Chinese tariff rate quota policy severely impacted U.S. wheat exports, study shows

URBANA, Ill. – The U.S. and China recently agreed to a phase one trade deal that aims to resolve the current trade war between the two countries. But that is just the latest development in longstanding and complicated U.S.-Chinese trade disputes.

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Grant project aims to improve food security and health for remote indigenous populations in Australia

URBANA, Ill. – An international research team has received a $1.4 million grant from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate food availability and food security among indigenous mothers and children in remote Australian communities.

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ACES Distinguished International Lecture: Ambassador Mustard speaks on trade policy within historical context

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) welcomed back alumnus Allan P. Mustard, a retired ambassador and accomplished Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) professional, to present the annual ACES Distinguished International Lecture.

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2019 Illinois Farm Economics Summit dates scheduled for December

URBANA, Ill. – Speakers from University of Illinois Extension and the farmdoc team from the U of I Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics will explore topics such as the 2020 outlook for crop and livestock prices, the next farm bill, farm profitability and management topics, and the impacts of trade and policy issues at the 2019 Illinois Farm Economics Summit in December.

The ongoing trade war with China, combined with one of the wettest spring planting seasons on record, made 2019 a challenging year for Illinois agriculture.

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International research community calls for recognition of forests’ role in human prosperity

URBANA, Ill. – World leaders convened for the UN Climate Summit in September amid dire projections of climate instability. The problem is multifaceted, of course, but a recent IPCC report identifies deforestation as the main driver of land-based greenhouse gas emissions, which comprise almost a quarter of all human contributions to climate change. What if more people around the world could be paid to keep forests healthy and intact?

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Sweet corn growers, processors could dramatically increase yield, profit

URBANA, Ill. – In an industry struggling to maintain profitability, it’s curious that U.S. processing sweet corn – the corn that ends up in cans and freezer bags – is falling so far below its potential. Yet, that’s what a new study in PLOS One clearly demonstrates.

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Cattle producers could maximize profits using progressive limit feeding

URBANA, Ill. – Beef cattle producers could see greater profits in the finishing period with progressive limit feeding, according to research from University of Illinois scientists.

To help keep cattle healthy as they enter a feedlot, producers often feed less, or “limit-feed,” for a short time to allow the animal to adjust to the feedlot diet. The new research looks at the concept of progressively reducing feed intake throughout the diet-transition period, with the goal of maintaining a constant body size.

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NCSA machine learning pipeline provides insight into energy-efficient home improvement programs

Homeowners often invest in energy-saving upgrades to make their homes more comfortable and lower their expenses, hoping to see reductions in their upcoming utility bills. But measuring the costs and effects of hundreds of different retrofits in thousands of households is a complex process.

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides a model for ensuring a right to food

URBANA, Ill. – Alleviating food insecurity is often seen as one of the fundamental roles a country should fulfil. In some cases, this is encapsulated into a constitutionally formalized “right to food.” In other cases, including the U.S., the right to food isn’t formalized, but the U.S. government spends billions of dollars per year to help Americans obtain the food they need.

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College of ACES partners with Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation

URBANA, Ill. – The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center has been transforming lives in East St. Louis since 2000, fulfilling its mission to instill area youth with the dream, drive, and determination to succeed in academics, athletics, and leadership. Now, having entered a formal partnership with the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, the center can expose kids to a whole new world.

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