Browse Agriculture Policy Stories - Page 11

University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental doctoral student Erico Rolim de Mattos envisions a world where exploding human populations, global climate change and land overdevelopment has rendered mankind incapable of producing enough food to sustain humanity. This scenario is a very real possibility, and it has captured the minds of specialists from organizations like NASA and the United Nations.

Haitian farmers have toiled for more than a century to grow crops in the nation’s notoriously ravaged farmlands. A new soil-testing lab, scheduled to open in June, should help farmers in Haiti improve their yields.

Seven years ago Chris Hopkins and his wife Marilynn started their row crop operation on 50 acres of rented land in Toombs County. Since that time, the Hopkins’ farm has grown to encompass 600 acres of cotton, peanuts, corn timber, watermelons and pecans.

Georgians can expect to pay more at the supermarket in 2012. This is good news for peanut and pecan farmers who can expect record prices for their crops.

In a year when Georgia’s economy struggled to get back on its feet, agriculture gave local communities a much-needed boost, according to a report released by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

Agriculture is the food you eat, clothes you wear and the fuel that runs your life. From the local Georgia farm to the globally stocked supermarket, access to safe and affordable products is important. Learn what's ahead for this vital industry at the 2012 Ag Forecast series to be held 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 23 in Macon, Jan. 24 in Tifton, Jan. 25 in Statesboro, Jan. 26 in Gainesville and Jan. 27 in Carrollton.

China is a major supplier of food ingredients and products to the U.S. and Canada. However, food safety concerns for both Chinese and U.S. products have resulted in food recalls in recent years. To address these concerns, the University of Georgia held the fourth International Summit on Emerging Issues in Food Safety and Marketing.

Despite an uncomfortable mix of wet, cold and windy weather, North America’s premier farm show, the Sunbelt Ag Expo, marched on this week in Moultrie, Ga. More than 70,000 visitors perused the wears of 1,200 vendors, a North Carolina farmer was tapped as the Southeast’s top and land-grant universities brought their messages to the masses.

Local food hubs may be the next evolution in Georgia’s agricultural industry, turning the state’s largest economic sector into an even larger engine of job creation and rural community revitalization. A meeting is set for Oct. 27 in Athens, Ga., for those who want to support the effort.

Changes in certain policies affecting farm labor and improved business strategies are needed to help farmers weather farm labor shortages, says a University of Georgia agricultural economist.