6/11/13: Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit at IPPE 2014

News provided by the US Poultry and Egg Association
 
The sixth annual Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will be held during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) which takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, USA from the 28-30 January 2014.

The summit will run from the 27 - 28 January in Room A-411
Monday 27 January: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday 28 January: 9 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the summit will offer viewpoints from top industry experts regarding sustainability as well as how to engage consumers and the public. The two-day program is US$150 for all registered expo attendees.
 

“The Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit continues to be a popular program on the Expo schedule. This year’s program is designed to keep industry leaders up-to-date on industry sustainability initiatives by providing a variety of information from a diverse panel of speakers,” said Joe Miller, general counsel for Rose Acre Farms and Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit planning committee member.
 

Presentations taking place at next years summit 

- Paul Helgeson, GNP Company will present 'A Hot Spot of a Life Cycle Analysis'. 

- Jim Fallon, Center for Food Integrity, will present 'What Have We Learned in the Last Twelve Months?'
- Jeff Potent, George Washington University and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will discuss Corporate Responsibility.

There will also be a topic discussing consumer/public engagement: 'What Drives Your Message with A PR Firm’s Perspective, An Industry Customer Perspective and A Blogger’s Perspective.'

The Summit will conclude with an awards ceremony, presenting the honors to the winners of USPOULTY’s 2014 family farm environmental excellence award. 

For a full program guide and to register, click here. 

The sixth annual Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will be held during next years IPPE in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

 

30/10/13: Decoupling US farm incomes safety net from actual plantings urged

Hot-off-the-press from the National Grain & Feed Trade Association in the USA

As farm bill conferees convene today to begin the process of resolving differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) sent a letter to the conferees making recommendations regarding the commodity section and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Concerning commodity programs, the NGFA urged congressional conferees to decouple farm income safety net programs from actual plantings.  The NGFA noted that historically, when government commodity programs encourage planting that is inconsistent with market demand, it negatively affects markets, international trade relationships and the agriculture industry as a whole.

The NGFA in particular warned that "linking any type of farm program income supports to actual plantings...could risk exposing the United States to potential trade challenges under the World Trade Organization." 

The NGFA also urged conferees to reduce further the CRP acreage cap, while retaining language in the House-passed bill that would allow certain non-environmentally sensitive land to exit the CRP before contract expiration without penalty.

Currently, the House-passed farm bill would reduce the existing 32-million-acre cap to 24 million acres, while the Senate version would lower it to 25 million acres - both through a gradual, stair-step approach over a period of years.

The NGFA noted that the most recent CRP general sign-up results reflect the continued trend toward increased planting of crops on land suitable for production in response to market demand.  If sign-ups remain steady over the next five years, the NGFA wrote, the resulting acres enrolled in the CRP would decline to less than 22 million acres.

Meanwhile, the penalty-free early out provision in the House-passed farm bill would allow CRP contract holders to terminate their contracts in fiscal year 2014, provided the land meets specified criteria and has been enrolled in CRP for at least the previous five years.

NGFA said its farm bill recommendations were designed to establish "a sound farm policy framework for agricultural producers, agribusinesses and the millions of Americans whose jobs depend on a vibrant and flourishing U.S. agriculture."

Established in 1896, the NGFA is a U.S.-based nonprofit trade association that consists of more than 1,050 companies from all sectors of the grain elevator, animal feed and feed ingredient, integrated livestock and poultry, grain processing, biofuels and exporting business.  

NGFA-member companies operate more than 7,000 facilities nationwide that handle more than 70 percent of U.S. grains and oilseeds. Affiliated with the NGFA are 26 state and regional grain, feed and agribusiness trade associations. The NGFA also has strategic alliances with the North American Export Grain Association and Pet Food Institute.

25/20/13: Event: Biosecurity Program scheduled at IPPE 2014

Taking place from 28 - 30 January 2014 at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, USA, IPPE is the world's largest annual poultry, feed and meat industry event. 

Next years installment will see the introduction of a new Program, Biosecurity – Revisiting the Basics and Implementing New Strategies which is scheduled from 8am - 12pm on the last day of the event.

The need for effective biosecurity programs stems from the outbreaks of the H7N9 virus in China and the H7N3 virus on Mexico. 

Sponsored by US Poultry & Egg Association, the Biosecurity – Revisiting the Basics and Implementing New Strategies half-day program will revisit the well-established basics of successful biosecurity plans and explore new strategies for today's global challenges. 

The half-day program registration fee is US$100 for all International Production & Processing Expo attendees. The program will feature industry specialists, a panel discussion and a Practical Biosecurity Workshop. 

Discussions:

 - Dr David Shapiro, Perdue, will discuss Real-World Biosecurity Strategies to Minimize or Eliminate Animal Health and Food Safety Risks. 

- Carl Heeder, Zoetis, will present on Biosecurity Implementation Management: A Real Life Perspective of the Challenges Even the Most Well Written, Comprehensive Programs Face. 

There will also be a panel discussion which will address biosecurity perspectives from different regions of the world.

An accompanying  workshop will look at various scenarios from different countries and aim to develop a model taking into consideration different regions, cultures, etc.

For more information visit the IPPE website.

 Outbreaks of the H7N9 virus in China and the H7N3 virus in Mexico have heightened the awareness and need for effective biosecurity programs

Cereal grain scientists to present new research at AACC international meeting

Cereal grain scientists from around the world will gather in Albuquerque, New Mexico from the 29th September - 2nd October 2013 for the AACC International Annual Meeting. 

This event is expected to attract as many as 1,100 of the world’s cereal grain scientists representing a broad range of expertise working in academia, industry, and government.

David Hahn, AACC international president, Koushik Seetharaman, program chair and the 2013 Annual Meeting Technical Program planning committee have put together an outstanding scientific program, including 23 special and oral technical sessions on today’s most relevant cereal grain topics and critical issues, such as wheat improvement in the 21st century, value-added processing of oats and barley, and designing safe grain-based food products.

In addition to the symposia and oral technical sessions, AACC International is introducing a new series of two-hour sessions entitled "Conversations That Matter," encouraging greater interaction and discussion between presenters and the audience. AACCI's current topics affecting the industry are "The Formulation of Healthy Food," "The Issue of Gluten-Free Products," "The Measurement of Dietary Fiber," and "The Perception of Whole Grain Foods."

Some scientists believe that food containing wheat, sugar, and carbohydrates are detrimental to optimum brain functionality. In the Hot Topic session entitled "Grain Brain for Grain Brains: A Look at Grains and Cognition, Dementia, and Mental Health," Julie Jones, from the Department of Family, Consumer & Nutritional Science at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN, will test the strength of these arguments against existing literature on grains and carbohydrates.
The second Hot Topic session led by Anne Bridges, AACC International, and Ray Shillito, Bayer CropScience, addresses the challenge of how to feed the future world population. An important part of this challenge is improving the nutritional composition, quality, and quantity of food from agricultural sources. “Sustainability, Genetics, and Future Cultivars” will provide an overview of current breeding technologies for grains and oil seeds, new crops, potential food benefits, and the corresponding updates in molecular detection methods to manage authentication in the food supply chain.

More information.


 

Official seal of City of Albuquerque (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Event: International Production & Processing Expo launches Young Leaders “30 under 30” Program

The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) announces the second annual Young Leaders “30 under 30” Program, targeting young professions who normally would not have the financial resources or opportunity to attend IPPE. The goal of the program is to invest in and engage young professionals between the ages of 21 - 29 who work for companies actively involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or production of animal/poultry feed and are members of any of the following IPPE sponsoring associations: American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), American Meat Institute (AMI), or U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY).

The program is designed to recognise professional leadership qualities and to provide exposure to the world’s annual largest trade show involving the production and processing of meat and poultry products and the manufacture of feed and pet food products. The program provides education to further training in each person’s respective industry and will expose the recipients to the latest technology used in the industry.

Selected applicants will receive a full, complimentary registration to IPPE, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 28th -30th 2014. The registration will allow attendance to all education programs. Additionally, the program will provide two complimentary nights of lodging.
To be considered for IPPE’s “30 under 30” program, applicants must submit their application by October 15th 2013, and must be employed by an active member of AFIA, AMI, and USPOULTRY. No more than two applicants from a single member organization may be nominated.  A panel of industry professionals will review the applications, and recipients will be notified of the panel’s decision by November 15th 2013. 

More information. 

The program is designed to recognise professional leadership qualities and to provide exposure to the world’s annual largest trade show involving the production and processing of meat and poultry products and the manufacture of feed and pet food products.