Wednesday December 2 Ag News

How much hay will a cow consume?
Steve Tonn, Nebraska Extension Educator – Beef Systems, Washington County

Winter hay feeding season is upon us.  This year hay supplies are very adequate but it is still important to manage your feed inventory.  Plus matching feed quality and quantity with cow nutritional needs especially as the weather changes is key to meeting her nutritional requirements.  Accurate knowledge of average cow size in your herd as well as the average weight of your big round bales becomes necessary to predict hay needs and hay feeding strategies.

Estimating forage usage by cows is an important part of the task of calculating winter feed needs.  Hay or standing forage intake must be estimated in order to make the calculations.  Forage quality will be a determining factor in the amount of forage consumed.  Higher quality forages contain larger concentrations of important nutrients so animals consuming these forages should be more likely to meet their nutrient needs from the forages.  Also cows can consume a larger quantity of higher quality forages.

Higher quality forages are fermented more rapidly in the rumen leaving a void that the animal can re-fill with additional forage.  Consequently, forage intake increases.  For example, low quality forages (below about 6% crude protein) will be consumed at about 1.5% of body weight (on a dry matter basis) per day.  Higher quality grass hays (above 8% crude protein) may be consumed at about 2.0% of body weight.  Excellent forages, such as good alfalfa, silages, or green pasture may be consumed at the rate of 2.5% dry matter of body weight per day.  The combination of increased nutrient content AND increased forage intake makes high quality forage very valuable to the animal and the producer.  With these intake estimates, now producers can calculate the estimated amounts of hay that need to be available.

Weather can also influence intake.  Cows will eat more when it is cold.  The major effect of cold on nutrient requirement of cows is increased need for energy.  A general rule of thumb is that for every one degree (F) the temperature drops below 32ºF, increase the ration energy by 1%.  Quantity is important but this is where knowing the quality of your feed also comes into play.

What is a realistic estimate of the weight of your cows?  How was that determined?  Did you sell cull cows recently?  Weighed them on a farm scale or elevator scale at weaning?  Guessed?  Cow size has grown over the years.  You might be surprised how big your cows really are.  In a survey of 17 Washington County cow herds, 8 out of 17 reported an average cow weight of over 1400 pounds.

Using an example of 1200 pound pregnant spring-calving cows, let’s assume that the grass hay quality is good and tested 8% crude protein.  Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day.  The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter.  Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture.  If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis”.  Unfortunately we also have to consider hay wastage when feeding big round bales.  Hay wastage is difficult to estimate, but generally has been found to be from 6% to 20% (or more).  For this example, let’s assume 15% hay wastage.  This means that approximately 30 pounds of grass hay must be hauled to the pasture for each cow each day that hay is expected to be the primary ingredient in the diet.

After calving and during early lactation, the cow may weigh 100 pounds less, but will be able to consume about 2.6% of her body weight (100% dry matter) in hay.  This would translate into 36 pounds of “as-fed” hay per cow per day necessary to be hauled to the pasture.  This again assumes 15% hay wastage.

Hay quality, weather conditions, cow age, stage of production, feeding method, hay wastage, and type of bale feeder can all influence intake.  Just make sure that the amount of hay you are feeding is meeting the needs of your cows. Body condition will be the best way to measure if your cows are eating enough to meet their nutritional requirements.



WINTER DROUGHT
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Are you ready for a winter drought?  Its appearance is much different from a summer drought but the effect is the same.

               A summer drought occurs when a lack of rain causes greatly reduced plant growth and, therefore, much less grazing and hay production.  So what does a winter drought look like, at least from the perspective of a livestock producer in the central Great Plains or Corn Belt?

               In contrast to a summer drought where lack of rain can cause a brown, barren landscape, a winter drought has abundant moisture.  However, that moisture is in the form of ice or deep snow, often creating what some people might characterize as a picturesque landscape.

               Despite all the moisture as snow and ice, I call this a drought because the affect on livestock is similar to a summer drought.  Corn stalks, winter range, and other grazed forages are covered by snow or ice, making them inaccessible.  Sometimes it is even impossible to get access to previously harvested and stored feeds like hay and silage.

               Are you ready if this happens to you?  Some winter forage already has been covered although we hope the snow will melt away soon so animals can get back to it.  But what if they can’t?  What is your backup plan?  If your backup plan is hay, do you have enough?  Can you get it to your animals after an ice storm?  And if it needs to be supplemented, is that on hand and positioned to get to your animals?

               We usually are prepared for normal winter stresses and even occasional storms.  But what are your plans if the winter drought I’ve described does occur.  It can hit much more rapidly than a summer drought.

               Think about it.  And be prepared.



CRP Informational Meetings Scheduled Across Nebraska

Ag producers are invited to attend a free informational meeting about what the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can offer them. The meetings are being held across the state through January. The General CRP Signup is Dec. 1 – Feb. 26.

Soil rental rates have increased significantly in some areas. Learn about the new rates, as well as other CRP options.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Dec. 2 – Benkelman, Farm Bureau Office, 1303 A St., 11 a.m.

Dec. 3 – Imperial, MPCC Extended Campus, 1324 Broadway St., 11 a.m.

Dec. 8 – Grant, USDA Service Center, 927 Central Ave., 9 a.m.

Jan. 4 – Wallace, VFD, 118 N. Commercial Ave., 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 – Albion, Cornerstone Bank, 240 S. 3rd St., 7 p.m.; Rushville, Legion Club, 206 Sprague St., 11 a.m.; Tekamah, 1st National Bank Northeast, 448 S. 13th St., noon; Ogallala, ESU 16 Building, 3145 W. 1st St., 5:30 p.m.; Norfolk, Lifelong Learning Center, 801 E. Benjamin Ave., noon

Jan. 6 – Alma, Johnson Center, 509 Main St., noon; Scottsbluff, North Platte NRD, 100547 Airport Road, 1:30 p.m.; O'Neill, UNL Extension Service, 128 N. 6th St., Ste. 100, 3 p.m.; Fairbury, Union Bank, 1313 K St., 7 p.m.; Nelson, Community Center, 333 S. Main St., noon

Jan. 7 – Ponca, Ponca State Park, 88090 Spur 26E, 6 p.m.; Franklin, Country Club, U.S. Hwy. 136, 11:30 a.m.; Alliance, Public Library, 1750 Sweetwater Ave., 11 a.m.; Seward, Cattle National Bank & Trust, 104 S. 5th St., 7 p.m.; Oakland, City Auditorium, 401 N. Oakland Ave., 6 p.m.; David City, Hruska Memorial Public Library, 399 5th St., 1 p.m.; Hartington, City Auditorium, 101 N. Broadway, noon; St. Paul, The Gathering Place, 612 Howard Ave., 5:30 p.m.; Stapleton, Community Center, 236 Main St., 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 8 – Chadron, Country Kitchen, 1250 10th St. W, 11 a.m.

Jan. 11 – Hebron, Statsney Community Center, 1350 Dove Road, 7 p.m.; Blair, USDA Service Center, 1060 Wilbur St., noon; Curtis, Ag Valley Co-op, 202 W. 2nd St., 9:30 a.m.; Cambridge, Community Center, 722 Patterson St., 1 p.m.

Jan. 12 – Hooper, Veterans of Foreign Wars, 108 N. Main St., 1 p.m.; Bartlett, Wheeler County Fairgrounds, 3 p.m.; Bridgeport, USDA Service Center, 902 Main St., 11 a.m.; McCook, 4-H Building, 1412 W. 5th St., 6 p.m.; Minden, USDA Service Center, 1005 S. Brown Ave., noon; Falls City, Personal Care Inc., 3003 Old Hwy. 73, 1:30 p.m.; Wahoo, Lower Platte North NRD, 511 Commercial Park Road, 7 p.m.; North Platte, UNL Extension WCREC Auditorium, 348 E. State Farm Road, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 13 – Hayes Center, American Legion Hall, 73297 Ave. 369, 6 p.m.; Bloomfield, Community Center, 101 S. Broadway, 10 a.m.; Wayne, The Max, 109 Main St., 6 p.m.; Blue Hill, Community Senior Center, 555 W. Gage St., 11 a.m.; Sidney, South Platte NRD, 551 Parkland Drive, 11 a.m.; Clay Center, Clay County Extension Office, 322 Grant Ave., 7 p.m.; Schuyler, Schuyler Golf Club, 295 Higgins Drive, 1 p.m.; Omaha, Papio-Missouri River NRD, 8901 S. 154 St., noon

Jan. 14 – West Point, Pizza Ranch, 245 S. Main St., 1 p.m.; Neligh, UNL Extension Service, 501 Main St., Ste. 98, 7 p.m.; Trenton, USDA Service Center, 36465 U.S. Hwy. 34, 3 p.m.

Jan. 19 – Ravenna, Community Building, 301 Alba Ave., noon

Jan. 20 – Pawnee City, Library, 735 8th St., 1:30 p.m.; Central City, Merrick Foundation, 1530 17th Ave., 3 p.m.; Broken Bow, Mid-Plains Community College, 2520 S. E St., noon

Jan. 21 – Tecumseh, Nemaha NRD, 62161 U.S. Hwy. 136, 1:30 p.m.; Ord, Lower Loup NRD, 2620 Airport Drive, 5:30 p.m.; Amherst, Community Building, 110 N. Main St., noon

Jan. 28 – Lincoln, UNL Extension, 444, Cherrycreek Road, 5:30 p.m.

Reserve a spot in a meeting by contacting your local USDA office. Visit NebraskaPF.com or CRPsignup.com for more information.



Iowa Corn Patent Application Accepted for Bio-Based Manufacturing Process

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently published a patent application (U.S. 2015/0329449) from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) for a production method using corn in the industrial manufacturing of a raw material called monoethylene glycol (MEG).

“Patenting this research will lead to advances in the production processes for corn based bio-MEG eliminating the need for the petroleum ethylene derivatives currently used and creating demand for Iowa corn,” said Chris Weydert, a farmer from Algona, an Iowa Corn Promotion Board Director and Vice Chair of Iowa Corn’s Research and Business Development Committee. “This one switch to a more renewable material will reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and improve the environmental footprint for hundreds of consumer products.”

Most MEG currently goes into making polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used for beverage bottles, polyester textiles, and films, but MEG can also be used as anti-freeze, coolants, aircraft deicers and industrial solvents. A large proportion of the current bio-MEG goes into making the biorenewable bottles for Coca-Cola, Heinz, and PepsiCo.

The traditional way bio-MEG is made is through a conversion of sugar cane ethanol, which is usually sourced from Brazil, to ethylene, but still the majority of MEG comes from oil. ICPB’s new process can eliminate this added costs of bio-MEG by going from corn sugar to MEG in one step.

“Depending on the yield of MEG conversion from corn, it would take greater than 1.2 billion bushels of corn to saturate the entire 2016 projected demand of MEG,” explained Weydert. “Any MEG made from corn would not only be bio renewable, but also a direct replacement for what plastic manufacturers are already using.”

Improved manufacturing processes for bio-based materials will continue to expand the renewable products market. According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), a global market intelligence company providing business information reports, the global monoethylene glycol (MEG) market stood at $27 billion in 2014 and is anticipated to reach $40 billion in 2023.

Investment of checkoff dollars in research and business development allows for a direct return on Iowa corn farmer investments. Consequently, Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) research programs have continued to grow. ICPB research programs aim to find new and innovative uses of corn, such as plastics and industrial chemicals. ICPB is developing and licensing intellectual property to partner with companies; this strategy will increase the commercialization of new products related to corn, and create new opportunities for corn farmers.

“ICPB has been working on the MEG research project since 2013,” said Mark Heckman, President of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board from West Liberty. “We are excited to have the bio-based MEG production patent application made known to the public. We are hopeful that the patent will be granted in the near future.”



APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR IOWA'S “FUELING OUR FUTURE 100” INITIATIVE

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that funds are now available through the new “Fueling Our Future 100” initiative and interested retailers in Iowa can apply for cost share funding to assist with the purchase and installation of blender pumps and underground storage tank (UST) infrastructure for higher blends of ethanol.

“We continue to see that when consumers have a choice at the pump they will choose to increase the amount of clean burning, homegrown renewable fuels they use.  Through this program we will see a total investment of $10 million to help build the renewable fuels infrastructure in the state,” Northey said.

Iowa received a $5 million competitive grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) program to support the initiative.  These funds will be matched by non-federal funds, including $2.5 million from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP).  The fueling sites applying for assistance will also be required to provide a minimum of $2.5 million.

An estimated 187 blender pumps and 25 UST will be installed to provide consumers with access to higher blends of ethanol through the program.

Pumps and tanks funded through this program are currently required to be operational by December 31, 2016 and continue operations for the intended purpose of dispensing higher blends of ethanol through December 30, 2021.

More information about the program, a copy of the application and other materials can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov under “Hot Topics.

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, December 31, 2015.

A webinar with more information on the program and application process will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 9:30 a.m.  Retailers and cooperatives considering applying can register and participate in the webinar by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8410561735496596994.

This new program is a partnership across state government, including collaboration between the Governor’s office, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Transportation, and Iowa Economic Development Authority.



Beef Checkoff Logs Record 2.3k BQA Certifications!

More than 2,300 producers from across the country became Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-certified, thanks to the latest "free-certification" supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). That is the highest number in the program’s five-year history and means nearly 24,000 producers have taken advantage of this offer to sign up for BQA certification during these five promotions. Through the sponsorship of the BQA certification program, BIVI provides financial support for the Beef Cattle Institute, which developed the certification module.

The checkoff-funded BQA program is important to the cattle industry as it provides producers a set of best practices for producing quality beef. It also gives consumers the assurance that the beef they eat is both safe and wholesome.

“As social media grows, so much misinformation is at the fingertips of most consumers," says Montana beef producer Annabel Morgan. "We KNOW the level of love and tenderness we have for the land and livestock. BQA allows us to tell our story about producing beef. A glimpse into our life can greatly affect the way people understand our point of view.

“BQA also gives us a resource to see what others are doing successfully so we can evolve our own operations," Morgan continued. "We are able to take seminars and learn about new products that benefit our cattle and land. Like any other business, we also change and find more efficient ways to move towards the future. Ranching is a community effort and without the advice from those before us or alongside us, we wouldn't be where we are today. With BQA, we have many practices that we can share with the public."

The BQA certification modules are customized to fit the specific needs of each segment of the cattle industry – cow-calf, stocker, feedyard and dairy operations. The program covers best-management practices, such as proper handling and administration of vaccinations and other products; using low-stress cattle-handling principles; and eliminating injection-site blemishes. Although the free-certification period has passed, it’s never too late to demonstrate your commitment to quality and become BQA-certified through your state trainings or online at www.bqa.org.



Highway Bill Amendment Restores Crop Insurance Cuts

House Speaker Paul Ryan from Wisconsin and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California have included language in the Highway Bill conference report to fully repeal a provision that was designed to kill crop insurance. The two GOP lawmakers say the repeal puts an end to a section in the two-year budget deal enacted in November that would have cut federal crop insurance subsidies by $3 billion over 10 years.

The five-year highway bill must be passed by Congress before Friday. Lawmakers must also approve a package of spending bills by December 11 to keep the government funded, and extend dozens of expiring tax breaks.

The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, American Association of Crop Insurers and the National Crop Insurance Service released the following statement about the recent developments:

"The crop insurance industry fully supports efforts to return crop insurance to where it was before the budget bill was passed. The budget bill contained a disastrous provision that would have devastated crop insurance as we know it today, harming U.S. farmers and taxpayers alike. Make no mistake - this cut would jeopardize effective private-sector delivery of crop insurance and take risk management for farmers in the wrong direction."

Last month, national farm groups blasted Wisconsin Reps. Ron Kind and Jim Sensenbrenner, along with Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, for introducing a measure that would have prohibited premium support for producers with more $250,000 adjusted gross income and cap the support at $40,000 per producer.

Other farm-state lawmakers were furious by the move, saying the cuts could be devastating to farmers.



Farmers: Take World Soil Day to Nurture Your Corner of the World

The Soil Health Partnership is commemorating World Soil Day by encouraging farmers to consider new ways to make their land healthier. World Soil Day, Dec. 5, celebrates the importance of soil as one of our most crucial natural resources.

"Soil health is critical to the future sustainability of our agricultural industry," said Nick Goeser, SHP director. "We want to acknowledge this worldwide day by encouraging farmers at a local level to consider what steps they can take right now to improve their land. Small steps can go a long way toward big change."

The Soil Health Partnership, an initiative of the National Corn Growers Association, has a list of 10 things you can do to improve your soil health:

    Learn more about soil health and practical options to improve it in your area- like tillage, cover crops and efficient nutrient management.

    Get your soil tested annually and watch for trends. Check with your agronomist and soil testing laboratories for recommendations.

    Try expanding soil testing to include a soil health assessment to measure chemical, physical and biological aspects of your soil.  These all impact your crop yields.

    Consider cover crops for 2016. Identify issues in your field and think of cover crops as a tool to fix the issues. Start small and talk to neighbors who use them.

    Know and understand what you can do to improve nutrient use efficiency in your system. Consider on-farm testing of fertilizer rate, timing, source and location to make sure nutrients end up in your crop.

    Consider testing conservation tillage practices like no-till or strip-till.  Starting small is key.

    Create a crop yield and soil health plan to try one or two new practices to optimize your yields and improve your soils.  Measuring is key to success!  Start there.

    Manure can be a great source of nutrients if used correctly.  If manure is available, follow proper application guidelines to help improve organic matter and nutrient availability.

    Think about controlled traffic in your fields to reduce compaction.  Set up travel lanes in fields to reduce field crossings by harvesting equipment, grain trucks, fertilizer trucks, etc.

    Consider becoming a Soil Health Partnership farmer! Find out more here.

The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives. This year, it will be celebrated on the fourth of December at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations headquarters in Rome, with additional local events planned worldwide.



Brazil Corn Exports Continue Strong in November

Brazilian corn exports continued at record pace in November.

Shipments totaled 4.9 million metric tons (mmt) last month, up 35% on the same month last year, the Brazilian Cereal Exporters Association (ANEC) reported Tuesday.

With these figures, Brazil exported 24.9 mmt in the first 11 months of the 2015-16 season (Feb-Jan), some 35% higher than last year and closing in on the full-year record of 26.6 mmt set in 2013.

Loading actually slowed slightly last month amid abnormally wet weather in the south. In Paranagua, the No. 2 corn port, rain halted ship loaders on 15 of the 30 days in November, severely hampering operations. As a result, waiting times to load corn have ballooned to well over a month and trading companies are jostling for spots on lineups.

But exporters sought other ports to keep shipments moving and pressure was limited by the much larger volume of corn being shipped through Amazon ports this year. ANEC estimates around 2 mmt of corn will be shipped through northern ports this season.

Demand remains extremely strong for Brazilian corn, which is super-competitive as a result of the devaluation of the real.

Ship lineups remains packed for December and January, and the delays will likely mean corn shipments bleed into February, which is normally a quiet month of preparation at grain terminals ahead of the arrival of soybeans.

When February figures are included, Brazilian exports from the 2015-16 crop (Feb-Jan) will likely well surpass 30 mmt and could reach as high as 35 mmt, analysts say.

Shipments of this size solidify Brazil's position as the No. 2 corn exporter.

Corn exporting has grown over the last decade along with the practice of planting corn as a second crop after soybeans. Once Brazil's massive soy shipments slow from August, corn shipments from the second crop move into grain terminals.

However, this year, soybean shipments have not fallen off in the second half of the year as dramatically as usual. Brazil shipped 1.7 mmt of soybean in November, which massively outstrips the 200,000 mt sent in the same month last year, said ANEC.

Brazil shipped 52.6 mmt of soybeans in the first 11 months of 2015.



USDA Announces 2016 Agricultural Outlook Forum

The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host the 92nd Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Va. on Feb. 25-26, 2016. The theme for this year's forum is "Transforming Agriculture: Blending Technology and Tradition."

The challenges and opportunities for agriculture and rural America are changing. In 2015, American farmers persevered in the face of drought and an unprecedented animal disease outbreak. Demographics are also changing in rural America and across farm households. Meanwhile, technology is rapidly opening new applications for producers and throughout the marketing chain, and new markets are emerging for U.S. agricultural products. USDA continues to seek out new and innovative ways to expand opportunity and provide support for America's farming families, and that mission will form the basis for the 92nd Agricultural Outlook Forum.

The Plenary panel, "Providing Leadership for Present and Future Generations in the Transformation of Agriculture," will feature remarks from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. Thirty concurrent track sessions supporting this theme include the Agriculture Talent Pipeline, Bioproducts, Commodities, Land & Tenure Transition, New Markets, Organics, Risk Management, Scientific Advancement, and Trade, to Urban Agriculture.

USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson will present "The 2016 Economic Outlook for Agriculture." The Forum's keynote address will be delivered by Howard Buffett, CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Mitch E. Daniels, Jr., President of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana will be the dinner speaker.

Deputy Secretary Harden will also host a session on opportunities in agriculture for new and beginning farmers ranchers, and she will and host a Women's Agriculture Networking event.

USDA has hosted the Agricultural Outlook Forum since 1923. It is USDA's largest annual meeting, attracting 1,600 attendees last year. It serves as a platform to facilitate conversation of key issues and topics within the agricultural community, including producers, processors, policy makers, government officials and NGOs, both foreign and domestic. The two-day meeting will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 25–26, 2016.



USDA Report Warns Climate Change Likely to Impede Progress on Global Food Security

Climate change is likely to impede progress on reducing undernourishment around the world in the decades ahead, according to a major scientific assessment released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on global food security and its implications for the United States. The report, entitled Climate Change, Global Food Security and the U.S. Food System, identifies the risks that climate change poses to global food security and the challenges facing farmers and consumers in adapting to changing climate conditions. Secretary Vilsack released the report during the COP-21 Paris Climate Conference.

In the absence of response measures, climate change is likely to diminish continued progress on global food security through production disruption that lead to constraints on local availability and price increases, interrupted transport conduits, and diminished food safety, among other causes. The risks are greatest for the global poor and in tropical regions.

President Obama has pledged to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. U.S. agriculture is helping meet this goal, and American farmers, ranchers and foresters have demonstrated their leadership in recognition that their contributions send a strong message to the rest of the world.

"The past six years have been a success story in terms of global food security. Two hundred million fewer people are food insecure today than they were six years ago. The challenge we now face is whether we can maintain and even accelerate this progress despite the threats from climate change," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The report we are releasing today highlights these challenges and offers pathways to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change."

"The report found that climate change is likely to cause disruptions in food production and a decrease in food safety, which in turn leads to local availability limitations and increases in food prices, with these risks greatest for the global poor and in tropical regions," said Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President or Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Accurately identifying needs and vulnerabilities, and effectively targeting adaptive practices and technologies across the full scope of the food system, are central to improving global food security in a changing climate."

Food systems in the United States benefit from a large area of arable land, high agricultural yields, vast integrated transportation systems, and a high level of overall economic development. However, changes in climate are expected to affect U.S. consumers and producers by altering the type and price of food imports from other regions of the world, as well as by changing export demand, and transportation, processing, storage, infrastructure that enable global trade.

Climate risks to food security increase as the magnitude and rate of climate change increase. Higher emissions and concentrations of greenhouse gases are much more likely to have damaging effects than lower emissions and concentrations. The author team reviewed a range of scenarios. Under scenarios with continued increases in greenhouse gas emissions the number of people at risk of undernourishment would increase by as much as 175 million above today's level by 2080. Scenarios with lower population growth and more robust economic growth coupled with lower greenhouse gas emissions resulted in large reductions in the number of food insecure people compared to today. Even in these scenarios, higher greenhouse gas emissions resulted in more food insecurity than lower emissions.

Effective adaptation can reduce food system vulnerability to climate change and reduce detrimental climate change effects on food security, but socioeconomic conditions can impede the adoption of technically feasible adaptation options. The agricultural sector has a strong record of adapting to changing conditions. There are many opportunities to strengthen agricultural economies and bring more advanced methods of crop production to low-yielding agricultural regions. Other promising adaptations include reducing food waste through innovative packaging, expanding cold storage to lengthen shelf life, and improving transportation infrastructure to move food more rapidly to markets.

On April 23rd, 2015, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced USDA's 10 Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture, a comprehensive set of voluntary programs and initiatives that is expected to reduce net emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2025 - about 2 percent of economy-wide emissions. The ten "building blocks" span a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon storage, and generate clean renewable energy. USDA also supports global food security through in-country capacity building, basic and applied research, and support for improved market information, statistics and analysis.

'Climate Change, Global Food Security and the U.S. Food System' was prepared as part of the United States National Climate Assessment and part of the President's Climate Action Plan. USDA led the production of the report on behalf of the thirteen Federal Agencies of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Thirty-one authors and contributors prepared the report, representing nineteen federal, academic, nongovernmental, and intergovernmental institutions in four countries.



ICBA: Review of Farm Credit System a Welcome First Step

The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) today urged the House Agriculture Committee, which is reviewing the Farm Credit System (FCS), to conduct a series of hearings aimed at uncovering details of how the FCS is avoiding legal constraints. In a statement for today’s committee hearing, ICBA noted that the system’s regulator—the Farm Credit Administration (FCA)—has gone out of its way to allow FCS lenders to make otherwise illegal loans if such financing is labeled as “investments.”

ICBA explained that the FCA, after withdrawing a proposed investments regulation and pilot program, briefly published a guidance memo instructing FCS lenders how to gain approval to finance investments, including credit for non-farm businesses, communities, rural areas and infrastructure projects. “In other words, even though the FCS unsuccessfully lobbied Congress for years to receive expanded powers, FCA has suddenly and quietly decided to just allow FCS lenders to do whatever they want if FCA provides a rubber stamp of approval,” ICBA said. 

ICBA also questioned huge loans by CoBank to Verizon, AT&T, U.S. Cellular and other large multi-national corporations. “CoBank’s newly found lending activities appear to be an effort to leverage their government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) advantages deeply into the realm of multi-national, non-agricultural, non-rural and non-cooperative corporate financial deals,” ICBA said.

Additionally, ICBA expressed community bankers’ alarm that the FCS leverages its GSE tax and funding advantages to cherry pick the financially strongest customers of community banks, which destabilizes ag loan portfolios of taxpaying rural banks. This increases risks to the community banking industry, leading to fewer lenders and less credit availability for rural America.

Finally, ICBA raised several questions regarding a secretive $10 billion line of credit the FCA gained on behalf of the FCS from the U.S. Treasury. “There should have clearly been hearings on a GSE seeking a $10 billion line of credit,” ICBA said. “If FCA believes the Farm Credit Act is as loose as to allow it to grant any type of financing desired by FCS lenders, then the act needs to be tightened.  Congress never intended for FCS to be a general purpose rural lender.”