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March 1-2, 2007
Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel
1700 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202
 
Agriculture at the Crossroads
— Energy, Farm & Rural Policy
 
“Federal investment in agriculture is a very wise, thoughtful investment. How we do it is the critical issue. At the end, I believe strongly it must be predictable, equitable,
and beyond challenge."


Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
 

Plenary Session and Webcast

March 1, 2007

Welcome

Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USDA
Webcast Transcript

2007 International Agricultural Trade Outlook
A. Ellen Terpstra, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA
Webcast PDF DOC

2007 Agricultural Economic Outlook
Keith Collins, Chief Economist, USDA
Webcast DOC PDF

Keynote Address
Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture, USDA
Webcast Transcript

Distinguished Guest Speaker
Allan Hubbard, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
Director, National Economic Council
Webcast PDF DOC

Plenary Panel

Renewable Energy – Inroads to Agriculture
Moderator:
Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal
DOC

Patricia Woertz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Archer Daniels, Midland
Webcast DOC

John Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, CHS, Inc.
Webcast DOC

Greg Page, President and Chief Operating Officer, Cargill, Inc.
Webcast DOC

Red Cavaney, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Petroleum Institute
Webcast DOC

 

Speeches and Presentations

Speeches and PowerPoint presentations are posted in PDF format.

The Forum presented 35 sessions, beginning on the afternoon of March 1, which were organized into five theme tracks: Rural America, Globalization, Conservation, Science, and Markets. The traditional sessions also presented the outlook for major U.S. commodities.

 

March 1, 2007

1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Food Price Outlook: Ephraim Leibtag, Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA, Washington, DC
PDF

1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Energy
Biofuels: Overview & Potential for U.S. Markets

Moderator: Lloyd C. Day, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA

The U.S. Potential for Biofuels
Robert Dinneen, President, Renewable Fuels Association
PDF

Tradeoffs in Production, Pricing, and Cropping Patterns
Henry L. Bryant, Research Assistant Professor, Texas A & M University
PDF

The Role of Cellulosic Conversion
Bruce E. Dale, Professor, Michigan State University
PDF

Biobutanol: A New Entrant in the Biofuels Market
William A. Frey, Global Business Director for Biofuels, DuPont Bio-Based Materials
PDF

Rural Development
Making Rural Towns More Viable: A Look at Broadband, Healthcare & Community Facilities

Moderator: Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA
PDF

How Broadband Can Help Rural Communities
Scott Zimmer, President, Air Advantage
PDF

Expanding Health Care Options in Rural America
Margo Harrison, CEO, Clark Fork Valley Hospital
PDF 

Community Facilities Make a Critical Difference
George Kornegay, President, Mt. Olive College Foundation
PDF
DOC

Policy & Trade
The DOHA Round: Closing the Perception Gap

Moderator: James Grueff, Partner, Decision Leaders LLC 

Agricultural Exports With or Without an Agreement
William C. Motes, Senior Vice President, Informa Economics
DOC

Litigation or Negotiation? The Perceived Value of Dispute Settlement for the U.S. Farm Sector in 2006
Timothy Josling, Professor Emeritus at the Food Research Institute, Stanford University
PDF

Growing Trade with Developing Countries – The Interdependency
William Cline, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics and Center for Global Development
PDF DOC

Technology
Conservation Agriculture, Precision Agriculture, and Carbon Sequestration Potential

Moderator: Randy Raper, Lead Scientist for Conservation Systems, Agricultural Research Service, Soil Dynamics Lab, USDA

Soil Considerations Across the Landscape
Hector J. Causarano, Hydrology and Remote Sensing Lab, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Agronomic Inputs Using Precision Agriculture Across Different Landscapes
Kip Balkcom, Conservation Systems Research, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Precision Agriculture
Economic Benefits in Transitioning Into No-till on Different Landscapes
Jason Bergtold, Conservation Systems Research, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Increasing Carbon Sequestration by Reducing Tillage
Ron Reicosky, North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Food Trends
Labeling & Health Claims: Future of Food Marketing
Moderator: Fred Kuchler, Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA

The Federal Government and Nutrition Marketing
Richard A. Williams, Director for Social Science, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
PDF

Nutrition Marketing and Consumer Behavior
Brian Wansink, Professor of Marketing, Applied Economics and Nutritional Science, Cornell Food and Brand Lab, Cornell University
Not Available

Private Sector Research in Nutrition Marketing
Eileen Kennedy, Dean, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University
PDF

Concurrent Sessions
3:45 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

Energy
Biofuels: Market Integration and Farm Policy

Moderator: Roger Conway, Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA

A Discussion of Integrating Biofuels Into the Fuels Industry
Kevin Lindemer, Executive Managing Director, Energy Markets Group, Global Insight
Not Available

Leveling the Policy Framework Between Crops and Biomass
Daryll Ray, Professor, University of Tennessee
PDF

The Current Policy Framework for Biofuels: What Is Needed?
Elizabeth Paris, Senate Finance Committee
Not Available

The Current Policy Framework for Biofuels: What Is Needed: From Growers’ & Producers’ Perspectives?
Samantha Slater, Renewable Fuels Association
PDF

Rural Development
The Impact of Immigration on the Agricultural Labor Market

Moderator: Susan Offutt, Chief Economist, Government Accountability Office

Immigrants in U.S. Agriculture: A Demographic Overview
William Kandel, Farm and Rural Household Well-Being Branch Economic Research Service, USDA
PDF

Immigration Reform, Crop Agriculture, and Meat Processing
Philip Martin, Chair, UC Comparative Immigration & Integration Program, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California
PDF

Immigration and Agriculture: Perspective From Mexico
Francisco Mere Palafox, Director General, Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relacion a la Agricultura (FIRA), Banco de Mexico
DOC

Immigration and Agriculture: Industry Perspective
Craig J. Regelbrugge, Senior Director of Government Relations, American Nursery and Landscape Association
DOC

Policy & Trade
Alternatives to Risk Management Policies

Moderator: Keith Collins, Chief Economist, USDA

Federal Crop Insurance and Farm Programs ─ Will WTO or Budget Concerns Shape the Debate?
Keith Coble, Department of Agriculture Economics, Mississippi State University
PDF DOC

Arguments for Whole-Farm Revenue Approach to Farm Programs
Bruce Babcock, Iowa State University
PDF

View From the Outside
Roger Bernard, News Editor, Pro Farmer
DOC

Economist World Perspectives
Dave Juday, Senior Economist, World Perspectives, Inc.
PDF

Science & Technology
Cell Wall & Other Routes to Bio-energy Products

Moderator: Kay Walker Simmons, National Program Leader, General Biological Science & Plant Genetics and Grain Crops, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Switchgrass and Other Promising Biofuel Materials Kenneth Vogel, Supervisory Research Geneticist, Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

U.S. – E.U. Joint Cell Wall Project
Sara Hake, Director, Plant Gene Expression Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Commercialization Opportunities
Chris Somerville, Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution, Stanford University
PDF

Food Trends
Income, Profitability & Financial Well-Being in the Farm Sector

Moderator: John C. Moore, Jr., Chief Economist, Office of Policy and Analysis, Farm Credit Administration

Income Outlook for U.S. Farms and the Farm Economy in 2007
James Johnson, Chief, Farm and Rural Business Branch, Economic Research Service, USDA
PDF

Co-author of Presentation: Mitch Morehart, Senior Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA
DOC

An Examination of Farm Income and Factors for Plains Agriculture
Samuel M. Funk, Agricultural Policy Specialist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University
PDF  

Outlook for Farm Household Well-Being
Carol Jones, Chief, Farm and Rural Household Well-Being Branch, Economic Research Service, USDA
PDF

  Outlook Forum Dinner
21st Century Economic Development
A Renewed Focus on Agriculture
Honorable Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana
DOC
 

March 2, 2007

Commodity Outlooks

USDA Grains & Oilseeds Outlook
Dennis Shields, Agricultural Economist, Farm Service Agency, USDA
PDF DOC

USDA Cotton Outlook
Carol Skelly, Fibers Analyst, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA
DOC

Outlook for Livestock & Poultry Industry
Shayle Shagam, Livestock, Poultry & Dairy Analyst, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA
PDF

Outlook for Dairy Industry
Milton Madison, Senior Economist, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Farm Service Agency, USDA
DOC

Sugar Outlook
John M. Love, Sugar, Specialty Crops, and Lumber Analyst, World Board, USDA
PDF

March 2, 2007

Concurrent Sessions
8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Grains & Oilseeds Industry Outlook
Moderator: William Lapp, Advanced Economic Solutions

USDA Grains & Oilseeds Outlook
Dennis Shields, Agricultural Economist, Farm Service Agency, USDA
PDF DOC

Pricing Issues Related to Funds
Lonn Taffel, Cadent Financial Services LLC
PDF

Can Corn Yields Fuel Ethanol Expansion?
Robert T. Fraley,Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto
PDF

Rural Development
Community Financing of Biofuel Plants

Moderator: Jack Gleason, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Programs, Rural Development, USDA

Mid-Missouri Energy
Ryland Utlaut, President, Mid-Missouri Energy
PDF

What Local Ownership Means to Rural America
John M. Urbanchuk, Director, LECG LLC
DOC

The Banker’s Perspective
Tom Houser, CoBank
PDF

Policy & Trade
U.S. Farm Bill: USDA Perspective

Moderator: Arlen Lancaster, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA

USDA Perspective
Mark Keenum, Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA
PDF

Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA
PDF

Bruce Knight, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA
PDF

Mark Rey, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, USDA
Not Available

Science & Technology
Enhancing Productivity and Security With Genetic Diversity

Moderator: Andrew W. LaVigne, President and CEO, American Seed Trade Association

Overview of Agricultural Research Service Seed & Germplasm Research
Perry Cregan, Research Leader, Soybean Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
PDF

Partnering With the Academic Community
Paul Gepts, Department of Agronomy and Range Science, University of California
PDF  

Genetic Resources: Vital Software for Food, Health, and Security
J. Stephen Smith, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition
PDF

Commodities
Transitioning into Common Sweetener Market with Mexico

Moderator: Barbara Fecso, Economist, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Farm Service Agency, USDA

A Primer in NAFTA
John M. Melle, Deputy Assistant USTR for North America
Not Available

An Analyst’s Perspective of the Transition
John Cropley, LMC Worldwide
PDF

A Processor’s Perspective of the Transition
Jim Horvath, President, American Crystal Corporation
PDF

The Role of the Private Sector in Transitioning into a Common Sweetener Market
Paul Farmer, CSC Sugar LLC
DOC PDF

Concurrent Sessions
10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Energy
Biofuels: International Developments

Moderator:Mike Yost, Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA

EU Biofuels Policy and Effects on Production, Consumption and Trade of Agricultural Products
Hilkka Summa, Head of Unit F6 (Bioenergy, Biomass, Forestry and Climate Change), European Commission
PDF

Brazilian Production of Biofuels: Implications for World Trade
Elisio Contini, Head of Management Strategy, Brazil Ministry of Agriculture
PDF

Biofuels Policies in Asia: Trade Effects on World Agricultural and Biofuels Trade
Keiji Ohga, Professor, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University
DOC PDF

Rural Development
Cotton Industry & Outlook

Moderator: John Johnson, Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, Farm Service Agency, USDA

USDA Cotton Outlook
Carol Skelly, Fibers Analyst, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA
DOC

Progress and Problems in Estimating China's Cotton Supply and Demand
Stephen MacDonald, Senior Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA
PDF DOC

Factors Affecting Shifts in Cotton Area in the U.S. Mid-South
John R. C. Robinson, Associate Professor & Extension Economist, Cotton Marketing and Risk Management, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University
PDF

Moving U.S. Cotton from Loan to Market in the Post Step 2 Era
John D. Mitchell, Vice President, Cargill Cotton
PDF

Policy & Trade
U.S. Farm Bill: Outside Perspective - Modernizing America’s Farm & Food Policy

Moderator: Bruce Gardner, Distinguished University Professor, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland

Howard Vincent, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pheasants Forever Inc.
PDF

Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
PDF

Ralph Grossi, President, American Farmland Trust
PDF

Stephanie Mercier, Economist, Senate Agriculture Committee
PDF

Science & Technology
The Role of International Standards in Facilitating Safe Trade: Scientific Justification in a Resource - Scarce World

Moderator: Bruce Knight, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA
PDF

The Role of International Standards and Their Impacts on Data Needs
John Hedley, Principal Adviser, International Coordination - Plants, Biosecurity, New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PDF

Harmonizing Standards and the Role of Trade Negotiations
Dr. Luis Osvaldo Barcos, Representacion regional de la OIE para las Americas, World Organization for Animal Health
PDF

Impact of International Standards on Streamlining the Regulatory Process
David McNamara, Former Assistant Director, European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
PDF

Topic To Be Announced
Catherine Adams, Vice President for Global Food Quality, McDonald’s Corporation
PDF

Commodity
Livestock & Poultry Industry Outlook

Moderator: Gregg Doud, Chief Economist, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Outlook for Livestock & Poultry Industry
Shayle Shagam, Livestock, Poultry & Dairy Analyst, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA
DOC

Ethanol Production: Implications for Poultry Feeding
Amy B. Batal, Poultry Nutritionist, University of Georgia
PDF

Fueling Ethanol: Implications for Livestock Producers John D. Lawrence, Extension Livestock Economist, Director, Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University
PDF

Luncheons 12:00 a.m. -1:15 p.m.

Grains & Oilseeds Luncheon
Moderator: Rich Feltes, Director of Research, Man Financial Inc.

Open Markets, Economic Growth and Prosperity
Al Ambrose, CHS Inc., Vice President, Risk Management, Oilseed Processing
PDF

Horticulture Luncheon
Outlook for Florida Citrus Industry
Moderator: Burton Eller, Deputy Under Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA

Challenges Facing the Florida Citrus Industry
Mike Sparks, Executive Vice President, CEO, Florida Citrus Mutual
PDF

Cotton Luncheon
Moderator: Neal Gillen, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, American Cotton Shippers Association

Developments in Commodity Futures Markets
Herman Kohlmeyer, Jr., Senior Vice President, Investments, A.G. Edwards
Not Available

Livestock & Poultry Luncheon
Moderator: Richard Raymond, Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA  

The Global Perspective on Avian Influenza
Ambassador John E. Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, Department of State
PDF DOC

Sugar & Sweeteners Luncheon
Moderator: Barbara Fecso, Economist, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Farm Service Agency, USDA

Prospects of an Open Sweetener Market Between the United States and Mexico
Francois D. Nehama, Director of Trade, Sucden Americas Corp
PDF

Concurrent Sessions
1:30 p.m. -3:00 p.m.

Energy
Fueling America with Wind, Solar & Methane Energy
Moderator: James Andrew, Administrator, Rural Utilities Programs, Rural Development, USDA

Wind Power
Tom Wind, Wind Utility Consulting
PDF

Solar Power
Scott Sklar, Executive Director of Solar Industries
PDF

Methane Power
Kurt Roos, AgSTAR Program Manager, Environmental Protection Agency
PDF

Rural Development
Dairy Industry Outlook

Moderator: John Mengel, Chief Economist, Dairy Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA

Outlook for Dairy Industry
Milton Madison, Senior Economist, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Farm Service Agency, USDA
DOC

Developments in World Skim Powder Markets
Rick Walker, Vice President, Trade Policy & Government Relations, Fronterra Co-operative Group Ltd.
PDF

Opportunities for Whey Markets
James J. Page, Chief Executive Officer, American Dairy Products Institute
PDF

Policy & Trade
Water Quality Trading Markets: Wave of the Future

Moderator: Jon Scholl, Counselor to the Administrator for Agricultural Policy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Water Quality Trading Basics
Ginny Kibler, USEPA, Office of Wastewater Management, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
PDF

USDA Farm Bill Conservation - Supply Side of Trading
Carl Lucero, National Leader for Clean Water, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA
PDF

Water Trading – Producer Perspective
Tom Spellmire, Producer, Warren County, Ohio
Not Available

Science & Technology
Public & Private Innovations to Control Foodborne Pathogens

Moderator: Tanya Roberts, Agricultural Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA

Continuous Food Safety Innovation as a Management Strategy: Public Perspective
Daniel Engeljohn, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Food Safety & Inspection Service, USDA
PDF

Continuous Food Safety Innovation as a Management Strategy: Private Perspective
Mike Robach, Vice President, Corporate Food Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Cargill, Incorporated
PDF

Lessons from Sweden’s Control of Salmonella and Campylobacter in Broilers
Johan Lindblad, Director, The Swedish Poultry Meat Association
PDF

Food Trends
Technology, Information & Competition in Retail Food Markets

Moderator: Phillip R. Kaufman, Senior Economist, Food Markets Branch, Economic Research Service, USDA

Understanding the Consumer Through Technology: Scanner Data, Consumer Panels, and Analysis
Ephraim Leibtag, Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA
PDF

Future Directions in Consumer-based Marketing and Promotion: Micro-level Promotion and Price Optimization Technology
Jon Hauptman, Willard Bishop Consulting
PDF

Energy Cost-Cutting Technology: Creating Efficiencies in the Retail Operation
Michael Sansolo, Senior Vice President, Food Marketing Institute
Not Available

 
Last Modified: 08/06/2010
 
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