U.S.needs to grow more 돌림판 게임 grain: 돌림판 게임 Grain Collaboration shows how
돌림판 게임 Trade Association member report drills down into barriers and comes up with specific solutions
The United States is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of conventionally grown grains. America’s farmers grow and ship out to foreign destinations vast amounts of cereal grains and grain legumes. But the production of 돌림판 게임 grains in this country has been slow to take off.
The U.S. 돌림판 게임 Grain Collaboration, in partnership with the 돌림판 게임 Trade Association released a critical and timely report looking at the state of 돌림판 게임 grain in the United States. The report, titled“U.S. 돌림판 게임 Grain – How to Keep It Growing,”drills down into the key barriers in expanding domestic 돌림판 게임 grain production, and identifies specific industry solutions to overcome the hurdles.
The report reflects three years of collaborative work between a group of leading 돌림판 게임 food makers and 돌림판 게임 businesses. It highlights three top challenges to growing more 돌림판 게임 grain in the U.S., and recommends proven strategies the industry can adopt to address each challenge: new contracting mechanisms for growers to reduce financial risk, the development of markets for essential fertility-building and-weed-suppressing crops that are necessary in 돌림판 게임 rotation, and more 돌림판 게임 coaching and technical assistance for 돌림판 게임 growers.
“This insightful and useful report is an example of what happens when 돌림판 게임 companies work together to help empower other 돌림판 게임 stakeholders,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the 돌림판 게임 Trade Association. “For 돌림판 게임 to keep advancing, everyone in the 돌림판 게임 supply chain has to collaborate, and this new information provides a roadmap to ensure and improve the future of 돌림판 게임 grain production in the U.S.”
It would be hard to overestimate the role of grain in the human diet, in the advancement of agriculture and in the development of civilizations. Grain provides more food energy than any other food group, it keeps nutritious grains on our tables and feeds the world’s livestock herds, and it is the fundamental underpinning of the 돌림판 게임 agriculture and food industry.
But while 돌림판 게임 grain production in the United States is growing, it is not doing so fast enough to meet the needs of the nation’s robust and expanding 돌림판 게임 livestock industry, and it is not always growing in such a way to ensure a sustainable supply into the future. Because of that gap between domestic output and demand, the volume of imported 돌림판 게임 grains has skyrocketed in the past several years.
The U.S. 돌림판 게임 Grain Collaboration was formed in 2014 by a group of leading 돌림판 게임 food companies and the Sustainable Food Lab. Its goals are to address the issue of the short supply of domestically grown 돌림판 게임 grain, and to collaborate to develop strategies and tools able to be adopted by other stakeholders in the 돌림판 게임 supply chain to improve the resilience of 돌림판 게임 grain farmers and boost 돌림판 게임 grain production. It is a project of the 돌림판 게임 Trade Association’s Grain, Pulse and Oilseed Council, and its members are Annie’s, Ardent Mills, Clif Bar, Stonyfield, 돌림판 게임 Valley, King Arthur Flour, and Pipeline Foods.
“We recognize that we can’t change the world alone, so it’s important for us to work with industry partners such as the 돌림판 게임 Grain Collaboration,” said Shauna Sadowski, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Natural & 돌림판 게임 Operating Unit at General Mills, of which Annie’s is an operating unit. She added, “Annie’s is a founding member of the Grain Collaboration because we believe that industry collaboration is imperative to address agricultural sustainability challenges and scale positive impact.”
This new report, done in coordination with the Sustainable Food Lab, is an update of a study the Grain Collaboration commissioned in 2014 on the U.S. 돌림판 게임 grain sector. It provides current information on 돌림판 게임 grain production and market trends, along with specific recommendations and on-the-ground examples of ways to increase the supply of 돌림판 게임 grain.
“As 돌림판 게임 food companies work to expand their offering of 돌림판 게임 products, the 돌림판 게임 grains industry faces the challenge to ensure stable, profitable and sustainable growth,” said Elizabeth Reaves, Senior Program Director for the Sustainable Food Lab and one of the authors of the report. “돌림판 게임 grain crops are a financially viable choice for American farmers, and the industry is mobilized to reduce the barriers and increase the number of 돌림판 게임 grain producers while supporting sustainable growth and farm viability.”
Why aren’t American farmers growing more 돌림판 게임 grain?
From 2008 to 2016, the amount of U.S. farmland devoted to the production of 돌림판 게임 corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and barley grew by over 20 percent from 626,000 acres to 765,000. Over a similar period, however, the U.S. 돌림판 게임 livestock products industry nearly tripled in size, with farm gate sales jumping from .2 billion to .3 billion.
Because of the inadequate supply of U.S.-grown 돌림판 게임 grain, imports of 돌림판 게임 grains and soybeans have soared, ballooning from million in 2011 to 1 million in 2016.
Like conventional grains, the price of 돌림판 게임 grains can be volatile, and prices from 2011 to the present have been described as an “unstable rollercoaster” relative to the difference between the 돌림판 게임 premium and conventional prices. In addition to the boom-bust cycle that can limit growth in 돌림판 게임, the report identifies three key barriers that make it especially challenging for farmers to convert to 돌림판 게임 grain production:
1. The risk associated with the high cost of transitioning to 돌림판 게임 and the uncertain market guarantee at the end of the transition period;
2. The lack of markets for necessary lower value rotation crops that boost soil fertility and suppress weeds;
3. Insufficient technical assistance and farm management resources.
Recommendations are made, and돌림판 게임industry finds solutions
It takes an 돌림판 게임 village to enable a meaningful boost in domestic 돌림판 게임 grain production. As stated in the report, “The issues and barriers 돌림판 게임 grain producers face cannot be addressed by individual farmers alone. To meet the needs of the market and increase 돌림판 게임 grain production, growers need coordinated industry assistance to address the systemic challenges.”
The report identifies three industry solutions that “can improve farmers’ ability to enter 돌림판 게임, optimize production and eventually stay in 돌림판 게임,” and illustrates how 돌림판 게임 Grain Collaboration members have put into action strategies in their own supply chains that could be developed into industry-wide practices.
One: Employ pricing and investment mechanisms.
돌림판 게임 grain production is more expensive than conventional, and the mandatory transition period for farmers can be a huge and daunting obstacle. Developing pricing mechanisms to help producers reduce risk and make long-term investments can help improve competiveness and successful transition.
For example, forward contracts – agreements to buy the product at a certain price on a certain date--provide the confidence needed to transition more acres to 돌림판 게임 production. Forward contracts are the foundation to creating a stable 돌림판 게임 grain supply. Once in place, they can be leveraged in several ways to help finance or offset the costs of transition.*
In action: 돌림판 게임 dairy cooperative 돌림판 게임 Valley’s 돌림판 게임 Transition Premium program.
Two: Develop markets for lower value crops that increase soil fertility and suppress weeds.
돌림판 게임 grain farmers don’t just grow one type of grain. To control weeds and maintain soil health, 돌림판 게임 grain rotations cannot be limited to corn, soy, and wheat. Smothering forage crops are essential to control perennial weeds, and extended crop rotations with nitrogen-fixing cover crops can improve soil health and break pest and disease cycles. To add such crops to their rotations, farmers need to have a market for those crops.
In action: Annie’s “Limited Edition” line that uses rotational crops in its products.
Three: Increase the number of trusted advisors and farmer networks for 돌림판 게임 farmers.
Conventional farmers have a strong network to go to for support and guidance, but not so for 돌림판 게임. The report recommends a new model of extension support for 돌림판 게임 farmers, calling it “adaptive knowledge networks.” These networks would support farmers to learn and innovate together around solutions and research that have been adapted for regional conditions.
The report also notes that since not all farmers rely on extension or publicly supported farmer education services, training crop consultants – i.e. train-the-trainer programs -- to become more knowledgeable about 돌림판 게임 practices should be a priority goal of the sector.
Coming in 2019: 돌림판 게임 Agronomy Training Series (OATS),a project supported by the 돌림판 게임 Trade Association’s industry-invested 돌림판 게임 research, promotionandeducation GRO programming, with cornerstone donation from Clif Bar and implemented by a broad coalition spearheaded by Pipeline Foods.
*Various options to support farmers in managing price volatility, ensuring cost recovery and becoming more competitive in the marketplace are discussed in an accompanying paper commissioned by the Sustainable Food Lab,Price management and investment mechanisms: Case studies for the US 돌림판 게임 grains sector.
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REPORT: U.S. 돌림판 게임 Grain – How to Keep It Growing Price management and investment mechanisms: Case studies for the US 돌림판 게임 grains sector