Good morning.
Somewhere in England, flower power is taking down horsepower.
Let us explain: A Gloucestershire village has planted thousands of flowers along the roadside not just for aesthetic purposes—but to slow down drivers. Village officials initially planted flowers during the pandemic to improve biodiversity... but then noticed drivers were actually slowing down as they passed through.
Two birds, one stone.
Before officials went the flower route, data showed that 90% of the motorists traveling through the area went above the speed limit. So here's hoping the seeds they planted bloom into even more road safety.
The News:
- Fiery Dutch Farmer Protests
- CoverCress: The Carbon Cover Crop
- Beefin' Up Beef Exports
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Fiery Dutch Farmer Protests |
Farmers in the Netherlands aren’t happy.
But some believe that producer unrest could end up extending farther than the sling radius of a Dutch manure spreader.
Refresher: As noted in Tuesday’s Quick Hits section, Dutch farmers are protesting proposed climate change mitigation strategies by dumping manure and hay on highways and then setting it ablaze.
The issue? The government’s plan to cut nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions by 50% by 2030… and the target is on farmers.
Don’t think pastoral scenes of wooden shoes traipsing through tulip fields. These folks are the second-largest ag exporters in the world (behind only the U.S.).
Opponents claim that the plans unfairly target farmers, and some estimate the new strategies could put 30%+ of Dutch farmers out of business.
But the problem doesn’t end in Holland…
In Ireland, new laws are being proposed that would allow the government to hinder farmers from purchasing and using fertilizers, requiring them to register before applying them.
Across the pond: Over here, Canada is proposing a 30% cut in nitrogen emissions by 2030.
PM Justin Trudeau’s plans include many strategies that Canadian farmers are already using. But according to a Fertilizer Canada analysis, grain production will face significant shrinkage when meeting this demand.
In the U.S., Senate deadlock has prevented action on most climate change policies, but according to Illinois farmer Sherman Newlin, the possibility of a presidential climate emergency declaration is more of an eventual certainty:
"Once that happens, I don’t know what it will mean for ag, or what it’s going to open up the door to."
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→ Grocery list guidance. Bad weather and shipping snags are throwing wrenches in produce prices, with asparagus and watermelon prices rocketing up, while avocados are at their cheapest since 2021.
→ The robots are coming. LYRO Robotics will deliver ~20 autonomous robotic packers to Queensland, with LYRO GM saying they want to phase out the "repetitive and dull tasks on the farm."
→ Poultry demand flying high. Over the next decade, poultry will likely remain the biggest imported livestock commodity by volume globally, with several countries recently expanding production capabilities.
→ More money, fewer problems. According to data from 2011-2020, large-scale family farms were more likely to have higher operating profit margins than other farms.
→ Full steam ahead? A strike from class one railroad employees could be on the horizon come mid-September, but ag leaders hope it can be avoided before then.
→ Info on soil incoming. For the first time in 40 years, China has launched a soil survey, which is set to be complete by late 2025.
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CoverCress: The Carbon Cover Crop |
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new crop to rotate.
OK, Bublé. Gimme the news: To enhance climate-smart agriculture, St. Louis startup CoverCress, Inc. developed an advanced field pennycress crop through breeding and gene editing tools, and Bayer wants in. Completely. Bayer is acquiring 65% of the company as the majority owner, while Bunge and Chevron will cover the remaining 35%. Farm-to-fuel supply chain represent.
Must be a cool crop: With its oil composition (30%), the CoverCress crop has potential to be an important source of biofuel. It’s also a smart rotational cover crop, offering farmers an additional cash crop between corn harvest and soybean planting. It boasts improved crop stand, yield, oil content, and quality.
Low carbon: With more interest in carbon, CoverCress offers low carbon intensity, helps sequester carbon, and mitigates soil erosion.
Soundbite: "As a global leader in crop science, we are committed to decarbonizing agriculture and helping farmers around the world become more sustainable through game-changing products and solutions that can impact climate change," says Rodrigo Santos, president of Bayer’s Crop Science division. "This investment and collaboration between industry leaders is another proof point for our efforts."
What’s next: The company has a goal to grow CoverCress on 10K acres this year. The first crop will be harvested in 2023 to be used as an ingredient in chicken feed. Bayer says CoverCress will operate as an independent company.
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Entrepreneurial Alert: The Final FoodBytes! Program of 2022 Has Arrived |
For their final scouting sprint of the year, FoodBytes! is actively seeking entrepreneurs that are reimagining the future of food and agriculture.
The focus of this final sprint is on the role of the worker and conditions of the workplace by introducing new technologies that create more from less, specifically working in the areas of:
- New Food Distribution: Developing new channels or methods that better match where consumers are and how they eat
- Novel Food Processing: Creating more nutritious, longer-lasting and/or more accessible food through novel processing methods
- Robotics & Manufacturing Automation: Utilizing technology to automate labor-intensive processes, reducing risk and loss in manufacturing and delivery
- Upcycling: Creating value-added materials or ingredients from waste streams or food byproducts
And you can't beat the benefits of joining a FoodBytes! cohort.
You can validate and grow your businesses through global industry exposure, tailored mentorship sessions, individualized strategic connections with corporates and investors, pitch refinement, and media visibility.
Supported by the vast global Rabobank network of investors and alumni, you'll be positioned to win from the startup starting line.
Amplify your impact through the FoodBytes! network today.
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Africa: "We (want) the meats."
Beef, specifically. And the U.S. could be poised to provide.
There are several factors at play here. The African population continues to expand (thus bumping up demand for affordable protein), and some trade regulations have been softened recently. Plus, Africa’s growing middle class has started demanding higher end beef cuts.
In other words… it might be time to beef up U.S. investment.
According to Matt Copeland, the U.S. Meat Export Federation representative in Africa, the USMEF, USDA, and Beef Checkoff Program have all been working together to "lay the groundwork" with importers, retailers, and suppliers on the continent.
Soundbite: "There is a huge volume of consumers. Nigeria’s over 200 million people. By 2100 that’s the largest country in the world by population potentially, and China going the other way in terms of their demographic hubs. It’s such an important base for us to be looking into." – Copeland
Turning over a new leaf beef: Through May of 2022, the U.S. exported $5B of beef products globally—but only $8M to Africa
So, moving forward? The U.S. beef sector ignoring the potential export markets throughout Africa could be a major missed steak.
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Happy National Oyster Day!
Sonya Thomas holds the world record for oyster eating. How many dozen oysters did she down in 10 minutes?
- 8 dozen
- 22 dozen
- 46 dozen
Answer at the bottom of the email.
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46 dozen! She was hungry.
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Written & Edited by Kevin Cross, Sheridan Wimmer, Travis Martin, Ashley Scoby, and Amelia VanLandegen
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