Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8468 / SEEDWORLD.COM JANUARY 2017 Exploring ideas and views on all aspects of the seed industry. BOOSTING AWARENESS OF CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE While agriculture has become a hot sector for job growth, a recent survey shows only 13 percent of high school and college students are interested in pursuing a career in agri- culture, and just 3 percent can identify it as one of the best fields for college graduates. The survey, sponsored by America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, a Monsanto Fund program, was conducted in November, a time when many high school students are completing college applications in advance of Jan. 1, 2017, deadlines and as future college graduates are applying for jobs. Fewer than one in five surveyed indicated that they understood the broad array of career opportunities in agriculture. In fact, the agriculture space is experiencing job growth. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 57,900 high-skilled jobs are created annually in food, agriculture, renew- able natural resources and environmental fields in the United States. The survey identified several misconcep- tions that contributed to the findings. For example, only 35 percent of high school and college students believed careers in agricul- ture were technology-driven. “One of the program’s goals is to support future agricul- ture leaders by helping them to understand the wide array of opportunities in agriculture, from business and communications to science, technology and many other fields,” says Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president. CHINA TO LEAD GROWTH IN THE FOOD AND GROCERY RETAIL SECTOR Market Research Hub released a report, “Food & Grocery Retail Top 5 Emerging Markets Industry Guide-2016,” that examines the emerging food and grocery retail industry in Top 5 countries — Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. These countries are expected to reach a value of $5.49 quadrillion in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.7 percent during the 2015-20 period. China leads with market revenues of $2.46 quadrillion. Health and nutrition are a concern among consumers fueling the growth of the food retail market. In Brazil, a growing number of millionaires and emerging middle class will continue to make it a major retail location. China and India are also witnessing rapid growth of their middle class. Convenience stores and gas stations are set to remain the major channel for food and grocery sales; however, online retailers are growing at a faster pace. Due to busy life schedules, many working class people have less time to shop for food items. Consequently, increasing online retail shopping through online retail formats such as in-store pickup and pure- play online grocers is expected to drive the food retail market in the coming years. The report also studies market growth. China has already overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest food retail market, and the future forecast states that all BRIC nations will be in the Top 5 grocery markets. China is estimated to lead the food and grocery retail industry in the Top 5 emerging nations with a value of $4.1 million in 2020, followed by India and Brazil. DIVIDED OVER FOOD SCIENCE A new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center finds that U.S. public opinion is divided over how people assess the health effects of organic and genetically modified foods. Drawn from a nationally representative panel of 1,480 randomly selected U.S. adults living in households, the survey found: 48 percent of Americans say GM foods are no different than other foods; 39 percent say GM foods are worse for one’s health; and 10 percent say such foods are better for one’s health. However, 55 percent of U.S. adults believe organically grown produce is healthier than conventionally grown varieties. The new survey also found that 16 percent of U.S. adults say they care a great deal about the issue of GM foods, 37 percent care some about the issue, 31 percent do not care too much, and 15 percent do not care at all. Three-in-ten Americans say research on GM foods is often based on the best available evidence.