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 TOP STORY

Global Food Security Symposium Postponed

Due to concerns for the health and well-being of our attendees, the Global Food Security Symposium, planned for March 26 in Washington, DC, has been postponed. Registered attendees will receive event-specific notifications regarding postponement and event refund information via email. We are working to identify a new date and will announce additional details once available. Read the Council's latest Coronavirus update.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

BIG ACTORS 

Farms Under Lockdown: In Italy, the government's strict restrictions on citizens' movement has many farmers worried. The lockdown is happening just as planting ought to begin. Seasonal workers from Eastern Europe are now blocked from entering the country, putting planting, harvesting, and processing of food in jeopardy.

COUNCIL INSIGHTS

From the Bottom Up and a European Perspective: This week our blog series, Breaking Ground, offers up two new posts. The first is from the Forum on the Future of Agriculture, a Council partner, which offers up a European perspective on the potentials of regenerative agriculture. The second is a Field Note from the new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement. It maps out their plan for empowering National Agricultural Research Institutes in Feed the Future countries.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES

Subsidy Review: A group of scientists published a paper calling on the European Union to overhaul its $65 billion farm program. The experts argued in favor of phasing out arcane and harmful metrics to calculate subsidy assistance and developing new measures that incentivize investments in sustainable agricultural productivity. The European Union aims to be the first carbon neutral continent by 2050.

Troubled Waters: The more than 7 million people on Western Africa's coastline that depend on fish for their livelihood are in competition with foreign fishing operations. That includes both illegal fishing and subsidized EU vessels. Although the latter are there legally, critics argue that the EU ships pay just 8 percent of the value of the fish they extract. 

Bees Protecting Trees: Malawi is losing an estimated 33,000 hectares of forest per year. One man is taking an unconventional approach to combatting deforestation-bee keeping. The presence of beehives discourages logging, while the honey they produce adds a new revenue stream for locals. 

DEEPER DIVE

What's the buzz about bees? Up to 75 percent of the world's crops producing fruit and seeds for human consumption rely on pollinators such as bees. Bees face many challenges, including climate change, theft, and hive collapse. Although commercial honey bees receive most attention, wild species are most at risk. 50 percent of Midwestern native bee species have disappeared in the last 100 years, and four bumblebee species declined 96 percent in 20 years.  

DATA CRUNCH

Plant-based Euphoria: An increasingly flexitarian consumer diet continues to fuel the expansion of the plant-based foods industry. Propelled by popular plant-based meat and milk offerings, the segment grew 11 percent but remains a small percentage of the larger US retail food market. 

RESILIENCE

Adapt, Improvise and Overcome: Farmers in China are turning to e-commerce solutions to source necessary inputs as the coronavirus continues to disrupt traditional distribution networks and supply chains. From fertilizers and chemicals to machinery and animal feed, mobile-first services are catering to every demand and helping to mitigate the pandemic’s repercussions as growers prepare for the upcoming planting season.

BIG IDEAS

Farmer-Led Extension: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa is partnering with local governments in Kenya to fill the market gap for agricultural extension services. The sector is severely underserved by existing government programs and the new farmer-led model developed by AGRA could go a long way in equipping farmers with the necessary tools and information to sustainably secure their livelihoods.

Snails to the Rescue: Scientists have discovered a new, natural potential solution to coffee leaf rust, a pest that has hit coffee farmers hard. An invasive species of snail feeds on the spores of coffee leaf rust. Although there are other insects which feed on the rust as well, the Asian trampsnail appears to be the most voracious. 

DC REPORT

Locust Response: The US government announced an additional $10 million through USAID to go towards desert locust control in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.  Specifically, the funds will contribute to ground and aerial-based operations to detect and mitigate locusts. The swarms have put millions of people at risk of starvation over the last several months.

TRADE & COMMODITIES

Trade Aid Pt. 3: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has delayed the implementation of the US–China trade deal and could force the US government to extend its financial assistance program for farmers. An uncertain outlook and dampened demand has undermined Chinese purchase commitments and left growers in need of resources for the upcoming planting season.

Soy Surge: China's soybean imports in January and February 2020 are up 14.2 percent year-on-year. Import rates are expected to rise slowly as containment measures ease up within China.  

 UPCOMING EVENTS

Food Talk Live
Date: 30 April
Location: Chicago, IL

African Green Revolution Forum
Date: 8-11 September
Location: Kigali, Rwanda

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