Animal welfare is top-of-mind for everyone involved in food production from farm to fork, from farmers and ranchers to restaurant, retail and foodservice brands and every stop in between. The latest topics in animal welfare and how to effectively communicate about this topic will be covered at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2020 Virtual Stakeholders Summit, themed “Primed & Prepared.” The Summit is set for May 7-8, 2020, and registered attendees will also receive exclusive access to a series of preconference webinars.
The Alliance’s annual Summit brings together thought leaders in the agriculture and food industries 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. Attendees will leave the 2020 Virtual 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. Farmers and ranchers interested in attending the Virtual Summit are encouraged to enter the Alliance’s photo contest to compete for a free registration. Entries must be posted by April 10.
Animal welfare is a topic of critical interest throughout the food chain. In response to questions from curious consumers and pressure campaigns from activist groups, many restaurant, retail and foodservice brands are considering what role they play in the animal welfare dialog and adopting related policies for their supply chains. In a preconference webinar available only to registered Virtual Summit attendees, expert panelists will discuss ways that the animal agriculture industry can help food companies ensure the science of animal welfare isn’t lost in navigating conversations where emotions play a larger and larger role. Panel participants include:
- Tim Kurt, DVM, PhD, scientific program director at the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research
- Candace Croney, PhD, director, Center for Animal Welfare Science, Purdue University
- Karen Christensen, PhD, senior director, animal welfare, Tyson Foods
Dr. Croney will also speak during the Virtual Summit itself, giving a keynote address titled “Can You Hear Me Now? How Agriculture Can Communicate on Animal Welfare.” She will offer attendees insights into the latest developments in animal welfare and how to effectively engage in meaningful conversations with consumers and influencers.
“Animal welfare has been at the core of the Alliance’s work since we were formed back in 1987,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “No Summit would be complete without a discussion of the latest trends in animal welfare and how everyone in the food chain can collaborate to address this important topic. We’re excited to offer this lineup of true experts in the area that attendees can tune in to hear from during the Virtual Summit without even leaving their homes or offices.”
Virtual Summit registration is now open at Summit.AnimalAgAlliance.Org. Registration will give attendees exclusive access to 13 hours of live, dynamic content spread out among a series of preconference webinars and the two-day virtual event. Recordings from each session will also be available only to confirmed virtual attendees through the end of 2020. The Alliance team is working to ensure attendees enjoy digital networking opportunities that are more valuable than ever in today’s challenging environment.
Be sure to check the Virtual Summit website for the most up-to-date Virtual 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 [email protected] or call (703) 562-5160.
Thank you to our 2020 Summit sponsors: Watt Global Media, Farm Journal, Meatingplace, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Smithfield, National Pork Board, American Feed Industry Association, United Soybean Board, The National Provisioner, Elanco, Country Folks, Dairy MAX, Farm Credit, National Biodiesel Board, United Egg Producers, Cobb Vantress, Inc., Protect the Harvest, Progressive Dairyman, Agri Beef, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Veal Association, Empirical, Kemin, National Chicken Council, Trans Ova Genetics, Vivayic, Mountaire Farms, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Brakke Consulting, Food Industry Environmental Network and Eggland’s Best.
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, Diamond V, Genus PLC - PIC/ABS, Hy-Line North America LLC, Iowa Soybean Association, Merck Animal Health, National Turkey Federation, Nutrien, Aviagen Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Hendrix Genetics, Provimi North America, Inc. and Seaboard Foods.
