Cultivate - Food and agribusiness newsletter

In this ninth issue of Cultivate, we speak to John Phinney, the Managing Director of Sundrop Farms, an Australian-based hightech agribusiness about the challenges faced by agribusiness producers implementing innovative technologies.

Food security continues to be a matter of global concern; we examine food security on the global stage and the critical role of investment in agriculture to address the problem.

In a spotlight on Latin America, we discuss the role of biofuel as a renewable energy source and the varying initiatives in place in several Latin American countries to produce it. We also consider Family Agriculture Units in Colombia, their role and the rationale behind their use.

Water scarcity continues to be a severe and widespread issue. We present a snapshot of the water consumption and management problems that Europe faces in the agricultural sector. Elsewhere in Europe, we discuss the new European Union competition rules for the agricultural sector and their implications for EU food producers.

The challenges faced by farmers the world over are not necessarily as different as we might believe, though the consequences of success and failure may be. In this issue we consider six key areas of similarity in farming between the UK and Africa.

In our Food Safety updates, we review the City of Toronto’s controversial food safety pilot program; the US House of Representatives decision to pass the anti-GMO labelling bill; and the proposed FDA new user fee program to provide for accreditation of auditors to conduct food safety audits.

We invite you to read about these developments affecting the food and agribusiness industry and welcome your thoughts on areas to cover in future issues. 

Feature articles

Food safety