History Lesson 🗓️ Key Dates 2000 - Today

IMPORTANT DATES (in agriculture history #3)

Good morning. We're wrapping up our list today. Here are some key dates (2000-Present) that helped shape the agriculture industry. These events were responsible for developing a US industry that annually exports $140+ billion of products throughout the world.

2000's: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) introduced and rapidly increase production and decrease chemical inputs as they spread around the world

2002: Farm Safety and Rural Investment Act passed which created a reward system for eco-conscientious farmers and increased conservation program funding

2003: First case of BSE, a progressive neurological disease affecting cattle (aka Mad Cow Disease), confirmed in the US

2005: Lasers used to replace stickers by writing on food to "track and trace" individual fresh fruit

2005: Energy Policy Act signed to increase biofuels research funding and provided incentives for ethanol and soy biodiesel production

2007: Colony Collapse Disorder resulted in one million (35.8% of total) honey bee colonies dying

2007: Yamaha Motors develops the first electronic power steering for ATVs

2008: Financial Crisis rocked the globe restricting capital and investments into agriculture and sharply increasing food costs worldwide

2009: H1N1 (swine flu) swept through the globe drastically decreasing pork demand and suppressing hog prices

2009 - Present: Global warming & global climate change become focal points for policy makers and consumers drastically altering how agriculture produces food

2009: AGCO first manufacturer to provide Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) clean air technology engines on tractors

2010 - Present: Technological advancements accelerate with the adaptation of satelite imagery, sensors, GPS, GIS, robotics, and precision farming databases

2020 - Present: COVID-19 disrupts global supply chain causing input prices to rise ~30% since the outbreak

Today: Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, urban farming, drones, vertical farming, and genetic editing begin their infancy with promises to revolutionize agriculture as we know it.

Thank you for riding along with us on this journey through some of the key moments in the ag history timeline. On Monday we will get back to providing history lessons on specific topics.

Appreciate you reading today's edition, and please share with 5 friends!

Brought to you by:

K&C Cattle Co.

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