Farm to Fork: Consumer Resource Handbook
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INT
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ION EVERYONE HAS TO WORK TOGETHER
COLLABORATION
There is no single answer to making sure people around the globe have enough food to eat not just now, but in the critical decades to come. It’s one of the greatest challenges facing humankind, and it’s one we’re committed to help solve by working with others.
WE COLLABORATE WITH A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS
Growing enough food to feed our growing global population, making that food better, combating climate change, and solving these food challenges will require input from many sources. We’re not experts in all areas, so we partner with those who are.
Together, we are addressing challenges such as:
Water Conservation
ReforestationHoney Bee
HealthSoil
Health
ABOUT MONSANTO
Monsanto is a company of 20,000+ employees focused on agriculture and making a balanced meal more accessible to everyone. Monsanto is committed to bringing farmers a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world.
Work to fi nd sustainable solutions for soil health
THE SEEDS WE PRODUCE
Corn Soybean Cotton Wheat
One of the core parts of our business is providing farmers improved seeds, but we also:
WHO WE ARE
Provide tools to minimize damage from pests and disease
Help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources
Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, non-profi t organizations, universities, and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Veggies Canola Fruits Sorghum
C ttS b
We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables, and key crops:
CONSERVATIONS INTERNATIONAL
CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE
COLLABORATIONS
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WH
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For thousands of years, humans used traditional breeding methods to grow more of the foods needed to maintain a balanced diet.ntain a balanced diet.
THE HISTORY OF PLANT BREEDING
Hundreds of generations of selectionHundreds of generations of selection were required to transition from wild maize to the corn we farm today.
HOW BREEDING HELPS CREATE YOUR FAVORITE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Plant breeding allows us to innovate in order to help farmers grow vegetables with characteristics that consumers want and maintaining produce freshness from farm to fork. Just like our ancestors, we intentionally focus on developing fruit and vegetable varieties that have the best fl avor, appearance, and size, so that farmers, parents, and picky eaters will enjoy them.
How vegetable breeding helps you pick the perfect pepper with Scott Milligan:
• http://monsanto.info/prettypepper
AT THE GROCERY STORE
Just like you, we want to feed our family the best quality fruits and vegetables, and we are always trying to create a balanced meal. Monsanto believes a balanced plate should be within reach for everyone.
Our vegetable seeds division is focused on innovation to improve both the quality and productivity of vegetables grown from our seeds.
WATERMELON
• How do you pick a perfect watermelon? Just look for a yellow belly! The large yellow spot indicates the fruit is ripe and ready-to-eat.
We provide farmers seeds to grow some of your favorite fruits and vegetables - including broccoli, cucumber, tomato, pepper, spinach, cantaloupe, honeydew and sweet corn.
• Watermelon contains high amounts of the antioxidant lycopene, which gives the fruit its signature color (also found in red tomatoes).
Sprinkle a small amount of salt on the watermelon, and the fruit will taste sweeter by creating a salty-sweet contrast, allowing the subtle sweetness of the melon to stand out.
TASTETHIS
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WH
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WHAT ARE GMOs ? (CONT’D)
Did you know there are only eight GMO crops, of them there are only two vegetables – squash and sweet corn?
Currently, there are 8 commercially GMO crops available:
These crops are not the result of GMOs, but of conventional breeding:nventional breeding:
Corn Soybean Cotton Alfalfa
Sugar Beets
Canola Papaya Squash
SeedlessWatermelon
HoneycrispApple
GrapeTomatoes
WheatBroccolini
What is a GMO? How are GMOs made? Are GMOs safe?
• http://monsanto.info/giveitaminute
WHAT ARE GMOs ? (CONT’D)
GMO seeds help minimize damage to crops from weeds and pests, so farmers can use chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides in more limited and judicious ways and improve the environmental impact of agriculture.
Historically, farmers have plowed their soil to control weeds, but now they can control weeds in more ways. Herbicide tolerance has enabled no-till farming which has improved soil health, water retention, and reduced runoff . Insect-resistant crops have greatly reduced the need to use insecticide, ultimately cutting farm costs. Drought tolerance allows crops to use water more effi ciently so that farmers can use less water in times of drought.
COMMON GMO TRAITS
GM TECHNOLOGY: AN EXTENSION OF TRADITIONAL PLANT BREEDING
Desired Gene Many Genes are Transferred
TR
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GY Desired
GeneDesired Gene
Only Selected Gene is Transferred
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SUST
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The food supply crisis in Africa is well documented. As the population increases and the eff ects of climate change impacts farmers’ ability to grow food, the risk of hunger in Africa could rise by up to 20 percent by 2050, according to a study published by the UN World Food Programme.
WATER EFFICIENT MAIZE FOR AFRICA
Behind the Seeds of WEMA:
• http://monsanto.info/wemaseeds• http://monsanto.info/wemainfo
To help tackle this problem, in 2008 we joined the Water Effi cient Maize for Africa (WEMA) partnership, a public-private partnership that aims to improve food security and livelihoods by providing small holder farmers in Africa with drought tolerant and pest protected seeds to help them improve their harvests.
WEMA’s goal is for the seeds to improve the lives of more than 25 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa. With larger harvests, farmers have told us that they use a third of their harvest to feed their household, and sell the other portion to pay school tuition for their children, a luxury they did not have before.
SOIL CONSERVATION
Many factors go into nourishing our growing world. Among the most important is right under our feet: soil. In pursuing a productive harvest, a farmer must consider a broad range of soil-related factors including fertility, water retention, nutrient runoff , weeds and pests. But healthy soil does more than just help grow food. It also plays a critical role in protecting water quality and reducing erosion.
In 2014, the Soil Health Partnership was formed to establish a network of farms to help identify, test, and measure practices that impact soil health.
No-till farming is the practice of leaving the ground as it is and
not disturbing or loosening the soil with tillage. It is a type of conservation tillage that aids in building organic matter for the soil. In 1983,
only 17 percent of all U.S. farmland was in conservation
tillage. By 2013, that had risen to 63 percent.
WHAT IS NO-TILL FARMING?
What is no-till farming?
http://monsanto.info/no-tilltosoilhealth
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