The quote for this week is taken from a statement from the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association in which the interest group petitions the USDA to regulate the use of the terms ‘meat’ and ‘beef’ when describing foodstuff. They request that the terms be used to indicate:
“that the product is derived naturally from animals as opposed to alternative proteins such as plants and insects or artificially grown in a laboratory.”
This comes in response the development of lab grown meat-like protein (derived from either plant or animal cells).
OMEGA-3 CANOLA SET TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON WILD FISH STOCKS
“Agricultural chemicals supplier and seeds developer Nufarm has received approval to produce the world’s first plant-based source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The company says its genetically modified omega-3 canola will help relieve pressure on wild fish stocks, which are the current source for long chain omega-3s, which are essential for human and fish health. One hectare of the omega-3 canola could provide an omega-3…
Within three days of moving into the White House, last year, President Trump withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The remaining 11 signatories have continued without US participation and are in the process of negotiating a new agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In the US, there has been a fairly consistent effort by agricultural interest groups to re-join the Partnership. Recently, the US Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade, representing 95 per cent of the US farming, ranching and food processing sector wrote the following in a letter to US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer:
“American food and agricultural producers and companies are facing significant barriers in these markets that could be addressed within the improved rules and higher standards through reengagement with the TPP countries.”
Interestingly, at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month – President Trump indicated that he might consider joining the TPP again “if it is in the interests of all”. The TPP was expected to have the biggest impact on the agricultural sectors of most of…
The quote for Bits ‘n Pieces this week is taken from a Forum of the Future report, Future of Sustainability 2018:
“The internet of things, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and a revolution in robotics are coming together to make low-input, data-driven automated agriculture at scale a real possibility.”
The convergence of various technologies forms an important component of the future of agriculture especially given the dynamics of population growth, climate change and labour patterns. There is also an increasing awareness of the value of technological innovation plays in previously low-tech industries such as agriculture.
Source: Forum of the Future. Future of Sustainability 2018, pg. 12. No date.
MUSTARD GAS(SOLINE): BIOFUEL POWERS QANTAS FLIGHT
“Qantas is using biofuel processed from Brassica carinata, a non-food, industrial type of mustard seed, developed by Canadian agricultural-technology company Agrisoma Biosciences.
The flight is part of a partnership in which the two companies will work with Australian farmers to grow the country’s first commercial aviation biofuel seed crop by 2020. “Our partnership with Agrisoma…
