investmentbrazil » Agriculture sector

DATA RELEASE: Iowa’s Fortune 1000 Companies Spent $1.2 Million on Lobbying in Q1, 2015

hh01 — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 15:18:49 +0000

July 1, 2015 — MapLight examined the political spending of Iowa’s five largest public companies, including the amount they spent lobbying Congress and federal agencies, and the amount their political action committees contributed to federal candidates. The analysis also highlights stock ownership in these companies by members of Congress.
In addition to holding the first caucus in the nation, Iowa is home to a number of major political donors, including agribusiness mogul Bruce Rastetter, a major Republican donor who held an agriculture summit in March that attracted most of the major Republican presidential candidates. Iowa is also home to the American Future Fund, a dark money nonprofit that spent more than $25.4 million during the last presidential election in 2012.

Iowa Companies on the Fortune 1000
American Equity Investment Life Holding Co.
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
HNI Corporation
Rockwell Collins, Inc.
Principal Financial Group, Inc.

Lobbying Data: MapLight analysis of money spent by Rockwell Collins, Inc., Principal Financial Group, Inc., and the American Equity Investment Life Holding Co., on lobbying Congress and federal agencies from January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2015. MapLight Lobbying Database Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. All numbers are based on latest data available as of April 8, 2015.
During the first quarter of 2015, the companies spent a combined $1.2 million on lobbying. The top spender, Principal Financial Group, Inc., spent $910,000 in the first quarter of 2015.

U.S and African Leaders Announce Progress, New Partnerships to Help Millions of Farming Families through Agriculture

hh01 — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 12:56:19 +0000

Today at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, U.S. and African officials announced that more than $10 billion will be realized through responsible private investments as part of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which President Obama launched at the 2012 G8 Summit at Camp David. These new investments are expected to create about 650,000 jobs and reach over 5 million smallholder farmers in initial New Alliance and Grow Africa countries. This increase includes commitments from 39 new Africa-based companies and 9 companies with international operations. Nearly half of the now over $10 billion in New Alliance investments represent commitments from African-based companies, which represent over two-thirds of companies participating in the New Alliance.
“Africa is on the rise,” said U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah. “Under the leadership of President Obama, we have pioneered a new model of development that is transforming agriculture and accelerating Africa’s impressive growth and potential. By harnessing the skills, resources and expertise of the private sector, we can build on our investments to power the markets of the future and lift millions of people out of extreme poverty.”
Launched at the 2012 G8 Summit at Camp David with President Obama, African heads of state, private sector representatives and others, the New Alliance represents a shared commitment to partner more closely with the private sector to accelerate sustained, inclusive agricultural growth that can reduce poverty. The New Alliance supports the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and contributes to the goals of the recent Malabo Declaration to end hunger and halve poverty in Africa by 2025. The U.S. and other G7 nations support African governments and business leaders in charting this path.
“African leaders have firmly put agriculture at the top of national development agendas and are prepared to lead the way on a sure path to development and prosperity for their people,” said African Union Chairperson H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. “We will only achieve success by working in partnership with the global community to mobilize and strategically channel investments into this critical sector. The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is an example of how partners are supporting our development objectives and aligning with CAADP priorities.”
This week leaders also released the second annual progress report on the New Alliance.
These exciting developments demonstrate that efforts to sustainably reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition, in support of Africa’s own model, leadership and commitments over the last decade, are taking root. Additional information and updates on the New Alliance are available on its new website, also unveiled yesterday: www.new-alliance.org.
The U.S. contributes to the New Alliance through Feed the Future, its global hunger and food security initiative. In the last year, Feed the Future has reached nearly 7 million smallholder farmers and helped to save 12.5 million children from the threat of hunger, poverty and undernutrition. Since it was formed four years ago, Feed the Future and complementary efforts have attracted billions of dollars in investments focused in agriculture, introduced affordable new technologies aimed at increasing agricultural production and managing the risks of a changing climate, and introduced nutrient-packed foods to millions of mothers and children around the world.

Behring assumes presidency of international agriculture association

hh01 — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 19:32:04 +0000

Deanna Behring, director of international programs in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has begun a one-year term as president of the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development. She received the gavel from outgoing President Mike McGirr at the group’s 50th annual meeting held recently in Washington, D.C.
The Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development is an organization of U.S. and internationally based members who have devoted their careers to global agricultural development and hunger alleviation. Members are development professionals from universities, nongovernmental organizations, private sector firms, consulting companies, government and donor agencies, and foundations.
The association’s mission is to stimulate broad-based economic growth and sustainable development, and to improve the quality of life for all people by enhancing global capacities to eliminate poverty, improve food security, and conserve and protect the environment.
Behring has served as director of international programs for the college since 2000. In that role, she provides leadership for the college’s international programs in research, teaching and extension.
She works with faculty, staff and administrators to develop and manage international programs; identifies new opportunities for students and faculty; and serves as liaison with federal and international agencies, regional development banks and private foundations that fund research in agriculture, natural resources and environment, and rural and community development.
Behring graduated from Albion College with a bachelor’s degree in economics, French and public policy, and received a master’s degree in international economic development from Ohio University. Prior to joining Penn State, she held positions in the federal government, including that of assistant director for international affairs in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she managed a team that provided scientific and technological policy advice and analysis for the president, the vice president and the president’s science adviser.

Demand for Zinc as Micronutrient in Agriculture Grows as Global Population to Exceed 9 Billion by 2050, Food Consumption to Increase 70 percent

hh01 — Sun, 11 May 2014 18:34:55 +0000

“Total demand for zinc-derived chemicals is currently 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) (expressed as Zn equivalents)”
Improving diets worldwide and the need to feed the more than 9 billion people who are expected to inhabit the earth by 2050 are driving greater global demand for zinc chemicals to use as micronutrients in agricultural crops. This holds especially true for chemicals such as zinc oxide, zinc sulfate and zinc chloride, according to a new global market research report released by IHS (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight.

“Zinc is an essential element for animal and plant life, and zinc deficiency, particularly in children, has become such a threat to public health that many countries in zinc-deficient regions are implementing programs to increase the use of zinc in fertilizers,” said Stefan Schlag, director of specialty chemicals at IHS Chemical. “We see this trend contributing to healthy demand growth for zinc chemicals during the next few years.”

“Total demand for zinc-derived chemicals is currently 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) (expressed as Zn equivalents),” Stefan said. “However, by 2018, the end of the study period, we expect demand for these chemicals to exceed 1.8 MMT Zn. About 400 thousand metric tons (TMT) of that demand will be tied to agricultural demand, most of it in the form of zinc sulfate.”

In 2012 and 2013, for example, China included zinc fertilizer in the national fertilizer recommendations for major crop production, Schlag said. “This project will help bring zinc fertilizer into the mainstream of balanced fertilizer management and significantly increase zinc fertilizer production and use in China by an additional 50,000 metric tons to 100,000 metric tons annually, according to our estimates at IHS Chemical.”

Schlag co-authored the IHS report, entitled the IHS Chemical Economics Handbook: Inorganic Zinc Chemicals. In it, he says the biggest demand growth sector for zinc chemicals during the period 2013 to 2018 will be for fertilizer production for animal feed and human food production. Agricultural applications of zinc chemicals in 2013 accounted for more than 290 TMT (Zn), with growth forecast at about 6 percent from2013 to 2018.

Zinc deficiency is the one of the most common micronutrient deficiency problems globally, especially in cereal grain crops, which comprise the dominant food source for much of the population in developing countries. Nearly 50 percent of cultivated soils worldwide currently contain low amounts of plant-available zinc, and by 2018, said IHS, this could reach 65 percent. Plants growing in the potentially zinc-deficient soils have reduced productivity and contain very low concentrations of zinc in the edible parts.

In many studies, including projects in Brazil, China, India and Turkey, agricultural yields were increased in zinc-deficient regions by adding zinc to standard fertilizers and premixes. According to IHS, field trials proved that zinc fertilizer application increased crop yields from 8 percent annually to 20 percent annually, which increased zinc content in grains by 20 percent to 40 percent. This development also improved the soils’ nitrogen fertilizer uptake and increased economic returns for farmers.

Said Schlag, “With the amount of arable land per-person declining and population expanding, global crop-yields must increase to meet food production needs. As a result, we are seeing the most dramatic demand increase for zinc chemicals in fertilizer and agricultural production. There are additional options to address crop yields, including improvements in seed technology and improvements in crop protection. However, the greatest potential for improvement is fertilizers and micronutrients, and in particular, zinc, which is why our forecast for demand growth is so bullish on the agricultural industry.”

Zinc deficiency has been identified as a means to address malnutrition in children, which the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF cite as one of the world’s major health concerns. According to WHO literature, “severe acute malnutrition affects an estimated 19 million children under the age of five worldwide and accounts for approximately 400,000 child deaths each year.” The issue is of such significance to global development, that according to UNICEF, “the Copenhagen Consensus, a group of leading economists, has consistently confirmed that “’taking action on under-nutrition is the single-most important, cost-effective means of advancing human well-being.’”

The global zinc industry, noted IHS, is rebounding and will continue to grow after being hard hit by the recent economic crisis due to its dependence on the automotive industry, which experienced a strong decline in volume. Zinc chemicals suffered the strongest in the area of rubber compounding for tires, which comprises about 20 percent of total consumption of zinc chemicals globally. Additionally, much of the rubber not consumed in the tire segment is used in other automotive applications.

However, according to IHS Automotive, automotive production numbers are expected to nearly double by 2030, as the standard of living increases in highly populated countries including China, India and Brazil. This increase in automotive volume will also drive more demand for zinc chemicals. Currently, the global rubber industry accounts for more than 54 percent of the zinc oxide market, or about 860 TMT. Of that, an estimated two-thirds of zinc oxide supply is used to produce tires, while all other rubber applications accounted for the remaining one-third. By 2018, IHS estimates the global tire and rubber industry will consume approximately 1 MMT of zinc oxide.

According to IHS estimates, the world demand for zinc oxide in 2013 was 1.6 MMT, with global demand growth forecast at nearly 4 percent annually during 2013 to 2018. China is expected to continue to be the largest consumer of zinc oxide (China currently consumes nearly 42 percent of global capacity) and to have the highest demand growth rate of approximately 6 percent per year. The U.S. and Western Europe follow China in terms of consumption, each with approximately 12 percent of global demand.

Other uses for zinc chemicals are the production of chemicals, ceramics, glass, and paints and coatings. The largest manufacturers of zinc chemicals, in terms of capacity, are Votorantim (Brazil), Zinc Nacional (Mexico), Umicore (Belgium), Grillo (Germany), and Weifang Longda Zinc Industry (China)

Said Schlag, “Global zinc chemical production will soon be reaching very high utilization rates, so new capacity is needed. At IHS Chemical, we expect new capacity for zinc chemicals to come online during the next five years, most likely in Asia and in China, in particular, to satisfy the increasing demand for tire production and rubber goods, in general.” The region is expected to consume an estimated 2 MMT of zinc oxide in 2018.

ADM to Build Specialty Protein Plant in Campo Grande, Brazil

hh01 — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:53:36 +0000

DECATUR, Ill., March 12, 2014 – Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today announced plans to construct a soy protein production complex in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, representing an investment of approximately US$250 million.

The complex, which will be located next to ADM’s existing soybean processing facility in Campo Grande, will manufacture a range of functional protein concentrates and isolates to complement ADM’s current North American production. These ingredients, which will be marketed by ADM’s Foods & Wellness group, will give ADM’s South American customers a variety of high quality options to add protein to various food and beverage products.“We are making this investment to support our customers as they meet increasing consumer demand for protein,” said Matt Jansen, ADM senior vice president and president, Oilseeds. “This complex will allow us to produce these functional ingredients locally, allowing us to serve more efficiently the growing needs of our food and beverage customers throughout South America.”“For the people of Campo Grande and for farmers in Mato Grosso do Sul, I see this as a great opportunity,” said Valmor Schaffer, president, ADM South America. “This investment adds a new dimension to our value proposition in Brazil and provides a good foundation for future growth for our employees, our customers and the Campo Grande community.”

About 80 ADM employees will be based at the new complex once it is complete. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter.

About ADM’s Foods & Wellness Group

ADM’s Foods & Wellness group offers a range of innovative specialty ingredients and products for the beverage, meat, snack, bakery, cereal, wellness and personal care markets. As a global market leader in food-grade proteins, ADM offers customers a complete protein portfolio, including flours, concentrates, textured and functional protein concentrates and isolates. In addition to proteins, ADM’s Foods & Wellness group also offers emulsifiers, acidulants, polyols and hydrocolloids.

About ADM in Brazil

ADM is one of the largest agribusiness companies in Brazil. With more than 4,700 employees, the company processes soy at four facilities, and markets the soy oil brands Concórdia and Corcovado. The company operates the largest biodiesel plant in Brazil, four fertilizer blending facilities, a cocoa processing plant, a sugar cane processing facility that produces ethanol, and more than 40 elevators across the country.

About ADM

For more than century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 31,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 470 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 140 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

ADM to Build Specialty Protein Plant in Campo Grande, Brazil
DECATUR, Ill., March 12, 2014 – Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today announced plans to construct a soy protein production complex in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, representing an investment of approximately US$250 million.The complex, which will be located next to ADM’s existing soybean processing facility in Campo Grande, will manufacture a range of functional protein concentrates and isolates to complement ADM’s current North American production. These ingredients, which will be marketed by ADM’s Foods & Wellness group, will give ADM’s South American customers a variety of high quality options to add protein to various food and beverage products. “We are making this investment to support our customers as they meet increasing consumer demand for protein,” said Matt Jansen, ADM senior vice president and president, Oilseeds. “This complex will allow us to produce these functional ingredients locally, allowing us to serve more efficiently the growing needs of our food and beverage customers throughout South America.”“For the people of Campo Grande and for farmers in Mato Grosso do Sul, I see this as a great opportunity,” said Valmor Schaffer, president, ADM South America. “This investment adds a new dimension to our value proposition in Brazil and provides a good foundation for future growth for our employees, our customers and the Campo Grande community.”About 80 ADM employees will be based at the new complex once it is complete. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter.
About ADM’s Foods & Wellness GroupADM’s Foods & Wellness group offers a range of innovative specialty ingredients and products for the beverage, meat, snack, bakery, cereal, wellness and personal care markets. As a global market leader in food-grade proteins, ADM offers customers a complete protein portfolio, including flours, concentrates, textured and functional protein concentrates and isolates. In addition to proteins, ADM’s Foods & Wellness group also offers emulsifiers, acidulants, polyols and hydrocolloids.

About ADM in Brazil
ADM is one of the largest agribusiness companies in Brazil. With more than 4,700 employees, the company processes soy at four facilities, and markets the soy oil brands Concórdia and Corcovado. The company operates the largest biodiesel plant in Brazil, four fertilizer blending facilities, a cocoa processing plant, a sugar cane processing facility that produces ethanol, and more than 40 elevators across the country.

About ADM
For more than century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 31,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 470 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 140 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

Brazil Bounces Back With Agriculture

hh01 — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:19:55 +0000

Agriculture in Brazil has been an lucrative industry over the years. The current production is between 80 million and 160 million tons, and this figure could double in the coming years.

Other than exporting sugar, orange juice and coffee globally, it also competes with the US to be the largest soya bean exporter. Besides, devaluation of its currency against the dollar will further stimulate this sector through reducing the rise in costs.

Crop yield this year has registered a 15 percent increase, whereas exports has amounted to USD100 million. US, being one of Brazil’s stiff competitors, only exported 18.58 million tons in comparison to Brazil’s 22 million tons for the 2012-13 crop year.

However, US is poised to stage a comeback later this year as the top corn exporter. With the government recently allocating USD68 billion to this sector, it remains to be seen whether Brazil’s economy will continue to register positive growth.

Agriculture in Brazil has been an lucrative industry over the years. The current production is between 80 million and 160 million tons, and this figure could double in the coming years.
Other than exporting sugar, orange juice and coffee globally, it also competes with the US to be the largest soya bean exporter. Besides, devaluation of its currency against the dollar will further stimulate this sector through reducing the rise in costs.
Crop yield this year has registered a 15 percent increase, whereas exports has amounted to USD100 million. US, being one of Brazil’s stiff competitors, only exported 18.58 million tons in comparison to Brazil’s 22 million tons for the 2012-13 crop year.
However, US is poised to stage a comeback later this year as the top corn exporter. With the government recently allocating USD68 billion to this sector, it remains to be seen whether Brazil’s economy will continue to register positive growth.

Agricultural and Livestock Plan to Provide R$ 136 billion for the 2013-2014 Season

hh01 — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:10:41 +0000

The 2013-2014 Agricultural and Livestock Plan (PAP), announced on Tuesday (June 4) in Brasilia by President Dilma Rousseff, reached its highest financial volume ever of R$ 136 billion. The amount is divided into R$ 97.6 billion for costing and marketing financing, and R$ 38.4 billion for investment programs. Credit available under the plan has increased by 18% compared to the previous year.

The plan also focuses on investments to improve logistics and infrastructure, with the provision of R$ 25 billion for the construction of private warehouses over the next five years, with a payment period of 15 years. A further R$ 500 million will be spent to modernize and double the storage capacity of the National Food Supply Company (CONAB). The Investment Support Program (PSI-BK) for financing agricultural machinery and equipment is to receive R$ 6 billion, and irrigated agriculture, R$ 400 million.

The amount made available to the National Program for Support to Medium Rural Producers (PRONAMP) is 18.4% higher than the R$ 11.15 billion expected for the 2012-13 season, reaching R$ 13.2 billion. The limits for costing loans have increased from R$ 500,000 to R$ 600,000, while investment loans have risen from R$ 300,000 to R$ 350,000. The Low Carbon Agriculture Program (ABC), which finances technology with a low environmental impact, saw its allocation increased from R$ 3.4 billion to R$ 4.5 billion.

Other major points in the plan include the creation of the National Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Service and the Inovagro Program, which is expected to allocate R$ 3 billion to agribusiness, with R$ 2 billion for research and development of machinery and equipment and R$ 1 billion to allow farmers to incorporate new technologies.

Source:
Planalto Blog

In Paraná, Rousseff says the agricultural sector will have more funds and low interest

hh01 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:28:37 +0000

While visiting Cascavel (in the state of Paraná) on Monday, February 4, President Dilma Rousseff said that the federal government will expand funds and lower interest rates for the agricultural sector. According to the president, who attended a delivery ceremony for 29 backhoes to municipalities in Paraná, the record figures for the 2012/2013 harvest will be further improved upon this year.

“The funds are being increased every year because demand is higher every year, and this is extremely important since it means that we are continually improving all our conditions for investment (…) I wanted to say that both the 2013/2014 Agricultural and Livestock Plan and the Family Agriculture Plan will have more funds than the previous year. I think there are two things that mark these plans. First, increased funds, and second, which I have already mentioned, reduced interest rates,” she said.

During the 2012/2013 harvest, R$ 115 billion was invested through the Agricultural and Livestock Plan and R$ 18 billion through the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf). According to the president, the new funds for the agricultural sector will be announced in May.

Source: Planalto Blog

Jordan aims to attract Brazilian investors in the fields of energy, agriculture and professional training

hh01 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:18:17 +0000

King Abdullah II of Jordan and the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Judeh, demonstrated an interest in developing partnerships with Brazil for projects in the Dead Sea and Red Sea, in addition to agreements in the fields of energy, agriculture and health. Indications for such agreements were given during meetings with the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Patriota, who is visiting Jordan. Both added that the joint venture companies of Petrobras and agri-food trading companies are priorities.

In the project regarding the Dead Sea and Red Sea, the Brazilians should enter the field of water desalination, generating opportunities and employment, in addition to cooperating in the training of a specialist professional workforce. The Jordanian authorities have signaled that the bidding will take place soon. Economic relations between Brazil and Jordan have evolved in recent years, according to the Brazilian government. Trade has grown 582% in the period from 2002 to 2011, rising from US$ 28 million to US$ 191 million.

Cuba and Brazil sign US$200 million memorandum on food security

hh01 — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:33:13 +0000

The Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Fernando Pimentel, and the Minister of International Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, Rodrigo Malmierca, signed a memorandum of understanding on August 30, 2012 in Havana, providing for a US$ 200 million loan to implement the More Food for Cuba program. The funds will be released in three installments – the first in 2012 and the next two in 2013 – and will serve to finance exports of Brazilian agricultural machinery and equipment. The More Food Program aims to ensure food security in Cuba.

Cuba was the first country outside the African continent to seek cooperation to improve the sector, along the lines of the More Food for Africa program. With this project, the Brazilian government will assist existing Cuban programs to achieve food security targets, increase levels of mechanization in family farming and, accordingly, to increase productivity. The proposal is to support the existing Cuban model, bringing together the provision of training and technology transfer, in addition to establishing a partnership with the Brazilian government concerning public policy for the development of family agriculture and the ability to obtain financing for the purchase of machinery for the sector.

More food – Coordinated by the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA), the More Food Program is a financing facility for family farming, established in Brazil in 2008. The program aims to promote the productive modernization of agricultural households throughout the country. To increase cooperation with African countries, the government created the More Food for Africa program, inspired by the successful initiative adopted at a national level. Through the program, the federal government finances Brazilian exports of agricultural machinery and equipment intended for family farming.