NAMA News May 2010
Inside this Issue
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 Rod Geiger, Bartlett Milling Company; Paul Maass, ConAgra Mills; and Betsy Faga, NAMA with two workers in Kenya distributing U.S. food aid in a WFP Food for Assets program. |
Senator McGovern leads Food Security Mission to Africa
NAMA and Friends of the World Food Program (WFP) sponsored the 2010 Food Security Mission to Africa led by Senator George McGovern. Travel included visits to Kenya, Uganda, and Rome where participants were exposed to such vital programs as food assistance, food security, McGovern-Dole school lunch, food distribution, food for work, and purchase for progress. Participants in the mission included Senator/Ambassador George McGovern; Diane Spoden, aide to Senator McGovern; Rick Leach, president of the Friends of the WFP; Paul Maass, ConAgra Mills, Inc. and Vice Chairman of NAMA; Rod Geiger, Bartlett Milling, Co. and Chairman of NAMA’s International Trade Committee; and Betsy Faga, immediate past president of NAMA.
The objectives of the mission were to:
- Observe WFP and other cooperating partners’ food assistance programs in Kenya and Uganda
- View some of the school lunch operations receiving commodities under the McGovern-Dole program
- Engage high-level stakeholders in policy discussions on food security initiatives
- Identify NAMA with successful global nutrition initiatives in school lunch and food aid initiatives
- Provide high level attention to NAMA's theme that food aid and food security are not competing but mutually reinforcing initiatives
- Associate NAMA with WFP, the biggest programmer of NAMA food aid products, as a partner in the UN Program's high profile nutritional objectives
For more information about the trip, please contact Betsy Faga at bfaga@namamillers.org.
NAMA advocates supplemental appropriation to meet international food aid needs
In an issue related to the Food Security Mission, (see article above) NAMA joined several other agriculture and food organizations in signing a letter to Congressional appropriators in support of additional food aid funds in the supplemental appropriation bill under consideration. The bill as passed by the Senate provides $150 million in supplemental funds, primarily to replace the funds used in the Haiti earthquake emergency, but the WFP has estimated needs at about $580 million, including for emergencies in Kenya, which was a destination visited by NAMA's mission.
Scab alert system aims to prevent Fusarium Head Blight
The US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) has announced the launch of a new scab alert program that will provide real-time information to growers, crop consultants and millers about potential scab outbreaks. Interested parties can receive the alerts via email or text message by signing up through http://scabusa.org/fhb_alert.php.
According to USWBSI, the purpose of the program is "to give growers and affiliated industry personnel better advanced notice of potential outbreaks and the risk of scab in their area, thus allowing for timely treatment of fields with fungicides."
These alerts can be used in conjunction with the USWBSI's Scab Smart web site, http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/scabsmart/, which provides information on each grain class and strategies that reduce Fusarium Head Blight and DON. USWBSI co-chair Dave Van Sanford states, "Our hope is that the alerts will lead to some action that will reduce the impact of head scab on the crop."
New President visits members
NAMA President Mary Waters took time this month to begin visiting members. Pictured below left is her visit to Siemer Milling Company, Teutopolis, IL, where she had her first mill tour as NAMA President. Pictured from left: Curt Anderson, Carl Schwinke, Connie Barr, Mary Waters, Rick Siemer, Vernon "Red" Tegeler, and Dave Brumleve. Pictured below right is Mary Waters with Steve Wickes at Agricor's mill in Marion, IN. Mary also visited with Technical Committee member, Keith Smith, Cargill Corn Milling, and toured Cargill's mill in Paris, IL (not pictured).
 (Photo taken by Sharon Robb) |
 (Photo taken by Jules Ewart) |
Bair interviewed about biotech wheat
on Successful Farming Radio
On May 11, 2010 NAMA Vice President Jim Bair was interviewed on Successful Farming Radio about the renewed interest in biotech wheat. He stated, "It's the first time in many, many years that there has really been a kind of buzz of excitement around wheat breeding. A number of very large seed companies have made announcements in the last few months that they intend to make major investments in wheat breeding, not just biotech but conventional wheat as well. We think increasing the knowledge base, increasing the technology will help both conventional wheat and biotech wheat."
When asked about public perception being a roadblock for biotech crop breeding Bair responded, "We are concerned about it, but frankly the data show that those people that are expressing any kind of concern about the safety of their food, or if they are avoiding certain types of food, it is usually things like sugar or trans fat or salt, or they might be concerned about food borne illness; but biotech doesn't register in any survey data we have seen."
New climate change legislation introduced
A coalition of food, feed, ingredient, beverage, and consumer product processors, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, including NAMA, sent a letter to members of the Senate expressing concern about the cap-and-trade approach of the American Power Act (APA). Senators Lieberman (D-CT) and Kerry (D-MA) introduced this legislation, which is still in discussion draft form. The coalition letter states, "Although our facilities emit a very small fraction of national greenhouse gas emissions, we are disproportionately vulnerable to cap-and-trade legislation for two reasons. One reason being that no allowances are allocated to our industry, and the other reason being that our industry uses a significant amount of electricity—leaving us vulnerable to indirect costs from higher electricity prices."
Other topics of major concern to the coalition included offsets, preemption, threshold, and trade. To view the letter in full, please visit NAMA's web site at http://www.namamillers.org/NewsArchives10/ Ltr_APA_052510.html.
At the Corn Dry Milling Conference (article below) Jerry Hatfield with ARS/USDA gave a presentation entitled, What climate change will mean for food corn supplies. In his presentation he noted that climate change will impact agriculture; rising temperatures will affect growth rates, water use, and heat stress; and increasing variability in precipitation will change water availability at both extremes of wet and dry. To view his presentation in full, please visit NAMA’s web site at http://www.namamillers.org/2010_CDMC_Presentations.html.
NAMA leadership meets with administrative officials
NAMA's Executive Committee and Board members met with several administrative officials during NAMA's annual Leadership Meeting in Washington, DC. The schedule included presentations from Gary Gensler, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; David Acheson, former Associate Commissioner of Foods with the Food and Drug Administration; and Patrick Archer, President of the American Peanut Council. Members also met in smaller groups with Under Secretary for Marketing & Regulatory Programs Edward Avalos; and Vice President of Public Policy Jon Doggett and Director of Public Policy DaNita Murray with the National Corn Growers Association.
In addition to their business meetings, members honored Betsy Faga by hosting a retirement reception at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. Betsy has been president of NAMA since 1998 and officially retired this spring. Guests included friends and colleagues from the agriculture community, as well as Congressman Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Ms. Faga’s family. Congressman Jerry Moran and John Gillcrist, Bartlett Milling Company presented Betsy with a US flag that was flown over the Capitol building in recognition of her "retirement from the milling industry after 40 years of dedicated service." Greg Schlafer, General Mills, Inc. presented Ms. Faga with a Wheaties cereal box featuring her photo on the "Breakfast of Champions.”
NAMA and NCAUR hold 51st Corn Dry Milling Conference
NAMA and the Center for Agricultural Utilization Research held the 51st Corn Dry Milling Conference in Peoria, IL on May 19 and 20. The objective of the conference was to discuss current issues facing the corn dry milling industry, including food safety, corn product consumption, and advances in the science of corn production technology.
The program included the following presentations:
- Sustainability in the food corn industry – the human side, Dirk Maier, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
- What climate change will mean for food corn supplies, Jerry Hatfield, ARS, USDA, Ames, IA
- Sustainability – A Branded Food Manufacturer Perspective, Ron Olson, General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
- Lessons learned from the 2009 crop regarding harvesting, drying, and storage, Richard Stroshine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- Lessons learned from the 2009 corn crop – maintaining quality throughout the chain, John Gnadke, Advanced Grain Systems, Ankeny, IA
- Impact of GMO white corn on the market, future of GMO’s in white corn plantings, Morris Bryant, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Johnston, IA
- How corn is used for food outside the U.S., Paul Green, North American Millers’ Association, Washington, DC
- Don on DON, but not on the Don, Don Sullins, ADM Milling Company, Overland Park, KS
- Vomitoxin on corn – why now and why is it increasing?, Pat Dowd, ARS, USDA, Peoria, IL
- Vomitoxin in corn from a regulatory and testing standpoint in the NAFTA region, Jeff Davidson, APHIS, USDA, Peoria, IL
- Diplodia in corn – is this a problem, when, and why?, Don Wicklow, ARS, USDA, Peoria, IL
Conference calendar
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
2011 Annual Meeting, Colorado Springs, CO
The Broadmoor Colorado Springs
October 6-8, 2011
2012 Division Meetings, Naples, FL
Naples Grande Beach Resort
March 10-13, 2012
The North American Millers' Association prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact NAMA at 202.484.2200 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Mary Waters, President, 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 825W, Washington, DC, 20024 or call 202.484.2200 ext. 12. NAMA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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