Trewithen Dairy believes that with great dairy comes great responsibility, so it created the ‘Trew Farming’ standard – a code of its shared practices and beliefs between the dairy farms contracted to supply Trewithen Dairy. This set of standards ensures a commitment to grazing, high levels of animal health and welfare, regular carbon emission monitoring, and sharing of best practices amongst the supply pool – all above and beyond Red Tractor standards.

Building upon these Trew Farming Standards, the dairy also works closely with two farms pioneering regenerative farming techniques to sequester carbon into the soil and increase biodiversity. They have adopted methods such as planting herbal lays, longer grazing rotation and minimal tilling. Trewithen Dairy calls this carbon-neutral journey its Earth Milk Project.

Trewithen Dairy’s managing director Francis Clarke believes that working alongside nature is more productive in the long-term than intensive agricultural techniques: “As producers, we have a responsibility to lead by example when it comes to finding solutions to tackle climate change. Days like World Soil Day are important to recognise that soil health is fundamental to us all. By making its regeneration part of our central strategy, we believe we can make a real difference to enhancing our soil for future generations.”

Alongside a carbon footprint reduction, there are a plethora of other benefits to regenerative farming, such as a decrease in fertiliser use, greater resilience to extreme weather and improved wildlife and biodiversity on the farm. Ultimately, regenerative practices are considered more flexible than organic farming and are more of an evolution of conventional farming, with a focus on soil health below ground, and diversity above ground. It avoids being prescriptive and has the potential for dairy to be more profitable for the farmer and better for the environment.

For further information on Trewithen Dairy, visit: www.trewithendairy.co.uk.

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Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK said of the agreement: “Make no mistake, this trade deal is a blow for UK dairy. This Agreement will see tariffs eliminated over five years and with its lower production costs, New Zealand will be able to seize its opportunity to grow an unlimited market share for its dairy products here in the UK.

“While true this agreement comes with export opportunities for agriculture and UK dairy companies, the UK market is many times bigger than that of New Zealand and offers more opportunities to the agricultural sector there.

“At a time when the UK dairy sector is, quite rightfully, challenging itself to continuously raise its own sustainability credentials, when it is already one of the most sustainable in the world, this deal – like the one with Australia – will reduce our control over the environmental footprint of UK food consumption.

“There’s absolutely no reason to assume this won’t continue to happen in further trade agreements either.

“In its haste to strike agreements, UK agriculture is being left vulnerable and massively undervalued compared to other domestic sectors of the economy. Long term, there’s a real risk that British agriculture will shrink, gambled away for little return. We could become overly dependent on imports as a result of a shrinking ag sector, with domestic food production capabilities undermined.

“Once these businesses are gone, it will not be easy to rebuild them. We are not opposed to trade deals; we welcome mutual opportunities, but we are opposed to agricultural being traded away.

“When countries like the US do trade deals, they have an inclusive and collaborative approach with their own industry. We’d like to see a similar inclusive approach being taken here, and for government to engage agriculture and industry in a meaningful and authentic way.

“We hope that all members of Parliament will stand up for domestic producers and businesses in scrutinising this deal and future ones, to make sure these deals are fair and mutually beneficially for all sectors.”

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Still, it was good to view the scene in Brussels and see the various European players on stage, as it were. One of the participants, Roel Jongeneel of the Department of Social Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, provided a bit of perspective when taking a look at how agriculture was faring in the larger, global sense.

As a whole, he said, the UK is green and sustainability is in reasonable shape, but when you take a look at environmental emissions, there are problems with fertiliser use and other issues caused by agricultural land use. “The UK is representative of the EU, so we have some serious environmental issues to look at,” he noted.

So, this is true. We are still part of the EU, even if it is just geographically. As we are all discovering, the problems facing agriculture are similar, no matter where in Europe one lies and what one’s status is. Geography triumphs over all.

A further discussion at the meeting was about how policies and politics can change in a fairly short amount of time. For example, the issue of climate change wasn’t being discussed seriously a year ago despite climate activists, due to politics in various countries. It was more of a fight about whether it was real, but this has gone – events such as tornados and flooding in areas never seen before have flagged up the need for action.

However, the dairy industry has been addressing the green requirements for several years now, according to Lukáš Višek, from the cabinet of the EUY’s first executive vice president Frans Timmermans, who noted, “It was clear the issue of climate change is not something that may go away or can be wished away, or dealt with in five years’ time. The EU was the first continent and economy to put down a plan to make this happen. We want to work with partners who also have a plan. We are trying to accelerate the process in the EU because the action is extremely urgent and affects all sectors, including agriculture.”

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

The post The time is now appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

“It is a terrible irony that those who grow our food cannot afford to feed their own families healthy, nutritious diets,” said Gilbert F Houngbo, president of IFAD. “With no savings and no access to capital, farming families also have no cushion against climate change and other shocks. Today’s Food Systems Summit is our chance to commit to concrete changes. We mustn’t squander this opportunity.”

The majority of rural people in developing countries earn their incomes from agriculture. Rural small-scale farmers working on farms smaller than two hectares produce over 30% of global food, and up to 80% in parts of Africa and Asia. According to a recent study of a number of crops sourced from small-scale farms in developing countries, only 6.5 per cent of the supermarket price is paid to the farmer. Traders, food manufacturers and retailers take the lion’s share.

According to IFAD’s Rural Development Report, the growing concentration of power within food systems have seen profits for large food companies escalate, while the people working to produce, process and distribute our food are trapped in poverty and hunger. Inadequate incomes are a major reason why around 3 billion people in the world cannot afford healthy diets.

“When rural people are paid fairly for their labour, the ripple effect is enormous. Profitable small farms put children through school, pay for diverse, healthy diets, generate employment, and boost rural economies,” said Houngbo. “Conversely, poverty and hunger are key drivers of migration, conflict and instability. Which future do we want?”

IFAD is calling for governments to work with the private sector to implement policies that promote employment generation, decent wages and improved working conditions. A major focus, says the IFAD, needs to be on local small businesses which work across our food systems and produce, process and distribute food while creating local jobs and boosting rural economies. In particular, the IFAD says there needs to be a commitment from all actors to ensure small-scale producers can access existing and emerging markets on fair terms.

The Food Systems Summit, under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, is intended to result in actionable commitments from heads of state and other leaders. It is a culmination of 18 months of engagement with governments, food producers, civil society and companies on how to transform the way we produce, process and consume food.

IFAD invests in remote rural people – in particular women, youth and Indigenous Peoples who suffer the most from inequitable food systems – to ensure they receive decent returns for their work. IFAD has been the anchor agency for the Food Systems Summit action track focused on advancing equitable livelihoods. Following the Summit, IFAD will co-lead the Decent Wages and Living Income coalition with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the support of CARE, to advance this important element of food systems transformation.

IFAD is also leading an initiative to unlock the potential of public development banks across the world to address the lack of access to finance for rural producers, while helping to shift investments to more environmentally sustainable and fairer systems.

Countries are in the process of developing their own pathways, and the IFAD says it will continue to support its Member States in transforming their national food systems.

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The first step is to set up a pilot programme, which was developed in cooperation with experts for regenerative agriculture of consulting company FAI Farms and other specialist organisations. There are 24 selected pilot operations in five countries, including Germany, Denmark, UK, the Netherlands and Sweden, which will be trained in the application of various regenerative methods in the future for the next four years. These are conventional farmers, who operate pasture or pure stables and organised organic farmers.

Arla in-house experts as well as external experts from FAI Farms, a research and consulting company in the agricultural and food sector, will train the pilot farmers to regenerate their businesses. Farmers will help to collect data and evaluate various methods to understand, what impact their work can have on ground health, carbon binding, biodiversity, ecosystem processes, the profitability of the operation and the well-being of farmers. Their experiences as well as the collected data should provide insights on how renewable methods can be applied to various systems of dairy cattle companies in Europe, and how they affect the climate and nature.

The second step concerns 916 Europe-wide organic farmers of the cooperative, which together produce a billion kg of organic milk in a year. From this year, the Arla organic farmers will evaluate and register their measures in the field of biodiversity once a year. This allows appropriate data to be collected.

In addition, the organic farmers collect soil samples analysed by an external laboratory to determine an output value for the soil carbon of the respective operation. The organic farmers also ensure that there are a series of measures for ground health and biodiversity in their businesses. And they have access to a catalog of measures that contains information about how to achieve and measure improvements.

From 2022, the organic farmers will evaluate indicators of ground health themselves, such as testing the flooring and the number of existing earthworms.

“As a dairy owned by farmers, we have a great deal of interest in which we reduce the negative effects of the dairy industry and maximise the positive. A number of our farmers have been dealing with practices of regenerative agriculture for some time. Because of the enthusiasm, we have decided to pursue a broader approach as a cooperative, which is cited by the organic farmers and some pilot farms,” says farmer Walter Lausen, who is a German member of the supervisory board of Arla Foods and chairman of the Organic Council for the Central Europe region.

Regenerative agriculture has gained attention from producers, retail, research and consumers, particularly as one of the answers to the double challenge of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. There is a general consensus that improving ground health and biodiversity are core elements of regenerative agriculture. At the same time, there is no generally recognised definition of this approach.

In addition, there are only a few, scientific examples of regenerative methods in the dairy industry in which farmers can now orientate. Arla Foods wants to help close this data gap by using the experience and knowledge of its farmers.

“Our goal is to obtain data-based evidence for the successful use of regenerative methods in dairy farming. While we focus on reducing the negative effects of our work, the positive effect we can obtain as farmers on our areas is not yet thoroughly proven scientifically. We want to gain more scientifically sound findings so that dairy farmers can take the right measures for the future,” Lausen says.

Claire Hill, director of Regenerative Agriculture at FAI Farms, is looking forward to participating in the project and access to the data of the 24 pilot enterprises and the soil samples of the 916 organic farms of Arla Foods.

“Arla is the biggest partner from the milk sector, with which we work together in the field of regenerative agriculture. There is no pilot programme in the industry so comprehensive. The exciting thing is that we will work together with farmers in different countries. Every company is unique and the collected data is very enlightening. We can make our knowledge of how a transition to a regenerative agriculture can look great and significantly expand through the associated challenges and benefits. This will help us to understand, how more farmers can take this path,” says Hill.

Measures that Arla will implement in 2021 on its organic farms:

Soil health:

• An assessment of the carbon content in the ground to provide a starting point for the measurement of further improvements of carbon content. The soil samples are examined by an external laboratory, among other things, the following key figures: organic substance, organic carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen and the carbon-nitrogen ratio.
• At least 5 out of 22 ground health measures must be present in the enterprises.
• From 2022: annual self-control of indicators for ground health, such as testing the floor noise and the number of earthworms.

Biodiversity:

• An annual self-control of the measures in four areas to maintain biodiversity.
• At least 7 out of 33 measures for the maintenance of biodiversity must be present in each operation.

Arla would like to reach the new network of 24 pilot companies in five countries:

• All pilot enterprises receive training and personal support through experts for regenerative agriculture.
• Measurement, observation and documentation of the impact of renewable agricultural measures on the ecosystems of pilot businesses.
• Understand and document possible behavioral changes in pilot companies.
• Build knowledge about what regenerative agriculture in the dairy industry and how this looks concretely; learn from a variety of management systems and countries.
• Exchange of knowledge and findings through specialist discussions, case studies and project progress reports.
• Combine the knowledge of farmers with the knowledge of the external experts to identify common regenerative principles and practices that could be taken over by the Arla farmers on a large scale.

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Whitley is no stranger to FAS stakeholders and the agricultural trade community, having served in various positions during a 20-year career with the agency. Most recently, he was responsible for leading the FAS trade policy and market analysis teams as associate administrator. Throughout his FAS career, Whitley held leadership positions including deputy administrator of the Office of Global Analysis and director of the Office of Civil Rights. Whitley joined FAS after starting his career with USDA’s Economic Research Service, focusing on market access issues in the World Trade Organization.

“I am deeply humbled by this opportunity, but I think it is more a reflection of all your hard work during my time as Acting Administrator than any personal achievements,” Whitley noted in a message to FAS staff on 22 July 2021. “I know that together, we will continue to meet future challenges from bringing staff back to the physical workplace and navigating the latest trade landscape to finding new ways to support farmers and ranchers and delivering on Administration priorities.”

Whitley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics and is a graduate of Southern University and A&M College and Louisiana State University.

FAS links US agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security through its Washington, D.C.-based staff and a global network of nearly 100 offices covering approximately 180 countries.

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The group of industrial, agricultural and research partners, led by the sustainability consultancy Sofies, seeks to transform the greenhouse gas removal market at pace by creating the first integrated biochar network consisting of BSW, one of the largest forestry and sawmilling businesses in the UK and Arla Foods, which has 2,400 farmer owners based in the UK. Using co-products arising from the sawmilling industry, BSW can create biochar through a process called pyrolysis. The Biochar can then be used on Arla farms, either by mixing it with slurry prior to application on fields or through bedding systems (both options will be assessed in the project).

Biochar is a highly stable form of carbon produced by heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment through pyrolysis. The process takes the carbon sequestered by the trees and converts it into biochar in a pyrolysis unit, which can then be distributed to farms and stored in the soil for over 500 years. Benefits include:

• Providing long-term carbon storage: Biochar is a safe way to rapidly increase soil carbon without changing land use.
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduction: This can be achieved through the interaction between biochar and slurry in the field, which will lessen nitrification and resultant emissions.
• Ammonia and odour reduction: Biochar can be used as a sorbent in bedding. It will dry out the bedding and the manure, which will in turn reduce ammonia emissions.
• The improvement of soil functions: Studies have shown that biochar amendment can improve soil health and fertiliser use efficiency.

The consortium is supported by some of the best industrial and research bodies in the UK and Germany including Newcastle University, University of Edinburgh, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Biomacon and R&S Biomass. They believe that the reason for the commercial failure of biochar to date largely boils down to the business model, not the technology. Their early estimates suggest that 2.1–3.6 t CO2e could be removed per tonne of biochar used on farms, meaning that if the trial is scaled up across Arla UK farms, the potential for carbon removal could be an estimated 57,150 t CO2 removal by 2030. That’s the equivalent of the annual electricity emissions from 10,000 homes, or the annual exhaust emissions of roughly 12,500 cars.

The Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies competition is run by Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and sits as part of the government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. As one of 24 projects in Phase One of the competition, the consortium will now move to identify roughly ten Arla farms to help develop the concept of a low cost biochar network and assess the feasibility of the idea. If the feasibility study is deemed successful, BEIS will award the project Phase Two status, where the system would be funded by BEIS and demonstrated on farms. Phase Two is expected to begin in the first half of 2022.

Alice Swift, director of Agriculture at Arla Foods, comments: “We’re delighted that the potential use of biochar to capture carbon has been recognised by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. As we have learnt through our Arla farm innovation programme, new technologies must be trialled by farmers to establish them as practical and affordable solutions. Financial support for farmers to do this is essential. Our consortium includes farmers, scientists, economists and multiple industries all working together. This integrated approach to climate solutions will play an essential part in scaling up future working practice that drive circular economies and remove carbon and other greenhouse gases at scale.”

The biochar used in this ground-breaking project will be manufactured using wood chips from the UK’s largest integrated forestry and sawmilling business, BSW Timber.

BSW is the largest producer of sawn timber products in the country and utilises the whole log, with co-products – the bark, chip, sawdust and shavings – ensuring nothing goes to waste.

Tilhill, the UK’s leading forestry management company, is part of the BSW Group. Tilhill’s managing director Gavin Adkins comments: “We’re particularly excited to be part of this project as it rounds off what is now a completely circular offering. We often work alongside farmers to plant trees on their land and manage those woodlands to sequester carbon, and once those trees have reached maturity and been harvested we can now use the co-products – in this case the wood chip – to add carbon back to the land in the form of biochar. This is an important first step and one we already hope can be replicated on a larger scale, with the backing of our expertise and many manufacturing sites across the country.”

Arla owner and farmer David McMiken comments: “Most Arla Farmers are already measuring their carbon footprint through Arla’s Climate Check programme with the data showing Arla farmers produce milk with around half the emissions of global dairy production. Game changing innovations such as biochar will be welcomed by farmers providing they are affordable to work with. Personally, I welcome this approach from the Government which could have significant impact in bridging the gap between the potential of new technologies and the economic realities of farming. After all, at the heart of most farmers is the desire to produce the best possible food made in the most sustainable way so that the land is looked after for the generations of farmers to come.”

Having been granted Phase One funding in the Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies competition, Arla will now ask its 2,400 UK farmer owners to volunteer to participate in the feasibility trial over the next six months. The process will look at what would be required of all parties to establish the biochar network with the intent of having a feasible model ready for trial and eligible for funding in Phase Two of the Government competition.

Arla farmers can register support at farming@arla.co.uk or find more information on the Arla owners website.

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“The strategy still raises too many questions in the European farming and agri-food community,” the statement says. “A year of intense debate has only increased the number of our concerns.

“We do not have a single doubt that the Farm to Fork strategy with its targets will have a considerable impact on the whole agricultural value chain, from farmers to our food systems and to consumers throughout the Union. But most probably not on the ones initially hoped for or expected.

“Let’s be perfectly clear, we are not opposed in essence to the approach proposed within the Farm to Fork strategy or the Green Deal. We are all conscious that our food system must integrate further measures to improve its sustainability as fast as possible while maintaining the highest quality standards and food affordability.

“Nevertheless, not only will this strategy have an impact on the environmental quality of our agriculture, but it will also impact on our production capacity, our competitiveness, our imports and ultimately on consumer prices. As it has been demonstrated over the past year, there are also considerable paradoxes in the composition of those generalised objectives, and by the time these are widely understood, it will be too late. We must not shy away from the debate on these paradoxes. We must collectively discuss them because, even if there appears to be a collective disregard at EU-level these days, the stakes are too high.

“A comprehensive impact assessment would have been the appropriate way to engage in a concrete discussion on the substance of the Farm to Fork strategy. Such a study was promised by vice president Frans Timmermans. However, although this was promised on many occasions in line with the principles of “good governance” of the Commission, we now know that such as assessment will not be carried out. In the face of the challenges posed to our food security, this neglect on the part of the Commission is both incomprehensible and unacceptable.

“Individual studies on the different objectives of the strategy are not sufficient. It is only by cumulating and cross-checking the different targets proposed in the strategy that one can realise the real challenges posed by the strategy. In the area of trade policy, the same Commission has had the courage to propose a comprehensive study of the complex cumulative impacts involved in the more than 60 trade agreements signed by the EU. So why shouldn’t this be possible for the Farm to Fork strategy? Why has the US government already conducted a study on our own flagship policy?

“We are asking for the application of three common sense principles: to have a policy based on concrete data and scientific evidence that is in line with the better regulation principles, not on ideology and political stances; to start talking about concrete tools and technologies capable of creating enthusiasm in our farming community for this political project and finally to have the same level of ambition in the EU internal market vis-à-vis those international trade partners that don’t share the same ambitions.”

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The first was the two cows falling into the water in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where the first floating urban dairy farm is located and has been opering since 2019. The cow being winched out of the water does not look impressed in the photo on Farminguk.com. The second was that the director of Avatar, James Cameron, is said to have quietly turned his organic vegetable farm, which he bought from a dairy farmer in New Zealand several years ago, back into grazing for cattle.

The first item shows that you can never tell with animals. I do not know how the cows wound up in the drink, but shifting them back and forth across gangplanks is well, a tricky business. I like the idea behind urban centres providing their own supply for feeding the population, but as we all march towards the future of farming, there are bound to be a few animals falling into the water, especially as the level rises over the years. It is something to think about. I am happy it’s the Dutch who are doing this – they know a lot about dealing with both rising water levels and cows. The expertise will benefit us all.

The second item is a bit of a funny one, and it’s really about using the land most productively to feed a growing population. People like to say that turning over all the animal-based pasture to crop agriculture will be the way forward. But as any farmer will tell you, that just isn’t so.

As you remove animals from the land, and turn over that soil for crops, you are destabilizing it. Now, in soils like my allotment, that’s not an issue. I plant, I add compost, I go from there. But if you do that with land that is already not the most stable (say, grasslands), you’re just inviting poor conditions. A lot of grassland really isn’t great for growing anything but grass, and a lot of fertilizer may have to be added to grow them. Thin topsoil blows away. Also, where does that fertilizer come from, if you take animals out of the equation? Putting cows on grassland makes more sense. They take the nutrients from the grass but leave the ground structures intact.

I am sure there are simulators, and I know there are people who are more knowledgeable than me discussing this whole very complex process (www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit). What is interesting about all of this is it’s a bit like playing Jenga. You never know how removing one piece is going to make the whole thing collapse.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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The free webinar will cover what’s happening in England under Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan, what this means in practical terms for farmers, and simple next steps that farm businesses can take to prepare themselves. Kite will also be able to answer questions on the agricultural transition from farm businesses.

Harriet Wilson, Agriculture and Sustainable Sourcing manager at McDonald’s UK said: “We know how critical the Agricultural Transition Plan will be to ensure the sustainability of our industry, which is why it’s imperative we understand what these changes will mean for farm businesses. By delivering this webinar with The Prince’s Countryside Fund, we hope to provide farmers the opportunity to ask any questions they may have on the plan, and seek real clarity on next steps they may need to take.”

The hour-long webinar is being held on Tuesday 9 March at 1pm and interested farmers can sign up at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/readyforchange. The webinar is open to all livestock farmers in England, regardless of whether they have participated in The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme.

McDonald’s and PCF are hosting this webinar as part of their Ready for Change programme. Aimed at farmers who’ve participated in The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, Ready for Change equips farm businesses with the tools to adapt their activities and make sensible, informed decisions about their businesses. Since September 2020, 37 farm businesses have taken part in the workshop.

Gerard, a beef and sheep farmer from Northern Ireland who attended the workshop in November, said: “The Ready for Change workshop was great to get up-to-date information from a reliable source. It’s really encouraging to hear that McDonald’s are offering this type of support to farmers and helping to keep everyone on the same page.”

Visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/readyforchange to register for this event.

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While the organisations have a long-standing working relationship, the new collaboration is based around DSM’s feed additive product Bovaer, which effectively and consistently reduces methane emissions from cows by over 30% in non-pasture-based farming systems.

The question that needs answering now is: Can it do the same in New Zealand’s pasture-based farming systems?

While New Zealand dairy farms are acknowledged as having the lowest carbon footprint in the world among major milk producers, Fonterra says it recognises that biological emissions produced by cows are a major contributor to the country’s overall emissions and is working to do whatever it can to find ways to reduce them.

Fonterra group director, Farm Source Richard Allen says that finding a solution to the methane challenge requires more than just the hard graft farmers are putting in. “We need to find a breakthrough in reducing emissions from cows and Bovaer could provide exactly that. This work with DSM is an exciting opportunity for the Co-op.”

Fonterra chief science & technology officer, professor Jeremy Hill, says the Co-op wants to explore and validate how Bovaer could work here in New Zealand, where cows are predominantly fed grass. “We also see this as an opportunity to further accelerate our global leadership in low-carbon dairy products to create more value for our New Zealand milk.”

“Fonterra is working closely with DSM New Zealand to ensure that any innovation is well tested and can easily be distributed and used by our farmers.”

Mark van Nieuwland, global programme head for DSM Nutritional Products, says they are proud to be in collaboration with Fonterra. “Both companies have worked together for many years, and it’s a pleasure to extend this to the field of sustainability and climate change.”

“With Fonterra, we have an important partner to potentially commercialise Bovaer® in New Zealand and globally. We look forward to combining our expertise and passion.

Bovaer was featured by the World Resources Institute as one of the ten global break-through technologies that could help to feed the world sustainably and if trials prove successful, it could help continue New Zealand’s leadership role in low carbon dairy production.

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The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of senior representatives from across the US agricultural community who provide advice to the US Department of Agriculture and the Office of the US Trade Representative on trade policy matters including the operation of existing trade agreements and the negotiation of new agreements. Members of the six agricultural technical advisory Committees (ATACs) provide technical advice and guidance from the perspective of their specific product sectors.

On the policy adivsory committee, it includes Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the US’s International Dairy Foods Association, along with James Mulhern, president and CEO of its National Milk Producers Federation. Dykes was named a member of the APAC for trade for a second consecutive term. He also served on the committee during the administrations of President Bill Clinton and President George W Bush.

Other dairy members of the trade in processed foods committee include Brooke Markley, trade compliance manager of Leprino Foods Company and Becky Rasdall, vice president, trade policy and international affairs, of the International Dairy Food Association. Rasdall was named a member of the ATAC for a second time in her career.

“It is an honour to be appointed again to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade to bring the perspective of the US dairy industry,” Dykes says. “Trade delivers tremendous benefits, but we need to do more in our trade policy efforts to reach the 95% of potential customers living outside the United States. I look forward to providing guidance on how to protect trade relationships and develop new trade relationships and agreements to make US dairy even more competitive and feed more people around the world.”

This group of appointed advisors will serve until 2025. A complete list of committee members are available at www.fas.usda.gov/atacs.

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The ups and downs on the product markets led to a certain stabilisation of the markets and an improvement in the prices paid out for local farmers, who also have to struggle with additional costs. The average payout prices achieved in this year (January to October) were 34.55 cents/kg (2019 34.36 cents / kg) for GMO-free quality milk with natural ingredients without surcharges and without VAT. The values could be improved from summer and were at 36.72 cents/kg in October (2019: 33.83 cents/kg).

When the corona pandemic hit the Austrian dairy industry with full force in the spring, there was an abrupt lack of gastronomy and tourism demands during the normally high delivery times and this made the life of the dairies in tourist areas particularly difficult. Quantity control measures were necessary in several dairies.

Also in the latest lockdown set in motion in December, Austrian dairies as suppliers to the catering industry, tourism or wholesaling have been massively affected by lost sales. The processors have had to take organisational and additional hygiene measures for the safety of employees and customers, which also resulted in additional costs.

But thanks to these safety measures and additional efforts on the part of the companies, it has still been possible to guarantee security of supply despite the short-term change in demand in the food retail sector, notes the president of the Association of Austrian Milk Processors (VÖM) Helmut Petschar.

Foreign trade in Austria has so far been very positive in 2020, as exports increased by 4.4% by August, while imports fell slightly by 0.3%, according to the available figures from Statistics Austria.

Milk deliveries in Austria were at the beginning of 2020 higher than at the beginning of 2019 and since May lower – so overall, this should roughly match the previous year’s level. 19.1% of Austrian milk meets the organic standard.

The Austrian quality strategy was still developed even under the difficult conditions of the corona crisis. Essential components are the GMO-free, the high production and processing standards according to the Austrian food code and the AMA seal of approval including strict controls, innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, high animal welfare and sustainability standards. The country has also a high proportion of organic farms and other quality programs such as hay milk or organic meadow milk.

“We therefore see it as justified and necessary that these additional services benefit the farmers in the form of improved producer prices compared to international developments”, explains Helmut Petschar.

Petschar is reportedly delighted that in 2020 the protection of names for milk and dairy products has been strengthened in the EU Parliament. The VÖM president underlines that this must also be implemented consistently in Austria, so unauthorised use of the protected terms ‘milk’, ‘butter’, ‘yogurt’, ‘cheese’ and other dairy products is stopped accordingly.

Most recently in Austria there have been attempts to compress the best dairy products into nutritional profiles and bans on advertising.

“It must not be that, for example, best, unchanged organic milk with natural fat content may no longer be advertised, also that children are denied bread or cheese bread, as required by the National Nutrition Commission of the Ministry of Health. Here common sense, measure and goal are required in nutrition policy,” says Petschar.

The corona crisis has shown how important the supply of food is. Milk is an essential part of the diet of the Austrians; it represents one of the most important sectors of agriculture and is a key branch in rural areas, especially in mountain regions. The VÖM president therefore finds that joint efforts are necessary for positive further development in 2021:

• Safeguarding and further development of the near-natural Austrian dairy industry in the common agricultural policy of the EU and in the national programmes, especially in mountainous and disadvantaged areas, compensation for naturally-related increased collection costs, investment priorities to further improve animal welfare;
• Improvement of competitiveness and support of the quality strategy, feasible standards in the organic sector, support of the production and processing location Austria, avoidance of additional cost burdens and requirements;
• Mandatory labeling of origin and creation of the legal requirements so that the consumer can make an informed decision about different qualities associated with the origin;
• More transparency and fairer distribution of added value along the food chain, effective measures to eliminate structural competitive disadvantages for producers and processors, measures to curb private labels, implementation of the EU directive against unfair trading practices;
• Further development of AMA Marketing as a valuable support instrument for quality policy and marketing, support in export, solidarity-based financing by all participating sectors, focusing activities on contributing sectors, better structural integration of the participating sectors;
• Avoidance of excessive, cost-increasing, inefficient and impractical requirements in the environmental and packaging area, e.g. no excessive reusable quotas and no deposit on disposable packaging in the milk sector.

The post Petschar addresses the 2020 Austrian dairy market, looks to 2021 appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

“We export 16% of everything that we produce,” says USDEC senior vice president of trade policy Jaime Castaneda. “Without that market access, we (in the dairy industry) wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow the way we have been growing.”

At a recent press conference, USDEC and other members of the Farmers For Free Trade coalition offered policy recommendations, including pursuing trade agreements that eliminate tariffs and addressing technical barriers to agricultural trade, and safeguarding generic cheese terms such as Feta and parmesan.

The recommendations captured in the roadmap come after months of planning and discussion. Last summer, town hall meetings were held in five US states – Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa – to gain input from the agricultural community. USDEC jointly hosted the Wisconsin event together with NMPF. Much of what was learned at those meetings was included in the final report released, the coalition says.

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Incorporating certain varieties of plantain into a cow’s diet has been shown to reduce the nitrogen concentration in their urine, which can leach through soil into groundwater.

To test the benefits in local pastures, DairyNZ has been leading the Tararua Plantain Project in the lower North Island, where farmers have been growing the leafy herb for their cows. The Ministry for Primary Industries is also involved as a key contributor.

Now, Fonterra and Nestlé are helping expand the project further through additional funding and by sharing expertise. “We’re all about finding ways to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand has a thriving environment and a thriving farming economy,” says Fonterra’s director of On-Farm Excellence Charlotte Rutherford. 

“We can achieve more by partnering with others, so it’s great to join forces with DairyNZ and Nestlé. This is helping to speed up the adoption of plantain by farmers. Ultimately it could be a real game-changer to reduce nitrogen from cows and help mitigate nitrous oxide emissions.”

The new collaboration is helping to accelerate uptake of Ecotain – a blend of environmentally functional plantain cultivars developed by seed company Agricom. Currently, 50 Tararua farms have started to use plantain, through DairyNZ’s Tararua Plantain Project.

With the funding boost from Fonterra and Nestlé, it is expected these farms and more will increase the amount they grow, therefore maximising the benefits.

Ecotain has been used in studies by DairyNZ, Agricom, Lincoln University, Massey University and AgResearch, with results showing it can significantly reduce nitrogen leaching. Preliminary studies also show it has the potential to lower on-farm GHG emissions through the reduction of nitrous oxide, which is promising news for farmers.

Nestlé, the world’s largest food company and a customer of Fonterra’s, was keen to be involved in the Tararua project given the commitments it has made around sustainability. 

“Working with our suppliers and others is critical for achieving Nestlé’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reducing on-farm greenhouse gas emissions and protecting waterways will help us get there and we’re pleased to partner with Fonterra and DairyNZ on this initiative,” says Nestlé’s Robert Erhard.

The project also focuses on improving understanding of how farmers can implement Ecotain successfully and engaging farmers through workshops, events and a national farmer network to extend knowledge.

As the industry good body representing dairy farmers, DairyNZ invests significantly in sustainability research. DairyNZ’s general manager for New Systems and Competitiveness, David McCall, says the dairy sector has a wide range of work underway to reduce nitrates entering waterways and reduce on-farm emissions. “The seven-year Tararua Plantain Project is a flagship project for the dairy sector. It is delivering real, tangible results valued by farmers. The project has community at its heart as it seeks water quality improvements, while ensuring the dairy sector continues as an economic pillar within the local community.

“It is excellent to have extra support from Fonterra and Nestlé within the Tararua catchment,” says Dr McCall.

For more information about the Tararua Plantain Project, click here.

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As Adrian O’Neill, the Irish Ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland (pictured) says, “There is the commitment of the Irish government to enhance our relationship across the sea, and to sustain warm and friendly relations with our neighbours. We have shared history, shared cultures and proximate geography.” Ireland is both a top exporter of agricultural products to the UK and a top importer of British products, and as such has spent the last few years planning for Brexit.

Which is good, because sometimes I don’t think the UK has been as proactive as Ireland’s government and companies on this matter. Kind of like making a cake and leaving the kitchen in a right state for someone else to clear up.

That being said, the rest of the world can’t sit there and wait. Ireland’s agri-business has been prepping for every eventuality since 2016. An estimated €1 billion of its dairy exports to the UK are at stake, as part of the total exports of €4.4 billion. The good news for Ireland is most British consumers see Irish food as the most trusted in origin outside of the UK, according to Bord Bia (the Irish food and drink agency).

Bord Bia has run readiness radars, collecting data from British companies and has found their top concerns are: UK economic performance, living with Covid-19 and Brexit. They have also been getting their domestic companies ready for the changes in regulations.

Further, US President-elect Joe Biden, whose Secret Service codename is Celtic, is moving into the White House in January. He has already been put on record as saying the Good Friday deal must stand and that hard borders between Northern Ireland and the Republic are not an option.

I think the brash politics of the last few years will give way to more sensible options, both inside and outside the UK. The calm voices that we are now hearing are acting like a balm on many people’s psyches, including mine. While the future remains unsettled, we will need them to get us through the next few months and years, and across the border from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

The post Ireland on the up appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

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I also don’t think almond drinks are any great shakes either, as the amount of pesticides used in California, where most of the world’s almonds are produced, is quite detrimental to bees. So, rice drinks then? Nope, excessive water used. Perhaps oat drinks then. It can be produced from crops grown in the UK, but does need additional fortification.

The Sustainable Food Trust’s Patrick Holden, comments that the study “highlights the importance of grass, a crop ideally suited to our climate and the grazing animals that can turn it into high-quality foods we can eat.”

I’m going to continue to opt for dairy milk. Produced by cows and other grazing animals, it does not need to be fortified. It already contains a comprehensive nutritional profile, and it also tastes good. That’s my high-quality drink.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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The AMA board of directors is responsible, among other things, for the appointment of the executive board, the supervision of the management, the decision on the financial plan and the annual financial statements.

In accordance with the AMA Act, the chair of the board of directors is appointed by the federal Minister of agriculture, regions and tourism on a proposal from the Austrian chamber of agriculture.

Langer-Weninger is a member of the Upper Austrian Landtag (the local government) and was elected as the first woman to head a chamber of agriculture in Austria in 2019. Together with her family, she runs an organic hay milk farm in Innerschwand am Mondsee.

The post Agrarmarkt Austria names new chair appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Following industry feedback on the disruption caused to the farming community by the coronavirus outbreak in the UK, the government paused the national conversation launched by Environment secretary George Eustice earlier this year at the NFU conference.

Six webinars have now been set up to ensure that farmers and others in isolation continue to have the opportunity to share their views on the proposed design of three “tiers” of entry, which will enable all farmers and land managers to participate in the new scheme at the right level, and help shape the new scheme.

While farmers are encouraged to sign up to and attend a webinar if they can, a policy discussion document on Citizen Space provides those who are unable to attend with the opportunity to respond to the new policy ideas.

Farming minister, Victoria Prentis, said: “I very much look forward to working with farmers and land managers across the country to develop the future scheme and discuss how it will work on the ground.

“Many farmers and land managers are already contributing directly to the co-design of ELM by participating in the ongoing tests and trials and they’re doing great work to explore how the building blocks of the future scheme are put together.

“This conversation is a chance for farmers and land managers to have their say and help shape our future approach to farming alongside caring for the environment. I would encourage all those interested to sign up to an event and have their voice heard.”

Those interested in attending any event are encouraged to sign up via Eventbrite. The full list of available dates is below:

• Wednesday 1 July – 12:00-1:30pm
• Tuesday 7 July – 6:00-7:30pm
• Thursday 16 July – 8:30-10:00am
• Thursday 23 July – 12:00-1:30pm
• Tuesday 28 July – 8:30-10:00am
• Thursday 30 July – 6:00-7:30pm

The policy document has remained available for review online since it was launched in February. Individuals and organisations that have already submitted a response will also be given the opportunity to review or reconsider this and resubmit their response to the document within the new timeframe for the conversation.

The deadline to share views on the document setting out policy ideas for the new scheme is 31 July 2020.

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