NAWG NEWS
NAWG Participates in Field to Market Board Meeting
Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture held a virtual board meeting last week to review and provide guidance on work related to implementing the new strategic plan. The board was updated on the soil carbon metric developments, provided input on the process-based standard, and heard updates on key harmonization and alignment activities between Field to Market and other agriculture efforts. NAWG is a member of Field to Market and is one of three grower sector representatives on the Board of Directors working across the supply chain to support continuous improvement in commodity crop sustainability.
NAWG Moves into Permanent Space
As of June 1, 2020, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF)’s new permanent office address will be 25 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 500B, Washington, D.C. 20001.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis Asks for Input from Rural and Agriculture Stakeholders
On May 18, 2020, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis in outreach through a letter to rural leaders and agriculture stakeholders. In the letter, the Special Committee asked to hear how the threats from climate change and extreme weather are already affecting their communities, as well as collect ideas on how these challenges can be best addressed at the federal level. The Special Committee requests responses in writing to rural_climateinput@schatz.
USTR Releases Negotiating Objectives for FTA with Kenya
One June 22, 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its negotiating objectives for pursuing a Free Trade Agreement with Kenya, by which talks could start as soon as late June. For agriculture, these objectives include reduced or eliminating tariffs on US agricultural goods, eliminating non-tariff barriers, promoting greater regulatory compatibility, and establishing commitments for trade in products developed through biotechnology.
Agri-Pulse: Bayer Close To $10B Settlement Of Roundup Cases
As reported in Agri-Pulse, “Bayer is reportedly close to announcing a settlement of 50,000 to 85,000 lawsuits alleging exposure to its Roundup herbicide caused cancer. Citing ‘people familiar with the negotiations,’ Bloomberg News reported the company has reached ‘verbal agreements’ on a settlement worth approximately $10 billion. Bayer did not comment on whether a settlement agreement is imminent.”
COMMUNICATIONS NEWS
USFRA Podcast re Ethanol
On the latest episode of Farm. Food. Facts., Doug Berven, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at POET, the world’s largest producer of biofuels, discusses the importance of #biofuels to sustainable agriculture and how this #pandemic has created great disruption to the industry. https://bit.ly/2M0xDQG #
Successful Farming Radio: I’ve Inherited Land – Now What?
Allan Vyhnalek, succession and transition extension educator at the University of Nebraska, talks about possible factors to consider when deciding what to do with land that you have inherited. Listen to this three minute piece here: https://www.agriculture.com/
NATIONAL WHEAT FOUNDATION NEWS
2020 National Wheat Yield Contest
June 15th Early Bird Registration for Spring Wheat
On February 18, 2020, the National Wheat Foundation officially opened the 2020 National Wheat Yield Contest! The Contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The Foundation is currently accepting entries for the Spring Wheat category. The deadline to submit it August 1st with an early registration date of June 15th.