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A new study by Cambridge scientists and researchers from 17 organisations across the globe found that high-yield agriculture is the most sustainable method of farming, as it uses less land and causes less environmental damage in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, fertiliser and water use. An example is the European dairy sector, where organically produced milk causes one-third more soil erosion and takes up twice as much land than conventional dairy farming.

Competitive logistics, and especially freight, is another important component to efficient farming. Brazil, for one, is seeing a revival in farming with a 35% increase year on year in farm credit in the June-July period. However, analysts warn that the country’s agribusiness performance will depend in big part on its ability to maintain competitive freight – something which is threatened by the government’s minimum truck freight rates. The higher local freight costs have already led to a surge in the import of cereals from Paraguay where transport costs are much lower.

The escalating trade war between the US and China is now seen by many as a major concern and not just a small irritant. Analysts now predict that the dispute will slow the US GDP growth to just 2% by the end of 2019, compared to 3.1% for the current quarter, according to a Reuters poll. China has consistently targeted the agricultural sector, just as Iowa’s corn and soy farmers are about to start their harvest. The National Farmers Union estimates that corn, soy and wheat farmers lost USD 13 billion in June alone.

On the other hand, some producers are seeing benefits to the new trade flows, like the US garlic company Christopher Ranch who welcomed the 10% duty on Chinese garlic. And in an unusual twist, Brazil may import 500,000-1 million mt of soybean from the US this year, according to Anec, which represents Cargill, ADM and Louis Dreyfus. An adviser explained that Brazil’s soybean supply was tightening because of a surge in export demand following Chinese duties on US origins.

While the USDA said it was confident it would be able to regain market access once trade issues are resolved, Chinese industry representatives claim that they will be able to completely move away from purchasing US soybeans. The vice chairman of a China-based Wilmar subsidiary said the country would support the government amid escalating tensions, while experts noted that feed processors could easily half the amount of soybean used without affecting livestock growth.

In a bid to improve supply chain efficiency, Cargill has tied up with South America’s Agriness to launch a digital farm management platform, initially to boost pig harvest and then expand to other species like poultry and dairy. Agriness, which manages 2 million sows, will provide real-time data on key indicators such as the number of piglets/sow, weight gain, and production cost. Cargill’s vice-president believes the platform will ensure food safety, food security, sustainability and transparency.

Cargill is also expanding in Poland where it announced it had signed a deal to purchase Polish group Konspol’s feed manufacturing plant, five broiler farms and two processing centres along with the brand and customers and suppliers.

With the use of satellite technology, Nestle said it hopes to prevent deforestation in its palm oil plantations, especially in Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The company wants all its products to be deforestation-free by 2020 compared to 63% in 2017.

In Pakistan, meanwhile, the Supreme Court has appointed a forensic auditor to conduct a detailed inquiry into Nestle’s USD 49 million mineral water operations. The order came on a petition accusing the company of exploiting groundwater and selling water that is unfit for human consumption. The apex court noted that Nestle was paying a negligible tariff for extracting water while selling its product at high rates.

In the US, Starbucks has developed a six-pronged approach to make 10,000 out of its 28,000 stores greener by 2025. According to the strategy, which will be made public to encourage others to follow, the company plans to reduce energy use by 25%, use only renewable energy, reduce water usage by 30% and save food aggregating about 50 million meals/year. To reduce food wastage further up the supply chain, Rabobank is inviting startups to submit tech-based solutions for reducing food wastage in its Food Loss Challenge Asia.

Finally, Coca-Cola is reportedly looking into launching a functional wellness cannabis drinks. Coke is said to have held talks with Canada’s Aurora Cannabis. Its drinks became cocaine-free in 1929 when scientists found a way to remove all psychoactive ingredients from cocoa leaves.

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A coalition of 60 US associations covering all layers of the economy, from Silicon Valley to oil producers, formed Americans for Free Trade to publicly campaign against the ongoing trade war and urge the administration to ease tariffs. Many in the industry did not believe that the dispute would go this far, with the President now threatening to tax virtually all Chinese imports. The groups  warn of layoffs as they face higher costs and smaller export markets.

In a similar vein, Cadbury has joined the list of companies preparing for a hard Brexit and is stocking up on raw materials, including sugar, wheat and cocoa. The UK’s imports will increase by GBP 38 billion (USD 49.37 billion) if companies stockpile three months worth of goods from the EU, according to estimates.

Cargill introduced a software in the Philippines to help the feed and animal industries transition to science-based digital nutrition models. The tool will first be aimed at poultry and swine businesses and will ensure higher margins, according to a company official.
The company has also started meeting startups as part of the CO2 Challenge it launched in June along with Rainmaking and DNV GL. The challenge aims to support technologies which will help reduce the emissions of cargo vessels by 10%. “The solutions are there – we just need to uncover and implement them,” Cargill said.
In the US, Cargill’s Sidney plant in Ohio launched a new USD 10 million line which cuts packaging material waste and uses completely recyclable plastic. This will help customers source sustainable materials.

In Ghana, Cargill said it will expand its direct sourcing programme Cocoa Promise to include four more districts. Under this service, farmers can deliver products to warehouses, effectively cutting out the middleman. This comes at a time when the Cocoa Board is trying to fight the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease by replanting 40% of the country’s unproductive cocoa.

The Dacsa Bunge joint venture will build a USD 14 million plant to process corn in Ukraine which should start operating by the end of 2019, according to market sources. Almost 80% of the 100,000mt capacity plant is expected to be destined for exports. Also in Ukraine, the Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment Company (Salic) has almost finalised a deal to acquire Mriya Agro, which grows corn and barley among other crops. The takeover would make Salic one of Ukraine’s largest farming operations.

The US investment fund Castlelake is looking into picking up controlling stakes in up to five sugar and ethanol companies in Brazil, according to a source. This comes at a time when a lack of investment in the sector is causing it to shrink. Looking at the finances of 75 mills in the Centre South, Itau BBA bank found that 18 units were not making enough to sustain production. With even profitable mills not investing to expand, because of the poor return on capital, some say that cane production next year could drop by 100 million mt.

During a trip to Morocco this week, the head of Danone promised consumers a series of changes, including lower prices and a more transparent supply chain. This comes after months of a boycott by consumers who accused the company of setting unfair prices, among other things, causing a significant drop in sales. The CEO said the crisis was “unprecedented anywhere in the world”. As such, and although he did not know why the boycott specifically targeted Danone, the company decided it was better to find a solution instead of fighting it.

Similarly, Nestle spent USD 34 million to remove preservatives from two of its main milk brands in Brazil, in response to consumers’ demand for more natural products, adding that developing countries were quickly catching with global food trends.
In the US, the company’s USD 50 million frozen food research centre is paying off, as data showed that frozen food sales jumped by almost 6% in the first half of the year, compared to less than 2% growth over the past two years. Analysts say the revival of frozen food is due to companies like Nestle investing in nutritious and healthy meals, a change from the comfort food that frozen food used to be associated with.

The number of people going hungry around the world increased for the third year in the row in 2017, according to the UN’s latest report. The main drivers were climate change and conflicts, with Africa and South America the most affected. The report also noted that obesity rates now increased to cover one adult in eight. An FAO expert explained that nations were now shifting to offering more humanitarian aid without addressing underlying causes, and should instead focus on promoting transformative investments.

This summary was produced by ECRUU

Although he admitted it was a “really bad tax”, the Argentine President announced that crop exports will now face a tax based on the value of the exchange rate, which will hopefully help generate some much needed revenues, unlock IMF funds and avert a crisis. Analysts noted that corn cultivation will drop as a result, as profitably will be down 50% and the crop has not been planted yet, unlike wheat.

South African farmers are also worrying about upcoming policies,  as growers’ body Agri SA and the Congress of South African Trade Unions expressed their opposition to the proposed amendment to the constitution which would allow land acquisitions without compensation. But the National African Farmers Union backed the nationalisation of some agricultural land. A parliamentary panel is reviewing the proposal and has received around 450,000 submissions.

The Coca-Cola Company will spend USD 5.1 billion to purchase the Costa Coffee chain, the world’s second largest coffee chain, making it the first attempt at running a retail chain for the 132-year-old soft-drink giant. Although coffee represented only USD 83 billion out of the USD 513 billion market for soft drinks in 2017, the sector is growing much faster and could help Coca-Cola diversify into healthier products. Coca-Cola is now in a position to upset competitors such as Starbuck or PepsiCo by opening Costa stores in the US, or launching a bottled coffee drink.

Cargill’s Carval fund is said to have purchased Abengoa Bionergia‘s Sao Luiz mill in Pirassununga and Sao Joao sugar mill in Sao Joao da Boa Vista for USD 80 million, according to sources. The fund will invest BRL 100 million (USD 24.34 million) in the two Sao Paulo mills, which have around BRL 1.5 billion (USD 365.1 million) in debt.

Nestle will introduce the South American goldenberry in some of its products, after it bought a 60% stake in the snack company Terrafertil. The fruit is relatively unknown outside of Latin America, but the Nestle Americas CEO explained that it will cater to consumers who increasingly look too organic products with high nutrient content.

In Spain, the number of pigs has increased by 9 million since 2013, bringing the total to around 50 million, or more than the human population of 46.5 million. The supply has grown as Spain is a particularly large consumer of pork, at around 21kg/year per person. Environmentalist warned of the impact of the growing pig population on the water supply and greenhouse gas emissions.

A French parliamentary committee decided last week that the voluntary approach to cutting the salt content in food has not worked, and legislators suggested that a proposal to enforce reductions could come as early as September. They suggested something similar to the sugar tax which would come into effect over a specified level of salt. The committee highlighted the case of the baguette, after bread makers failed to reach the target to limit salt content to 18g/kg 16 years after making the voluntary commitment.

Sulfoxaflor, one of the pesticides poised to replace neonicotinoids, is just as harmful to bee populations as neonicotinoids, according to a new study published in Nature. In February, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that bee colonies were suffering because of the widespread neonicotinoids use and the EU decided to impose a ban later in April, which was followed by a similar decision from Canada.

Global food waste could end up costing USD 1.2 trillion per year by 2030, according to a new report by the Boston Consulting Group. The report lists a series of ways in which the sector could limit waste and save up to USD 700 billion per year, through specific solutions best adapted to the production, processing, distribution, storage and retail segments. The main driver, however, remains a general lack of awareness, the reports concludes.

Lego’s effort to switch away from using petroleum-based plastics could still be years away, according to the company, who has set a target to use only plant-based sustainable products by 2030. Although the firm has spent about DKK 1 billion (USD 156 million) on research, it is struggling to reproduce the exact feel of each block, which has more or less remained unchanged since 1958. The firm’s CEO said he did not know how the move would impact profit margins or whether the higher cost would be passed on to consumers.

And in case you missed it, Lego pulled an amazing engineering feat last week by building a full-size Lego Bugatti Chiron, complete with a working engine.

This summary was produced by ECRUU

As the US-China trade war continues to escalate, the US farm sector is increasingly worried that global trade patterns are dramatically evolving in a way that will not be reversible in the short term. Cost is only one factor behind the trade landscape, as relationships and reliability also play a major role, according to the Farmers for Free Trade group. The uncertainty around US policy is allowing competitors from Brazil, Ukraine, or Argentina, to dismantle some of long term partnership the US industry spent years building, they added.

In Europe, farmers are focusing on the bad weather, as the UK is set to witness a 5% increase in food prices because of damaged crops – this would translate to an increase of USD 8 per month for each household. The farm price of vegetables and dairy has already shot up, with meat and wheat expected to follow suit. Similarly, hailstorms in France have destroyed a significant amount of wine.

On the other hand, global food prices are likely to be stable over the next decade due to the tepid growth in demand, according to a report by the UN and OECD. Agribusinesses will take a hit, the report warns, as Chinese food consumption decreases because of an ageing population and a contracting economy. While regions like India and Africa will provide the volumes, the US and other developed markets will look for quality. Africa will help balance the consumption of processed foods and sugar as developed nations move towards healthier options.

Meanwhile, Cargill is trialling genetically-modified (GM) canola in Montana which it hopes will dramatically change the salmon and fish protein industry. Designed to yield more oil rich omega-3 fatty acid, this GM canola could replace the wild fish which is fed to salmon farms amid a falling ocean population. This is part of the group’s efforts to become the leader in aquaculture feed, according to a company official who said: “This is very much the new Cargill.”

In Brazil, Cargill announced a plan to build a USD 150 million plant to manufacture a food texturizer called HM pectin made from citrus fruit. The pectin, which is used in things like juices and jams, would add a high-margin product to the company’s portfolio at a time of low crop prices. Cargill is also reportedly looking at buying two struggling grains processing plants.

Bunge, the Santander Bank and The Nature Conservancy got together to design a program which gives loans to soybean farmers who commit not to clear forest or native vegetation in the Brazilian Cerrado. Most of the 9.6 million ha of land which came under soybean cultivation in the 2001-17 period in the Cerrado was previously native. Bunge also helped launch Agroideal.org last year which to help grow soybean in a sustainable way.

Olam is planning to increase its cocoa beans output in Ghana as well as to go further downstream into tertiary processing. Olam has become the country’s third biggest buyer of cocoa beans, having purchased 22% of the whole production in 2016/17.

Going from cocoa to coffee, Nestle and Starbucks have signed a USD 7.15 billion licensing deal which allows Nestle to sell Starbucks products all over the world. Both companies will work together and use their complementary advantages – coffee retailing on one side and single-serve home-based coffee machines on the other – to strengthen their position in the coffee market.

In Japan, meanwhile, Nestle is planning to turn its nutritional drinks and supplements segment into – literally – a billion dollar business after it witnessed the growing popularity of its subscription-based nutrition program. The program uses artificial intelligence to analyse people’s meals, DNA and blood sample to work out which supplements they need. Both moves are part of the company’s intention to move towards healthier products.

In Malaysia, the research centre Crops for the Future (CFF) has been promoting some of the 7,000 indigenous crops, such as spindly moringa trees, bambara groundnuts and the kedondong berry, as alternatives to wheat, maize, rice and soybean which provide two-thirds of the world’s food supply. The company is trying to change the approach towards food by diversifying diets while enabling farmers to measure crops in terms of nutrition rather than yield.

Wired’s cover story this week dives into how Maersk, who controls one-fifth of the world’s shipping capacity, was completely paralysed by a Russian-made virus originally made to destabilise Ukraine in June 2017. The virus ended up costing Maersk USD 300 million, and was only fixed thanks to a power cut in Ghana which shielded a single computer from the infection.

This summary was produced by ECRUU

Bunge announced it has sold its sugar trading operations to Wilmar who confirmed it had acquired both the raw and refined sugar trading books. No financial details were given.  The acquisition will enable Wilmar, which was the chief buyer of Brazilian sugar exports this year, to continue its global expansion. Bunge, on the other hand, had earlier said it was also planning to sell its sugar production operations.

In Brazil, ADM announced it will buy Algar Agro’s oilseeds refining and bottling plants as well as its origination and storage silos. ADM said it was now “the most diversified oilseeds processor in the world.” Algar said it was getting out of the soybean crushing and trading businesses to focus on producing grains. ADM also concluded the takeover of probiotic supplements company Probiotics International. The new company – which will be known as ADM Protexin – will add to ADM’s health and wellness business. In Atlantic, meanwhile, ADM sold a grain elevator to Pipeline Foods, which focuses on non-GMO and organic supply chain solutions. The group explained that the elevator would give them direct access to farmers and therefore improve transparency and traceability in their supply chain.

Cargill said it was looking at expanding its salmon and shrimp feed business further downstream into farming. The aim would be to extend throughout the seafood value chain from feed to consumers directly. In the meanwhile, Cargill continues to expand its feed business. It has tied up with a farmer in Ecuador to test a new feed plant. Back in the US, Cargill Animal Nutrition has kickstarted a Facebook campaign to promote The Great American Milk Drive. The company will give three servings of milk to the Drive for every farmer who uses the HerdFirst Facebook frame and tells his story of caring for dairy animal along with the hashtag #putyourherdfirst. The Herdfirst initiative aims to encourage dairy farmers to balance the nutritional needs of young animals with their business requirements.

Russia is leasing out 1 million ha of farmland to foreign investors, about half of which are likely to be from China which is looking for land to grow soybeans after its spat with the US. With this, there is now about 3 million ha in the Far Eastern Federal District available for dairy farming, cultivating soybeans, wheat and potatoes among other crops.

Sustainability advocacy group As You Sow has started a global alliance of investors whose aim is to put pressure on major companies to reduce plastic waste. Investors representing USD 1 trillion of asset management have signed up. This comes at a time when Greenpeace found that while US supermarkets have made significant efforts to ensure the seafood they offer is sustainable there have been no improvements to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics.

As You Sow argued that pollution and sustainability issues were a brand – and therefore a business – risk. One telling example was the case of beverage group Monster Energy Drink. Earlier this year, a petition was signed by consumers threatening to switch to another brand if the group did not improve supply chain transparency. This happened after Monster was ranked among the worst performers for supply chain accountability.  

We talked a lot about agriculture and chemicals this week (see previous posts here). The latest is a US study which found significant levels of the weedkiller glyphosate in several brands of breakfast cereals, oats and snack bars which are marketed for children. Some 43 of the 45 oat-derived products tested positive and three quarters had levels considered unsafe for consumption by children.

This summary was produced by ECRUU

Wilmar International’s Apr-Jun (Q2) net profit soared five-fold to USD 229.93 million from USD 42.87 million in Q2 2017 on the back of the oilseeds and grains divisions which recorded higher volumes and crush margins. The company’s chairman said that the US-China trade war had improved crush margins in the short term but in the long-term the dispute will not be beneficial. Wilmar is mulling an initial public offering for A-share listing in its China operation – which contributed around 60% of the agribusiness’ pretax profits – in the first half of 2019.

The group also obtained a USD 100 million loan from DBS bank with the interest linked to its performance on environmental, social and governance benchmarks. Similarly, Wilmar had earlier switched its USD 150 million loan from ING to a sustainability-linked loan in November 2017, which was a first in the palm oil industry. It also took a loan of USD 200 million from OCBC Bank whose interest rate is linked to sustainability key performance indicators.

Olam‘s net profit declined by 36% on year to USD 68.14 million in Q2 due to a decline in earnings for coffee, edible oils and peanuts. The CEO said that current markets were particularly uncertain due to the economic and political situation but that its diversified portfolio should help reduce risks.

In its recently published annual report, Cargill said it was moving towards sustainable agricultural practices and would focus on origination and processing segments in the coming year. The group has spent on technology to improve the connection of its global operations and has set up a corporate sustainability hub to focus on better use of land and water resources, fighting climate change, making farmers prosperous and cutting food wastage.

In Canada, Cargill has produced 1 million pounds of beef under its Beef Sustainability Pilot in the last quarter, double the quantity from the previous quarter. More and more farmers are registering so that they can benefit from the credit payment which is financed by the retailers and food companies involved in the project. In Indonesia, meanwhile, it opened an aquaculture innovation center to bring best practice to freshwater fish farmers. The company now has 12 such centers around the world. Finally, in Brazil, there is talk that Cargill is holding preliminary discussions with potential buyers for its Cevasa sugar and ethanol plant located in Sao Paulo.

Chinese demand for soybean combined with low sugar prices and the closure of sugar mills is encouraging Brazilian farmers to switch from growing cane to soybean. Government data shows that soybean area in Brazil increased by 2 million ha while cane area dropped by 400,000ha over the last 2 years. Brazil exported 10.2 million mt of soybean to China in July, up 46% on year as the latter slapped an import duty on US origin. A Chinese diplomat even suggested soy processing joint ventures between companies of the two nations should be set up to boost Brazil’s processed soymeal exports to China. He argued that a processing unit in Brazil would cut transportation costs and offer a more financially viable option for China.

The relationship between both countries could even be delaying the Mercosur-EU free trade deal. Although the deal has been in talks for over two decades, an EU policy paper suggested that Mercosur’s focus on strengthening trade relations with China was affecting talks with the EU.

On the other hand, some 60 cane mills have closed in just 5 years in Center South Brazil because of low sugar and ethanol prices. Sugar and ethanol mills have been encouraging the planting of soybean as a rotation crop but are worried about farmers switching completely. Some mills are even looking at paying them a premium to ensure they continue growing cane.

This summary was produced by ECRUU