politics. Now, Australia's Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, together with the current parliament, are sabotaging whistleblower protections and Freedom of Information to try to dissuade reporting by whistleblowers of serious, systemic corruption to the National Anti Corruption Commission. The $7 billion Greensill Scandal is a cover up of a cover up.

[New Farm Bill: What It Means for You] The new Farm Bill marks a significant milestone in agricultural policy, shaping the landscape for farmers and consumers alike. Its . . . https://lnkd.in/d45nAxVE

As the U.S. debates the #FarmBill reauthorization, our Food & Forests expert Katie Anderson explains how food companies can use their voice in Washington to safeguard this essential funding. With critical $$ to mitigate agricultural emissions and more, the farm bill could be an incredible triple win for farmers, food businesses and the planet. Urgently, it will: 💸 Unlock billions of dollars in funding intended to help American farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices like planting cover crops.  🥕 Help protect businesses from climate-related disasters and protect food supply chains.  🛒 Assist the participation in new markets as consumer trends shift to more sustainably produced products. Be a part of the food systems solution. Keep reading Katie’s take and determine how you can best advocate 👇 https://www.edf.org/Z6u7

Shambles. USDA -- I hope you get on-farm oversight authority. It is central to any progress on the climate-front. I can't believe how brazenly Tyson Foods is getting away with this without publishing any proof. "“Because Congress did not provide USDA with on-farm oversight authority that would enable it to verify these types of labeling claims, companies must use third-party certifying organizations to substantiate these claims,” the spokesperson wrote in an email, directing Inside Climate News to the third-party verifier or Tyson for more information." "“They’re being incredibly obstinate about sharing anything right now,” said Matthew Hayek, a researcher with New York University who studies the environmental and climate impacts of the food system. “Speaking as a scientist, it’s not transparent and it’s a scandal in its own right that the government can’t provide this information.”" "This lack of transparency from the agency worries environmental and legal advocacy groups, especially now that billions of dollars in taxpayer funds are available for agricultural practices deemed to have benefits for the climate. The Biden administration’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, appropriated nearly $20 billion for these practices; another $3.1 billion is available through a Biden-era program called the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities. “This is an important test case for USDA,” Faber said. “If they can’t say no to a clearly misleading climate claim like ‘climate friendly’ beef, why should they be trusted to say no to other misleading climate claims? There’s a lot of money at stake.”" "Last year, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the USDA, asking for details about funding to support “low carbon” beef. The agency’s response was heavily redacted and the Center is now appealing." ^^^What??? "Silvia Secchi, a natural resource economist at the University of Iowa and outspoken critic of U.S. agricultural policy, said the environmental groups, universities and corporations taking money from the USDA for climate-focused efforts should all be subject to the same rules. “USDA should have a transparent methodology that’s applicable to everyone—the outsourcing, the monitoring, the verification—for all these groups that have incentives to make things look better than they are,” Secchi said. “There’s no transparency. How are they actually going to verify that farmers are reducing nitrogen? Are they getting GPS coordinates for tractors every day of the year? I think it’s complete bullshit. They’re only looking at select indicators, not the whole system.”" https://lnkd.in/eQkuHEUE

Is UK agriculture facing a downward spiral if it does not embrace a high-tech, land-sparing approach? "Mixed farmer Paul Temple warns that Defra’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) policies will not only affect UK food production, and increase our reliance on imports, they will also impact the infrastructure of the entire farming industry, for example in terms of its contribution to the rural economy, opportunities for the next generation, and its attractiveness for those investing in and bringing forward innovation. When the scientific evidence increasingly indicates that the best way to produce enough food, enhance biodiversity and tackle climate change is through high-yield, high-tech farming on as small an area as possible, the Government’s current policies risk irrevocably dismantling the fabric behind a productive farming industry, in favour of unproven and unmeasured environmental objectives. Defra’s own research has identified a high risk of displacement of food production as a result of yield-reducing ELM options, with unknown effects on either domestic food security or the environment. It’s time Ministers took heed and changed course, he argues."

The US Farm Subsidies are dating back to 1929, and they were originally intended to help farmers to deal with the Dust Bowl that devastated the southern Great Plains. Currently, the US Federal program encourages farmers to cultivate the same crops year after year, regardless of the yield and its drought resistance. The subsidies are also disproportionally funnelled to large corporate entities, not small to midsize farms. The subsidies is a good tool for supporting local farm industry, but the policies need to be revised and updated to be more fair and coherent, and to keep up with the evolution of the modern farm practices. https://lnkd.in/g-HbcfHn

[2024 US Farm Bill: Key Changes Explained] Brief explanation of the 2024 US Farm Bill In 2024, the US Farm Bill underwent significant changes that are crucial to comprehend. . . . https://lnkd.in/gpTrF7_8