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Climate, Environment, R&D, Soil Health, Sustainability

At the multi stakeholder COP29 panel discussion , ADB’s $14 billion food security commitment and the emerging partnerships reflecting the urgency of fostering sustainable and inclusive agricultural systems were highlighted, paving the way for bold and transformative innovations across sustainable agricultural practices, nutrition-focused interventions, and global resilience in Asia Pacific

During the first week of COP29, the urgency to address agriculture’s role in climate resilience and food security has never been clearer. The Asia-Pacific region, home to some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable populations, is at the forefront of this challenge. Climate change, water scarcity, and political conflicts threaten food security, disrupt livelihoods, and exacerbate nutritional deficiencies across the region.

ADB Senior Director for Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Dr. Qingfeng Zhang pointed to the centrality of International Financial institutions (IFIs) in Asia-Pacific’s food systems and climate goals. “Moving forward, our focus is on three key priorities. First, we will shift from a production-based approach to demand-side interventions, with a strong emphasis on nutrition security. Second, we aim to advance smart agriculture, restore natural capital, and strengthen fisheries and agricultural systems while supporting food productivity, reducing food loss and waste, and promoting open trade. Finally, we will harness digital technology and champion inclusive agricultural policies to drive equitable and sustainable development.”

IFIs play a vital role in shaping global agricultural transformation. Their contributions span multiple areas, including policy dialogue, where they align incentives for farmers and private investors to prioritize climate resilience. In parallel, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Director for Agricultural Development Martien van Nieuwkoop highlighted context-specific and innovations-driven initiatives as natural spaces “where science meets finance” and where IFIs can address market failures and build systems that truly benefit farmers.

“When it comes to technological innovation, there is no universal solution or “Tesla car” that works in all conditions. Instead, solutions must be adapted to local contexts, which highlights the importance of bundling technologies into tailored packages. This is where initiatives like the new ADB-CGIAR Clearinghouse play a critical role,” noted van Nieuwkoop, adding that platforms that can integrate these bundled solutions and address multiple constraints simultaneously will be crucial in ensuring that they are practical, scalable, and impactful.

Amidst all these, innovation and technology play a key role in reshaping farming practices. AI-driven weather forecasting is providing real-time, actionable insights for farmers, optimizing planting schedules and resource use. “AI tools are revolutionizing agriculture, enabling small-scale farmers to make data-driven decisions,” noted Michael Kremer, Director, Development Innovation Lab, University of Chicago.

Nutrition programming was also cited as an invaluable element of this transformation, addressing the broader health and resilience challenges linked to food security. Sarah LaHaye, Lead for Climate Action and Nutrition at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) underscored, “Nutrition is often an afterthought in climate and food security programming. It’s vital to intentionally integrate nutrition to ensure that crop diversification and resilience efforts also improve nutritional outcomes.” LaHaye cited GAIN programs in Indonesia, which tackled food loss and waste while addressing emissions and nutritional benefits, as a key example of how climate and nutrition goals can align effectively.

ADB Director General – Chief Compliance Officer for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department Bruno Carrasco closed the session with a resounding call to action, “We must invest in science, innovation, and partnerships to address today’s challenges while building a food-secure future.”

At the multi stakeholder COP29 panel discussion

Animal Health, Company News, Live Stock, World

The acquisition encompasses two premix production facilities—known as the Pasuruan site in Surabaya and the Cibitung site in Jakarta—as well as laboratories, warehouses and offices across Indonesia

ADM, a global leader in human and animal nutrition, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia, a subsidiary of Nutreco and a leading provider of functional and nutritional solutions for livestock farming in Indonesia. 

Incorporated in 2007, PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia is a leading premix manufacturer, providing innovative and comprehensive nutrition solutions for the animal industry. Their premix production facilities feature full automation solutions with intelligent process optimization, and they are industry 4.0-ready with professional project management and execution. 

With the planned acquisition, ADM will be strengthening its premix and feed additives & ingredients (FA&I) business and strategically positioning itself to meet the anticipated market growth to sustain the rising demand for protein. The acquisition encompasses two premix production facilities—known as the Pasuruan site in Surabaya and the Cibitung site in Jakarta—as well as laboratories, warehouses and offices across Indonesia. 

“This acquisition will complement our regional footprint and will represent a step forward in achieving our vision of leading the animal nutrition industry,” said Gerald Wilflingseder, president of ADM’s animal nutrition business in APAC. “It will enable us to enhance our premix production capabilities, ensuring that we are strongly positioned to provide localized solutions and customized services swiftly to customers in Indonesia and the broader region. We believe this move will not only enhance ADM as a major player in premixes and FA&I in Indonesia but also reinforce our reputation as the preferred partner for customers looking for full animal nutrition solutions offerings.” 

Once the acquisition is complete, ADM will integrate PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia into its wider footprint in Indonesia, creating new opportunities to broaden the portfolio of products and solutions offered to customers. In addition, Dr Pierre Domps, general manager of Animal Nutrition Indonesia at ADM, commented, “Our commitment extends beyond products and solutions; we strive to provide a spectrum of services. We will provide customised solutions and services backed by international technical expertise and support from our lab services. This approach ensures comprehensive support for local production, enabling a tailored strategy to meet the unique market demands in Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region.” 

The acquisition encompasses two premix production facilities—known

Vegetables, World

Observance helps highlight the potato’s importance for global agriculture, economic development, food security and nutrition

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the UN’s decision to designate 30 May as International Day of Potato, an opportunity to raise awareness of a crop regularly consumed by billions of people and global importance for food security and nutrition.

The annual observance was championed by Peru, which submitted a proposal for adoption to the UN General Assembly based on an FAO Conference Resolution of July 7, 2023. The impetus for the Day, which builds upon the International Year of Potato that was observed in 2008, originates from the need to emphasise the significant role of the potato in tackling prevalent global issues, such as food insecurity, poverty and environmental threats.

“This International Day will shed light on the significant value of the potato – nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural.  It will also highlight the contribution of the potato to global food security, poverty reduction and the livelihoods of millions while emphasising the key role of Indigenous Peoples knowledge and practices,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.

The Day “will allow us to draw attention to the importance of this ancestral crop in sustaining efforts to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty; as well as to encourage agricultural development, food security, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functions,” Víctor García Toma, Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations told the General Assembly.

Observance helps highlight the potato’s importance for

Live Stock, Sustainability, World

To recognise and celebrate the vital contributions these animals make to livelihoods, food security, and nutrition

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) officially launched the International Year of Camelids 2024 at its Rome headquarters, to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions these animals make to livelihoods, food security and nutrition.

Camelids, including Bactrian camels, dromedary camels, and wild camels, as well as South American camelids such as domesticated llamas and alpacas, and wild vicuñas and guanacos, play a pivotal role in diverse ecosystems. They are particularly important in desert and mountain regions, where they form an integral part of the livelihoods and traditional practices of indigenous communities.

At the launch event, QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General underscored the cultural and environmental importance of camelids.

“Even in the most extreme climatic conditions, they produce milk, meat, fibre and organic fertiliser, and provide transport, boosting food security, nutrition, and livelihoods while helping to conserve fragile ecosystems. Camelids also build resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis – particularly in mountains and drylands and can contribute to the transformation of agrifood systems,” he said.

“The International Year of Camelids is a great opportunity to highlight and value the economic, social and cultural importance of camelids around the globe – especially highly vulnerable communities.”

Camelids, vital for millions of households in over 90 countries, originated in America 45 million years ago. Serving as working animals, they support Indigenous Peoples and local communities in South America’s Andean highlands, as well as the deserts of Africa and Asia. Bactrian camels and dromedaries, for example, known as “ships of the desert,” are crucial for nomadic life in drylands.

The Year seeks to raise global awareness of the multifaceted role of camelids not only as sources of fibre, milk, and meat but also as resilient and sustainable contributors to local economies. In challenging environments, camelids are indispensable for their ability to endure harsh conditions and provide crucial support to communities.

To recognise and celebrate the vital contributions

Company News, Environment, Sustainability

First-of-its-kind agreement on sustainability data for farmers, processors, food manufacturers and retail brand owners

dsm-firmenich, the leading innovator in health, nutrition, and beauty and Sustained, a SaaS sustainability company announced the partnership to enable customers to report the farm-to-fork environmental footprint of food products containing animal proteins including eggs, meat, milk and fish.

This agreement, the first of its kind, allows farmers, processors, food manufacturers and retail brand owners to manage and communicate the sustainability of food production by leveraging dsm-firmenich’s Suste service for capturing farm-level specific emissions data and Sustained’s platform to deliver product-level environmental life cycle assessments of consumer food products at scale.

One-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from food production. Companies along the food value chain are increasingly called upon to measure, report and reduce their environmental footprints because of their sustainability commitments, regulatory requirements and consumer preferences.

Over 70 per cent of consumers now consider sustainability as a primary driver in purchasing decisions creating a pressing need for transparent and reliable data on sustainability across the entire value chain.

First-of-its-kind agreement on sustainability data for farmers,

China

The new wholly owned subsidiary in Hainan province will focus on nutrition enhanced corn research, seed production and feed corn production

China based Origin Agritech Limited, an agriculture technology company, announced that the company established a new subsidiary in Hainan Island to expand the capacity of nutrition enhanced corn production. 

The new wholly owned subsidiary in Hainan province will focus on nutrition enhanced corn research, seed production and feed corn production by taking advantage of the three corn growing seasons per year on Hainan Island. Over 50,000 Mu contract growing of feed corn has been initiated for the 2022 growing season, and significant growth is expected for next growing season.

Origin Agritech nutritionally enhanced corn reduces the need for expensive additives such as soybean meal for feed stock companies. As global grain prices surge, it offers great cost savings to feed stock companies. Origin Agritech is currently in discussion with numerous feed stock companies for large orders as well as for partnerships, such as the previously announced collaboration with BaoDao Feed Limited.

“I am very proud of our scientists for having bred a corn variety that is having such a positive impact for feed stock companies and for the entire food supply chain,” said Dr Gengchen Han, Origin Agritech’s Chairman. “With our leading position in GMO and gene editing technology, we expect to market more nutrition enhanced corn hybrids in the near future and thus help to increase China’s domestic food production.”

The new wholly owned subsidiary in Hainan province will

Environment

The deadline to apply for this grant cycle is March 30, 2022, at 5 pm EDT

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agricultural development, has announced the launch of its new grant application cycle on the theme of “Climate Action Within the Context of Agriculture” for non-profit organisations with grant proposals between $20,000 – $300,000 and located anywhere across the globe.

In alignment with the United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on “Climate Action” and AGCO’s purpose to deliver “farmer-focused solutions to sustainably feed our world,” the Foundation is accepting grant applications on climate action in agriculture. The AAF grant application platform, through its community investment software partner, Benevity, is running the application cycle from February 21 to March 30. This programme strengthens AAF commitment to its strategic focus areas and AGCO’s Farmer-First strategy while addressing global trends on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The Foundation’s first grant application cycle for 2022 seeks new project proposals from non-profits that combine various sustainable methods to tackle the specific climate change-related challenges of today’s farming communities. 

Grant eligible non-profit organisations must focus on climate action in the agricultural context that also aligns with any of the AAF thematic focus areas such as Nutrition & Sustainable Food Systems, Agricultural Education, Research and Innovation, and Farmer Community Development. The aim is to implement projects that promote sustainable climate solutions for farmers and the agricultural sector to benefit economies while also strengthening community development. 

The deadline to apply for this grant cycle is March 30, 2022, at 5 pm EDT. 

The deadline to apply for this grant