An initial agenda is now available for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2020 Stakeholders Summit, themed Primed & Prepared. With sessions covering sustainability, animal welfare, influencer engagement, preparing for animal rights activist campaigns and other hot topics, attendees will leave the 2020 Summit primed and prepared with the tools they need to take action and be part of any and all conversations that could impact the future of animal agriculture and their business.
The Alliance’s annual Summit brings together thought leaders in the industry to discuss hot-button issues and out-of-the-box ideas to connect everyone along the food chain, engage influencers and protect the future of animal agriculture. The 2020 event is set for May 7-8 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va. Early registration discounts are available through January 31. To register, visit summit.animalagalliance.org.
One agenda highlight is a session titled “Building Links Along the Food Chain: Enhancing the Sustainability Conversation.” Building on the livestock industry’s tremendous strides in the last few decades to produce meat, milk, poultry and eggs more efficiently, this panel will consider if there is an opportunity through food companies to improve consumer understanding of the tools that enable animal agriculture’s sustainability. Panelists include:
• Marianne Smith Edge, RDN, founder and principal of The AgriNutrition Edge. Edge is a registered dietitian with farming roots who helps food and agriculture companies find their path through the changing and complicated consumer food environment and serves as a translator between the consumer and the food/ag space. She will draw upon her experiences to share consumers’ perceptions of animal agriculture, technology and sustainability.
• Lee Bob Harper, DVM, associate director, beef strategic technical services, Zoetis. Harper will share a deeper look at innovations in animal health and the correlation between healthy, productive animals and sustainability.
• Molly McAdams, PhD, retail advisor and Texas cattle rancher. Drawing from her previous experience as vice president at H-E-B, McAdams will share her insights on why food retailers are interested in sustainable practices on farms and ranches.
“Two-way dialogue throughout the supply chain is essential to move forward on critical topics such as sustainability,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “This panel will help attendees consider how to build bridges from farm to fork and what role they can be primed and prepared to play in the sustainability conversation.”
Be sure to check the Summit website for the most up-to-date Summit information and the full agenda. You can also follow the hashtags #AAA20 and #PrimedAndPrepared for periodic updates about the event. For general questions about the Summit please contact summit@animalagalliance.org or call (703) 562-5160.
Get involved:
Show your support for the Alliance’s outreach efforts by becoming an official Summit sponsor today! For 2020 sponsorship opportunities, please visit summit.animalagalliance.org. For more information, contact Allyson Jones-Brimmer at ajonesbrimmer@animalagalliance.org.
Thank you to our 2020 Summit sponsors: Watt Global Media, Farm Journal, Meatingplace, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Smithfield, National Pork Board, American Feed Industry Association, The National Provisioner, Country Folks, National Biodiesel Board, United Egg Producers, Protect the Harvest, Progressive Dairyman, Agri Beef, American Veal Association, Cobb Vantress, Inc., Empirical, Kemin, National Chicken Council, Trans Ova Genetics, Vivayic, Mountaire Farms and Food Industry Environmental Network.
The Alliance also thanks the following members for their continued support of Summit and other Alliance programs: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Zoetis, Alltech, Inc., Cattle Empire, LLC, Charleston|Orwig, Genus PLC – PIC/ABS, Hy-Line North America LLC, Iowa Soybean Association, Merck Animal Health, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, Nutrien, Aviagen Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Hendrix Genetics, Provimi North America, Inc. and Seaboard Foods.
