Posts

NIAA Releases Lameness Across Species White Paper

/in /by

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture hosted animal agriculture leaders that addressed challenges stemming from lameness across all food animal species and have now released a White Paper compiling the findings.

NIAA’s Animal Disease Issues & Emergency Management Council hosted a roundtable discussion lameness across all food animal species at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, GA in January. This roundtable featured industry experts and explored research regarding causes, prevention methods, and treatment of bone health and lameness-related diseases in livestock and poultry.

“Lameness is a leading problematic sustainability and animal health issue that all livestock species face. We had a great turnout at the roundtable and hope the white paper will lead to more people joining the conversation to collectively address the problems,” said NIAA’s Sustainability Council Chair, Dr. Kaitlyn Briggs, Dairy Welfare Manager at fairlife,LLC.

Lameness could be defined as a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, an injury, disease, or anatomical problem of the affected animal that results in an abnormality or change in gait or stance. Lameness remains a challenging condition to tackle because it is inherently difficult to diagnose with species of food animals presenting vastly different symptoms, ranging from subtle to overt, all at different stages of severity.

The white paper can be accessed at the NIAA website and is complementary to attendees and NIAA members. To become a member for complementary access to NIAA’s resources, visit www.AnimalAgriculture.org.

 

NIAA’s Lameness Across Species Roundtable Will Address Health Problems Faced in Animal Agriculture

/in /by

Animal health experts from all food-animal species will collectively confront lameness issues in animal agriculture prior to IPPE in Atlanta, GA.

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture will host animal agriculture leaders will discuss the current state of research and treatment for lameness across food animal species before the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Georgia, January 27-28. Registration for the Roundtable will include a complementary code to attend IPPE.

NIAA’s Animal Disease Issues & Emergency Management Council will lead the inaugural roundtable discussion to explore current knowledge and research regarding causes, prevention methods, and treatments for bone health and lameness disease(s) in food animal species – livestock and poultry. Lameness is a problem affecting all species of animal agriculture. One of NIAA’s guiding principles is to convene leading experts to deliver science-based, reliable and trusted perspectives on the industry’s most challenging topics. By convening leaders from across species, animal agriculture will collectively find solutions that may be applied across the industry.

The speakers for the roundtable with expertise in lameness and related diseases will include:

  • Kate Weathers Barger, KB Animal Welfare Consulting
  • Scott Crain, VeriPrime
  • Meredyth Jones, Oklahoma State University
  • Jan Shearer, Iowa State University
  • Meghann K. Pierdon, University of Pennsylvania
  • Adnan Alrubaye, University of Arkansas
  • Bruno Menarim, Gluck Equine Research Center
  • Jennifer Wilson-Welder, National Animal Disease Center – USDA-ARS
  • Doug Ensley, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Lucas Pantaleon, NIAA Council Co-Chair
  • Adnan Alrubaye, University of Arkansas
  • Kaitlyn Briggs, FairLife

“We are looking forward to a great, collaborative discussion about the issues each species experience and how animal agriculture leaders can collectively address the problems,” said Council co-chair, Dr. Lucas Pantaleon. Outputs from the roundtable will include a white paper along with the next steps – plans to address bone health and lameness.

To learn more about the roundtable and speakers, please visit NIAA’s website, www.AnimalAgriculture.org. Registration fees are $200 for NIAA members and $250 for non-members and will include a complementary code to attend IPPE. For assistance with media registration, please contact Morgan Young, Director of Communications and Outreach for the National Institute for Animal Agriculture at morgan.young@animalagriculture.org.

Public Health and Animal Agriculture Leaders Convene for One Health

/in /by

The National Pork Board (NPB) partnered with the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) to convene a group of public health, animal health and swine professionals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to build relationships and explore opportunities for One Health collaborations. The event was sponsored by the Pork Checkoff with the support of several state pork associations and producers from Minnesota and South Dakota.

The One Health farm to fork experience spanned all phases of swine production, a feed mill, truck wash and processing plants in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa. The educational tour focused on biosecurity, animal wellbeing and sustainability to create a dialogue between human health, animal health and food safety professionals.

“This Checkoff investment is evidence of our holistic approach to connecting directly with our colleagues in the public health sector,” said Heather Fowler VMD PhD MPH DACVPM, director of producer and public health at NPB. “The We Care® Ethical Principles and Pork Quality Assurance® Plus training our producers abide by are proof that we are committed to people, pigs and the planet. It was inspiring to talk directly with the event attendees about how on-farm practices contribute to a healthy community and the health of the people we are proud to feed.”

The following organizations were represented:

  •        Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
  •        The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  •        FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
  •        Illinois Department of Public Health
  •        Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
  •        Iowa Pork Producers Association
  •        Minnesota Department of Health
  •        Minnesota Pork Board
  •        National Pork Board (host)
  •        NIAA
  •        PIPESTONE
  •        South Dakota Department of Health
  •        South Dakota Pork Producers Council
  •        U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  •       Wisconsin Department of Health Services

“Observing and learning about swine production from farrow to finish highlighted the need of these systems to have the highest rigor of biosecurity and production practices to protect herd health,” said Alexandra Medley DVM MPH, Associate Director for Antimicrobial Resistance for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. “In turn, we learned how maintaining a healthy herd can directly and indirectly affect animal, crop, and public health, including enhancing food safety and preventing, within their part of the One Health spectrum, the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AR).”

Next month, animal agriculture leaders from multiple species sectors will host a reversal of the previous farm tour experience with a meeting in Atlanta at the CDC campus. This meeting will support CDC delegates as they provide informed One Health information including perspectives and practical applications from experts and professionals in the animal agriculture sector.

“By sharing our respective priorities and challenges as swine producers and public health scientists, we hope that the takeaway is that CDC is eager to collaborate on identifying and furthering efforts to advance human, environmental and animal health and address the threat of AR,” continued Medley. “We are grateful to the producers and companies that graciously brought us into their world to foster learning and discussion across a diversity of topics.”

NIAA Provides mRNA Resources to the Animal Agriculture Industry

/in /by

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) hosted a webinar on July 21 with industry professionals and stakeholders to provide resources communicating about the use of mRNA technology in animal agriculture.

Misinformation has been shared on social media claiming humans can become vaccinated against COVID-19 by consuming animal protein from livestock treated with mRNA vaccines. The emerging issue was presented at NIAA’s Annual Conference in April 2023 during the Animal Health Emergency Management Council meeting. To compound the misinformation, mRNA vaccines have recently been the target of some state legislative bills.

NIAA quickly assembled a working group of experts from across animal agriculture to develop communication support materials regarding the use of mRNA technology in animal agriculture. Working group leaders include:

  • American Association of Swine Veterinarians
  • American Farm Bureau Federation
  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Animal Agriculture Alliance
  • Livestock Marketing Association
  • Merck Animal Health
  • Missouri Farm Bureau
  • National Institute for Animal Agriculture
  • National Pork Board
  • National Pork Producers Council
  • North American Meat Institute
  • Zoetis

The webinar hosted nearly 100 interested stakeholders and presented an information brief and infographic that is now available for animal agriculture stakeholders to use.

“NIAA works to serve animal agriculture stakeholders by convening leaders across the supply chain and connecting them with resources,” said J.J. Jones, NIAA executive director. “With this latest emerging issue, it’s important to know the facts about a complex topic and then communicate it simply and clearly. Our leaders are hopeful our animal agriculture stakeholders find this resource valuable.”

To access the mRNA information brief and infographic, please visit the resources page at the NIAA website. To learn more about becoming more involved in NIAA through membership or partnership, contact NIAA’s executive director J.J. Jones.

###

 

NIAA is the leading resource for the animal agriculture industry and provides value to all stakeholders involved in providing safe and healthy food for the world. NIAA is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing programs to work towards providing solutions for disease, while promoting a safe and wholesome food supply and the best practices of environmental stewardship, animal health and well-being.

2023 Annual Conference: Climate-Smart Animal Agriculture Recap

/in , /by

Last week the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) welcomed members and guests to Kansas City for the 2023 Annual Conference: Climate-Smart Animal Agriculture. More than 140 guests joined the conference and receptions to connect with fellow animal agriculture leaders to explore, discuss, and develop solutions that encourage continuous improvement in animal agriculture.

NIAA’s Annual Conference featured dynamic speakers that discussed the current state of climate-smart initiatives and collaboration across the agriculture industry.

The speaker and panelist list included:

  • Joe Leathers – 6666 Ranch
  • Anne-Marie Roerink – 210 Analytics
  • Amy Skoczlas Cole – Farm Journal’s Trust in Food
  • Hansel New – Dairy Farmers of America
  • Kirsten Nickles – Certified Angus Beef
  • Billy Gascoigne –Ducks Unlimited
  • Burke Griggs – Washburn University, School of Law
  • Paul Hishmeh – Field to Market

“We’ve received great feedback from attendees saying there wasn’t a session where they didn’t learn something worth taking back to the workplace,” said J.J. Jones, Executive Director of NIAA. “We’re already in the planning stage for next year and look forward to seeing our members and guests at the 13th Annual Antibiotics Symposium in Atlanta, GA in November.”

Animal agriculture benefits from those who consistently go above and beyond for the industry and each year at Annual Conference, NIAA recognizes those outstanding professionals. The Chairman’s and President’s Awards recognize animal agriculture leaders who have been especially supportive, inspiring, and trusted by leaders within NIAA and have contributed significantly to its success. For more than a decade, NIAA has honored leaders in animal agriculture who engage with all angles of the value chain, from gate to plate. These Animal Agriculture Advocates use their voice and platforms to push animal agriculture forward. The longest standing award – first presented in 1965, is the Meritorious Service Award. This award is presented to animal agriculture leaders who have invested their career to advancing our sector.

The 2023 honorees include:
Chairman’s Award:
Dr. Megin Nichols; Deputy Division Director for the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

President’s Award:
Jared Wareham; North American NuEra Business Development Manager at ABS Global

Advocates for Animal Agriculture Award:
Ryan Goodman; Director of Communications and Community Engagement at Certified Angus Beef
Dr. Tera Barnhardt; Consulting Veterinarian and Owner of Animal Welfare Consulting & Research

Meritorious Service Award:
Dr. Lanny Pace; Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine

2023 honorees

During Annual Conference, NIAA recognized outgoing leadership and confirmed new board members during the annual membership meeting. NIAA thanks the retiring board members for their service:

  • Dr. Leonard Bull – retired professor at NC State University
  • Dr. Lucas Pantaleon – Ogena Solutions/Pantaleon PLLC
  • Dr. Lanny Pace – Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Retiring Board Members

NIAA welcomes the following new board members:

  • Adam Brock – Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
  • Dr. Kaitlyn Briggs – Dairy Management Inc.
  • Dr. Megin Nichols – Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
  • Dr. Tera Barnhardt – Animal Welfare Consulting & ResearchNew board members

To learn more about the award honorees, board members, or to access media passes to the 13th Annual Antibiotics Symposium in November, please visit www.AnimalAgriculture.org or contact Morgan Young, Director of Communications and Outreach for the National Institute for Animal Agriculture at morgan.young@animalagriculture.org.

National Institute for Animal Agriculture Opens Registration for the 2022 Annual Conference

/in /by

National Institute for Animal Agriculture Opens Registration for the 2022 Annual Conference

Animal agriculture leaders are prepared to meet the needs of a changing world where transparency and earning consumer trust is an ongoing priority

Kansas City, Mo. (February 9, 2022) — The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) has opened registration for the 2022 Annual Conference in Kansas City, Missouri from April 20-22. Join fellow animal agriculture leaders at the opening reception for a chef-guided meal that explores the effects genetics, feed ingredients, production practices, and more have on the farm-to-table eating experience. Space is limited to the first 50 registrants.

Whether it’s securing protein for all, sustainably producing protein, or innovatively meeting the needs of many, there is never a shortage of critical topics to address. The 2022 NIAA Annual Conference, Producing Protein for a Food Insecure & Uncertain World – Leading Food Security, Sustainable Production, and Innovation, will convene leaders in animal agriculture as we explore, discuss, and develop solutions to industry challenges.

“Animal agriculture leaders are prepared to meet the needs of a changing world. Transparency is increasingly important while earning and maintaining consumer trust is an ongoing priority,” said Chelsea Good, Livestock Marketing Association, NIAA board member, and Annual Conference planning committee member.

Annual Conference will feature dynamic keynote speakers as we seek collaboration and solutions with our colleagues from across the food system. Panelists will include experts in disruptive innovation, food security, animal agriculture policy, sustainable production, industry collaboration and more. Confirmed speakers, panelists and moderators include:

  • Diana Kander, JD – Kansas City native, keynote speaker, New York Times best-selling author and innovation expert
  • Lamar Steiger – ranch management consultant, board member of FoodCap New Zealand, and trusted beef innovation advisor to Wal-Mart and ABS Global
  • Janette Barnard, MBA – Merck Animal Health, Prime Futures
  • Nevil Speer, PhD – Where Food Comes From, Inc.
  • Kelly Loganbill – Midan Marketing
  • Chelsea Good, JD – Livestock Marketing Association

To register, view the full agenda and reserve a room at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown for the 2022 Annual Convention, please visit www.AnimalAgriculture.org. Virtual attendance is an option for those unable to travel. Early bird rates are active through March 1, 2022. For assistance, please contact Morgan Young, Director of Communications and Outreach for the National Institute for Animal Agriculture at morgan.young@animalagriculture.org.

 

 ###

About the National Institute for Animal Agriculture

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) is a non-profit organization focused on advancing and advocating for animal agriculture. The organization’s mission is to convene animal agriculture experts and allies in collaborative settings to explore, discuss, learn, and develop knowledge that fosters interdisciplinary cooperation for the improvement and continuous progress of animal agriculture. Learn more about NIAA at www.animalagriculture.org.