Porky Torky: France

Porky Torky: France: This is a few more highlights from the Nuffield Global Focus while we were in France.

Porky Torky: California Dreaming

Porky Torky: California Dreaming: Here are some of the highlights from the Nuffield global Focus tour of California. Hope you enjoy.

Freedom is not free

We had a day and a half touring WW2 historical sites in the Somme, Belgium and Northern France. We had our tour guide Alan, a previous soldier now military historian provide commentary.

We visited many of the key battle sites in and around the Somme. This area is of particular significance to NZ and Australia. This included Passendale , Armien, Yves, Polygon Wood, Menin Gate to name a few.

There are over 1000 memorial sites in the area.

You cannot help but be moved by the sheer scale of destruction and loss of life in this area during both World Wars were around 3 million people were killed in action.

Farmers working the fields still take their own lives in their hands as unexploded shells are still brought to the surface during cultivation. In fact last year a farmer was killed when cultivating and he triggered a shell.

We all hoped this never happens again.

The Farm Bill is the hot topic

Washington DC took us to the global seat of power, Capitol Hill.

We met with a number of policy advisors, politicians, directors of various ag agencies and an senator over two days of meetings.

The Farm Bill is the hot topic as it is currently undergoing its six year makeover. This piece of legislation all the US policy for food production and surprisingly the Food Stamps policy.The Food Stamps policy is essentially the social welfare policy.

The Food Bill will account for $1 Trillion over the next ten years. Approximately 25% of this will be allocated to farm support.

When pressed why the farm production policy is combined with social welfare, it seems history and strong political lobbying have kept the two together. This seems to be a challenging way to develop policy but hey, who am I to judge.

Two of our most senior government officials who presented to us both (independent from each other) stated that they believe this is one o the most promising times to be involved in food production. Demand is outstripping supply, new technology, climate change and so on. This theme has been consistent

Move over Barrack Obama

I couldn't resist adding these photos to my blog....

California goodbye

 A few closing comments on California to wrap up.  I tweeted actively during the week so check out my tweets if you want to see more on California  - @richardfitzger6 - but see below my close and brave brush with a snake.  When my Australian collegues were sceaming like school girls, I moved in close for the money shot.   Not bad for a Kiwi

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 Harmony with nature is  theme I picked up in California (as I also did in South Korea late last year).  As food producers we need to find the sweet spot for our food, land and climate and work with them rather than against.  I am pleased to say we are underway with a reasonably large biodiversity programme om our farm in NZ.  Just as in the photo below at a Californian training farm, looking at a farming enterprise more widely than inputs and outputs is very important.  What is the impact of our business socially, environmentally and financially, and how does this occur proactively.  How do our businesses contribute positively, not just minimise our impact

California - fantastic food and great people

 We enjoyed great Californian hospitality and saw some amazing farm systems.  No doubt interest is skewed to organic systems.  Water and government regulations were the main topics of discussion.  It is going to be a challenging place to produce food in the future as urban demands on natural resources compete with farming interests.  Water, land, synthetic input use, expectations from food consumers influenced by poor understanding of farm and food systems. More stringent and demanding regulations  Sound farmiliar??

We were hosted by some wonderful people who are trying to make a go of farming in an increasingly tougher business environment.  It intrigues me that farm people mostly want to grow food, look after their stock and land well, and keep to themselves.  This is becoming harder to do and I heard and saw this clearly in California.

I have laboured the 'contradictions' we have seen in China and the US.  And again more contradictions.  Developed countries can look at less intense food systems such as organic farming and push back on GMO, but we will still need to feed 9 Billion people in 2050 on less land with less water.  I don't think we have the luxury to keep this line on a global scale.