Nate Nourse’s Post

The *2018 Farm Bill* is a comprehensive piece of legislation that significantly impacts agriculture and food policy in the United States. Here are some key points about it: 1. **Enactment and Implementation**: - President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law on **December 20, 2018**. - The **U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)** promptly began implementing key programs outlined in the bill. - Listening sessions were held with stakeholders and the public to address specific mission areas of various agencies¹. 2. **Commodity Programs**: - The bill introduced several programs related to commodities: - **Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy)**: Dairy producers who participated in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program in 2018 could retroactively join the MPP-Dairy for that year. - **Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC)**: A new web-based decision tool was developed to evaluate different coverage levels available through the DMC program. - **Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)** and **Price Loss Coverage (PLC)**: Elections for the 2019 and 2020 crop years were scheduled¹. 3. **Conservation Programs**: - The Farm Bill impacted conservation efforts: - **Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)**: Applications were accepted for certain practices under the continuous CRP, offering extensions to existing participants. - **Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)**: Guidance was released to identify RCPP coordinators in each state. - **Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)**: Guidance was provided for handling participant requests and extending unexpired contracts from 2014. - **Technical Changes to NRCS Conservation Programs**: Existing regulations were updated to align with the 2018 Farm Bill¹. 4. **Other Aspects**: - The bill also addressed rural community innovation, economic development, and various safety net, farm loan, and disaster assistance programs. - It plays a crucial role in supporting farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards across the country⁷. In summary, the 2018 Farm Bill encompasses a wide range of provisions, from dairy programs to conservation efforts, and remains a significant commitment by the U.S. government to food and agriculture producers¹⁶. Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/24/2024 (1) Farm Bill | USDA. https://lnkd.in/gjDw_Qak. (2) Farm Bill Home - USDA Farm Service Agency. https://lnkd.in/gu7aHdC7. (3) Farm Bill 101: What You Need to Know About Its Reauthorization and Why .... https://lnkd.in/gpje9qaZ. (4) AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2018 - House. https://lnkd.in/gAJuvbYw. (5) FarmVille helped sow the seeds of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.. https://lnkd.in/gvPQ5Vfv.

Challenges of Post-Harvest Loss in Nigerian Agriculture Post-harvest losses are a significant challenge in the Nigerian agricultural landscape, threatening food security and economic stability. These losses occur after crops are harvested and before they reach the end consumers. Multiple factors contribute to this problem, making it imperative to address these challenges. 1. Inadequate Storage Facilities: Nigeria faces a critical shortage of proper storage facilities, leading to substantial losses. According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), about 40% of harvested crops are lost due to inadequate storage. Fruits, vegetables, and grains can perish quickly without proper storage. 2. Poor Transportation Infrastructure: are a significant contributor to post-harvest losses. Roads are often in disrepair, and the lack of cold chain facilities for perishable products is evident. A World Bank report notes that transport and infrastructure issues account for nearly 15% of post-harvest losses in Nigeria. 3. Limited Market Access: particularly for smallholder farmers, exacerbates food wastage. They often struggle to reach larger markets, forcing them to sell their produce locally, where demand is lower, and spoilage rates are higher. This issue affects up to 60% of smallholder farmers, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is where MyFoodAngels is operating, solving this wastage. With our marketplace of customers, we grant the farmers access to a ready market. With the right funding, we are able to do more along 4. Pests and Diseases: Insect pests, rodents, and diseases can destroy stored crops. Without effective pest management, these factors contribute to significant losses. For instance, cassava, a staple crop in Nigeria, faces substantial losses due to pests and diseases, with a 20-30% loss rate reported by the International Journal of Agriculture and Biology. We all have a collective responsibility to contribute to the significant reduction of food wastage and loss. - The "Zero Hunger Challenge" by the Nigerian Government: The Nigerian government has launched the "Zero Hunger Challenge," a program aimed at reducing food wastage. This initiative seeks to increase storage infrastructure, improve transportation networks, and provide better market access for smallholder farmers. It also involves pest control measures to protect crops during storage. Addressing post-harvest losses in Nigerian agriculture is a multifaceted challenge. The key to success lies in addressing inadequate storage facilities, improving transportation infrastructure, enhancing market access for smallholder farmers, and implementing effective pest and disease control measures. By tackling these issues, Nigeria can significantly reduce food wastage, enhance food security, and boost the income of farmers.

Consolidation across farming, but still a sizeable production capacity. The economic value of the Dairy Industry to Ireland is reinforced in this report, albeit from the Dairy Industry Representative body. #dairyindustry #farming #ireland #dairyfarming

I spoke with Farmers Weekly about the progress government are making to help British Growers. It could be that some of the commitments and horticulture pledges made after the Number 10 food security summit in May have fallen by the wayside. · Given the important role that Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) plays in UK food production, the government will investigate what more can be done to support the sector. This will include assessing where sectors such as CEH struggle to provide the necessary data to qualify for the energy intensive industries exemption scheme. “As far as struggling to provide the necessary data for the energy intensive industries exemption scheme, it is well known that Glasshouse growers use around 900,000 KWH per acre/per annum of glass to heat their greenhouses”. Indeed the CCL scheme has been collecting this data for over a decade”. · We will also work with ONS to investigate the classification of controlled environment horticulture within the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (UK SIC), which is commonly used to make assessments for support schemes. This doesn’t sound like something that would be particularly difficult to achieve. · To further increase domestic horticulture production and extend the growing season, government will consider the unique needs of controlled environment horticulture, which includes glasshouses, in their development of industrial energy policies to allow this sector to benefit from decarbonisation and better access to renewables, including in the upcoming consultation on Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund in June. “The growing season is already 11 months long for glasshouse growers, The issues they face are a six month SAWS limit, Energy costs and supermarket prices, how can this be extended without the energy to grow and the people to pick”. · We will explore how we can increase the resource efficiency of the sector, and help to create a circular economy, by utilising industrial and power sector waste heat as a thermal source of energy for glasshouses and looking at options for co-location to improve energy efficiencies. “Decarbonising the sector follows the net zero narrative, but without burning something like Wood (Biomass) or Gas (CHP which is excluded from the ETF) the practical alternatives are Micro nuclear & geothermal that have significant capital costs beyond the means of the majority of Growers. Vertical farmers have been accused of greenwashing their carbon credentials by purchasing credits The summit pledge to co-locate glasshouses with heat sources, saying it was a “rehash of consultations from 15 years ago”. “Planning policy does not place any obligations on industry to co-finance these arrangements and they therefore do not proceed when considered uneconomic,” #Backbritishfarming #Horticulture #Food #Farming #CEH #Verticalfarming #Salad #Freshproduce

*'Subsidies should not influence planting decisions, discourage proper risk management and innovation, incentivize planting on environmentally sensitive land, or create barriers to entry for new farmers.'* None of these are currently true of the Farm Bill. This is already the goal of the Farm Bill. Subsidies do not influence planting decisions other than to stabilize markets. This is a good thing. Go ahead and plant an extra 1000 acres of corn in a glutted market...and lose the crop, lose money because of a depressed commodity value from over-production... this is normal... to consider the futures market when making planting decisions. Farmers are already discouraged from planting on environmentally sensitive land and can enroll to fallow (rest) that land and get PAID to do so! The entire Land Grant College system was designed to support innovation and reduction of risk for farmers and ranchers. The Farm Bill and USDA has a 'new farmer' program designed to assist new farmers entry into the field (as it were). When P2_25 says 'The overall goal should be to eliminate subsidy dependence' that is code for SNAP (SNAP, WIC, NSLP, SBP). For getting rid of food assistance programs for low income families. This is not about paying those farmers within a few commodities groups a bounty or other incentive, this is coded language to remove Food assistance from the Farm Bill. Yes, the Farm Bill supports six main commodities--Corn, cotton, peanuts, rice, soybeans, and wheat. These are the commodities that we and the world rely on to survive. While I agree that specialty crops should receive attention and support within the farm bill, those producers are not at the same production level as the major commodities groups in terms of provisioning calories to meet the daily needs of consumers.

Yesterday, Dennis Donohue, Director, Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology and Dr. Jeana Cadby, Director, Western Growers Climate & Environment (Science), flew into New Zealand from California. The visit is intended to provide insights into some of New Zealand’s great agricultural science and capability, as well as showcasing real world examples of its practical implementation. The visit has another purpose. Wharf42 has enjoyed a long history with Dennis and the team at Western Growers. For some context, Western Grower members produce over 50% of all fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, nuts and organics) in North America. Plus a number of Western Grower members have extensive growing interests in Mexico, Peru, Chile and broader parts of LATAM. We first met in 2015. Last year, we co-hosted the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit. In June this year, we’ll be co-hosting the 2024 Summit. The partnership between Wharf42 & Western Growers led to the creation of Platform10, an international, multi-year collaboration that will accelerate promising biopesticide companies, rigorously assess products, enhance grower confidence, and facilitate market development and adoption. For Californian, New Zealand and growers everywhere, this initiative has huge significance. Growers are up against mounting pest and disease challenges due to climate change, reduced efficacy, and diminishing availability of traditional pest control tools. The specialty crop / fresh produce industry in particular requires new crop input technologies due to governmental regulations and consumer demands. Bio-based and novel pest control options to address existing and anticipated gaps in pest management are sorely needed to ensure that our growers are properly equipped with the tools to address these challenges. Given Wharf42’s home base, it was appropriate that Dennis & Jeana had the opportunity to meet Todd Muller (pictured) yesterday in Tauranga. Todd is Chair of Priority One, the Western Bay of Plenty’s Economic Development Agency (Wharf42 is a long-time member) and a former senior member of both Fonterra & Zespri leadership teams. Over an hour, interesting insights and thoughts were shared. It was clear that the strong relationship being developed between New Zealand & California is creating new and potentially significant opportunities in the area of climate smart agriculture collaboration. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross’s attendance at the 2035 Oceania Summit in Auckland in 2022 was testament to that. In this week’s edition of Farmers Weekly, Daniel Eb asked the question; ‘Does New Zealand have the courage to punch above its weight’? I would like to pose a related question. What role can New Zealand Inc. play in the development of the global Platform10 program? It’s going to be an interesting few days ahead. Brendan O'Connell, Walt Duflock, Western Growers, Miriam Hall, Jenny Cameron, https://lnkd.in/gQW4UNUi

#Food crisis in South West region of Nigeria. South West region depend on Northern farmers and Igbo traders, despite having fertile land and abundant resources. Condition assessment - The South West region spends 22.5 billion naira monthly on tomatoes and pepper, which could be produced locally. - The region has 3 million hectares of arable land, which could be leveraged to produce food and create jobs. - The local government areas in the South West have the responsibility to develop agriculture, but they are not doing enough. - The region is rich in resources, but the people are not utilizing them effectively. The solution to the food crisis lies in utilizing the region's resources, rather than relying on external supplies. South West regional government and people must take advantage of thier arable land and raise high standard through Amotekun ,vigilantes, agbekoya and OPC against farmer herders clash,and establish independent cattle ranch to eradicate senseless killings of the over indulged Fulani herders,it worthy to state that cattle herd are owned by South West indigine but hired Fulani to tend the cows,they forment trouble killing farmer as cattle eat all thier food plant under the guide of open grazing Review: - South West region relies heavily on external food supplies - Abundant resources and fertile land are underutilized - Local governments are not prioritizing agricultural development Evaluation: - Food crisis in the South West is a result of dependence on external supplies and underutilization of local resources - Region has potential to produce food and create jobs Rating: 2/5 (reflecting the untapped potential of the region) Benchmark: - Israel, with a smaller land area, is self-sufficient in food production - South Analysis of food item shortages in each state in the Southwest region of Nigeria, along with suggestions on how each state can overcome the crisis: *Oyo State:* - Shortage of rice, maize, and soybeans - Solution: - Government: Establish irrigation systems and provide subsidies for farmers (estimated cost: N500 million) - Independent farmers: Invest in mechanized farming and increase production (estimated cost: N200 million) - Cooperatives: Organize farmers' cooperatives to access markets and credit (estimated cost: N100 million) *Ogun State:* - Shortage of tomatoes, pepper, and onions - Solution: - Government: Establish a tomato processing plant and provide incentives for farmers (estimated cost: N300 million) - Independent farmers: Invest in greenhouse farming and increase production (estimated cost: N150 million) - Cooperatives: Organize farmers' cooperatives to access markets and credit (estimated cost: N50 million) *Osun State:* - Shortage of cassava, yams, and plantains - Solution: - Government: Establish a cassava processing plant and provide subsidies for farmers (estimated cost: N400 million) - Independent farmers: Invest in mechanized farming

Small farms of less than two hectares represent 84% of the world’s farms and produce 35% of the world’s food on only 12% of global agricultural land. Smallholders have options for joining the organic market. A new report from IFOAM - Organics International with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ Mountain Partnership Secretariat—Exploring opportunities to increase the synergy between Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) and Third-Party Certification (TPC) in organic agriculture—compares and contrasts Participant Guarantee Systems and Internal Control Systems in organic agriculture on smallholder farms. The report includes case studies and recommendations for farmers. https://lnkd.in/ew4jP3mF #smallfarms #organic #agriculture #farming #certification

AgTech Ecosystem - the partnership between Western Growers and Wharf 42 continues to ... bear fruit :) in the biological space, particularly the bio-control segment. Thanks to Peter Wren-Hilton and Wharf42 for hosting Jeana Cadby and Dennis Donohue on the trip. 1) In June 2023, the Salinas Biological Summit was launched as a 2-day event to get everyone in the same room talking about the portfolio of chemical and biological solutions that can help solve pest and disease challenges. 2) Also in June, the Ag Biological Landscape was launched in collaboration with Pam Marrone and the The Mixing Bowl team and 400 startups were identified around 2 primary segments - bio-controls (pesticide alternatives) and bio-controls (stimulants - yield enhancers). This Landscape gave people a really good look at the key innovation players in the space. 3) In December 2023, Platform 10 was launched as a way to help accelerate commercialization of the high-potential startups in the bio-controls space. We firmly believe that the regulatory pressures on pesticides in Western Europe, the US, and the California markets is going to continue and increase, and one of the highest potential spaces in AgTech is the bio-controls segment of biologicals. Platform 10 gives us a chance to focus in on the 12-15 that the selection team has identified as the most likely to get to scale in the next 12-24 months with support. I personally remain very bullish on this space as likely top investment segment in AgriFoodTech the next few years, with three caveats: 1) Snake oil salesman and bugs in a jug teams need to be identified and not receive further funding. Investors - if you're not sure about a startup in this space and have questions, find the people on this thread and they can help with diligence. 2) The space will require massive amounts of field trials and case studies to help determine what's real and what's not (either ready for prime time or in some cases not real at all). There were 1,200+ startups identified by Mixing Bowl (i.e. 800 didn't make the Landscape) and lots of funding has increased that number - each may need hundreds of tests to get to scale. We don't do this well enough - yet. But we are focused on it. This will take a massive effort that is just now getting underway. 3) AgriFoodTech investment dropped 40% from 2021 to 2022 and this space will need large amounts of capital. I'm optimistic that this space has the potential to not become another CEA or alt-protein, but it will take work by the whole biological ecosystem to make it happen, and capital is harder to find than a couple of years ago (and that is unlikely to change soon). It also wouldn't hurt if strategic investment from key players (Bayer, Syngenta, et al) picked up and exits (likely M&A) were secured for top performers in the space. Of course that will depend on startup results which justify both of these outcomes. #biologicals #tailwinds #agtech