Agenda

Economic Viability … The Foundation of Sustainability
– Duane Cantrell, Fulcrum Global Capital

If you picture sustainability as an equilateral triangle – all sides of equal length, the base should be economic viability. Any organization or industry that is not economically viable is not sustainable no matter how environmentally friendly or socially responsible they are. Fulcrum Global Capital’s Duane Cantrell will kick-off the day’s conversation addressing the need for economic viability while also highlighting the tremendous opportunities animal agriculture has for additional investment. Investments that, no matter if they focus on supply chain logistics, food safety, production, animal health treatments, or decision-making support, all affect the sustainability of animal agriculture as part of today’s food system.

Animal Agriculture is a global sector of today’s food system and a significant portion of the sector’s economic viability is derived from international markets. Ambassadors Vetter and Doud will dive into key learnings and insights from their time as the U.S.’s chief agriculture negotiators as, together, we explore the new landscape of building international trade relations and how sustainability is a growing aspect of international trade relations.

Conversation moderated by Chelsea Good, Livestock Marketing Association

– Moderated by Chelsea Good, JD, Livestock Marketing Association
– Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Ph.D., Colorado State University
– John Newton, Ph.D., U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

While many conversations about sustainability begin with environmental stewardship, no organization or food system-sector can be sustainable if it is not economically viable. With combined experiences that have allowed Kim and John to work with a variety of leaders in animal agriculture, we will take a deeper dive into this foundational aspect of sustainability to better understand the realities of ensuring an economically viable sector while ensuring environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Ag & Food Leaders, Unite!
– Erin Fitzgerald, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action

For the sustainable food and agriculture systems of the future, this is the decade that counts. A growing number of companies, organizations and individuals across the value chain are signing onto the Decade of Ag vision: A resilient, restorative, economically viable and climate-smart agricultural system that produces abundant and nutritious food, natural fiber and clean energy for a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous America. It will take collaboration, partnerships and investment to get there, as outlined in USFRA’s recent report on how to scale up climate-smart agriculture through transformative investment. We don’t yet have all the answers, but the Decade of Ag is about channeling our individual and collective strengths to tackle climate change, contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals and transform our rural economies.