By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Innovation and technology, trade, market trends and economic developments were among the topics discussed during the North American European Union Agricultural Conference in Denmark.
The biannual event, hosted this year by the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, brings together about 200 farm leaders for a two-day discussion on the most current and relevant topics for the agricultural sector.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening was among the members of the American Farm Bureau Federation delegation in attendance at the meeting. He addressed global farm leaders from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the European nations of France, Ireland, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Denmark and others on the role innovation and technology plays in modern and sustainable agriculture.
“Increased productivity is the main contributor to the farmer’s economic growth and to the sustainability of our entire industry,” Boening said. “Agricultural productivity is driven by innovations in on-farm tasks, changes in the organization and structure of the farm sector and research aimed at improvements in farm production.”
Field to Market—an alliance of more than 125 members that includes farmer and rancher organizations, consumer-facing companies, environmental groups and agricultural input suppliers—focuses on measuring and reporting agriculture’s work to increases sustainability.
The alliance’s first national level indicators report in 2009 showed that corn, soybean, cotton and wheat production in the U.S. had substantially reduced its environmental footprint.
“I can assure you that no one is more interested in conserving natural resources and increasing our efficiency than the farmer and rancher who depends on those resources and pays the cost of all inputs,” he said.
Partnerships between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), university researchers and farmers and ranchers are an important driver of innovation and the transfer of technology within U.S. agriculture.
In June, USDA released its Technology Transfer Report for fiscal year 2018. The report showed 320 new inventions from USDA laboratories, along with 471 licenses, 120 patent applications and 67 actual patents.
Farmers and ranchers also work with USDA on adoption of new conservation approaches and technologies.
“U.S. farmers and ranchers, in cooperation with USDA and private entities, are making advances to improve and adopt sustainable and productive practices,” Boening said. “We’re proud of our record of productivity and sustainability in U.S. agriculture, but there’s always room for improvement. Our farmers and ranchers do a good job of producing food, fiber and energy, and they want to do an even better job in the future.”
Boening noted the technological advancements and innovation continue to drive modern agriculture.
“Thanks to increased productivity, supported by innovations in agriculture, our farmers and ranchers in the United States are doing more than ever to strengthen our businesses, while also improving our environment and field-testing new technologies that can benefit farmers and agricultural sustainability around the world,” Boening said.
The meeting was held Sept. 18-20 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The next meeting for the global farm leaders, which will be held in two years, will be hosted by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.