Farmers, researchers, exports will be critical to bringing food security to a hungry world

Farmers and the greater agricultural community should be focused on stamping out hunger the world over and bringing food security to a world in need by harnessing the power of American farmers and Land Grant universities.

Bill Bruins, a dairy farmer from Waupun who is president of Wisconsin Farm Bureau, addressed his members Sunday evening (Dec. 4) during the organization's annual meeting and talked about the facts on a hungry world and his belief that farmers are the answer.

"I believe that the combined strength of agriculture and the Land Grant university system has the potential to lead the United States out of this recession and end world hunger as we know it today."

Bruins, who was elected president of the organization in 2003 and reelected during this year's annual meeting, said that by the close of this year 300 million people will have died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. One billion people around the world go to bed hungry each night. Those statistics haunt him, he said.

Everything agriculture does - at the farm level and at research institutions and universities - should be "laser-focused" and done "through the lens of food security," he said.

The power of the Land Grant universities, authorized 150 years ago by President Lincoln, has created the agricultural powerhouse that America's agriculture is today. Bruins called for collaboration with other Land Grant institutions in a search for ways to share resources, but said it would be "dangerous and short-sighted" to cut funding for agricultural education and research given the need for increased food production.

The need continues, he said, for further trade agreements that will open trading opportunities between U.S. agriculture and trading partners around the world. As lawmakers craft a farm bill, they should design one that encourages more production and enhances trade, he said.

The new farm bill will no doubt include fewer dollars, given the country's fiscal situation and those dollars should be targeted at risk management tools, Bruins said.

In the midst of a good year for agriculture, with record high commodity prices and net farm income projected at $115 billion, Bruins commented on the depressing news out of Congress. Gridlock has stymied any action that would help the country as the national debt rose to over $15 trillion and the "super committee" failed to get its job done.

Bruins said his confidence in the political system is "at an all-time low."

But that was contrasted by his enthusiasm for agriculture. With agricultural exports at a record high of $137 billion, and a world population at 7 billion, Bruins said an ever-growing demand for food will produce a "golden age" for American agriculture, with the wealth being spread along the supply chain.

"The really good news is that these numbers are demand-driven and that demand appears to be sustainable.

"There is also no denying the fact that simple food security is becoming a front-burner issue, not only for the world but also here in the United States."

Bruins said he wished he were young again because of all the opportunities for people coming into agriculture.



Bruins reelected

president

Bruins was reelected president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation by its board of directors at the close of the organization's 92nd Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells on Monday (Dec. 5.)

Bruins, who has a dairy farm in Fond du Lac County, was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to the state Natural Resources Board.

Richard Gorder, a dairy farmer from Mineral Point in Iowa County, was elected vice president.

Nine of the 11 members of the WFBF board of directors are farmers elected in each of Farm Bureau's nine districts. These nine individuals also make up the board of directors for the Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Rounding out the WFBF board are the chairs of WFBF's Young Farmer and Agriculturist, and Women's committees, both of which serve a one-year term on the board.

Jerry Bradley, a corn and soybean grower from Sun Prairie in Dane County was reelected to a three-year term representing District 2 (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Rock and Sauk counties).

Joe Bragger, a dairy farmer from Independence, was reelected in District 4 (Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe and Trempealeau counties).

Rosie Lisowe, a dairy farmer from Chilton, was elected to represent District 6 (Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Kewaunee and Door counties). Lisowe succeeds Lloyd DeRuyter of Cedar Grove. She formerly served as the chair of the state Women's Committee.

Kathleen Papcke of Elkhorn was elected as the new Women's Committee chair. Josh Calaway of Vesper was elected chair of the Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee. Both Papcke and Calaway will serve one-year terms on the WFBF board.

Other Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board Directors who were not up for reelection included: Dave Daniels of Union Grove, Wayne Staidl of Peshtigo, Don Radtke of Merrill, and Jim Holte of Elk Mound.