Mexican Agriculture Keeps Expanding

Mexican corn is expected to have high demand and an increase in production this year that could even beat 2021’s numbers. Meanwhile, Belgium is looking to expand its alcohol market and is inviting Mexican consumers to try its whiskeys and wines. Mexico addresses its agriculture agenda with the US to see what practices could benefit both countries. Finally, WWF warns countries on high plastic contamination levels at sea and calls for action. 

Ready for more? Here are the week’s major headlines in Agribusiness & Food!

Mexico’s Agriculture Subsector Grew 2.9 Percent

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reports expected growth of 38,000 tons of grain corn production by the end of 2022, compared to the previous year, after reporting production of 27.5 million tons by the end of the 2021 agricultural cycle. This expected growth would represent growth of 2.9 percent compared to the previous year and an overall increase of 0.19 percent in the production of the five basic grains, among which stand out production volumes of wheat and beans.

Belgium’s Sparkling Wines, Whisky Also Enjoy World Recognition

Christophe Smitz, Counselor, Wallonia Export-Investment Agency, and MBN Expert Contributor, talked about Belgium’s position as the biggest exporter of beers. Its world-famous brands and tradition help make this country the favorite beermaker in the world. However, the country is looking to diversify its products towards world-class quality sparkling wines and whisky. “Wallonia has more than 200 wineries but only 20 are considered professional. The quality is excellent and most of these wineries sell out their production within months … The climate and the soil are similar and it is no wonder some Champagne houses have invested recently in Wallonia, where production of wine and sparkling wine is booming. Global warming also makes Wallonia a more suitable place to grow grapes. More than 2 million bottles should be produced in 2022,” he says. 

Advances in Bilateral Agenda in the Agri-Food Sector

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a videoconference to follow up on the bilateral agri-food agenda. During this call, topics such as the importance of strengthening and maintaining permanent cooperation were highlighted, along with the use of technologies to ensure the highest quality standards based on market needs and needed changes to counter climate change. Technological collaboration between the two countries was also discussed and it was stated that this would contribute to the import and export of agri-food products through reliable, equitable and fair trade.

Oceans’ Plastic Pollution Could Quadruple by 2050

According to the WWF, marine plastic pollution could quadruple by 2050, pushing more areas past the ecologically dangerous threshold for microplastic concentrations. Negative impacts are already detectable in most species groups, including the most important marine ecosystems in the world, such as coral reefs and mangroves. WWF calls on nations to adopt a legally binding global treaty against plastic pollution at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) to stop this crisis.