C-FARE Info

House Hearing to Review Implementation of Provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Relating to Position Limits.

Today the House Agriculture Committee, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a hearing to review implementation of provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act relating to position limits. Witnesses on the Panels included: - The Honorable Gary Gensler, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Washington, D.C. - The Honorable Bart Chilton, Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Washington, D.C. - Mr. Jim Collura, Vice President for Government Affairs, The New England Fuel Institute, Washington, D.C. - Mr. Terrence A. Duffy, Executive Chairman, CME Group, Chicago, IL - Mr. Joel G. Newman, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), Arlington, VA - Mr. Jeffrey C. Sprecher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., Atlanta, GA - Mr. Robert Jones, Senior Vice President, ABN AMRO Clearing Chicago LLC, on behalf of National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), Chicago, IL.

To view the opening statements and other information from the Hearing visit the Committee website here. To view the Library of Congress – Thomas information listed for H.R. 4173, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act please click here.

USDA Taking Action to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change

On December 9 USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico that USDA is taking action to meet the challenge of climate change. “The Secretary said USDA continues to take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “ Among the steps announced, the press release sites:

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide $15 million in Conservation Innovation Grant funds and other assistance to support large-scale demonstration projects to accelerate the adoption of new approaches to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote carbon sequestration on private lands.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will implement a project to provide information to landowners who enroll in certain tree planting conservation practices under the Conservation Reserve Program and who voluntarily request an estimate of the amount of carbon stored as a result of these practices. FSA will develop a communications tool to link companies, organizations and participants in carbon storage activities and information sharing. The project will begin next year.

Vilsack also announced the release of USDA's Climate Change Science Plan. The plan provides a guide for the Department and its stakeholders to enable clear and consistent consideration of current and potential investments in climate change science activities.”

Frank Lucas to Chair House Agriculture Committee in Next Congress

Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-3) was elected by the House Republican Conference to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee in the 112th Congress. In his statement he outlined his priorities as holding oversight hearings of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), working to eliminate the obstacles for job growth and entrepreneurship throughout rural America, and to “write a market-oriented, fiscally responsible farm bill.”

Recent Articles on Local Foods

USDA’s ERS recently released new artless regarding local foods. View information from their releases  below:

Local Food Supply Chains Use Diverse Business Models to Satisfy Demand - Case studies of mainstream and local food supply chains reveal the variety of ways that food products move from farms to consumers. Farms in local food supply chains maintain a diverse portfolio of products and market outlets, which may help defray large fixed costs across multiple revenue streams. Local food supply chains are more likely to provide consumers with detailed information about where and by whom products were produced.

Varied Interests Drive Growing Popularity of Local Foods - Local foods are a growing but small component of U.S. agriculture. Although there is no consensus as to a definition of “local’ or “local food systems,” local foods typically refer to foods produced near their point of consumption. Production methods, types of producers, and whether foods are sold directly to consumers or to food distributors also define local foods. As interest in local food systems has increased, so has interest in understanding how local food markets affect farmers, consumers, and communities.

Climate Change: Alleviating Poverty Helps Developing Countries Adapt

On December 2, 2010 The Voice of America featured Dr. Gerald Nelson (IFPRI) to report on the new IFPRI publication, “Food Security, Farming and Climate Change to 2050.” The publication was released at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico on November 30.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Statement on U.S.- Korea Trade Agreement

On December 3 Agriculture Secretary Vilsack made this statement regarding U.S-South Korea Trade Agreement negotiations and impacts on the US Agriculture sector.

Food Security Information

USDA’s ERS recently released several items regarding food security. See below for details from their releases.

The Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS) is the source of national and State-level statistics on food insecurity and hunger reported by USDA in its series that Measures Food Security in the United States. Once each year, after answering the labor force questions, the same households are asked a series of questions (the Food Security Supplement) about food security, food expenditures, and use of food and nutrition assistance programs. Food security data have been collected by the CPS-FSS annually since 1995.

The Food Security in the United States briefing room provides a central point for obtaining information about current trends in food security and the most recent reports and data related to food security. Recent statistics are based on data from the December 2009 food security survey. The percentage of U.S. households that were food insecure had increased sharply in 2008 as the recession deepened but remained essentially unchanged in 2009, at 14.7 percent. The 2008 and 2009 levels are the highest recorded since national monitoring of food security began in 1995. ERS plays a leading role in Federal research on food security in U.S. households and communities.

Household Food Security in the United States - Eighty-five percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2009, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.7 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 5.7 percent with very low food security. In households with very low food security, the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. Prevalence rates of food insecurity and very low food security were essentially unchanged from 14.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively, in 2008, and remained at the highest recorded levels since 1995, when the first national food security survey was conducted. The typical food-secure household spent 33 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure household of the same size and household composition. Fifty-seven percent of all food-insecure households participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food and nutrition assistance programs during the month prior to the 2009 survey.

New farmdoc Prices & Weather Center

The new farmdoc Prices & Weather Center is now available. They have teamed with agricharts.com to bring complete live futures and options market quotes and weather information to users. Click here to visit the complete Prices and Weather Center page. New and improved features include: - Market Overview, Futures and Options - Charts, Spread Charts, Market Heat Maps and Historical Data - USDA Market Reports, News and Daily Cash Bids - Local Weather and Weather Center with extensive maps and analysis *All live market data on the site is 10 minute time delayed.

Senate Passes FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

On November 30 the US Senate passed S. 510, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by a vote of 73-25. To read the press release by the bill’s sponsor, Senator Richard Durbin (IL) click here. The Washington Post reported that, “House leaders have indicated that they would accept the Senate version of the bill to avoid the time-consuming conference process and quickly send the legislation to President Obama's desk. Proponents hope to have the legislation signed into law by the end of the lame-duck session.” To view the Congressional Research Service Summary which includes CBO cost estimates, click here.