Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
The dean of the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences says farming often has been disrespected because Americans have just assumed food would be relatively cheap.
But producers aren’t so easy for the rest of the population to dismiss anymore, says Wendy Wintersteen.
During a meeting with the Carroll Rotary Club and in response to questions from Iowa Independent, Wintersteen addressed the growing food-vs.-fuel debate this week, as the world’s population climbs toward 7 billion and commodity prices rise.
“The problem’s never been adequately addressed, and it’s come to a point of crisis,” Wintersteen said.
After acknowledging the complex dynamics with grains feeding both energy facilities and people, and fuel prices adding costs to all areas of agriculture, Wintersteen said consumers must absorb some of agriculture’s costs. (She even noted that the value of manure has doubled over the last five years.)
Should food prices go up?
“I’m inclined to think they should,” Wintersteen said.
She is particularly concerned about the livestock industry.
“The price of corn has gotten so high it’s put the livestock industry at risk,” Wintersteen said.
She said livestock provides about $8 billion annually to the Iowa economy.
One of Wintersteen’s goals for agriculture in the state is a more aggressive push at reducing odor associated with livestock production.
“Odor is a highly complex issue,” Wintersteen said. “You don’t just dab some perfume.”
Along with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture, ISU has developed a plan for a five-year, $22.8 million project of applied odor mitigation research on livestock operations statewide.
The project has not received legislative funding, but Wintersteen is hopeful for 2009.
“I think it still has some life to it,” Wintersteen said.
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