The war in Ukraine, the on-going pandemic, rise in inflation and climate change have led to over 300 million people living on the brink of starvation said the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program David Beasley. As fertilizer becomes more difficult to manufacture and export, countries in Africa and Asia are unable to harvest typical quantities of food. “The world produces enough food to feed everybody on the planet, over 7.7 billion people,” Beasley said. “50% of that food is because of fertilizer, so if you don’t have fertilizer, you can’t have harvest at the yields that you need.” Climate change is a compounding factor, contributing to droughts and famine in numerous countries he said. “We’re looking at $11 billion shortfall of food production inside Africa alone. Now, I can go to Central America, South America, same issues on droughts. India devastated by heat and drought, and I can go on and on.” Beasley spoke to the Associated Press in the U.N. Rose Garden outside of the headquarters in New York during the 77th General Assembly.
CHAMPAIGN — Archer Daniels Midland Co. is expanding its research efforts with a new technology center at the University of Illinois.
The company on Friday celebrated the grand opening of the new ADM Science and Technology Center at the University of Illinois Research Park.
According to a joint press release from ADM and the University of Illinois, the new facility “quadruples ADM’s footprint at the University of Illinois Research Park.”
ADM’s previous research endeavors included process and financial modeling, as well as business intelligence and business development.
The new center will allow for additional studies, including human nutrition research and development, wet chemistry, sensory science, data science, computational fluid dynamics and customer interface and applications.
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“Our partnership with the University of Illinois has been a win for ADM, the university and its students, as well as the industries in which ADM operates, and we are so excited about this new facility and the future of our collaboration,” said Todd Werpy, senior vice president and chief science officer at ADM.
According to ADM and the university, the new center will create opportunities for students in a variety of academic programs, including chemical engineering, computer science, food science, agricultural economics, animal science and business.
“The new ADM Science and Technology Center at Research Park is a tangible outcome of the depth and breadth of our institutional strategic partnership,” said Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“An alliance of this scale and scope is critical to the future of our region and our state,” Jones continued. “It also provides unique experiential learning opportunities for our students, which is critical for preparing our future workforce. It also further cements our campus and community as an epicenter of agtech.”
ADM first opened at Research Park in 2007, with an original focus on computational work, conceptual engineering and modeling to evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing specialty chemicals.
Check out these historical photos of ADM’s past in Decatur
Tom Dahman
1989: Tom Dahman of Lincoln sits atop his trailer to get a view of the line at ADM.
Robert Coan
1984: Firefighters and ADM workers (right) ease a basked containing Robert Coan down a ladder against the ‘head house’ of an ADM storage silo on Friday, June 8, 1984. Plant manager Coan of Decatur and Ray Mudd of Oakley were investigating a smoke odor when an explosion occurred in a dust collector. Robert Coan died July 12 of his injuries.
Ray Mudd
1984: Emergency personnel help Ray Mudd down a stairway at the ADM plant following an explosion. Mudd, 34, of rural Oakley, was one of two workers injured.
Grain dust
1977: Decatur Fire Department personnel work at the scene of a grain dust explosion at ADM.
Explosion
1977: On the morning of Aug. 30, 1977, ADM employees were crowded into a cinder block building at ADM’s north plant when it exploded. The fire and explosion resulted in injuries to six men, including Steve Huffman, then 20 years old.
Explosion – another look
1977: Another look at the concrete building that collapsed at ADM’s north plant during an explosion in 1977.
Frank Copenhaver
1939: Before the oil is taken out of soybeans at the A-D-M- plant they are rolled and flaked. Here is Frank Copenhaver at a rolling machine.
Extracting Unit
1968: The “world’s largest” soybean extracting unity was put into operation Sept. 1, 1968 by Archer Daniels Midland Co. The huge new facility at the Decatur west plant is still incomplete, but the finishing touches are being applied. This gleaming new extractor can process up to 80,000 bushels of soybeans per day. Lowell W. Andreas, ADM president in 1968, said the target date for completion of company expansion in Decatur is “never.”
Lewis Jones
1939: Lewis Jones operates a machine which sews up bags that have been filled with soybean meal by the “sacker” in the background. At the sacking machine is Harry Vest.
Parker Post
1939: Parker Post, left, and Donald Thompson, A-D-M employees, fasten down the “cap” of a railroad tank car that has just been filled with soybean oil.
Unloading
This previously unpublished photo shows an ADM plant worker hauling bags of soybeans.
Soybeans
1939: This previously unpublished photo shows ADM workers unloading bags of soybeans.
Soviet Favorite
1991: Stacy Need, market communications manager, hoists a box of ADM’s veggie burger mix. ADM sells about 5,000 veggie burgers daily to customers of a Moscow restaurant, and is giving the Soviet McDonald’s a run for its money.
Talking Shop
1989: Herb Childress of Ashmore, Chuck Winnett of Charleston and Floyd Hupp of Westfield do some chatting.
Taste Test
1990: From left, ‘veggie burger’ plant manager Gary Bingham and ADM official Ron Ferrari display a vat of the mix to Romanian officials.
Researchers
1982: Researchers at ADM use an extruder to make texture vegetable protein from soy flour.
Plenty of variety
1990: Joan Godbey, manager of executive and research kitchens for ADM, displays the forms soy protein burger takes.
Archer Daniels Midland Co.
1940: Ten truckloads of wildflowers are being planted along the spillway from the Archer Daniels Midland Co. soybean plant, through Faries Park to Lake Decatur. The planting is being done by Decatur Park District workers to beautify the stream that carries water from the soybean mill to the lake. The spillway was constructed by the Park District last fall, and has a series of waterfalls making in one of the showplaces of the country. Bluebells, hepatica, violets, May apples, wild sweet william and several varieties of ferns are being planted. (H&R file photo)
ADM clarifier
1977: The clarifier, the third step in the treatment process, will remove sludge from waste generated by the Archer Daniels Midland Co. complex. (H&R file photo)
Archer Daniels Midland Co.
1978: Archer Daniels Midland Co. hosted 31 visitors from the Republic of China. These Chinese officials sampled soybean based products during their visit. (H&R file photo)
Outstanding Young Farmers
1984: Bob Ryan of Archer Daniels Midland Co. explains lettuce production in a hydroponics greenhouse to group of National Outstanding Young Farmer candidates. (H&R file photo)
Archer Daniels Midland Co. expansion
1967: As part of the Archer Daniels Midland Co. West Plant expansion, 1900 Samuels St., three 15,000-barrel tanks are being moved. The tank at left base. In order to move the tanks, a dike was built and the channel lined with 30,000 square feet of plastic. Water was then pumped into it so the tanks could be floated. At bottom right, a truck tows one of the 50-ton oil tanks down the canal. When the expansion was announced, it was to double the facilities. (H&R file photo)
Archer Daniels Midland Co.
1942: Cars are parked outside of Archer Daniels Midland Co. (H&R file photo)
Contact Taylor Vidmar at (217) 421-6949. Follow her on Twitter: @taylorvidmar11.
