Thursday December 19 Ag News

December Rural Mainstreet Index Rises Above Growth Neutral: Farm Land Price Index Highest Since 2013

The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) for December remained above growth neutral for the fourth straight month and for the 10th time in the past 12 months, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.     

Overall: While the overall index for December fell to 50.2 from 54.2 in November, it marked the tenth time in 2019 that the index has remained above growth neutral 50.0.

“Federal agriculture crop support payments and somewhat higher grain prices have boosted the Rural Mainstreet Index above growth neutral for the month.”

“Bank CEOs, on average, expect approximately 12.4% of grain farmers to experience financial losses for 2020. However, this is down from last year at this time when bankers projected 15.3% of grain farmers to experience negative cash flows for 2019,” said Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MTacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. 

Farming and ranching: The farmland and ranchland-price index soared to 52.8 from November’s weak 40.4. This is the first time since November 2013 that the index has risen above growth neutral, 50.0. 

The November farm equipment-sales index sank to 27.9 from November’s 37.5. This marks the 75th month that the reading has remained below growth neutral 50.0. 

Banking: Borrowing by farmers weakened again from December. The borrowing index declined to 50.0 from November’s 51.4. The checking-deposit index fell to a still strong 61.1 from November’s 68.1, while the index for certificates of deposit and other savings instruments slipped to 50.0 from 51.4 in November.    

This month, bankers were asked to project the level of farm loan defaults for 2020. “One of nine bank CEOs expect 2020 farm loan defaults to expand by 10% to 20%. On average bankers expect 2020 farm loan defaults to grow by approximately 4.0%.  This is down from an anticipated gain of 4.4% for 2019 recorded last December,” said Goss.

Bankers were also asked about their bank’s response to weak farm income. Almost two-thirds, or 65.7%, indicated their bank had increased collateral requirements, while 34.3% reported that their bank had rejected a higher percentage of farm loan applications.

Below are the state reports:
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for December sank to a regional low of 44.3 from November’s 51.0. The state’s farmland-price index sank to jumped to 52.1 from last month’s 39.3. Nebraska’s new-hiring index improved to 53.4 from November’s 48.6. Over the past 12 months rural areas in Nebraska have added jobs at a rate of 0.2% compared to a gain of 2.5% for urban areas of the state.  

Iowa: The December RMI for Iowa increased to 53.5 from November’s 52.5. Iowa’s farmland-price index soared to 52.5 from November’s 39.7. Iowa’s new-hiring index for December slumped to 48.7 from November’s 57.1. Over the past 12 months rural areas in Iowa have experienced job losses with employment growth at minus 0.2% compared to a stronger 1.1% for urban areas of the state.

Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included.  

This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.



Nebraska Soybean Association Celebrates 50 Years!

The Nebraska Soybean Association celebrated its 50th anniversary during the Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo Thursday in Wahoo. For 50 years, the grower members of the Nebraska Soybean Association have served as leaders, pioneers and advocates for the soy industry. The association has made invaluable contributions to not only the soybean industry, but all of agriculture.

The American Soybean Association congratulates the Nebraska Soybean Association on this milestone and is grateful for 50 years of leadership and partnership. ASA Director and past president Ron Moore from Illinois presented a commemorative plaque to Nebraska Soybean Association Vice President Doug Bartek of Wahoo on Thursday.  ASA Directors from Nebraska Dennis Fujan of Prague and Ken Boswell of Shickley were also in attendance and showed their support.



Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding Sen. Ben Sasse Appointment to Senate Committee on Finance

“Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s appointment of Ben Sasse to the Senate’s Finance Committee gives Nebraska farmers and ranchers a strong voice on arguably one of the most powerful committees in Congress. Sen. Sasse is unapologetically supportive of trade and now he’ll be fighting for agriculture from the front lines of the Committee that holds jurisdiction over trade, tariffs, and all other international commerce issues. Sen. Sasse has always made sure that Nebraska farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table, and we look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Sasse on agriculture priorities like expanding trade, lowering taxes, and affordable health care.”



Nebraska Farm Bureau Delegates Elect 5 to State Board

Delegates at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Convention in Kearney elected five members to the organization's Board of Directors.

Katie Olson was re-elected to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Board of Directors representing the North Central region in Nebraska. Olson will represent members from 14 counties including Cherry, McPherson, Logan, Thomas, Keya Paha, Boyd, Brown, Rock, Holt, Blaine, Loup, Garfield, Wheeler, and Custer counties. Olson and her husband, James, grow corn, soybeans, and raise cow/calf pairs on a ranch near Atkinson. They are members of Holt County Farm Bureau.

Dustin Ladenburger was re-elected to represent the Southwest region in Nebraska. He represents Farm Bureau members in 13 counties including Perkins, Lincoln, Dawson, Chase, Hayes, Frontier, Gospher, Phelps, Dundy, Hitchcock, Red Willow, Furnas, and Harlan. He grows dryland wheat, corn, milo, and has a cow-calf operation near Stratton. He is a member of Hitchcock County Farm Bureau.

David Grimes was elected to represent the South Central region of Nebraska. He represents Farm Bureau members in 13 counties including Hamilton, York, Seward, Kearney, Adams, Clay, Filmore, Saline, Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls, Thayer, and Jefferson. He replaces Leslie Boswell of Shickley, who completed her term of six years on the Nebraska Farm Bureau Board. Grimes and his wife Becky raise irrigated corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on their farm near Minden. They are members of Kearney/Franklin County Farm Bureau.

Hilary Maricle was re-elected as the Ag Promotion At-Large director. The Ag Promotion At-Large position represents local and state promotion and education committees on the state board of directors. These committees promote agriculture locally, statewide, and on a national level. Maricle and her husband, Brian, grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and raise cattle, hogs, and sheep near Albion. They are members of Boone County Farm Bureau.

Lance Atwater was re-elected as Youth-At-Large member of the board. The Youth-At-Large position represents young farmers and ranchers on the state board of directors. He and his wife, Krystal, grow irrigated corn, popcorn, non-GMO white corn, soybeans, and have a cow-calf operation near Ayr. They are members of Adams/Webster County Farm Bureau.

All terms are for three years. The Nebraska Board of Directors has 13 members, who must all be farmers or ranchers in Nebraska.



Calyxt Announces Collaboration with Central Valley Ag to Expand Grower Network

Calyxt, Inc., a plant-based technology company focused on healthy food ingredients, has entered into a collaboration with Central Valley Ag (CVA) cooperative, a leading provider of products and services in grain, agronomy, feed and energy, to expand Calyxt’s Identity Preserved grower network for Calyxt crop varieties.

CVA will contract acres to launch new Calyxt soybean varieties and offer seed distribution, seed treatment and agronomy services to Calyxt Identity Preserved growers. In addition, Calyxt will gain access to CVA’s grain elevators and rail logistics for the shipping of Calyxt’s High Oleic Soybean grain – further strengthening Calyxt’s supply chain.

The new relationship with CVA, and existing relationships with Landus and Agtegra, expands Calyxt’s access to geographies where 45% of the 89 million acres of U.S. soybean are grown. It also helps support the future launch of Calyxt’s high fiber wheat product in four of the top ten wheat production states in the U.S., including North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Minnesota.

“This collaboration expands our geographic footprint into Nebraska and Kansas where we can introduce our new soybean varieties while further leveraging the success of our Identity Preserved system and premium producer program,” said Jim Blome, chief executive officer of Calyxt. “With more than 75,000 acres already contracted, we are nearing our goal to contract 100,000 acres for 2020.”

“This collaboration expands our access to geographies with 45% of domestic soybean acreage, supporting the continued growth of our oil customer base – having recently added multiple new restaurant chains as customers, with a packaged goods manufacturer in the final stages of testing. 2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year, and we look forward to continued operational execution and long-term shareholder value creation,” concluded Blome.

“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Calyxt,” said Nic McCarthy, CVA senior vice president of agronomy. “This mutually beneficial relationship allows our farmers an opportunity to secure offtake and grow Calyxt’s high oleic soybean, while simultaneously increasing the utilization of our grain elevator and rail infrastructure.  We look forward to working with Calyxt management to create value for both their shareholders and our member-owners,” concluded McCarthy.



Truterra and Soil and Water Conservation Society Awarded $1.5M from USDA to Accelerate Adoption of Precision Nutrient Management Practices in Midwestern States

Truterra, LLC and the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) have been awarded $1.5 million in funding from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to accelerate the adoption of precision nutrient management and soil health practices in partnership with agricultural retailers in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Truterra, formerly Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN, is the sustainability solutions business of Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's largest farmer-owned cooperatives. SWCS is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and for science-based conservation practice, programs, and policy.

The joint project between Truterra and SWCS, titled Advancing Precision Nutrient and Soil Health Management with Retailer Cooperatives, will help four agricultural retailers in the Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN network set up innovation trial programs for growers to demonstrate, across three years of crop production, the benefits of a full-system approach to precision agriculture. The trials will use the Truterra™ Insights Engine, a leading on-farm conservation management platform, to help collect and measure findings.

"At Truterra, we know that collaboration drives stewardship. This grant is a monumental step in public-private collaboration supporting on-farm stewardship," said Matt Carstens, senior vice president of Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN. "With the Soil and Water Conservation Society and agricultural retailers, we are working together to build a system of change that seeks to increase and accelerate the rate of stewardship adoption around the country."

Project partners will support agricultural retailers in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska to engage producers in on-farm trials that demonstrate the agronomic, environmental and economic incentives for conservation practice adoption. Through firsthand experience, the project aims to increase producer knowledge of these practices, integrate conservation management programs into retailer services, and broaden and accelerate conservation practice adoption. In addition to administering the program, SWCS will provide scientific support to help evaluate environmental outcomes.  The agricultural retailer partner in Nebraska is Frontier Cooperative based in Lincoln. 

"We are excited for this incredible opportunity to collaborate with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Truterra to implement on-the-ground conservation activities and evaluate their impact," said SWCS CEO Clare Lindahl. "The Soil and Water Conservation Society's ability to bring together multiple perspectives around the newest research and technologies puts us in a strong position to simultaneously deliver innovative approaches to on-farm conservation and evaluate impact through a scientific lens. We look forward to strengthening public and private sector partnerships in the conservation space for the betterment of our natural resources and the future of agriculture through this project."

The funding is provided through the On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials, a new component of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) first authorized in the Conservation Title of the 2018 Farm Bill. The improved CIG program is one of many policy changes in the 2018 Farm Bill championed by Land O'Lakes. These policy improvements can help make on-farm conservation practices easier and more accessible to farmers and agricultural retailers.

The program will work with growers to implement a full suite of zone prescriptions, VRT applications, stabilizers, and tillage management in an effort to help enhance both profitability and environmental performance. Cover crops are also be included in the program.

Additional details on the grant and the projects will be released in the coming weeks and months.



Fischer Statement on Government Spending Legislation

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement today after voting in favor of the government spending legislation passed by Congress:

“While I don’t support this process or the price tag, these bills contain too many important Nebraska priorities—including disaster relief—for me to oppose them. Each year, I meet with thousands of Nebraskans in my office and across the state about the needs of their families and our communities. These bills directly address many of those necessities and avoid a needless government shutdown.”

The spending legislation includes the following key Nebraska priorities Senator Fischer fought for:
Disaster relief:
-        More than $400 million for Nebraska’s military installations impacted by flooding
          o   Air Force procurement to replace RC-135 simulators and mission equipment at Offutt Air Force Base
          o   Rebuilding of Camp Ashland including refurnishing and remediation
-        An additional $1.5 billion in disaster aid for farmers and ranchers
-        Provisions from Senator Fischer’s Disaster Tax Relief bill, which provides tax relief to presidentially declared disaster areas
          o   Eliminates penalties for early withdrawals from IRAs for those in affected areas
          o   Eliminates cap on charitable deductions within disaster areas
          o   Expands casualty loss deduction to assist with destroyed property
          o   Temporarily establishes employee retention credits for businesses in affected areas

Military:
-        Military pay raise of 3.1 percent, the largest in a decade
-        Funding of the 55th Wing and state equities
          o   Continued modernization of the C-135 family of aircraft
          o   Open Skies recapitalization
-        Key nuclear modernization initiatives
          o   $3.0 billion for the B-21 bomber program
          o   $557 million for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program
          o   $713 million for the Long Range Standoff Weapon Program
-        $107.4 million for upgrades to test and evaluation infrastructure to support hypersonics, space, directed energy, and cyber

Families and safety:
-        School safety through funding for the STOP School Violence Act, which Senator Fischer cosponsored
-        One-year extension of Senator Fischer’s paid family leave tax incentive

Border security:
-        $1.38 billion for a border wall system
-        Require DHS to submit a report on visa overstays and publish border security metrics, which has long been a priority for Senator Fischer

Health and Human Services:
-        $2.82 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research
-        $1.63 billion for Community Health Centers that serve more than 28 million patients per year through 11,000 centers
-        $2.5 million for the Firefighter Cancer Registry



FY 2020 Omnibus Appropriations Includes Increased Funding for Ag
ASA Newsletter

Congress introduced a tax package this week that includes welcome increases in funding for agriculture research, inland waterways infrastructure and disaster assistance. Here’s what’s in the Fiscal Year 2020 Omnibus Appropriations package that impacts soy growers:

Ag Research
-    Funding for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) was increased from $415 million to $425 million—which was a top appropriations priority for ASA.

Inland Waterways Infrastructure
-    The Energy & Water Appropriations portion of the package provides $7.65 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an increase of $652 million from last year.
-    The bill makes full use of the estimated revenues for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and provides an enhanced cost-share for the Chickamauga Lock & Dam project at 65-35 instead of 50-50.
-    The bill provides $2.68 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers Construction account, an increase of $498 million above last year.
-    Funding for Operation and Maintenance is $3.79 billion, a slight increase above FY19 levels and a sixth consecutive year of increased funding.
-    The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund projects receive $1.63 billion, which exceeds the target set by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRDA) of 2014.

Disaster Relief
-    The bill includes $1.5 billion additional for Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) disaster assistance and clarifies that quality losses due to excessive moisture are also covered.



Disaster Aid, Farm Stress, Broadband Funding Wins for Farmers and Ranchers

Legislation to fund the government adopted by Congress this week contains many wins for American farmers and ranchers. From much-needed disaster aid to increased broadband access, rural communities will benefit from this legislation.

“We are grateful to members of Congress from both parties for their work to develop and pass budget bills that will help farmers and ranchers on multiple fronts,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

Wins for American farmers and ranchers:
-    $1.5 billion in additional disaster aid will expand recovery efforts to those impacted by severe weather in 2018 and 2019.
-    Full funding of the Farmer and Rancher Stress Assistance Network at $10 million will help those struggling to cope with a tough year in agriculture.
-    $550 million in grant funding for the ReConnect program will help expand broadband access to historically underserved communities. This will allow people living in these underserved areas to utilize new technologies to reach customers, access precision agriculture technology and connect to communities worldwide.
-    Retroactively extending the biodiesel tax credit to apply to 2018 and 2019 and extending it through 2022 will bring stability to producers after years of debate in Congress. Ten biodiesel plants have halted production since the $1-per-gallon credit expired in 2017.
-    Delaying the requirement for implementation of electronic logging devices on livestock haulers through Sept. 30, 2020 will help safeguard the welfare of livestock during transportation.



EPA Takes Steps to Provide Needed Clarity and Certainty for U.S. Agriculture

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing two important actions that will help the agricultural sector protect crops from pests and weeds. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is approving the use of 10 pesticide products on hemp in time for the 2020 growing season. Nine of these products are biopesticides and one is a conventional pesticide. EPA is also issuing a proposed interim decision on atrazine — a widely used herbicide. Both actions provide regulatory certainty and clarity on how these tools can be used safely while also helping to ensure a strong and vibrant agricultural market.

“With common-sense actions, we are protecting the health of our nation and ensuring that crops such as corn, sorghum, sugar cane and hemp can be protected against a broad spectrum of weeds and pests,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Under the Trump Administration, the EPA is committed to providing much needed certainty to farmers and ranchers across the country who rely on crop protection tools to ensure a global supply of products, while driving economic growth in agricultural communities across America.”

The first action EPA is announcing is the approval of ten pesticide applications for use on hemp, just in time to be used during the 2020 growing season. EPA wanted to ensure the agency acted on these applications quickly to give growers certainty for next spraying season in 2020 and to make timely purchasing decisions for next year. These approvals were made possible by the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp-derived products from Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act.

While EPA oversees pesticide registrations for hemp under FIFRA, other federal agencies are working to streamline their separate regulatory implementation processes for the newly legalized crop. The 2018 Farm Bill directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a regulatory oversight program for hemp. USDA has since proposed a rule for state-level hemp growing/management plans. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration also plays a role in regulating hemp products when they fall under their regulatory authority. EPA is committed to working with our federal partners and helping hemp growers obtain the tools needed to support and increase commercial production. The step the agency is taking today recognizes that innovation in pesticide use is critical to the success of our strong and vibrant agricultural sector.

The second action EPA is taking today is to propose new, stronger protections to reduce exposure to atrazine — the next step in the registration review process required under FIFRA. Atrazine is a widely used herbicide that controls a variety of grasses and broadleaf weeds. It is well-known and trusted by growers as one of the most effective herbicides. Atrazine is used on about 75 million acres annually and is most often applied to corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. (Note: Atrazine is not one of the ten pesticides approved for hemp.)

As part of this action, the agency is proposing a reduction to the maximum application rate for atrazine used on residential turf, and other updates to the label requirements, including mandatory spray drift control measures. EPA’s proposed decision is based on the 2016 draft ecological risk assessment and the 2018 human health draft risk assessment for atrazine. EPA is also proposing updates to the requirements for propazine and simazine, which are chemically related to atrazine. EPA will be taking comment on the atrazine, propazine and simazine Proposed Interim Decisions for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Comments can be made to the following dockets EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0266 (atrazine), EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0250 (propazine), and EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0251 (simazine) once the Federal Register notice publishes online.

In addition to today’s regulatory actions, EPA is continuing to build and enhance its relationship with the agricultural sector through the agency’s Smart Sectors program. Staff and senior leaders, including Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp and Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford, are meeting today in Lenexa, Kansas with representatives from the renewable fuels industry. The meeting is providing a platform to collaborate with the renewable fuels industry and develop sensible approaches that better protect the environment and public health.

For additional information:
Hemp action: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-products-registered-use-hemp.
Atrazine action: https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/atrazine-background-and-updates.



USDA:  Record High Red Meat and Pork Production in November

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.74 billion pounds in November, up 1 percent from the 4.68 billion pounds produced in November 2018.

Beef production, at 2.30 billion pounds, was 1 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.77 million head, down 1 percent from November 2018. The average live weight was up 5 pounds from the previous year, at 1,375 pounds.

Veal production totaled 6.1 million pounds, 9 percent below November a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 46,500 head, down 16 percent from November 2018. The average live weight was up 17 pounds from last year, at 227 pounds.

Pork production totaled 2.43 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 11.3 million head, up 3 percent from November 2018. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 288 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 11.2 million pounds, was down 13 percent from November 2018. Sheep slaughter totaled 179,700 head, 8 percent below last year. The average live weight was 125 pounds, down 7 pounds from November a year ago.

By State   (million lbs.  -  % Nov '18)
Nebraska .....:     738.4            103 
Iowa ............:     768.0            109      
Kansas .........:     424.8             84      

January to November 2019 commercial red meat production was 50.3 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2018. Accumulated beef production was up 1 percent from last year, veal was down 2 percent, pork was up 5 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was down 3 percent.



Farmers Unite to Launch U.S. Hemp Growers Association

The U.S. Hemp Growers Association (USHGA), www.ushempga.org, the only national farmer-directed hemp trade association, was announced this week in Indianapolis. Founded by a diverse group of leaders, the organization will provide world-class educational and market development resources, research, and networking opportunities and will unify the voice of farmers to actively engage in critically important advocacy efforts.

Founding partners that came together to create USHGA include U.S. Hemp Farming Alliance, First Crop, International Hemp Solutions, HiLo Seed, GenCanna and Farm Journal. At launch, more than 300 farmer-members of U.S. Hemp Farming Alliance will fold into USHGA.

Caren Wilcox will serve as the inaugural USHGA executive director. Wilcox is a well-known ag and food leader who has held executive roles at Hershey, the USDA and the Organic Trade Association. USHGA will meet in late February 2020 in San Antonio to secure founding partners and to install an initial board of directors. A majority of the board leaders will be active hemp farmers.

"I am honored to be a part of this historical moment in U.S. agriculture and lend my experience and expertise to the emerging commercial hemp industry as we develop this organization," said Caren Wilcox, executive director for USHGA. "The forward-thinking industry leaders who have partnered on this endeavor see the potential for hemp as an agricultural commodity and understand this industry can contribute to the environment and sustainable products that benefit, at the grassroots level, farmers and consumers."

"Industrial hemp provides a unique economic opportunity for farmers and all of rural America," said Michael Bowman, cofounder of First Crop. "I am thrilled that First Crop is a founding partner of USHGA. Our focus is to promote regenerative farming practices to nurture the soil, not just for this year's crop but for future generations, and hemp is one of the tools that will help us achieve these goals."

Farmers and organizations interested in supporting U.S. agriculture's role in the success of industrial hemp should go to www.ushempga.org to obtain more information or to sign up as a member of the organization.



Climate Change Conversation to shift dramatically, research shows

Most Americans engaging online about climate change are mired in the debate as to whether it exists. However, the focus of the conversation will shift dramatically in the next two years, according to new research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). In addition, there is no evidence consumers associate or link the consumption of animal protein to climate change.

Currently, 52.2 million people are engaged in the climate change conversation, with less than half of those focused on causes and solutions. However, CFI’s digital ethnography report, which uses a research tool that analyzes millions of conversations online in real time, shows that while the climate change debate is only expected to grow 3.6 percent in the next two years, the conversation on causes is expected to grow 260 percent and solutions 202 percent. The heated dialogue is now focused on “what’s next.” 

“The findings aren’t surprising, given the rapidly growing interest in sustainability,” said Terry Fleck, CFI executive director. “Those interested in causes and solutions want to bring about change by taking action on a personal level and being the change. They also fear making uninformed choices, want to protect the American way of life, and look to science and innovation to provide solutions.” 

While consumers are not talking about a link between consumption of animal protein and climate change, they are talking about the link between greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production and climate change, according to the research. The level of online conversation about this topic is just shy of 26 million, but expected to grow to nearly 210 percent in the next two years.

“While ‘local food’ is not associated with improving climate change, key topics associated with ‘local food’ and ‘improving climate change’ include beef industry topics like cattle farming, beef consumption, industrial agriculture, environmental footprint and water use,” said Fleck. “These topics are more related to causes than local food production to improving climate change.”

Engaging consumers on the topic of climate change presents a unique challenge given today’s political environment, said Fleck. However, the predicted conversation shift to causes and solutions, and focus on science and innovation, provides an opportunity for the food industry to communicate its successes and its commitment to addressing climate change via technology.

“These consumers are information seekers and advocates for the environment, and crave credible information from sources they can trust,” said Fleck. “Provide balanced information, share third-party studies and give them a forum to engage with you on the topic.”

Suggest ways that they can make a difference, too.

“They want to play a part in improving our planet and ‘be the change,’” he said. “We encourage the food industry to do its part to empower them.”

Additional information on CFI’s digital ethnography research can be found at www.foodintegrity.org. 



NMPF Thanks Congress for Prodding FDA to Get the Job Done on Fake Dairy

The National Milk Producers Federation commended Congress for including language in the report accompanying the final 2020 government funding measure to urge the Food and Drug Administration to finally enforce dairy-product standards of identity.

Both the House and Senate versions of the Agriculture-FDA bill report included language reaffirming bipartisan congressional concern with mislabeled imitation dairy products and directing FDA to enforce its own rules on labeling. The House and Senate passed the final compromise funding bill this week.

“We hope that the bipartisan, bicameral reminder from Congress, coupled with Dr. Stephen Hahn’s confirmation as FDA Commissioner earlier this month, will give FDA momentum to finally enforce standards of identity for dairy products,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Plant-based mislabeling intentionally misleads consumers into purchasing nutritionally inferior products that bear dairy’s good name. It’s long past time for FDA to right this wrong, and we hope this message from Congress helps make it happen.”

The report reaffirms Congress’s concern “about the proliferation of products …. that include the names of dairy products that do not contain milk or ingredients derived from milk,” as stated in Senate language. To address the problem, the Senate asks FDA to report on “steps taken to enforce against dairy imitation products marketed using dairy names,” while House language “urges the FDA to continue its work toward ultimately enforcing standards of identity for dairy products.”

The final measure also provides funding for several critical programs that were authorized last year in the 2018 Farm Bill. These include the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to help distressed farmers during challenging times; the Dairy Business Innovation program to help the dairy industry explore opportunities for innovation and modernization; and the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Program designed to increase consumption of fluid milk.