Having been in business for 42 years, the history of Yoshida & Hirata, a distributor of agricultural inputs, mirrors the path of the fruit and vegetable market in Brazil. The company, which services vegetable producers who supply big cities in the state of São Paulo, focuses on sustainability, transparency and professionalism. 

Founded by Makoto Yoshida and headquartered in Biritiba-Mirim in the state of São Paulo, the distributor is already being led by the second generation, with Yoshida’s three children included among the partners.

Alberto Yoshida presents during a crop science breakout session at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

“Working with family is challenging,” explains Alberto Yoshida, Makoto’s son and partner in the company. “Currently, we are finalizing our corporate governance for the business, because we try to treat the history of Yoshida with professionalism.”

These values and the company’s positioning have been reflected in its numbers. Yoshida & Hirata already has branches in Mogi das Cruzes (São Paulo) and Ibiúna (São Paulo), representing a growth of more than 20 percent of its business.

“In the beginning, we only had one small store,” says Yoshida. “Currently, we have two branches and approximately 80 employees.”

Grocery store chains are investing more and more in the fruits and vegetables sectors, increasing demand and requiring growers to be able to answer questions on certification, origin and traceability.  With these points in mind, Yoshida emphasizes the use of biological products on crop production. The company has seen a large increase in the demand of products like those found in the Alltech Crop Science line.  

“It is clear that the use of alternative products is a growing sector, which shows a greater interest in the microbiology of the plant,” he says.

Yoshida also highlights that this type of crop care contributes to food safety.

“The final consumer is able to access information through the products’ traceability,” he adds. “Therefore, we try to produce vegetables in a very conscientious way.”

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“Having me on staff, a registered dietitian, working at an animal nutrition and crop science company is really unheard of.”

In one sentence, nutrition specialist Nikki Putnam spoke volumes about what distinguishes Alltech in the world of agriculture.

Yes, it’s an animal nutrition and crop science company, but it’s actually much more. And the reason for that is the three-decade guidance of its ACE principle: Alltech’s belief that new technologies and their adoption throughout the food chain will contribute to a more sustainable world. The principle mandates that any such technologies “must improve the health and welfare of Animals, satisfy Consumer demands and protect the Environment.”

This installment of our ACE series highlights Alltech’s quest to address the rise of the socially conscious consumer and their demand for healthy, safe and sustainably produced food.

Following through to the end of the food chain

We begin at the end. The end of the food chain, that is, and Putnam’s dot-connecting role at Alltech.

“It’s very rare in this industry to have someone who is solely focused on human nutrition helping to bridge the gap between what we’re doing in crop science research and production, what we’re doing with animal nutrition and animal science, and bringing that around to ‘How is this applicable to human health, nutrition and increasing well-being?’” said Putnam.

Accommodating the expectations of an evolving consumer culture presents its challenges.

“That culture has been changing a lot in the last five years, and we’re well-adapted to address it because we can say, ‘This is an organic product that is traceable through an organic production system. This is a product that is non-GMO; this is an antibiotic-free product,’” said Dr. Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech.

“These types of products are arriving on grocery shelves now and in the restaurant,” he said. “Even fast food chains are using these terms. We try to build our sales and research programs around that.”

In fact, Alltech has partnered with the leading third-party audit for Whole Foods, Where Food Comes From, to become the flagship company for their Feed Verified program. This verification is important to Alltech because it provides clear, traceable assurance for claims, such as antibiotic-free, so consumers can trust and understand how their food was raised.

Listening to the consumer

Dr. Steven Borst, general manager of Alltech’s crop science division, would have enough on his plate focusing on the myriad issues associated with growing plants, but he also keeps in mind the needs and desires of the ultimate consumers of crops: humans.

“Consumers want to know that what they’re picking up in the supermarket is completely safe, is being grown in a manner that would be sustainable,” he said. “Consumers are demanding more accountability and more and more traceability. We’ve helped strengthen the ability for the consumer to know that.”

Alltech Crop Science is focused on providing natural inputs as viable alternatives to the synthetic chemicals that inspire consumer concerns and resistance.

“We’re improving our soil, increasing the nutrient availability by allowing the plant to uptake more nutrients,” said Dr. Kyle McKinney, Alltech Crop Science development manager for Central America and the Caribbean.

Agriculture is undergoing a mindset change

Borst finds farmers and producers increasingly sensitive to how their products are received in the marketplace. They are gravitating to a new, more expansive way of thinking.

“The mindset that says, ‘I need to spray X to kill Y in order to achieve excess yields,’ that silver bullet mentality has completely shifted,” he said. “Farmers are looking not just at boosting yields, but for ways to mitigate, say, a weed problem, and how does that impact the entire holistic system? That’s a major shift that we’ve started to see. It’s driven by farmers wanting to take better care of their land and come up with alternative ways to maximize profits, as well as the potential of their croplands and systems.”

No one, Borst said, cares more about the land and the environment than the farmer.

“There’s no more of a scientist than a farmer,” he explained. “We’re seeing continual management program and thought-process changes. That’s a relatively new phenomenon that’s occurred over the past 10 years. I would argue that when we started Alltech Crop Science, we were 30 years ahead of the curve in regard to this mentality. Now it’s starting to catch up.”

Banana growers are listening

Banana production in Costa Rica offers a clear example of how Alltech technology is replacing unsustainable practices.

The banana plantations of Costa Rica have been plagued by black sigatoka, also known as “black leaf streak,” a disease spread by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis. For plantation owners, battling this disease has been a choice between frequent application of chemical fungicides or losing their crops.

“Producers want to reduce this (dependency on chemicals),” said McKinney, who is currently stationed in Costa Rica, working on solutions. “Consumers are demanding it and buyers are demanding it, so they’re looking for alternatives.”

The focus of McKinney’s current work is on two products from the Alltech Crop Science portfolio: Soil-Set® and Agro-Mos®.

Trials of the products transitioned early this year to commercial application.

“Starting in January of 2017, we went from zero hectares to over 3,000 hectares in one month,” said McKinney. “Producers saw and believed in the results and took the steps to reduce their chemical usage because here’s something that allows them to do it naturally, and they can feel good about it.”

Going to the source of a dietary imbalance

Consuming omega-3 fatty acids, mostly by eating fish, is associated with the prevention or reduction in severity of a multitude of ailments, from heart and kidney diseases and diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease and osteoarthritis, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

But in the Western world in particular, consumption of foods that deliver adequate levels of omega-3 is woefully low.

Human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids of approximately 1:1. But, in Western diets, the ratio is 15:1, according to the NCBI.

Numerous diseases are linked to this imbalance and a resulting serious deficiency of DHA, a compound contained in omega-3 fatty acids that, while essential to human health, is not produced by vertebrates.

“We’re trying to increase the amount of omega-3s that consumers are eating because when that ratio is out of whack, we see a lot of inflammation in the body,” said Putnam. "Inflammation is the root cause of all chronic disease — heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, etc.”

But, there’s a catch.

Omega-3 historically has been obtained from fish oil. Increasing demand, however, has pushed the world’s fisheries to or beyond capacity, with many of these ecosystems at risk of collapse.

The alternative to overfishing in the ocean is aquaculture. The fish farming industry’s own demand for fish oil and meal to feed its stocks, however, has only added to the pressure on ocean fisheries.

Alltech researchers have found a solution in Aurantiochytrium limacinum, one among the tens of thousands of named species of algae.

“We’re growing our own algae — the same algae that those fatty fish are consuming through their diets in the ocean,” said Putnam. “That’s what gives them their DHA and total omega-3 content in their tissues.

“So, instead of relying on those fatty fish in the ocean to provide us that fish oil or those omega-3 fatty acids, we’re growing that same strain ourselves,” she continued. “That way we can preserve the fish for protein sources and use our algae as the omega-3 or DHA source in aquaculture and livestock diets.”

These algal-based products are being produced at the Alltech Algae plant in Winchester, Kentucky, USA, one of the largest commercial algae production sites in the world.

Dr. Sasha Tozzi, the facility’s technical manager, said studies have found that balancing the omega-6/omega-3 ratio is associated with decreased mortality and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer and inflammation among rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

The benefits of the balance don’t stop there.

“It’s good for pregnant women and the early development of children to have a high-DHA diet because what mommy eats is what the baby eats,” said Tozzi. “You improve hand-eye coordination, visual acuity, motor skills, attention spans, verbal and social skills. And there are a lot of studies that show how different concentrations of intake of DHA at different ages really improves cognitive ability and behavior in children.”

Alltech’s growing portfolio of algae-derived products and applications are being marketed worldwide. The products are currently undergoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration registration and trials required for sales in the United States.

Reducing antibiotics in the food chain

The use of antibiotics in livestock has become a hot-button issue for consumers concerned about the effects to human health as well as the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

“Consumers are looking for alternatives,” noted Dr. Kristen Brennan, a research project manager at the Alltech Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition in Nicholasville, Kentucky. “Some don’t want antibiotics to have been given to the animal proteins they buy. With our work, we can provide not just alternatives to antibiotics, but more viable alternatives.”

And, in a nod to the ACE principle, the goal has been to develop solutions that are beneficial to the animal, the producer and the consumer, said Brennan.

Simply eliminating antibiotics from production animals will not in and of itself solve the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

“We have created the problem over the past 70 years, and we can’t expect to resolve it overnight,” said Dawson. “We must turn the tables and address eliminating antibiotic resistance from the environment.”

In Dawson’s view, that means being forward-thinking by developing and implementing practices that keep production animals healthy, which reduces a need for antibiotics. This can be as basic as improved farm hygiene and more biosecure animal housing, bearing in mind that even the cleanest operations can still experience disease.

Strategic nutritional management programs are an important component as well. Among the alternatives to antibiotics are direct-fed microbials, prebiotics and plant extracts. Alltech is ahead of the curve, having pioneered antibiotic-free technologies since the company was founded in 1980. This has led to new innovations backed by 733 published trials, resulting in multiple developments in the area of antibiotic-free production.

The Alltech® Antibiotic-Free program starts by supporting the animal’s immune and digestive system and allows for periods of adjustment. As the producer advances to the next level, the program helps provide a gut health management approach. This includes seeding the gut with favorable gut microflora, feeding the beneficial bacteria and maintaining a proper intestinal environment, and weeding out unfavorable microorganisms to support immune defense.

The next step is the full Alltech Antibiotic-Free program, which provides a complete approach to animal well-being, including management, nutrition and technical support. The program supports animals with maximum health benefits through Alltech’s full range of technologies, allowing them to reach their genetic potential and helping producers to attain a sustainable and profitable future.

“Our goal is to make sure producers have the right tools and resources necessary to make this transition as safely and profitably as possible while still getting the consumer the quality product they want for themselves and their families,” said Aidan Connolly, Alltech vice president and chief innovation officer.

Environmentally friendly livestock

Today’s consumers also express worries about the environmental impacts of livestock.

“We look at the efficiency with which these animals produce food for humans,” said Alltech research project manager Dr. Amanda Gehman. “If we can have an efficient animal, that animal is by nature a more environmentally sustainable animal.”

Dawson agrees.

“The environmental impact follows,” he noted. “If you are putting less feed into an animal and having less waste material, then you’re talking about an immediate environmental impact, whether that’s the manure that is spread on the land or the methane that escapes from the cow or the pig.”

This attention to sustainability in livestock production matters not only to grocery store shoppers, but also to many restaurant executive chefs, including Jonathan Searle of the Louisville, Kentucky-based boutique hotel chain 21C Museum Hotels.

“Along with looking for the highest quality locally sourced beef, we’re actively looking for a provider that is environmentally aware and taking steps to lower their carbon footprint,” he said.

Alltech has harnessed the innovative power of biotechnology to offer a variety of solutions to many of the farm-level issues becoming of interest to consumers. Examples include:

• Alltech E-CO2 provides environmental assessment services to livestock producers, enabling them to closely monitor the carbon footprints of their operations.

• Optigen® is Alltech's non-protein nitrogen source for ruminants. It concentrates the nitrogen fraction of the diet, creating dry matter space for more fiber and energy. Optigen has become a solution to feed and environmental problems.

• Allzyme® SSF is based on an ancient process called solid state fermentation (SSF). A selected strain of (non-GMO) is used to work in synergy with the animal’s digestive system in breaking down layers of the feed that were previously inaccessible through digestion. With the increasing global population and need for food, it is essential that producers get optimal performance from their animals and their diets.

• Alltech® In Vitro Fermentation Model (IFM) is a diagnostic tool that simulates rumen fermentation and evaluates the nutritive value of total mixed rations in terms of digestibility and end-products formation. IFM can help nutritionists determine if protein supply may be limiting microbial protein production and help make recommendations to address that issue. In addition, IFM researchers can identify opportunities in the ration to take advantage of reformulation.

• Total Replacement Technology™ provides organic forms of trace minerals (zinc, copper, manganese and selenium) that are more bioavailable to the animal, reducing waste and heavy metal pollution.

• The BioBarrel®, an edible feed supplement container manufactured by Alltech’s Ridley Block Operations, is providing producers with an effective land management tool that can be used to regulate the movement of herds and prevent overgrazing.

• KEENAN, the Alltech-owned manufacturer of diet feeders, is increasing farm efficiency by producing an advanced optimal physical mix of feed that improves yield, quality and returns. The company’s InTouch service provides producers with live support from skilled nutritionists who offer key advice for better data-driven decision-making.

• Yea-Sacc® is a yeast culture based on a proprietary strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a yeast strain specifically selected for its influence on animal performance. Yea-Sacc helps stabilize the rumen environment for improved feed efficiency and is ideal for beef, dairy, calf and equine feeds.

Helping producers ACE the consumer connection

Today’s farmers are looking for technologies and products that help them provide consumers with quality meats, eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables, as well as information about the origins of foods and how it was produced.

Alltech, with a corporate culture that considers the entire food chain, from seed to steak and salad, is enabling the integration of innovative technologies with on-farm practices.

In our fourth and final installment, we will take a look at how ACE has evolved since its inception some 30 years ago and how it might be expected to carry the company and its customers forward into the future.

Take a look back at our ACE-ing sustainability series

“A” is for animal

“E” is for the environment

If you take a walk down the aisle of any grocery store, you will find hundreds of items with labels touting the “natural” aspects of products. While these labels can sometimes be little more than a marketing ploy, it does give an indication that consumers are looking for more natural consumables and that growers need to be aware of those consumer demands to stay relevant on the shelves. 

By taking a few simple steps in conjunction with existing conventional practices, growers can adhere to a more natural method of production while remaining profitable.

1. Improve the soil structure

Healthy crops begin with healthy, nutrient-rich soil. The use of cover crops and crop rotation decreases nutrient depletion and increases organic matter breakdown by supporting the microbes in the soil, potentially reducing the amount of fertilizer needed to achieve the maximum growth potential of the plants. 

Cover crops build soil health by adding organic matter as their roots degrade into the soil, increasing nutrient retention, controlling erosion through improved stability and moisture-retaining capabilities, and reducing the number of weeds in the field, which decreases the need for herbicides.

By using different crops in rotation, different types of organic matter are added to the soil, diversifying the available nutrients and microorganisms present.

At planting, consider using a no-till method so as to not disrupt the soil biology and maintain the new soil that has been created.

2. Build the soil microbiome

There is a delicate symbiotic relationship between the plant and the microbes that surround its root system. Microbes in the soil help plants by increasing nutrient availability and enhancing root growth. In return, these microorganisms receive the carbon that they need to grow and thrive from the plant. 

The same means used to improve soil structure also provide a favorable environment that enhances the soil microbiome, particularly when a naturally based fertilizer is used to promote growth and diversity in microbial populations.

3. Increase nutrient availability

The use of natural substances, such as amino acids, in the chelation of micronutrients facilitates their absorption by plants as they are presented in a much more bioavailable form, meaning they are ready to be used. Plants that are well-nourished are healthier and will be better able to resist environmental stressors.  

4. Naturally boost plant performance

The use of biostimulants has grown exponentially in the past few years. These  naturally based products  help to promote functions in the plant that improve efficiency, increase performance and strengthen stress tolerance. 

Used as an alternative to synthetic products, growers are finding that their results in yield and quality equal or exceed those observed when using conventional practices. 

5. Utilize integrated pest management

Focusing on a more long-term approach to decreasing pests and other environmental stressors, integrated pest management (IPM) combines different methods, such as biological control using biopesticides and promoting induced resistance in the plant, for a more comprehensive approach to management.  

From a nutritional standpoint, a plant that is healthy will have a better chance of resisting disease pressure. 

IPM also looks at the growing environment as a whole, taking into account many factors, including current pests and their predators, irrigation and drought conditions, weed management and soil conditions.

It is clear that many parts of these approaches are interconnected and will have effects on the others. Improving the soil will improve the plant, which will make it more likely to have a systemic resistance to environmental and disease pressures and will reduce the need for pesticides and other synthetic interventions.  

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Mike Helle has been growing vegetables and melons for the last 25 years. To stay competitive, he continues to look for new ideas that will help him with crop efficiency. He also looks for practices that will help him be a better steward of the 1,800 acres he farms near Edinburg, Texas.  

One of the companies that buys and distributes Helle’s produce is J&D Little Bear Produce. The company, a leading vegetable and melon grower located in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, is best known for its proprietary HoneySweet® Onion.

Little Bear Produce is also committed to preserving natural resources, including water and the land.

“We subscribe to and have used sustainable production practices before they were called sustainable or popular,” said Jeff Brechler, sales and production manager for Little Bear Produce.

As an example, he said the operation was the first to use drip irrigation and plastic mulching in The Valley. Now, drip irrigation is widely adopted by many local producers, including Helle, to conserve water in an area that is exposed to the weather whims of Mother Nature. 

“The Valley went from the worst drought in 2013 to the wettest year in 50 years in 2015,” said Helle.

Three years ago, Helle began incorporating natural biologicals into his operation to help combat the stress.

“They can stimulate a plant’s defenses to make them healthier and help them resist disease and insects,” he said.

As Helle incorporates natural biologicals with conventional chemicals, he has also seen improved crop efficiency. He noted that he didn’t need an extra insecticide application on cabbage acres last year. He also uses an air-assisted electrostatic sprayer that enables him to use 30 percent fewer chemicals per acre.

Improving soil health

Over time, the use of biologicals will help improve soil health, Helle believes.

“After so many years of conventional practices, natural microbes are diminished,” he added.

Cover crops, composting and crop rotation are all part of Little Bear Produce’s efforts to preserve the land. Their crop rotation includes growing grains and black-eyed peas in rotation with fruits and vegetables.

“It’s a natural practice that decreases erosion and naturally puts more fertilizer back into the ground,” added Brechler. “We are always looking to implement practices that lead to ‘better rested’ land.”  

The future: Stability and survivability

An earlier Alltech Crop Science blog shared how an increasing number of consumers are factoring the social and environmental impact of food production into their food purchasing decisions. They are also choosing foods for their diet as a means to forestall medical conditions and health issues.  

More consumers are becoming aware of how important it is to “eat your colors,” echoed Brechler. He cited an increasing consumer demand for white, purple and green vegetables. In light of this demand, Little Bear Produce increased kale production from 6 acres a week to 25 acres a week.

As producers continue to incorporate sustainability measures to provide consumers with choices, Brechler emphasized that the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry must be able to turn a profit to compete in an increasingly global market. To that end, in addition to improving crop efficiency, Helle is looking into gaining “certified sustainable” status, which can lead to increased premiums for his produce.

“Sustainability also has to provide survivability,” concluded Brechler. “Both of us (Little Bear Produce and Helle) are bringing the second generation into our operations. That’s important to us.”

Mission-driven companies are often viewed as places where employees feel their work contributes to a higher purpose. When it comes to “mission-driven agriculture,” the industry is now responding to consumers who are looking for their food/diet to serve a higher purpose, said Rebecca Noble, Alltech Crop Science business development executive.

“Consumers’ perceptions of their diet have changed,” added Noble. “Food and nutrition are now seen as a gateway to health. It’s not just about weight loss and body image.”

A 2015 Nielsen report asserts that, globally, 80 percent of consumers are choosing foods for their diet as a means to forestall health issues and medical conditions. Consumers are also increasingly factoring agricultural production methods into their food purchasing decisions.

“Their decisions are now based on beliefs and convictions that go far beyond cost and convenience,” said Noble. “Awareness about the social and environmental impacts of farming is also fueling their decisions.”

Agriculture is being called upon to reinvent itself and further propel human advancement.

“The industry is now being transformed into a mission-driven industry,” she said.

Who is in the driver seat?

Perhaps in no other industry are the needs and desires of consumers being felt so profoundly than in food production, commented Noble.

“Mission-driven consumers are flooding the marketplace with greater capacity and purchasing power each year,” she said.  

Believing that the right food choices will lead to better health, 25 percent of consumers are willing to pay a premium for products, with the following five categories being key:

• All natural
• GMO-free
• Low/no fat
• Gluten-free
• Organic

The organic category continues to be the largest segment for attracting premiums in store aisles. In 2014, organic sales in the U.S. reached $40 billion, and global sales are projected to reach $1 trillion by next year.

Grocery stores are reporting that new food perceptions are especially concentrated in younger generations, with millennials driving the organic category. Adding to the momentum is Generation Z, aged 20 and under, as many of them head to college and make independent food purchases for the first time.

With growing demand, retailers are working creatively to keep their organic supplies steady. One big box store is even lending money to farmers to help them secure land for organic production.

What’s ahead on the journey?

Sales of foods grown locally could eclipse sales of organic food. Grocery chains and big box retailers are aggressively expanding and marketing their locally grown offerings for sale. Retailers are finding themselves reinventing their stores to provide high quality, locally produced food that is also affordable.

Demands on conventional farming are the next frontier, as consumers continue to want to know more about the way in which their food is produced, explained Noble.

 “Mission-driven producers are working carefully to not just change their agricultural practices to respond to consumer demands,” she said. “They are helping to tell the story — creating new narratives — surrounding food production.”

Likewise, some large retailers are creating consumer-facing campaigns. They are educating shoppers beyond health and wellness issues to producers’ management and land practices, water use, farm worker safety and energy consumption.

Within a mission-driven agriculture system, Noble described symbiotic relationships forming between both retailers and consumers and retailers and producers.

“Consumers are no longer just simply eating,” said Noble. “Retailers are no longer simply just buying and selling. Producers are no longer being asked to just simply produce. Things have been put into overdrive.”

Metaphorically, we’re all in the car together, concluded Noble. This will call for true collaboration, especially between retailers and producers, to realistically and systematically take us to the next frontier.

 “Consumers and retailers are influencing each other, and more and more producers are taking their business, their mission and how they are perceived in the market into their own hands,” Noble concluded.

Finally, market competition will play a key role in keeping mission-driven dreams balanced, attainable and accessible for all.

Rebecca Noble was a presenter at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Audio recordings of most talks from ONE will be made available on the Alltech Idea Lab by mid-June 2016. For access, click on the button below.

Nowadays, fewer people are living in rural areas and even fewer are becoming farmers. While agriculture is being forced to compete with sprawling urban settlements for land and water, it will also be required to serve on other major fronts: adapting to and contributing to the mitigation of climate change, helping preserve natural habitats and maintaining a high level of biodiversity while continuing to feed the world.

New and traditional demands continue to grow for agricultural products, thus putting pressure on an already scarce resource. As our global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the question must be asked: How can we feed the world with a finite amount of land?

In order to visualize the world in 2050, Alltech created a virtual experience entitled ONE Vision. ONE Vision will allow attendees to experience a planet of plenty, where technology and science align in order to produce nutritious food. Attendees will be guided through a 10,000-square-foot virtual planet, where they can witness a world in harmony with its three essential elements: land, air and water. Attendees will also find themselves in sub-Saharan Africa, where advanced soil management solutions have tripled crop production, and in Asia’s paddy fields, where upland planting is producing sustainable harvests in flood-prone areas. Across the globe, the farms of the future are thriving as their animals achieve their genetic potential, producing more with less, all while reversing soil degradation and reducing water use, waste and emissions. Attendees can also interact with reaction tables, allowing them to understand the effects of today’s choices on the agriculture industry and future of our planet. 

By drawing back the curtain on the future and allowing attendees to glimpse what’s possible, Alltech hopes to encourage individuals to make the right choices today for their future tomorrow and thereafter. A future of plenty in agriculture is ours if we harness the power of technology, conserve resources and encourage innovation. 

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Association (FAO), the global volume of food wastage is estimated at 1.6 billion tons, with a global cost of $750 billion annually. “Each day 35 to 40 percent of food that is grown or raised is wasted, and 71 percent of global water consumption is used to irrigate crops,” said Dan Glickman, former U.S. secretary of agriculture.

Today 60 percent of food loss comes from the U.S. and Europe, yet globally more than 800 million people face hunger and malnutrition. As the population grows, food production will have to increase by approximately 60 percent by 2050. Can the reduction of food waste contribute to feeding the world? During the session on Crop Science: Growing the Revolution, Glickman identified four ways to prevent food waste:

• Global adoption of good Samaritan laws – These laws are intended to protect good-faith food donors from civil and criminal liability should the product cause harm to its recipient. In the U.S. 14 billion pounds of food per year is sent to landfills. Meanwhile, nearly 30 million Americans, including 12 million children, are at risk of hunger and malnutrition. The adoption of good Samaritan laws globally would reduce this risk, as well as food waste.
• Research and development – Budgets for agricultural research and development have not increased to meet the scientific demands of the world. Global budgets for agriculture and food security need to increase dramatically for us to increase crop yield and develop new methods of pest resistance.
• The role of technology – We must continue to challenge the basic principles of science. New developments in biotechnology have helped us understand nutrigenomics and genes. This form of technology must be embraced to ensure we get the full potential from our crops and arable land. 
• Agricultural grants and education – Training and education must be supported if we are to continue to feed the world. Young men and women who wish to enter the agricultural industry must be supported and educated to ensure the future of food production can be secured.

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