NAMA News September 2009
Inside this Issue
|
 NAMA’s Technical Committee held their Fall 2009 meeting in Baltimore, MD following the AACC convention. Ricardo Carvajal, Hyman Phelps & McNamera, presented information on FDA’s Reportable Food Registry. |
NAMA's Technical Committee meets
The Fall 2009 meeting of NAMA’s Technical Committee was held September 17 in Baltimore, MD. Topics of discussion included a review of the AACC (America Association of Cereal Chemists) meetings, FGIS review of wheat standards, DON in wheat, Syngenta amylase corn, the Reportable Food Registry, food safety legislation, fumigants, combustible dust, and flour TLV.
The Case for Biotech Wheat
A coalition of industry organizations including NAMA, National Association of Wheat Growers, Independent Bakers Association, Wheat Foods Council, and US Wheat Associates has released a new wheat industry analysis paper describing the potential of biotechnology to help reverse the loss of wheat acres and ensuring future supplies. The paper – The Case for Biotech Wheat - explains the competitiveness of wheat production as it is subject to short-term supply shocks and is currently in a long-term cycle of decline.
Wheat acres have been declining in the U.S. for decades, and yield growth and net returns per acre for wheat have consistently fallen behind corn and soybeans over the past decade. The US harvested fewer acres of wheat in 2009 than it did in 1898.
Globally, more than two billion acres of biotech crops have been safely grown, though there is no commercial production of genetically modified wheat anywhere in the world. To view the paper in full, please visit www.namamillers.org/pdf/BiotechCase.pdf.
DeMarchi meets with new Undersecretary Shah
Jane DeMarchi, NAMA’s director of government relations, joined National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (NC-FAR) Board representatives in a meeting with Dr. Rajiv Shah, the new USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics at USDA. Dr. Shah was blunt in his assessment that agriculture has been ineffective in competing to increase research appropriations. He stated agriculture research funding needed to at least double in order to meet global demands for food, fuel and fiber. Priority areas for the new administration include core crop and livestock production, health and nutrition, food safety, bioenergy, climate change, and international food security.
Since that meeting, the Senate and House met to finalize appropriations for FY2010. The Agricultural Research Service has been awarded $1.25 billion for research a $63 million increase over 2009. $1 million of that money will be dedicated to Ug99 research. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) has secured appropriations of $262.482 million for their competitive grant program. This is more than a 30% increase over the FY2009 level. AFRI funds have been used to support genomics research for wheat and oats.
GFF's "Daily 6" campaign
The Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) launched a new campaign, the Daily 6, to increase consumer consumption of grains by reminding them to eat the USDA recommended six servings of grains each day. Campaign spokesperson and personal trainer on NBC’s show “The Biggest Loser,” Bob Harper, met with numerous media outlets including Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, People, iVillage, and AOL Health. In conjunction with the launch Harper attended the Fitness’ Mind, Body + Spirit race in Central Park where he appeared in the GFF booth. Campaign coverage has reached more than 8 million readers to date.
GFF has also developed a new brochure to help inform consumers about the vital role enriched grains play in the diet. The “Go with the grain” motto is coupled with nutritional facts that dispel common myths about grains. To see the brochure in full, please visit www.namamillers.org/NewsArchives09/EnrichedGrainsBrochure09-09.pdf.
Food safety legislation
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report on the current discussions surrounding food safety legislation. The report contains a summary that details the difference between the House legislation, which was passed, and S. 510, which was introduced by Senator Durbin and is still being reviewed.
NAMA is currently working in coalition with other associations to raise awareness on the aspects of the House bill that will increase food costs without increasing food safety. It is unclear when the Senate will vote on the Durbin bill but it is expected to go through the committee process this fall.
CFTC's new transparency efforts
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) began implementing new transparency efforts as of September 4, 2009. Chairman Gary Gensler stated, “For the first time, we will break out managed money and swaps in our Commitment of Traders (COT) reports and release information on index investment to give the public a better of view of trading activity in the futures markets.” CFTC is also working on creating a new COT for all the financial markets in a form that will improve the transparency of those markets.
Proposal to add "Tiers" system to MyPyramid
In a n utrition p olicy meeting, NAMA and industry organizations discussed USDA’s MyPyramid and the proposed addition of a “Tiers” system. Developed by a nutritionist from the Center for Nutrition Policy Promotion (CNPP), this system will rank foods based on their nutritional value, encouraging consumers to eat a more plant based, whole food diet. Foods will be tiered based on the amount of added solid fats, sugars, and/or alcohol in the product. Of the three tiers, whole grains and enriched grains will be in tier 1, cereals in tier 2, and pastries in tier 3.
The Dietary Guidelines Committee will meet again in November and industry groups are expecting to meet with CNPP and the Undersecretary’s office prior to that date. Industry groups fear the “Tiers” system will have a negative impact on the industry, leading to new regulations on food labeling, such as new labels that are red, yellow, or green (implying ‘stop, slow, or go’ to consumers). Ag groups and academic representatives hope to present research showing the behavior patterns of consumers, which they believe will indicate that the “Tiers” system will be unsuccessful.
U.S. Wheat and Barley Initiative launches new web site
The U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative’s new website, “Scab Smart,” is intended to serve as a quick guide to the integrated strategies that reduce Fusarium Head Blight and DON. Website coordinator and North Dakota State University extension plant pathologist, Marcia McMullen, describes how the site is used: “You can go directly to the management strategy you’re interested in, or you can go to the grain class and then to the strategy for that class.” To learn more about the site, please visit www.scabsmart.org.
Durum wheat quality program
The FY10 Agriculture Subcommittee Appropriations conference report provided $3,000,000 in funding for the Durum Wheat Quality Program. Authorized during the last Farm Bill, the program will partially reimburse Durum growers for the cost of fungicides used to prevent the development of Fusarium Head Blight. NAMA sent letters to appropriators in the House and Senate to encourage them to fund the program. Durum has not achieved the same levels of resistance to Fusarium Head Blight as other wheats.
FY2010 food aid appropriations
The FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill provided $1.89 billion for international food aid, $564 million more than in FY2009 . The funds were allocated as follows:
- P.L. 480 Food for Peace Title II Grants received $1.69 billion, a $464 million increase from FY2009.
- McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program received $209.5 million, a $109.5 million increase from FY2009.
Global food security announcement
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced the administration’s strategy for global food security, which includes Local and Regional Purchases and vouchers as options for humanitarian assistance. The U.S. is working in conjunction with foundations, universities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in order to achieve the following goals: reduce chronic hunger, increase incomes of the rural poor, and significantly reduce the number of children suffering under-nutrition. The strategy focuses heavily on agricultural development and strengthening markets in underdeveloped countries.
The administration has made f ood security a major priority recognizing that more than 1 billion people are suffering from chronic hunger globally and that demand for food is expected to increase by 50% over the next 20 years .
For an overview of the food security initiative, please visit http://www.state.gov/s/globalfoodsecurity/129952.htm.Nutrition meetings on the Hill
NAMA president Betsy Faga joined Lee Sanders, senior vice president, American Bakers Association, and Judi Adams, president, Wheat Foods Council, in a series of Hill meetings to educate staffers on nutrition issues. Topics of discussion were the study featured in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association demonstrating that consuming a low-carbohydrate diet is associated with greater likelihood of being overweight, the proposed “tiers” system, and the “Go with the grain” brochure addressing the myths about enriched grains. Meetings were held with Lisa Shelton, Majority Staff Director, House Agriculture Committee; Pam Miller, Republican Senior Professional Staff, House Agriculture Committee; Kate Coler, Professional Staff, Senate Agriculture Committee; Melissa Kay, Office of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS); John Fuher, Office of Sen. Kent Conrad D-ND); and Mina Addo, Office of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND).
NAMA signs chemical security letter
Numerous industry associations, including chemical and petrochemical manufacturers, purchasers, distributors, and NAMA, signed a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership detailing concerns regarding the H.R. 2868 “Chemical Facility Ant-Terrorism Act of 2009.” These industries have long been supporters of chemical security. The letter states, “Since 2006, businesses have spent approximately $4 billion to enhance the security of our own chemical facilities and systems.” However, the coalition urges the committee to remove the anti-preemption, citizen suit, and IST provisions.
IFIC's 2009 Food & Health Survey
The International Food Information Council Foundation released the findings from their 2009 Food & Health Survey. This edition focused on consumer food safety practices in the home, including consumer perception of food safety risks; food safety/food borne risks to public health; and practical safe food handling tips that consumers can incorporate in their daily lives. Food safety has become a prominent issue as the CDC reports an estimated 76 million cases of food borne illness in the U.S. every year. Highlights from the study include:
- 49% of consumers reported confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply.
- Consumers reported that responsibility for ensuring the safety of the food supply is shared between food manufacturers and the government, at 73% and 72% respectively.
- The top five things consumers reported looking for on a package when deciding to purchase a food or beverage are:
- Nutrition facts panel – 69%
- Expiration date – 67%
- Brand name – 50%
- Ingredients list – 49%
- Size of product – 43%
Conference calendar
2009 Annual Meeting, Washington, DC
Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel
October 19-21, 2009
2010 Division Meetings, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
W Fort Lauderdale
March 20-23, 2010
2010 Annual Meeting, Del Mar, CA
L'Auberge Del Mar Resort
October 14-16, 2010
2011 Division Meetings, Marco Island, FL
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa
March 12-14, 2011
Back to Top