SD Corn

The animal rights group, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), claim to be negotiating with billboard companies to install the sign above somewhere near Vermillion, South Dakota, pushing their vegan agenda.  If this doesn’t prove how whacky PETA is, I am not sure what will.

First off, PETA claims that eating beef is worse for you than smoking marijuana. I would be more than happy to read some sort of study on this, but it appears to be rabble.

How can one even begin to compare a major source of protein in our country to a substance like marijuana? The last time I checked marijauna was still illegal.

Secondly, not one sign company with a presence in southeast, South Dakota has been contacted by the group, proving this whole ordeal was a sham.

If there is anything to take away from this, it’s that the anti-ag community is working their way into our state, whether it’s  through false PR like this or a physical presence. Agriculture is the backbone of South Dakota and the time is now to let your voice be heard.

Negative reports about atrazine, the most common pesticide application in United States, maybe seem redundant, but yet another was released this week. Dr. Tyrone Hayes, who has been discredited by the EPA multiple times, released another report claiming that exposure to the pesticide, atrazine, caused male frogs to transform into females.

 Prior research by Dr. Hayes has come under scientific scrutiny and criticism by directors of the Environmental Protection Agency for lacking basic scientific standards and lack of transparency. Alex Avery, Director of Research and Education at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues, criticized the new research by University of California Berkeley professor.

“Dr. Hayes is an admitted anti-atrazine activist…and has spent more than a decade allied with eco-activists peddling scare stories due to alleged health effects from atrazine,” Avery stated.  ”Aside from his own often-conflicting lab studies, other researchers have not seen the effects Hayes claims to have found. Replication is the gold-standard of science and Hayes’ work has failed this test miserably.”

The most recent study has many shortcomings including its inconsistency with prior findings by the author, including the use of only one dose level and the failure to use a positive control, a basic requirement with this type of study.

The EPA’s independent Scientific Advisory Panel “believed strongly that all of the field studies reviewed had serious flaws that limit their usefulness…” and “these problems render interpretation of results problematic if not impossible.”

Even with Hayes’ report holding no merit, agriculture still seems to take a hit from the mass media with over a thousand blogs, websites and other news outlets reporting on the story.

Atrazine has been used by farmers safely for over 50 years and has had no effect on amphibians, fish, birds or any other form of wildlife. Atrazine allows farmers to use conservation tillage systems preventing soil erosion and saving them around $28/acre on average. During the last 20 years, atrazine has improved corn yields 5-11%.

Over 6,000 studies have been done on the pesticide alone and every time it has come back safe. Most recently, the State of Minnesota conducted a thorough review of atrazine and in January announced, “The review finds that atrazine regulations protect human health and the environment in Minnesota.”

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.”

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