management

The use of antibiotics in animal agriculture fuels discussion based on few facts and much misinformation. Dispel many of those myths as you review these presentations from the National Institute for Animal Agriculture's 2011 Antibiotic Use In Food Animals, held October 26-27, 2011, Chicago, IL, USA.

Did the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations apply balanced comparisons between livestock and transportation, with respect to environmental impact? According to Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Agricultural Air Quality Center Director, University of California, Davis, the FAO's published report "Livestock's Long Shadow" misses the mark by comparing apples to oranges.

A true lifecycle assessment must be done on any system being compared.

You need to perform a complete life cycle assessment of both systems before any statements about livestock and transportation can be made and compared.

Dr. Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, provides an in-depth pork industry economic update, from the Swine Forecast 2011 webinar, December 1, 2010.

Key factors for 2011: Ethanol and biofuels policy; Grains and costs of production; Policy decisions; Macro-economic situation – esp. $US; Last month’s elections

Dr. Roger Campbell, Pork Cooperative Research Center (CRC), share an international perspective on the the future of the pork industries, from the Swine Forecast 2011 webinar, December 1, 2010.

Continue to enhance efficiency of production and actively address likelihood of increasing and volatile feed costs; Exploit growing global demand for pork and cost advantages – more exports and better understanding global customer demands; Be aware of growing welfare and environmental concerns – they are likely to affect all countries directly and indirectly.

While there is a generally positive view of Iowa farmers, there is public concern about the State of Iowa's air and water quality.

"My concern is on pollution," said John Fisher, 82, of Des Moines. "They have to use chemicals to gain their production, but I think they use too many."

Farmers have long enjoyed a mythic place in American culture, but a series of best-sellers and documentaries have blamed the obesity problem on agriculture, and corn in particular, and have portrayed producers as tools of greedy multinational agribusinesses.

These concerns are effecting policy and legislation, both at a state and national level.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said the state should consider limiting how much commercial fertilizer farmers apply to crop fields. His re-election opponent, Republican Terry Branstad, said he would not support the proposal.