"There is no greater challenge" than climate change to the chore of growing enough food to feed a world population forecast to reach 9 billion in 35 years, say Obama administration officials. "Feeding them will require at least a 60 percent increase in agricultural production," say the officials - Secretary of State John Kerry, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USAID chief Rajiv Shah - in a USDA blog that marks the launch of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture.

The major U.S. soda companies set a goal to reduce by 20 percent the calories that each American consumes in beverages by 2025. Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper and Pepsi joined the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation in the initiative, said the American Beverage Association. It will promote smaller serving sizes and consumption of water or other no- or low-calorie drinks. The ABA said the project "is the single-largest voluntary effort by an industry to fight obesity."

Researchers identified a wheat gene that acts as a reproductive traffic cop and which can be used to transfer valuable genes from other plants to wheat, says Washington State University. The discovery "clears the way for breeders to develop wheat varieties with the disease- and pest-resistance of other grasses...while forgoing the cost, regulatory hurdles and controversy of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs," says a WSU release.

Grain loss on the U.S. farm is less than 2 percent compared to 10 percent in some countries in Africa and Asia, says Harvest Public Media in its series about food waste. Thanks to good storage facilities, a speedy transport web and efficient harvesting practices, loss and wastage is low on U.S. farms and throughout the developed world. A UN report says 40 percent of food waste in developed countries is at the retail or consumer level while in developing countries, 40 percent of food waste is on the farm or during processing. An ISU professor says the on-farm losses in developing countries could be from 25-30 percent.

When it comes to transparency on the source of fruits and vegetables, "Only country of origin need be shared," writes Elizabeth Grossman in Mother Jones in an article prompted by her attempt to trace-back the Mexican-grown mango that she bought in a Portland, Ore, grocery store. Retailers are required under a 2009 law to display the country of origin of its produce. As Grossman learned, produce distributors regard the names of their growers and packers as confidential business information and there is no legal obligation to share them with the public.

Iowa, the No 1 corn state, and Kansas, No 1 in wheat, are among five states that will decide which party controls the Senate for the next two years, writes political analyst Stuart Rothenberg in Roll Call. Alaska, North Carolina and Colorado are the other three states on his list. Democrats control the Senate 55-45. Rothenberg says the GOP is likely to gain from 5-8 seats.

The Food and Drug Administration offered $500,000 in prizes for potential breakthrough ideas on how to detect Salmonella bacteria in fresh produce. "Concepts must be able specifically to address the detection of Salmonella in minimally processed fresh produce, but the ability of a solution to address testing for other microbial pathogens and in other foods is encouraged," said FDA. It is the first time FDA has run a cash prize contest. Entries are due by Nov 9.

President Obama announced a series of U.S. steps to spur global efforts to slow climate change and to assist adaptation to it, including in food production. In a speech at the United Nations, Obama said the United States will take part in a dozen climate change partnerships being launched this week. In a fact sheet, the administration said "we continue to press the scientific and economic case for strong climate action."

Students at the University of Missouri can enroll in a semester-long course titled "Returning to the Farm," which is exactly what the title says - an intensive examination whether it makes sense to go into farming, says DTN. Associate professor Kevin Moore began teaching the class following the agricultural crisis of the mid-1980s.

Rep Rodney Davis, narrowly elected in 2022, leads his Democratic challenger, Ann Callis, 55-39 with 7 percent undecided in his central Illinois district, said Roll Call, based on a poll conducted for the Davis campaign by Public Opinion Strategies. A House Agriculture Committee member, Davis is a vocal critic of new rules that require schools to serve healthier meals. He says the food is unpopular with students and costly for schools. Davis is a Democratic target; the Democratic congressional committee is scheduled to begin TV advertisements in the race on Sept 30, says Roll Call. There has been little polling in the race and Davis is favored to win, said Election Projection.

A software program to help farmers decide which farm subsidy program is best for them is available for free, said Kansas State and Oklahoma State universities. In an announcement, the universities said they plan a webinar to provide an update of farm program details and to discuss how to use the decision tool. They said "this computer aid will allow farmers to evaluate the program and to start thinking about the option that best fits their farm."

The number of feedlot cattle in the country, at 9.8 million head, is down 1 percent from last Sept 1, said USDA's Cattle on Feed report. The monthly report says 1.72 million head were put on feed during August, the lowest number for the month since 1996, Marketings during the month also were the lowest since 1996.

The global corn carry-over is forecast to climb by nearly 10 percent this marketing year, to 189.9 million tonnes, according to USDA estimates. David Widmar of the blog Agricultural Economic Insights says it would be the largest inventory in 15 years, since 194.4 million tonnes at the end of 1999/2000, and the fifth-largest on record. But it would equal 19.6 percent of consumption, a manageable level, writes Widmar, when the stocks-to-use ratio was above 30 percent in 1999/2000.That said, the ratio has risen for the past five years. "If this doesn’t abate either through greater demand of reduced supplies it’s hard to paint a rosy picture for corn prices," concludes Widmar. "Time will tell."

The government awarded three contracts for 100 million gallons of "drop in" biofuels for the Navy. The renewable fuels would be blended 1-to-1 with petroleum in ships and planes. The Pentagon said as the fuels become more widely available, the Navy will make them a regular part of its bulk fuel procurement. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said rural areas would benefit from expansion of the advanced biofuel sector.

A new strain of avian influenza called H5N6 is spread across southeast Asia and threatens animal health as well as the livelihood of farmers, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, in calling for close monitored of the disease. H5N6 was found in China in April and has been detected in Vietnam and Laos since then. FAO said the "bird flu" was highly pathogenic among chickens and geese, making it a peril for farmers.

With corn prices down and fuel demand up, including exports, "(o)perating profits for many ethanol makers more than doubled in the second quarter compared with last year," says the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It's shaping up to be one of the best years ever for the ethanol business."

The government could set the ethanol mandate above the so-called blend wall and have little impact on retail fuel prices, says a paper by two Iowa State University economists. The fuel industry could meet the mandate by lowering price for E85, fuel made with 85 percent ethanol, and selling more of the biofuel. "We find that compliance with ethanol mandates that are feasible to meet with current infrastructure would have small, if any, effects on the retail price of E10," says the paper by Sebastian Pouliot and Bruce Babcock of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development.

A federal court jury convicted Stewart Parnell, former owner of Peanut Corp of America, of conspiracy, fraud and other charges 'in a groundbreaking case stemming from a salmonella outbreak," said CNN. "The guilty verdict marks the first federal felony conviction for a company executive in a food safety case." Parnell and his brother, Michael, a food broker, were accused of shipping salmonella-infected products. Michael Parnell also was found guilty on multiple counts, said CNN. The plant quality control manager was convicted of obstruction of justice.

The Agriculture Department has extended until Oct 19 the public comment period on whether a federal standard of identity for honey would benefit consumers and producers. USDA announced a 30-day comment period on Aug 20. It said the extension was requested by "an interested person" who said the issue deserved longer consideration. USDA said in a Federal Register notice the 30-day extension "will allow adequate time for interested persons to submit comments without causing a significant delay."

"The Iowa farm family, with its deep community roots, extended family ties and a large dose of savvy born from living close to the soil, finds itself at the epicenter of a new cultural and economic landscape," says the Des Moines Register in opening its "Harvest of Change" series. "In rural America, the aging of the population and ever-bigger farms enabled by technological advances are already depopulating the countryside."