Click here for a quick SweetScam video

The Center for Consumer Freedom group is at it again, but this time defending the very popular, but wrongly accused ingredient, High Fructose Corn Syrup. CCF’s website, SweetScam.com is serving as a watchdog for the numerous attacks on HFCS by providing statistical information using sound science and professional expertise.

SweetScam. com is broken down in to four areas including:

Science and Nutrition

Myths and Facts

How it’s made

Mythmakers

The website reads, “Activists and others like to play the blame game when it comes to obesity. But their theory about some sweeteners doesn’t hold water. It turns out sugar is sugar, whether it comes from sugar cane, sugar beets, or corn, and it’s perfectly fine in moderation.”

A strong voice is needed as companies are centering advertising campaigns on the removal of an ingredient that is not actually improving the health of their product, but simply a marketing tactic. Most notably Starbucks has completely removed it from their menu and Pepsi-Cola is experimenting as well.

Consumer Reports wrote, “But tossing high-fructose corn syrup off ingredient lists may well have more to do with marketing than science. A sweetener made from cornstarch processed with enzymes and acids, HFCS has roughly the same composition as cane sugar—about half glucose and half fructose—and the same number of calories. Concerns that it’s directly responsible for rising obesity rates or somehow intrinsically more fat-inducing than sugar are largely unfounded…”

These marketing messages aren’t necessarily making claims against HFCS, but still put negative ideas into the average consumers’ mind. SweetScam. com looks to dispel the false rumors, claims and myths against the widely used sweetener by informing folks  with the factual information that they deserve.

Mark Twain once wrote that “the trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that aren’t so.”

Monday in the New York Times you will find a full page ad exploiting the negatives of the Humane Society of the United States paid for by the Center for Consumer Freedom.

The ad reads:

Shouldn’t the “Humane Society” do better?
The Humane Society of the United States is NOT your local animal shelter. In fact, it gives less than one-half of one percent of its $100 million budget to hands-on pet shelters.
Meanwhile, this wealthy animal rights group socked away over $2.5 million of Americans’ donations in its own pension plans.
Surprised? So were we. The dog-watchers need a watchdog. Join the discussion at HumaneWatch.org

The ad explains that only one dollar out of every $200 donated actually go to animal shelters. A majority of HSUS dollars goes to lobbyists who take aim at extreme government regulation over agriculture.

HSUS is very well-known for taking advantage of people’s emotions by asking for financial donations during times of natural disaster or by showing sickly animals on a TV commercial.

“HSUS’s cable TV fundraising ads are full of images of dogs and cats in dire need of help,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. “HSUS donors should hold the organization to a much higher standard. Instead of spending millions on executive pensions, a bloated legal staff, and PETA-style propaganda campaigns, HSUS’s leaders should put their money where their mouth is.”

Other recent news of people fighting back against HSUS includes the Ringling Brothers Circus, who has filed a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Lawsuit against the group. Charges against the group include: bribery, obstruction of justice and money laundering.

“America’s farmers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, research scientists, fashion designers, and restaurateurs have seen for decades how the animal rights movement can behave like a mobbed-up racket,” said Martosko. “But it’s still shocking to see the evidence laid out on paper. In a treble-damage lawsuit like this, a jury could actually do the humane thing and finally put HSUS out of business completely.”

More information on the lawsuit can be found at HumaneWatch.org

“The new HumaneWatch website is the only place the public will be able to read this lawsuit,” Martosko added. “We’re publishing a treasure trove of information about the Humane Society of the United States, including lots of surprising documents that HSUS would rather remain hidden from its contributors.”

Increased yields, savings in time, reduced runoff, precise application of nutrients and seeds are all ingredients of precision agriculture, which is setting up farmers for future success. With the price of inputs on the rise and margins thin, a farmer’s productivity has never been more important.

Precision ag dates back to the 1970’s when laser controlled graders and scrapers were used in broad-acre operations for cotton and wheat farming. Unitl only 15 years ago was the first GPS constellation NAVSTAR made available for non-military use. Initially, accuracy was only within a number feet but now is within the inch. Today’s technology allows farmers to operate a variety of machines with little-to-no user interaction. Most systems provide all steering for the operator by picking up coordinates from GPS satellites.

Saving Time

Having your large equipment making precise turns, rows and applications will save your operation time. Most notably in planting, spraying and tillage work.

Reducing Cost

A reduction in the amount of seed, pesticides, fertilizer and fuel can be a big money saver. With the equipment mostly steering and operating on its own, extra experienced help is not a necessity.

Environmental Stewardship

There are a number of benefits coming from precision ag which reduce the producer’s environmental impact. Pollution and runoff are reduced by applying fewer chemicals; in fact some systems are so sophisticated that it will automatically apply more or less product as needed. Certain systems have the capability to alarm the producer of having proper wind and temperature conditions. The soil also benefits by having minimal disturbance.

The Future

The future of precision ag will continue to focus on improving its user friendly interface allowing more producers to adapt.
Telematics will soon allow producers to monitor machinery conditions including location, fuel consumption, speed, direction and potential maintenance all from their phone. Information on everything from planting to harvest will be available instantly.

Even further into the future there is talk about remote control capability. It sounds crazy, but you could someday plant from home.

As ag technology moves forward, farmers will become more and more reliant on precise statistical information allowing their operation to increase in efficiency while delivering productive yields.

South Dakota has always been a leader in renewable fuels and current state legislation looks to make sure that the progress continues.

House Bill 1192 would create a grant program using $1 million in federal stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and would be used for the installation of additional ethanol blender pumps in South Dakota.

The grants would be issued between April 1 and May 28 of 2010 exceeding no more than $10,000. Gas stations are allowed to receive more than one grant if they choose to install multiple blender pumps.

The prime sponsor of the bill, Representative Mitch Fargen of District 8, received bipartisan support as the bill passed the House State Affairs Committee unanimously 13-0 on Thursday, Feb. 18. The bill now moves into the Senate for consideration.

The bill is modeled after past blender pump infrastructure programs developed by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council which has been successful in establishing over 40 blender pumps across the state.

Ron Lamberty of the American Coalition for Ethanol states, “The blender pump has become a reasonable solution to the challenge of increasing the availability of E85 and ethanol blends beyond E10. In addition to the fact that blender pumps give the marketer the ability to offer those higher blends without replacing underground storage tanks and fuel lines – a huge cost savings – the pumps are used by every customer that comes to a station, which means all purchases help with the payback of the pump, making payback of the non-flex fuel portion much faster.”

Ethanol blender pumps are nothing new to South Dakota. In fact, South Dakota was the first state to install the pumps thanks to the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. SDCUC continues to be a leader in the ethanol industry by adding additional infrastructure and looks to continue its progress with the current legislation.

Owen Jones, a farmer and rancher from Britton, SD writes, “With the incentives outlined in HB 1192, the State of South Dakota can play a significant role in getting the proper distribution system in place for the future of renewable fuels. Instead of dispensing one product, five different products can be dispensed from one pump. Another reason I am very supportive of this Bill is the fact that this legislation is not only good for the ethanol industry, but it is good for our nation. We need to rid ourselves of the addiction on foreign oil and change to a renewable fuel system which our nation controls.”

Monsanto and Pioneer seed companies are both currently involved in helping African farmers by planting new varieties of corn that intend on increasing yields in some of the harshest of climates. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is providing funding for both projects. The goal of the foundation is to help fight hunger by providing small farmers with the tools and opportunities needed to boost their productivity, incomes and to build better lives for their families.

While some people look at the actions as just good public relations, fact of the matter is that populations are growing at such a rate that food production will need to be doubled by 2050.

“If you look at the issues the world faces, we’ve got a tremendous need for increasing productivity,” said Paul Schickler, President of Pioneer.

Corn is vital throughout eastern and southern Africa, but yields are typically only a fraction of what they are in the United States because of poor soil, lack of moisture and little access to herbicides and pesticides.

Pioneer is researching corn varieties that use less nitrogen, while Monsanto is currently two years into a study researching drought resistant corn varieties.

Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant says that Africans deserve the same technology that has helped corn farmers in Iowa.

“My dream is that we launch drought tolerance in central Iowa on the same day we launch in Nairobi,” Grant said. “It’s the democratization of technology.”

Monsanto is currently testing their current drought tolerant varieties in South Africa, the only sub-Saharan country in Africa that allows biotech crops. The seed company hopes to expand to Kenya and Uganda this year. Monsanto hopes to have this variety available to small-scale farmers in Africa by 2016, and to United States farmers in 2012.

Pioneer’s nitrogen efficiency trait corn is still in its early stages and currently has no timeline for commercial release.

The improvement of nitrogen efficiency would allow farmers to raise corn on lower quality land and to use less fertilizer which also means less runoff. A majority of African farmers currently use little to no fertilizer due to its cost.

“African maize farmers must deal with drought, weeds and pests, but their problems start with degraded, nutrient-starved soils and their inability to purchase enough nitrogen fertilizer,” said Wilfred Mwangi, associate director of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center’s corn breeding program in Kenya.

Through American Agriculture and Philanthropy, progress against hunger and poverty during this lifetime is possible.

“Poor farmers are not a problem to be solved; they are the best answer for a world that is fighting hunger and poverty, and trying to feed a growing population.” – Bill Gates

In a world growing by 200,000 people per day, farmers have plenty of mouths to feed. Biotechnology is allowing farmers to provide by producing more with less. Biotechnology crops have done everything from providing better nutrition, resistance to pest and crop disease and drought tolerance with future plans of flood tolerate crops.

Biotechnology is simply the genetic enhancement of agriculture and is possibly one of the oldest human activities. Decades of documented evidence show that agriculture biotechnology is a safe and beneficial technology that contributes to both environmental and economic sustainability.

Most importantly, biotechnology has enabled farmers to double their corn yields in the last 20 years. Biotechnology has also allowed farmers to use less irrigation, energy and land while releasing less green house gas emissions.

Land use per bushel of corn is down 37%

Irrigation per bushel has decreased 27%

Energy use per bushel has decreased 37%

Greenhouse gas emissions have decreased 30%

Biotechnology has also allowed for an increase in the practice of no-till farming allowing left-over crop mulch to cover the ground between growing seasons protecting the soil, decreasing runoff and erosion.

Due to no-till practices, the amount of pesticides applied to crop land has decreased by 790 million pounds annually.

A recent feat in biotechnology was the mapping of the genome sequence of corn which will lead to a speedier development in improved corn varieties.

Working to improve agricultural technology isn’t a choice, but a must in order to meet the future food and fuel needs, while improving the quality of life for future generations.