African Swine Flu Takes Flight

Often times individuals become frustrated with long lines at customs as they fly into another country or return home. However, this weeks featured article shows the importance of the work these custom agents have. We are featuring an article that explains how African Swine Flu became mobile via a flight to Japan. We encourage you to read the linked article and utilize the discussion points provided to have conversations with others around the globe!

African Swine Fever Detected in Luggage at Airport

Discussion Points

• Why is African Swine Fever such a concern to producers around the world?
• Is there extreme concern with this sausage causing the spread of African Swine Fever? Explain.
• Put yourself in the position where you are in charge of customs at an airport. What would be your top priorities/practices to protect agriculture in your home country? Think about both animal and plants.

What does FOOD mean to you?

This is a very busy week in Des Moines, Iowa (USA) with World Food Prize events and this past Tuesday (October 16, 2008) was World Food Day. This week we highlight a video created for World Food Day that features many stories of food and food production around the globe. We encourage you to watch the linked video and strike up conversations with others around the world!

World Food Day Video

Discussion Points

• We will pose the question that was highlighted at the beginning of the video to you. What does food mean to you? 
• What are some of the main reasons for hunger around the world?
• Several stories are highlighted throughout the video. Which story stuck out to you and why?
• What action can you take to help ensure a #ZeroHunger future?

Organic Farming with Gene Editing?

This week we take a look at a piece that discusses the relationship between genetic engineering/CRISPR/mutation breeding and organic agriculture. This is often a controversial topic that can get heated. We encourage you to read through the linked article and utilize the discussion points provided to have civil conversations with others around the globe.

Organic farming with gene editing: An oxymoron or a tool for sustainable agriculture?

Discussion Points

• Explain the difference between genetic engineering, CRISPR, and mutation breeding.
• How are countries and groups looking at CRISPR differently around the globe?
• How does society in your home country look at genetic engineering, CRISPR, and mutation breeding? Do other countries view these practices differently or similarly?
• What do you see as the future of these practices/technologies and their relationships to conventional and organic farming around the globe? Do you see organic producers accepting practices like this in the future? Explain your reasoning.

Global Food Crisis

This week we take a look at a TED Talk that raises the concern that we may be closer to a global food crisis than many have predicted. While the video is a little longer than videos we traditionally feature (17 minutes) there are many points and thoughts brought to the table to get you thinking. We encourage you to watch the video and then utilize the discussion points to guide your conversations around the globe.

A global food crisis may be less than a decade away

Discussion Points

• Why does the speaker warn that a food crisis may be closer to reality than most may think?
• What piece of information shared was most surprising to you and why?
• Was there any piece of information shared that you did not necessarily agree with? If so, what was it and why? 
• In your opinion what must we do to avoid a food crisis like the speaker shares? Be able to defend your thoughts/plans.