The conference, which is unique in its focus on farmer-owned cooperatives, was coordinated by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives as part of its program to build future cooperative leaders. Program details and registration information, as well as information on programs from previous years, are available at www.farmercoops.uwcc.wisc.edu.

Farm Foundation has been a partner in the conference since it was initiated 21 years ago.

The post 2018 National Farmer Cooperatives Conference appeared first on Farm Foundation.

In the last two years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented new restrictions on how antibiotics can be used in livestock production. At the same time, private companies and producers have been carefully considering when and how antibiotics are used in order to comply with these restrictions, and satisfy consumer demand for product raised with few or no antibiotics.

This rapidly-changing landscape has sparked discussion about how to incentivize the development of new animal pharmaceutical products to which antibiotic resistance is less apt to develop. Often lacking is information about the economic costs and benefits of such initiatives.

One challenge to such research is data collection on sales and use of antibiotics in food animal production. In order to make policy and management decisions, public and private decision makers can benefit from information on the volume of antibiotics used, the costs of reducing antibiotic use, and the demand for products produced with fewer antibiotics. Obstacles to data collection include confidentiality, costs and defining appropriate metrics.

The workshop included presentation of new research on the economic aspects of changing antibiotic use on U.S. farms, as well as information on collection of data on the sale and use of antibiotics in U.S. food animal production. Other topics to be addressed include:

• Changes in costs, practices and structures in the U.S. livestock sector and associated industries due to recent FDA policy changes on antibiotic use in food animal production.
• Consumer demand for products raised without antibiotics, and associated price premiums.
• The challenges of supplying U.S. beef raised with fewer antibiotics.
• Potential applicability of  incentive mechanisms used in human pharma to animal pharma.
•  Description and analysis of ongoing efforts to collect data on antibiotic use in U.S. food animal production.

Presentations made at the workshop are provided here as speakers have made them available:

Session 1: Impacts of 2017 FDA Antibiotic Use Policies on Producers

VFD Implementation Impacted Pig Farmers, Veterinarians & Feed Providers: Perspectives and Lessons Learned, Lee Schultz, MS, PH.D., Iowa State University

Experiences of New York State Dairy Farms with VFD Implementation: Perspectives from Farmers and Industry Professionals, Kelsey O’Shea, Farm Business Management Specialist, North Country Regional Ag Team, Cornell University

Impact of the VFD Changes at the Farm Level, Phil Durst, Senior Extension Dairy Educator, Michigan State University

Core Stewardship Principles for VFD Medicated Feed, Mike Murphy, DVM, Office of the Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Session 2: Evaluating Producer Demand for Antibiotics

Managing Derived Demand for Antibiotics in Animal Agriculture, David Hennessy, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural, Food & Resource Economics, Michigan State University

Evaluating Animal Health Policies Using Livestock Production Data: Facts, Figures & Opportunities,  Elliott Dennis, MS, MBA, Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

Session 3: Collection of Data on Antibiotic Sales

What Antibiotic Use Data Can and Can’t Tell Us, Mike Apley, DVM, Ph.D., Kansas State University

 Monitoring Antibiotic Use in the Swine Industry, Peter Davies, BVSc, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Characterizing U.S. Animal Drug Consumption by Sales, Neal Bataller, ME, DVM, Director, Division of Surveillance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA

 FDA’s Proposed Biomass Denominator Method,  Susan Bright-Ponte, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM, Division of Surveillance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA

Session 4: Impacts of Veterinary Feed Directive Policies on Veterinarians

How the VFD Impacted Veterinarians’ Bottom Line, Gail R. Hansen, DVM, MPH, Hansen Consultants

Impact of FDA Veterinary Feed Directive Policies on Practicing Veterinarians: Results of a Quantitative Survey,  Cassidy Rist, DVM, MPH, Center for Public & Corporate Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Session 5: Developing New Animal Pharma Products
Applicability to Animal Pharma of Drug Research and Development Incentive Mechanisms Currently Used in Human Pharma, Stacy Sneeringer, Ph.D., Economic Research Service, USDA

Antibiotic Stewardship in Animal Agriculture, Karin Hoelzer, DVM, Ph.D., Pew Charitable Trusts

Session 6: Markets for Products Labeled as Raised With Fewer Antibiotics

Structural Challenges of Supplying U.S. Beef Raised with Fewer Antibiotics, Maria Bowman, Ph.D., Economic Research Service, USDA

 Evaluation of Consumer Demand and Price Premiums for Poultry Products Raised Without Antibiotics, Elina Page, Ph.D., Economic Research Service, USDA                     

Price Premium & Welfare Losses of the ‘Natural’ Label: A Machine-Learning Application, Gianna Short, Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota

The post Challenges to Changing Antibiotic Use in Food Animal Production: Economics, Data and Policy appeared first on Farm Foundation.

Agricultural research and innovation systems must respond to an increasingly complex range of issues to help the food and agricultural sectors meet the growing global demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber. In addition to generating significant increases in agricultural production yields, new innovations must enhance food quality and safety, conserve environmental resources and adapt to climate change. At a time of increased competition for public funding, policies addressing research and innovation need to be honed to deliver demand-driven innovations. Policies must also address governance and capacity of research systems, and linkages between the public and private sectors.

The symposium brought together researchers, academics and industry leaders from the United States and the European Union to:

• Discuss government efforts to improve the capacity of research and innovation systems to respond to global  challenges in the food and agricultural sector;
• Review developments in long-term investments and returns to public agricultural research;
• Examine new ways to enhance public and private agricultural research cooperation and strengthen incentives to  invest in agricultural innovation; and
• Discuss the experiences of the United States and other OECD countries in reforming their agricultural research and innovation policies to meet emerging challenges to the agricultural and food systems.

Presentations from the symposium are provided here as presenters have approved such use:

Session I: Setting the Scene

Global Trends in Public and Private Food and Agricultural R&D Investment
Nienke Beintema, Program Head, Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators, International Food Policy Research Institute

Contribution and Value of Public Agricultural Research for Agricultural Productivity
Philip Pardey, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Applied Economics, and Director of Global Research Strategy, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Minnesota

Evaluating and Enhancing Social Impacts of Agricultural Research
Pierre-Benoit Joly, Director of Research, National Institute for Agricultural Research, France

Session II: Public-Private Cooperation in Agricultural Research

Emerging Roles of Public and Private Agricultural Research in the United States 
Keith Fuglie, Economist, USDA Economic Research Service

Public-Private Partnerships for Agricultural Innovation: Lessons from OECD Experiences
Catherine Moreddu, Senior Agricultural Policy Analyst, Trade and Agricultural Directorate, OECD

Agricultural Knowledge Systems in Transition: Institutional Reforms in the Netherlands
Huib Silvis, Senior Researcher, Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen University and Research (WUR) Netherlands

Panel Perspectives:
Mojdeh Bahar, Assistant Administrator for Technology Transfer, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Seth Murray, Professor of Plant Breeding, Texas A&M University

Mat Muller, Director, Agricultural Biotech Business Development, DuPont-Pioneer

Session III: Incentivizing Investments in Agricultural R&D

Strengthening Producer-Funded Support for Research Through Government Matching: Australian Experience and Lessons for the United States
Julian Alston, Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California-Davis

Entrepreneurship in Agricultural Technology
Gregory Graff, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University

Policies and Incentives for Agricultural R&D: Experiences of Brazil, China and India
Carl Pray, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Rutgers University

Panel Perspectives
Bill Buckner, President and CEO, Noble Research Institute
Sally Rockey, Executive Director, Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research
Marc Duponcel, Research Lead, Research and Innovation Unit, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission

Additional productivity work:
Farm Size and Productivity: A Global Perspective (February 2017)

Agricultural Productivity and the Environment (March 2015)

 10-13/17-01a

The post Research & Innovation Policies for Sustainable Productive Growth in Agriculture appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The conference–Farm Size and Productivity: A Global Look–was a collaboration of USDA’s Economic Research Service and Farm Foundation, NFP.  Researchers and economists from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the United States discussed new research findings on agricultural development.

Several of the papers presented moved beyond comparisons of land productivity to total factor productivity (TFP). They explored newly available panels of farms to compare not only differences in productivity levels, but also productivity growth by farm size. Other studies examine how specific policies, institutions and behaviors may explain observed productivity differences across farms.

The  workshop program includes the agenda and speaker bios. Papers presented at the workshop are posted below. The papers are also available at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Farm-size-and-productivity-growth-An-international-comparative-assessment.

Workshop Session 1: The United States and Australia
Tracking Consolidation in U.S. Agriculture: James MacDonald, Robert Hoppe and Doris Newton, USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
Farm Size and Productivity Growth in the United States Corn Belt: Nigel Key, ERS
Exploring the Relationship Between Farm Size and Productivity–Evidence from the Australian Grain Industry: Yu Sheng and WIll Chancellor, ABARES

Workshop Session 2: The European Union and Ukraine
Common Agricultural Policy Reforms and Productivity Growth of Crop Farms in the European Union: Raushan Bokusheva, OECD, and Lukas Cechura, Czech University of Life Sciences
Are Mega-Farms the Future of Global Agricutlure: Exploring the Farm-Size Productivity Relatinship for Large Commercial Farms in Ukraine: Klaus Deininger, World Bank

Workshop Session 3: Brazil and Mexico
Large and Small Farms Excel in Brazil:  Steven Helfand, University of California, Riverside; Nicholas Rada, ERS; and Marcelo Magalhaes, UNESP
Inverse Productivity or Inverse Efficiency? Evidence from Mexico: Justin Kagin, Kagin’s Consulting; J. Edward Taylor, University of California, Davis; and Antonio Yunex-Naude, El Colegio de Mexico

Workshop Session 4: China and Vietnam
Misallocation, Selection and Productivity: Quantitative Analysis with Panel Data from China: Tasso Adamopoulos, York Universitiy; Loren Brandt, Unviersity of Toronto; Jessica Leight, Williams College; and Diego Restuccia, Unviersity of Toronto and NBER.
Structural Transformation and Intertemporal Evolution of Real Wages, Machine Use and Farm Size Productuvity Relationships in Vietnam: Yanyan Lieu, IFPRI, William Violette, Brown University; and Chirstopher Barrett, Cornell University

Workshop Session 5: Sub-Saharan Africa
Agricultural Productivity and Farm Size in Selected East and Southern African Countries: Uganda–Tanzania and Malawi: Jacques Julien of the University of Connecticut, and Boris Bravo-Ureta of the Unviersity of Connecticut and the University of Talca, Chile
The Inverse Farm Size Productivity Relationship: New Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Countries: Pasquale Lucio Scandizzo, University of Rome, and Sara Savastano, World Bank
Is Small Still Beautiful: The Farm Size-Productivity Relationship Revisited in Sub-Saharan Africa: Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Godwin Debrah and Ayala Wineman, all of Michigan State Unviersity; Chewe Nkonde of the University of Zambia; and Jordan Chamberlin of CIMMYT

Workshop Session 6: India and Bangldesh
Too Small to be Beautiful: The Farm Size and Productivity Relationship in Bangladesh: Madhur Gautum and Mansur Ahmed, World Bank
Input Transaction Costs, Mechanization and the Misallocation of Land: The Irrelevance of the IR: Andrew Foster, Brown University, and Mark Rosenzweig, Yale University

10-13

The post Farm Size and Productivity: A Global Look appeared first on Farm Foundation.

BE PREPARED On January 1, 2017, livestock producers, feed suppliers and veterinarians will face a new regimen for administering medically-important antibiotics via feed or water to food-producing animals. Stewardship of antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals is a complex issue with far-reaching implications for the nation’s consumers, food industry and agricultural sector. New policies of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—Guidance for Industry #209 and #213—encourage companies to voluntarily change labels of medically-important antibiotics administered in feed or on feed and in drinking water to only therapeutic uses, such as prevention, control and treatment of disease. In addition, under the revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Rule, use of these drugs will require a veterinarian’s order before a livestock producer, or the owner of any food-producing animal may obtain or feed VFD-medicated feed. This webpage was compiled by Farm Foundation, NFP and the Animal Health Institute (AHI) as a central resource for producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers to gain more information on the new policies and how those policies will impact management of day-to-day operations. A local veterinarian or your State Veterinarian can provide additional information. Producers of minor species, such as deer, elk, fish or bees, may want to consult their respective species organizations. Here are sources where you can learn more about the Veterinary Feed Directive: Farm Foundation, NFP A non-advocacy organizations, Farm Foundation, NFP works as a catalyst to convene public and private leaders to examine issues shaping the future of food and agriculture. In the fall of 2015, Farm Foundation hosted 12 workshops across the nation to provide livestock producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers with detailed information on the new FDA policies and VFD rule. Officials from the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at FDA and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service participated in all the sessions. During these workshops, FDA officials received a number of questions about the new policies and VFD rule that they were not able to answer during the session. FDA addressed those questions, and the responses are provided HERE. Stewardship of Antimicrobial Drug Use in Food-Producing Animals, is a Farm Foundation report of the findings from the 12 workshops. One of the primary findings was the need for additional education work, especially with operators of mid- to small livestock operations. FOR VETERINARIANS AND EDUCATORS: Farm Foundation and the Animal Health Institute have created an information card to alert livestock producers to the new FDA policies. You can print out as many cards as you need: VERSION 1 prints one card to a page.  VERSION 2 prints two cards to a page. Animal Health Institute AHI represents the companies that manufacture animal health pharmaceuticals, vaccines and feed additives. Visit the AHI website for details and educational materials on FDA’s Guidance 209 and 213. In collaboration with the National Pork Producers, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Animal Agriculture Alliance are sponsoring a new educational website to examine how FDA’s new policies will change the way antibiotics are used to keep food animals healthy. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine Jan. 3, 2017: FDA Announces Implementation of #213, Outlines Continuing Efforts to Address Antimicrobial Resistance http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm535154.htm FDA CVM/S Key Initiatives in antimicrobial stewardship http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/AntimicrobialResistance/JudiciousUseofAntimicrobials/ucm535158.htm List of affected applications:  http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/AntimicrobialResistance/JudiciousUseofAntimicrobials/ucm390429.htm FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has a number of informational resources available on the new policies and VFD Rule. You may also submit questions directly to the Center for Veterinary Medicine at this email address: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Brochures (with printable versions available) VFD Producer Requirements VFD Requirements for Veterinarians VFD Requirements for Distributors that manufacture VFD Feed VFD Requirements for Distributors that do not manufacture VFD Feed VFD Requirements for Veterinarians–For Veterinary Students FACT SHEET: Veterinary Feed Directive Final Rule and Next Steps Guidance for Industry #209: The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food Producing Animals Guidance for Industry #213: New Animal Drugs and New Animal Drug Combination Products Administered in or on Medicated Feed or Drinking Water of Food Guidance for Industry #120: Small Entity Compliance Guide: Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation Questions and Answers Provides Q&A on the VFD, with specific topics targeted to veterinarians, feed distributors and producers. Guidance for Industry #233: Veterinary Feed Directive Common Format Questions and Answers Provides Q&A on how animal drug sponsors may provide information for VFDs, and the information to be completed by veterinarians. Veterinary Feed Directive Blue Bird label site for cattle, updated June 2016. Blue Bird label site for swine Blue Bird label site for poultry Blue Bird label site for other species VFD Feed Distributors (sorted by state): Feed distributors who have notified CVM/FDA that they will supply VFD feed. USDA Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan RESOURCES FROM SPECIES ORGANIZATIONS National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Webinar, Oct. 27, 2016: Don’t Get Caught Off Guard: Preparing for Changing Antibiotic Regulations National Pork Producers Council: Pork Checkoff’s Antibiotics Resource Center Poultry Health Today American Sheep Industry Association: Tips on Preparing for the Veterinary Feed Directive UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE RESOURCES Kansas State University, The Beef Cattle Institute North Dakota State University Extension: Understanding the Veterinary Feed Directive Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (FARAD): FARAD is a USDA-funded university-based consortium that is overseen and operated by faculty and staff within the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis, the University of Florida, Kansas State University and North Carolina State University. RESOURCES FROM VETERINARY ASSOCIATIONS American Veterinary Medical Association MEDIA RESOURCES Feedstuffs’ VFD Central Bovine Veterinarian: VFD Newsletter Bovine Veterinarian/Zoetis June 2015 webinar: “Responsible Use of Antibiotics: Understanding the VFD” Drovers: Practical answers to your VFD questions AgWeb: Just How Will Veterinary Feed Directive Work?

The post Revised Veterinary Feed Directive rule appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The post Changing Dynamics in Farm Ownership & Agricultural Finance appeared first on Farm Foundation.

Keynoting the workshop was Catherine Woteki, USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics. Other speakers included representatives from FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, academic researchers, animal health pharmaceutical company representatives, global animal health associations and biotech development companies. Presentations are posted below from those speakers who have given permission to do.

The rise of antibiotic resistance and the decline in the number of new antibiotics being developed creates great concern for the future of human medicine.  There is a burgeoning literature on methods to incentivize the development of new antibiotics for human use.  Much less discussed are similar concerns for food animal products.

To understand how to incentivize research and development of new antimicrobial drugs and novel products requires understanding the market for animal pharmaceuticals, how to bring a product to market, the regulatory protocols required to bring products to market, the regulations on use of antibiotics in food production, and the overlap between human and animal antibiotic use and development.

This workshop examined these factors. It also explored the types of interventions that might be used to incentivize research and development of new antimicrobial drugs and novel products for use in food animals. This workshop was not intended to explore the chain of antimicrobial resistance from farm to fork, or antibiotic stewardship practices in livestock production.

The workshop was targeted to policy makers, researches and government agency staff, as well as representatives of the human health, livestock production, veterinary medicine and animal health industries.

*Since “novel products” is a large umbrella, this workshop focuses on antimicrobial activity targeting multi-resistant animal pathogens, such as: bacteriophage and bacteriophage gene products, essential oils, immune enhancers, innate defense molecules, naturally-occurring antibacterial lytic enzymes, organic acids, phytochemicals, prebiotics, probiotics, small interfering RNAs, therapeutic antibodies, lytic enzymes, cytokines, and vaccines.

A note on language:  In the policy sphere, the phrase “alternatives to antibiotics” is used to refer to many products, the use of which may lessen the need for traditional antibiotics. However, depending on a number of features, these products may not be marketed as drugs, and therefore do not go through the same regulatory review as drugs. Hence marketers of these products do not refer to them as “alternatives to antibiotics,” since that would be a claim that they have drug-like properties. While the use of the term “alternatives to antibiotics” is in the title of the workshop, we want to be clear that participation in the workshop does not indicate that a participant’s company is making any drug claims about its marketed products.”

Welcome:  Stacy Sneeringer, Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)

Keynote address: Catherine Woteki, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics

Session 1:  Why Do We Need New Antimicrobials or Novel Products For Use in Food Producing Animals?
Moderator: Cyril Gay, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Panelists:
The Yin and Yang of Innovation for Food Animal Disease Interventions
Tom Shryock, Antimicrobial Consultants, LLC

Antibiotics, Alternatives Incewntives: What’s All the Hubbub?
Tom Campi, Elanco Animal Health

Session 2:  Regulatory Review Processes of New Drugs and Novel Products
Panelists:
Regulatory Review Processes of Antimicrobials and ALternatives to Antimicrobials
Cindy Burnsteel, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

General Licensing Requirements and Regulatory Considerations
Byron Rippke, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA

Regulatory Review Processes of New Products: 2015 Global Regulatory Review and Global Harmonixation
Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, Health for Animals

Concurrent Sessions

Session 3A:  Animal Diseases, Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Animals
Panelists:
Antimicrobial Resistance in Bovine Respiratory Disease
Brian Lubbers, Kansas State University

Diseases of U.S. Livestock Requiring Antimicrobials, USDA APHIS National Animal Health Monitoring System
Kathe Bjork, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA

Perspectives on Needs for Therapeutics for Animal Helath and Safe Food
M. Terry Coffey, Smithfield Hog Production Division

Session 3B:  Animal Health Industry:  Basic Research, Development, Testing and Marketing
Panelists:
Animal Health Products: What Does Our World Look Like?
Rob Hunter, Provetica Animal Health

The Landscape of Animal Health Innovation
Grady Bishop, Elanco

Concurrent Sessions
Session 4A: Connecting Human and Animal Pharma Development
Moderator: Gail Hansen, Hansen Consulting
Panelists:
Discovery and Development of Veterinary Antibacterials
Jeffrey Watts, Zoetis

BARDA’s Role in Combating Antibiotic Resistance
Joe Larsen, Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

A One Helath Perspective on Antibicrobial Drug Development
Laura Kahn, Princeton University

Session 4B:  Challenges to Research, Development & Commercialization of Non-Antibiotic Products
Panelists:
Bringing an Animal Product from the Petri Dish to the Market
Cindy Burnsteel, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA

Not available: (Alternatives to Antibiotics:  Challenges and Opportunities for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
Cyril Gay, Agricultural Research Service, USDA)

Success and Impact of Alternative Approaches on Antibiotic Resistance Mitigation
Hua Wang, Ohio State University

Friday, March 18

Session 5:  Incentives and Disincentives to Developing New Antibiotics and Novel Products for Use in the Livestock Sector
Panelists:
Antibiotic Discovery and Development in Animal Health: A Landscape of Conflicting Busienss Signals
Rick Sibbel, Merck

Project Funding Roulette: Where Should the Bet Be Planced?
Tom Overbay, Expedite

 Observations from an Academic Entrepreneur
Mark Cook, University of Wisconsin

Session 6:  Government Dollars, Government Levers and Public-Private Partnerships
Panelists:
The Economics of Incentivizing Innovation
Matt Clancy, Economic Research Service, USDA

Fighting Resistance: How Can Government Incentives Stimulate New Antibiotics for Animal Health?
Andrew Toole, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

USDA’s Extramural Investments in Sciences Supporting Development of Alternatives to Antibicrobials
Gary Sherman, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA

Developing Partnerships to Commercialize USDA-ARS Research
Rob Griesbach, Office of Technology Transfer, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Concurrent Sessions
Session 7A:  Solutions: Private Sector and Federal Agencies 
Panelists:
Tom Shryock, Antimicrobial Consultants, LLC
Tom Overbay, Expedite
Cindy Burnsteel, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA
Rick Sibbel, Merck
Joe Larsen, BARDA

Session 7B:  Solutions: From Basic Science to Commercial Application
Panelists:
Mark Cook, University of Wisconsin
Hua Wang, Ohio State University
Dave Donovan, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Lucia Mokres, EpiBiome

16-01

The post Incentives, Disincentives for Research & Development of New Antimicrobial Drugs & Alternatives to Antibiotics for Food Animals* appeared first on Farm Foundation.

The report summarizes findings of 12 workshops Farm Foundation conducted across the nation in the fall of 2015 on implementation of the FDA GFI #213 and the revised VFD. (See details of the workshops below.)

FDA officials participated in all the workshops, providing information and answering questions. During the workshops, FDA officials were not able to respond to all the questions. FDA has now addressed those questions. Read the responses HERE.

The 12 workshops were an opportunity for livestock producers, feed suppliers and veterinarians to gain a comprehensive understanding of two GFIs–#209 and #213–issued by the FDA regarding the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as the revised VFD rule. Once fully implemented, these guidance documents will result in medically-important antimicrobial drugs seeing label changes allowing only therapeutic uses (prevention, control or treatment of disease), and use of the drugs in feed or water will require a veterinarians order.

The Farm Foundation report was released Jan. 20, 2016 as part of the national summit, Antimicrobial Stewardship: Policy, Education and Economics. In addition to discussion of the Foundation report, the summit program examined how agriculture and animal health can be full partners with the human medical community in a fully integrated national action plan to reduce and mitigate antibiotic resistance. The basis of these discussions is a report, Addressing Antibiotic Resistance, issued in October 2015 by a joint task force of APLU and AAVMC. ERS led sessions examining the economics of antibiotic use in U.S. livestock production, as well as the interaction of farming practices and the requirements of food marketers. Information resources on FDA’s GFI #209 and #213 and revised Veterinary Feed Directive Rule can be found at the bottom of this page.

More than 180 producers, economists, government agency staff and representatives from livestock, veterinary and feed industry organizations participated in the summit. The event was a collaboration of Farm Foundation, NFP, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Veterinary Medicine Colleges (AAVMC) and USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).

Featured speakers at the summit included: Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics; Bernadette Dunham, DVM, Ph.D., Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM); William Flynn, DVM, Deputy Director of Science Policy at the CVM; Steve Solomon, MD, Global Public Health Consulting; Liz Wagstrom, DVM, National Pork Producers Council; Christine Hoang, DVM, MPH, CPH, American Veterinary Medical Association;  Ashley Predith, Ph.D., President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; and livestock producers, feed suppliers, veterinarians and university leaders from across the nation.

Preceding the summit on the morning of Jan. 20 was a Farm Foundation Forum on the topic: Antibiotic Use in Humans and Animals.

Understanding the new FDA Guidances and revised Veterinary Feed Directive rule: Stewardship of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals was the focus of 12 workshops organized across the United States by Farm Foundation, NFP. The workshops were an opportunity for livestock producers, feed suppliers and veterinarians to gain a comprehensive understanding of two GFIs issued by FDA regarding the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as the FDA’s revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule.

Many producers and businesses across the entire food and agricultural value chain have already taken action to reduce the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food animal production. FDA’s GFI 209 and GFI 213 call on animal drug sponsors of approved medically-important antimicrobial drugs administered through medicated feed or water to remove production uses (i.e., to promote growth or improve feed efficiency) from their product labels, and bring the remaining therapeutic uses of these products–to treat, control, or prevent disease–under the oversight of a veterinarian by the end of December 2016. Manufacturers of products containing these medically-important antimicrobial drugs have voluntarily agreed to submit changes to their product labels to comply with the GFIs. Additionally, FDA revised the VFD to facilitate the increased veterinary oversight of medicated feeds called for by GFI #209 and #213.

The one-day workshops included presentations by producer leaders, the local veterinary community, and representatives from the regional feed industry. Representatives of FDA and FDA and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are also participating to discuss the policies and answer questions. A major part of the agenda is designated for producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers to discuss the management challenges ahead. The staff of Adayana Agribusiness facilitated the workshops.

In addition to Farm Foundation’s leadership, individual producers and many companies are providing financial support for this educational effort. These include JBS United, Hormel Foods Corporation, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Rose Acre Farms, Hardin Farms, Irsik Farms, C-ARC Enterprises, National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board, Elanco Animal Health, J.R. Simplot Company, the North American Meat Institute, the National Turkey Federation, BARN Media, Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Western Dairy Association, the National Western Stock Show, the University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Media Coverage:
Listen to an interview Farm Foundation Board Vice Chair Joe Swedberg, who chairs the Antimicrobial Education Project, did with RFD-TV on Aug. 27, 2015 .

INFORMATION RESOURCES:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Guidance for Industry #209 The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food Producing Animals

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Guidance for Industry #213 New Animal Drugs and New Animal Drug Combination Products Administered in or on Medicated Feed or Drinking Water of Food

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Veterinary Feed Directive

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Brochures:

VFD Producer Requirements

VFD Requirements for Veterinarians

VFD Requirements for Distributors who manufacture VFD Feed

VFD Requirements for Distributors who do not manufacture VFD Feed

VFD Requirements for Veterinarians–For Veterinary Students

RESPONSES TO WORKSHOP QUESTIONS: During the Farm Foundation workshops, FDA officials were not able to respond to all questions. FDA has addressed those questions. Read the responses HERE.

FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine: Blue Bird label site for cattle, updated June 2016.

USDA: USDA Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan

Animal Health Institute: FDA Guidance 209, 213 and VFD Educational Material

16-01

The post Stewardship of medically-important antimicrobial drug use in food animals appeared first on Farm Foundation.

While much attention is being directed to soil health, little work has been done on the economics of soil and soil health.  This workshop laid the foundation for an ongoing program of research on the economics of soil health. The participants—from government, foundations, non-profits, academia and the private sector—gathered to learn about and discuss the science and economics of soil health. Through 14 presentations, 5 posters, and 3 group discussion sessions, the workshop explored the economics of soil health.

Highlights of the workshop:

• Opening remarks by Ann Bartuska. USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, underscored the need for setting an interdisciplinary and collaborative research agenda.
• Presentations, posters, and a demonstration of a Cover Crop Decision Tool developed by economists at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service provided participants with details on cutting-edge research and data related to soil health.
• The small and large group discussions, along with an evening reception, fostered lively conversations about the public and private benefits of soil health, challenges for research on the economics of soil health, barriers to adoption of soil health practices, and the relationship between soil health and public policy.

Key takeaways from the workshop:
The economics perspective on soil health focuses on:

• The need for soil health indicators and proxies which are relevant to farmers and easy to measure.
• The distinction between public and private benefits of soil health.
• The view of soil health as an intermediate good or a determinant of other primary goods.
• Farmer decisions and adoption of practices that relate to soil health.
• Profit as the primary (but not only) driver of farmer decision making.
• Policy variables that can influence farmer decisions.

The soil science perspective on soil health focuses on:

• The multiple dimensions of soil health, including the physical, biological and chemical properties of soils, and soil ecology.
• Developing more refined indices that combine multiple soil health metrics.
• Regional as well as within-field variation in the characteristics of healthy soils across soil types and climate.
• Relationships between soil health indicators and yield or yield variability.

The policy perspective on soil health focuses on:

• What the farmer needs to know to make decisions and the costs of information (e.g. soil testing)
• Whether a “soil health” lens motivates the farmer to improve management.
• The distinction between practices and management systems.
• The need for an estimated value of the public and private benefits of producing and maintaining healthy soils (do they increase yields, lower input costs, and/or decrease risk), while recognizing non-monetary benefits like pride in farming.
•  Estimating impacts of government and non-governmental programs and policies (such as research, outreach and extension, and financial assistance) on soil health.

Going forward, economists and soil scientists can employ diverse research methods to tackle soil health research questions by:

• Combining survey data with soil sampling data to research how practices change soils over time, and the economics of practice adoption on the farm.
• Using “big data” from satellite imagery or the private sector to investigate spatial variability in practice adoption, and to examine land use, crop choice, and soil health decisions at small scales.
• Combining program-level data with spatial and soils data to quantify impacts of changes in soil health on yield, yield variability, and other agronomic or economic outcomes.
• Employing behavioral and experimental economics methods to research the impact of information and incentives on adoption of soil health practices.
• Developing detailed case studies that emphasize the net benefits to the farmer and to the public of adopting particular soil health practices or systems.

As authors gave permission, presentations from the workshop are shared here:

Session 1: Economics of Soil Health
Economics of Soil Health: A Conceptual Framework
Erik Lichtenberg, University of Maryland

Economics of Soil Health: Existing Research
Rick Farnsworth, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Conservation Practice Adoption in U.S. Agriculture: What can we learn from ARMS?
Roger Claassen, USDA Economic Research Service

Session 2: Science of Soil Health, Part 1
Jerry Hatfield, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Bianca Moebius-Clune, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Session 3: Science of Soil Health, Part 2
Data Needs for Economic Analysis/Empirical Challenges Wally Tyner, Purdue University
Integrated Agricultural Landscapes through Precision Business Planning
David Muth, AgSolver

Conservation Effects Assessment Project Cropland Survey & Modeling System
Jay Atwood, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Session 4: Soil Health and Public Policy
Crop Insurance and Soil Health
Barry Barnett, Mississippi State University

U.S. Farm Programs, Conservation & Soil Health
Katina Hanson, U.S. Farm Service Agency

Applications of High Resolution Soil Data in Crop Insurance Rating and Yield Distribution Estimation
Josh Woodard, Cornell University

Session 5: Valuing Soil–Almost Three
Jim Moseley, AGree

Session 6: What do we want to do with the data? What are the priority research topics?
Steven Wallendar, USDA Economic Research Service

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations designated 2015 the “International Year of Soils.” Farm Foundation, in collaboration with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, is leading the Soil Renaissance, a multi-year endeavor to focus attention on the role of healthy soils in feeding a growing world while maintaining and protecting natural resources.  The economics of soil health is one pillar of the Soil Renaissance, along with measurement, research and education. For updates on the work, visit the Soil Renaissance website.

USDA showcased the importance of soils to food security and maintaining of critical ecosystems as part of its IYS kickoff events in January. Soil health is also a major focus of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service through its program, Unlocking the Secrets in the Soil. This focus on soil health emphasizes how soil as a complex, living ecosystem supports agricultural production and provides public and private ecosystem services. Yet little work has been done on the economics of soil and soil health.

 15-03

The post Economics of Soil Health appeared first on Farm Foundation.

This workshop featured researchers from around the world who are working on issues of agricultural productivity, and specifically, how technological changes that result in the growth of agricultural productivity may influence the environment and natural resources.

Technological changes which drive agricultural productivity growth may affect the environment in both positive and negative ways. For example, technological change that requires more intensive use of fertilizer and chemical inputs may generate more pollution of water bodies or greater loss of biodiversity. On the other hand, technological change that raises crop yields may improve efficiency of nutrient and water use and save non-agricultural land from conversion to farmland.  Much of the ongoing debate over the sustainability of agriculture revolves around divergent beliefs about the implications of productivity growth for the environment. Yet there is limited understanding of how technological change and productivity growth in agriculture affect environmental outcomes.

At the workshop, leading economic researchers examined the latest research on how productivity growth and technological change affect environmental resources.
Papers and presentations are posted here as authors permit.

Welcome/Opening Remarks: Mary Bohman, Administrator, USDA Economic Research Service

Session 1 – Accounting for the Environment in Metrics of Agricultural Productivity
Measuring agricultural impacts using multiple measures: A meta-analysis
Tim Benton, United Kingdom’s Global Food Security Programme, and the University of Leeds

Valuing the effects of agricultural practices on ecosystem services
Stephen Polasky, University of Minnesota

Agri-environmental indicators and environmentally-adjusted agricultural tool factors productivity: Evidence from OECD countries
Julien Hardelin, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris

Social, economic and environmental value of agricultural productivity in the European Union
Harald Von Witzke, Humboldt University, Berlin

Session II – Environmental Implications of the Rising Global Demand for Animal Protein
Future of global livestock systems and the environment
Hugo Valin, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria

Adding aquaculture to the global food portfolio: Implications for the environment and resources
Max Troell, Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm

Session III – Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Effects of agricultural technological progress on deforestation: What do we really know?
Nelson Villaria, Purdue University

Impact of agricultural productivity gains on land use and greenhouse gas emissions
Ron Sands, USDA Economic Research Service

Session IV – Nutrient Balances
Agricultural N and P balances: What do they tell us?
Mark B. David, University of Illinois

Benefits and costs of reducing excess nutrients from agriculture
Marc Ribaudo, USDA Economic Research Service

Session V – Water
Crop water productivity and water gaps: Quantifying benefits of increasing crop per drop in global agriculture
Kate Brauman, Institute for the Environment, University of Minnesota

Climate change and water sue efficiency in field crops: Implications for agricultural adaptation in the United States
Liz Marshall, USDA Economic Research Service 

Session VI – Soil Health
Measuring and evaluating soil health in Africa
Ermias Betemariam Aynekulu, World Agrofroestry Centre, Nairobi

Agricultural productivity and carbon balances
Carlo Azzarri and Ho-Young Kwon, International Food Policy Research Institute

Wrap-up Session: Tim Benton, University of Leeds

10-13

The post Agricultural Productivity and the Environment appeared first on Farm Foundation.