The USDA has chosen 22 organizations to obtain $6.5 million to coach underserved, small-scale and natural producers on farm danger administration and climate-smart farm practices.
USDA Awards $6.5M for Farm Threat Administration Schooling
The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen 22 partnering organizations from its Threat Administration Schooling (RME) program to obtain roughly $6.5 million to coach underserved, small-scale and natural producers on farm danger administration and climate-smart farm practices.
The funding, supplied by USDA’s Threat Administration Company (RMA), will support nonprofits, land grant universities and traditionally black schools and universities in growing coaching and sources for agricultural producers about danger administration choices.
This spherical of funding builds upon an equal quantity that RMA has already supplied in partnerships since 2021.
“This funding and these partnerships are integral to our outreach efforts in communities that traditionally haven’t had entry to coaching about danger administration choices,” acknowledged RMA administrator Marcia Bunger, who emphasised the necessity to assist growers and livestock producers apply danger administration sources to their farming companies.
Staci Emm, a professor and extension educator on the College of Nevada, Reno, a 2023 RME recipient, mentioned the college’s relationship with the RMA is vital in figuring out producers’ danger administration wants. “After which working with RMA to deal with these wants is the important thing to success for Nevada producers.”
Cybersecurity Practices Amongst International Debt Issuers
A current survey by Moody’s Traders Service revealed a big improve in cybersecurity budgets and C-suite visibility of cyber dangers amongst world debt issuers. The survey aimed to evaluate cybersecurity practices and the potential danger they pose to the credit score profiles of debt issuers.
The responses from over 1,700 leaders revealed that cybersecurity budgets rose by 70% from 2019 to 2023. The median allocation of know-how budgets devoted to cybersecurity elevated from 5% in 2019 to eight%. Nonetheless, respondents mentioned the rising prices of cybersecurity are placing strain on their budgets.
Transferring these dangers has additionally turn out to be extra expensive. Cyber insurance coverage premiums noticed a median improve of fifty% between 2020 and 2022, and sectors similar to well being care, housing and better schooling reported a 94% improve.
Based on Leroy Terrelonge, vice chairman and analyst, cyber credit score danger at Moody’s, this rise in premiums might be attributed to a steep improve in ransomware assaults in the course of the pandemic.
“Cybersecurity’s enterprise-wide visibility has improved whereas budgets have grown 70% within the final 5 years,” Terrelonge mentioned. “However superior cyber practices stay out of attain for a lot of issuers, and survey responses increase questions concerning the effectiveness of some cyber initiatives.”
Ukraine Launches Battle Threat Evaluation Platform
Ukraine has unveiled a knowledge platform that permits insurers, traders and governments to research battle dangers, with Marsh McLennan aiding in its design and testing. The platform supplies complete mapping of war-related incidents because the Russian invasion in February 2022, providing insights into the frequency, kind and site of assaults, in addition to the belongings focused and injury ranges sustained.
Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Protection Council of Ukraine, which operates the platform, acknowledged that “76% of communities in Ukraine have had no war-related incidents this 12 months. This demonstrates that a lot of Ukraine is open for funding now.”
John Doyle, president and CEO of Marsh McLennan, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the platform’s function in fostering funding confidence by enabling extra correct danger analysis.
The launch of the platform follows Marsh McLennan’s dedication in June to supply professional bono companies to create a platform for clear battle danger evaluation in Ukraine.
The platform, which aggregates information from numerous sources — including the police, navy, safety companies, rescue companies, transport companies and authorities institutions — marks a big step in Ukraine’s restoration and transformation journey. &