2025 Agricultural Outlook Forum Program

Program At-a-Glance

Thursday, February 27

8:00 - 9:15 AM   OPENING PROGRAM 

2025 Agricultural Economic & Foreign Trade Outlook: Chief Economist Seth Meyer

USDA’s Chief Economist unveils USDA’s Outlook for the domestic agricultural economy and trade for the year.

• Slides (PDF, 2.9 MB)

1:30 - 3:00 PM   CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

SESSION: The U.S. Farm Income Outlook 

Moderator: Jackson Takach, Chief Economist and VP of Strategy, Research, and Analytics, Farmer Mac, Washington, DC

USDA Farm Income Forecast

This presentation described the latest USDA farm sector income and wealth forecasts (through 2025).
Speaker: Carrie Litkowski, Senior Economist, USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. Slides

Agricultural Credit Conditions

This presentation explored recent trends and issues affecting agricultural lending and credit conditions, including interest rates and farm real estate values.
Speaker: Nathan Kauffman, Senior Vice President and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha, NE. Slides

The Role of Energy Payments in Farm Income

A significant portion of energy production in the United States took place on farms, which had substantial economic implications for the farmers who hosted such developments. This presentation looked at energy payments made to farmers for the production of oil, natural gas, and wind energy on their land. Slides

SESSION: Solving the Problem of Forever Chemicals 

Moderator: David Smith, Supervisory Research Physiologist, USDA ARS, Fargo, ND

Problems Posed by PFAS in Agricultural Production Systems and in Food Systems
The seemingly ubiquitous presence of PFAS in water, soil, and feedstuffs throughout the agricultural ecosystem presented great challenges to food producers, food processors, regulatory authorities, and consumers throughout the United States. Farmers and ranchers, including organic producers, had immediate needs to know whether PFAS impacted the water, soil, and/or fertilizer resources critical to their farms, often in the absence of consistent guidance from state and federal decision makers.

Speaker: David Smith, Supervisory Research Physiologist, USDA ARS, Fargo, ND. Slides

Addressing PFAS in Agroecosystems
This presentation addressed the problem of PFAS in Agroecosystems and how the challenge of PFAS mixtures and various farm environments and operations presented challenges to assessment and remediation.
Speaker: Clinton Williams, Supervisory Soil Scientist, USDA ARS, Maricopa, AZ. Slides

Analysis of PFAS in Food and Food Packaging
This presentation focused on the analysis of PFAS in food and consumer food packaging. Data on PFAS occurrence and levels in seafood and food contact materials were presented.
Speaker: Yelena Sapozhnikova, Research Chemist, USDA ARS, Wyndmoor, PA. Slides

Leadership in the Development of State Solutions and Innovations to Address PFAS in Agriculture
The presentation addressed the approach and response in Maine to the issues around PFAS. An overview of the three-year action plan by the University of Maine was presented, discussing the launch and acceleration of research and outreach activities and the synergized coordination between UMaine and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry in support of statewide efforts.
Speaker: Diane Rowland, Dean of the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences / Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME. Slides

 

SESSION: New Methodologies for Measuring the Carbon Intensity of Biofuels

The Inflation Reduction Act developed tax credits for biofuels that are based on the carbon intensity of the biofuel. The USDA developed new methods to ensure that biofuel feedstocks produced with climate-smart farming practices could be assigned a lower carbon intensity than conventionally produced feedstocks. This session reviewed these newly developed methodologies.

Moderator: Jeffrey O'Hara, Deputy Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, USDA Office of the Chief Economist, Washington, DC

Speaker: Brian Jennings, Chief Executive Officer, American Coalition for Ethanol. Slides

Speaker: Michael Wang, Director of the Systems Assessment Center, Argonne National Laboratory

Speaker: Bruno Basso, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University.

SESSION: SNAP, Healthy Choices and the U.S. Food System

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was a partnership between USDA, state and local agencies, universities, and others that delivered nutrition education and promotion to low-income consumers as well as the retail community that redeemed benefits. This session highlighted the critical role of USDA’s partners in nutrition promotion and in food production and retail to make healthy choices a reality for every American.

Moderator: Shelly Pierce, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, FNS, SNAP, Alexandria, VA

Healthy Choices, Healthy Outcomes, and Healthy Families
This speaker provided some background on the importance of strengthening strategies to encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families in this country and highlighted ways that research, education, extension, and innovation were used to advance food and healthy choices.
Speaker: Sheila Fleischhacker, National Science Liaison, NIFA, USDA, Washington, DC. Slides (PDF, 3.4 MB)

Healthy Places and Healthy Food
The Healthy Places and Healthy Food program operated by the DC Department of Health conducted over 200 food retail environmental assessments measuring the availability, quality, and price of healthy foods.
Speaker: Jo-Ann Jolly, Division Chief, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau, Community Health Administration, Washington, DC

SNAP Healthy Incentives Program
SNAP healthy incentive programs encouraged people participating in SNAP to purchase healthy foods by providing coupons, discounts, gift cards, bonus food items, or extra funds. Various SNAP retailer incentive programs were explained and highlighted.
Speaker: Brianna Moody, Program Analyst, FNS USDA, Alexandria, VA.

 

SESSION: Gene Drive Technology: Cutting-edge Pest Management

Gene drive uses CRISPR/CAS technology to promote (and in some cases, ensure) the propagation of a particular gene within a species. Gene drives have numerous potential benefits: they can target individual species with precision, replace environmentally hazardous pesticides, and effectively reduce a pest population with possibly far greater cost-effectiveness than previous technologies. However, the technology must be treated with care. Once a gene is released into the environment, it may be difficult or impossible to undo and so the ecological consequences must be carefully examined. diff

Moderator: Michael Watson, Administrator, USDA APHIS, Riverdale, Maryland, MD

Progress Towards Gene Drive Field Trials in Africa

This presentation provided an overview of gene drives, highlighting progress made by key development groups in Africa, including Target Malaria, Transmission Zero, and UCMI initiatives. It also explored the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health's efforts to bring together scientists, developers, and regulators, identify critical gaps to address before field trials, and build capacity in developing countries to support the safe and effective implementation of gene drives.

Speaker: Justin Overcash, Technical Expert in Regulation and Policy, The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, North Bethesda, MD. Slides

_{Gene Drives for Invasive Plant Management}

Invasive weeds negatively impacted agriculture by reducing crop and rangeland productivity, damaging infrastructure, exacerbating environmental disasters, and hosting agronomically important plant pathogens and pests. Billions of dollars were spent on weed management annually in the U.S., and invasive weeds posed significant management challenges due to their widespread distribution and competitive features. Current weed management strategies using existing chemical and mechanical approaches were not cost-effective for infestations occupying millions of acres of inaccessible and ecologically sensitive terrain, such as rangelands and forests. Therefore, novel genetic biocontrol technologies, such as a weed-suppressive gene drive, were investigated to assess their efficacy and safety in secure, high-containment USDA-ARS research facilities. A population suppressive gene drive targeting weed reproduction would have provided an innovative weed management tool for species-specific, population-level weed control.

Speaker: Matthew Tancos, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA, Fort Detrick, MD. Slides

_{Gene Drive in Mice}

Mice caused damage to agricultural and native ecosystems around the world. In agricultural systems, the economic impact was significant and led to the loss of crops and critical stored food sources. Rodenticides were the current control method, and although effective, the development of alternatives was important as rodenticide resistance continued to develop in mice, regulations on toxicants increased, and environmental impacts of rodent control needed to be curbed. Research into potential gene drive mechanisms and other genetic biocontrol technologies for the control of mice benefited agricultural systems, as new tools inevitably emerged from these pursuits. However, the need to elucidate cultural and societal perspectives and safety mechanisms in the development and potential testing or application of any new genetic technology was critical to success and a moral obligation.

Speaker: Antoinette J Piaggio, Supervisory Research Biologist, USDA APHIS, Fort Collins, CO. Slides

3:30 - 5:00 PM   CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

SESSION: Diversifying U.S. Agricultural Trade

Recent events have served as reminders that there is benefit in diversifying trade. Diversification of agricultural trading partners is a priority for USDA leadership. The session will discuss rationale and tools for accomplishing more diversified export markets while acknowledging the benefits of working closely with our major trading partners. Diversification can be explored both in terms of trading partners as well as in terms of finding new markets for new ag products.
Moderator: Jason Hafemeister, A/DUS, TFAA, Washington, DC. Slides (PDF, 1.5 MB)
           
Diversifying Agricultural Trade
How can we expand value-added product exports?
Speaker: Jim Sutter, CEO, U.S. Soybean Export Council, Chesterfield, MO
           
Diversifying Agricultural Trade
How to use Trade Policy to expand exports in under-performing markets including top markets?
Speaker: Ryan LeGrand, President & CEO, U.S. Grains Council, Washington, DC. Slides
           
Diversifying Agricultural Trade
How to use Trade Programs to boost exports other than in our top markets
Speaker: Mark Powers, President, Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima, WA. Slides

 

SESSION: Agrivoltaics - Challenges and Opportunities

Several factors drive the increased attention to agrivoltaic projects, including international and national policy efforts to develop green energy, as well as the growing demand for electricity for electric vehicles and artificial intelligence data centers. Additionally, at the farm gate, there are potentially large and steady returns from long-term energy contracts. This session provided insights into the evolving landscape of solar energy and the impact it had on agricultural land across the country, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and future directions.

Moderator: Peter Riley, Commodity Analyst - Retired, Formerly USDA-FPAC-EPAD, Arlington, VA

_{Outlook for Renewable Energy on Farms}

The speaker provided an overview of renewable energy through a discussion of solar and wind systems on U.S. agricultural lands as well as how the contracts for these systems were developed.
Speaker: Tyrone Thomas, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Dorall, LLC, Chicago, IL. Slides

_{Building Farm and Ranch-Friendly Solar Energy}

As an officer in an agrivoltaic equipment manufacturing company, the speaker discussed the challenges in implementing agrivoltaic projects and the future of on-farm solar energy from a practitioner’s perspective.
Speaker: Matt Beasley, Chief Commercial Officer, Silicon Ranch, Nashville, TN. Slides

_{Solar and Farmland Preservation}

Across farm country, there were competing views about whether the growth of solar energy development posed a threat or an opportunity for farmland preservation. The speaker broke down these contrasting views of solar on the farm landscape and ongoing research to understand the impacts that large-scale solar had on the rural communities that hosted them.
Speaker: Sarah Mills, Associate Professor, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ann Arbor, MI. Slides

SESSION: Pesticides and the Endangered Species Act

This session explored how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recent efforts to bring pesticide registrations into compliance with the Endangered Species Act impacted agricultural pest control options.

Moderator: Kimberly Nesci, Director, USDA Office of Pest Management Policy, Washington, DC.

Specialty Crop Grower Perspective: Mike Aerts, Technical Committee Chair, Minor Crop Farmer Alliance, Maitland, FL
State Agency Perspective: Steve Dwinell, Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management Division, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, Montpelier, VT.
Environmental NGO Perspective: Brett Hartl, Government Affairs Director, Center for Biological Diversity, Washington, DC.
Row Crop Grower Perspective: Kyle Kunkler, Director of Government Affairs, American Soybean Association, Washington, DC.
Crop Consultant Perspective: James Todd, Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee, National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants, Plainview, TX.

SESSION: U.S Food Price Outlook

This session discusses recent trends in retail food prices, including USDA's 2025 Food Price Outlook forecasts and the impacts of food price changes and shifts in consumer spending on food assistance and the restaurant industry.

Moderator:  Eliana Zeballos, Research Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC

Speakers:

Megan Sweitzer, Research Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. Slides

Eliana Zeballos, Research Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. Slides

Chad Moutray, Vice President, Research and Knowledge, National Restaurant Association, Washington, DC. Slides

SESSION: Animal Influenzas: Research to Keep Farms and Animals Safe

In February 2022, the first case of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) was identified in poultry in the USA. In March 2024, diagnosis in dairy cattle became a major epizootic event. This panel showcased the rapid response research conducted by USDA ARS to quickly understand disease spillover, disease transmission, and testing of food safety standards to inform public and animal health responses.

Moderator: Roxann Motroni, National Program Leader, USDA ARS, Beltsville, MD.

Rapid Response Research Conducted at the National Animal Disease Center

Dr. Anderson discussed the research conducted on swine influenza and how AI/ML pipelines that were developed for swine influenza surveillance programs were adapted to enable rapid genomic analysis of the dairy outbreak.

Speaker: Tavis Anderson, Research Biologist, USDA ARS, Ames, IA.

Poultry Industry Perspective:

Speaker: Oscar Garrison, Senior Vice President of Food Safety, United Egg Producers, Hoschton, GA.

Friday, February 28

10:30 - 11:30 AM   CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

SESSION: Food Safety in Modern Supply Chains
 

This session explored the complexities of food supply chains and how they impacted food safety. The panel discussed a variety of relevant issues and tools, including wholesale models, retail distribution points, tracebacks, and traceability. Representatives from different points along the supply chains discussed the emerging and converging challenges within the evolving food supply chains.

Moderator: Robert Witte, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit, USDA, Food Safety Inspection Service, Washington, DC

Industry Perspective on Food Safety in Modern Supply Chains
Speaker: Ashley Eisenbeiser, Vice President, Food and Product Safety Programs, FMI, Washington, DC. Slides

Wholesaler Perspective on Food Safety in Modern Supply Chains
Speaker: Shane Sampels, Senior Director FSQA, Produce, Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX. Slides

Academia Perspective on Food Safety in Modern Supply Chains
Speaker: Shauna Henley, Family & Consumer Sciences Senior Agent, University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County, Cockeysville, MD. Slides (PDF, 1.9 MB)

SESSION: What Lies Ahead for Ocean Shipping?

Shipping Challenges in the Red and Black Seas
This presentation addressed shipping challenges affecting countries sourcing wheat and other agricultural commodities from Black Sea countries, while also providing insights on the difficulties of shipping flour through the Red Sea.
Speaker: E. Gunhan Ulusoy, Chairman of the Board, Ulusoy Flour Mills, Turkey. Slides

Agriculture Transportation Coalition Perspective 

Speaker: Peter Friedmann, Executive Director. Slides

International Trade Insights from the American Association of Port Authorities
This presentation provided insights from the American Association of Port Authorities, the unified voice of the seaport industry in the Americas, representing more than 130 public port authorities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Speaker: Cary Davis, President & CEO, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). Slides

SESSION: Sustainable Food Packaging Solutions

Food packaging is essential for protecting food from damage and spoilage from the farm to the consumer’s table. While plastic packaging is inexpensive and provides reasonable protection, single-use packaging contributes to over 14 million tons of plastic waste in the U.S. each year, affecting landfills, incinerators, oceans, and even human health. Consumers and corporations are increasingly seeking better solutions, and trade partners are starting to implement regulations.

This session explored the role of biobased materials in sustainable food packaging and the broader implications for a healthy rural bioeconomy. With the growing demand for alternatives to single-use plastics, experts discussed the challenges associated with current food packaging materials, emerging sustainable practices, and innovations in biomaterials that could meet consumer and regulatory expectations. The presentations highlighted the need for collaboration between agricultural sectors and the development of sustainable materials to support both environmental goals and economic growth.

Moderator: Cynthia West, Director, Forest Service - Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI

The Need for Sustainable Packaging: An International Perspective
Consumers, corporations, and foreign governments demanded more sustainable food packaging. Frustration with waste and poor performance drove consumer demand, while corporations aimed to minimize waste and fulfill sustainability commitments. This presentation analyzed the emerging requirements driving a shift in packaging practices.
Speaker: James Glueck, Executive Director, Washington, DC. Slides 

The Biomaterial Landscape: Opportunities for Replacing Single-Use Plastics with Biodegradable, Renewable Biomaterials
Biomaterials ranged from paper to bacterial-based PHA to nanocellulose. These options were typically non-toxic, biodegradable, and derived from renewable resources. The speaker discussed different types of biomaterials, their potential roles in the packaging landscape, and the advancements needed to make them competitive with traditional materials.
Speaker: Ken Zwick, Assistant Director - Research, Forest Service - Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. Slides 

The Future Bioeconomy: Optimizing and Commercializing Biomaterials from Rural Biorefineries
As "biorefineries" emerged across rural America to convert agriculturally derived feedstocks into biofuels, including sustainable jet fuel, research was conducted to improve their commercial viability by developing marketable co-products, particularly eco-friendly packaging materials. The speaker shared insights on USDA-ARS joint research efforts with strategic commercial partners aimed at creating sustainable biomaterials, many of which qualified for USDA BioPreferred status.
Speaker: William Orts, Research Leader, USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA. Slides 

SESSION: New School Meal Standards; Opportunities for Producers

How investments in healthy school meals create opportunities for children, producers, and their communities.

Nearly 4.7 billion school meals were served in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. School and other Child Nutrition Program meals present a reliable and meaningful market opportunity for producers. That opportunity was enhanced in Spring 2024 when USDA announced a series of gradual changes to nutrition standards for school meals to include less sugar and provide flexibility to schools. The strategy, which reflects close attention to public feedback and the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, will be implemented between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027.

Moderator: Julie Brewer, Director for Community Food System Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Implementing Farm to School and Local Food for Schools and Its Impact on Maryland
From sub-awarding funds directly to School Food Authorities (LEAs in MD) to a centralized procurement model and then a Food Hub model, this presentation covered the lessons learned in establishing three food hubs working with all 24 LEAs in Maryland to serve its four regions. The speaker discussed how the Local Food Schools, Patrick Leahy Farm to School program, and FNS State Formula grants improved access and increased procurement of local foods in Maryland school meals.
Speaker: Kanika Campbell, Specialist for Select Nutrition Initiatives, Office of School & Community Nutrition Program, Maryland, Baltimore, MD.

Farm to Institution and Local Food for Schools: Investments to Support Food Hubs
This presentation focused on a family business that aggregated locally grown and raised products, sourced for food service, and conducted value-added food production to provide a reliable, high-volume distribution option for WV Made Products. WV Harvest shared how AMS Farm to Institution and Local Food for Schools funding enabled them to engage with current growers, producers, and processors to begin the strategic aggregation of locally grown, raised, and produced food products under the WV Harvest brand.
Speaker: Chris Yura, Owner, West Virginia Harvest, Morgantown, WV.

SESSION: Grains and Oilseeds Outlook

The session included presentations on USDA's preliminary supply and demand forecasts for 2025/26 for grains and oilseeds, as well as a discussion of the key factors that impacted the outlook.

Moderator: Kevin Wittenberger, Agricultural Economist, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DC. Slides

Speaker: Luiz Fernando Garcia da Silva, President, Portos do Paraná, Brazil. Slides

Speaker: Brad Rippey, USDA Meteorologist, USDA Office of the Chief Economist, Washington, DC. Slides

Speaker: Aaron Ates, Agricultural Economist, Economic Research Service, Kansas City. Slides

 

12:00 - 1:30 PM   FORUM LUNCHEONS  

SESSION: Grains & Oilseeds Luncheon

Managing Risk in Volatile Markets

Moderator: Mark Simone, Chairperson of the Interagency Commodity Estimates Committee for Food Grains, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DC
​​​​​​​Moderator: Mike Jewison, Chairperson of the Interagency Commodity Estimates Committee for Feed Grains, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DC.

Speaker: Matt Bennett, Co-Founder, AgMarket.Net, Winsor, IL. Slides

 

SESSION: Cotton & Fiber Luncheon

Next Steps in U.S. Textile Policy

Moderator: Kent Lanclos, Fibers Analyst, USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board, Washington, DC

California recently adopted the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, SB-707, which establishes the first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile waste recycling program in the United States. This legislation makes manufacturers of textiles and apparel responsible for the entire life cycle of their products, including disposal. The presentation discussed the EPR program and other policy issues affecting the U.S. textile and apparel industries.

Speaker: Stephen Lamar, President and CEO, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Washington, DC. Slides

 

SESSION: Livestock and Poultry Luncheon

The Current Trade Landscape for Red Meats

Moderator: Anthony Fischer, Agricultural Economist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA, Washington, DC. 

Speaker: Erin Borror, Vice President, Economic Analysis, U.S. Meat Export Federation, Denver, CO. Slides

SESSION: State Success Stories: Local Food Purchase Assistance Programs

This session provided success stories from the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs, shared from the perspective of State Department of Agriculture cooperators. Presenters discussed program goals, the types of projects implemented by cooperators, and the most commonly purchased products. The session also addressed the challenges cooperators have encountered in implementing their projects and share insights on how to best support specialty crop producers.

Moderator: Bruce Summers

Speaker: Ashley Randle, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Boston, MA. Slides

Speaker: Jeff Witte, Secretary, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Las Cruces, NM. 

SESSION: Sugar and Sweeteners Luncheon

About

Moderator:  Aileen Mannix, Senior Director, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service, Washington, DC. 

Sucro's Path of Innovation and Reinvestment Mr. Hill will speak to the factors that make Sucro unique among cane sugar refiners in the United States. 
Speaker: Don Hill, Chairman, Sucro Can Sourcing, Coral Gables, Florida. Slides

 

 

1:45 - 3:15 PM   CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

SESSION: Crop Insurance: The Premier Farm Safety Net for Farmers and Ranchers

The Federal Crop Insurance Program, which serves as a public-private partnership between the U.S. government and Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs), represents a crucial safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers. This session  explored the evolution of crop insurance as a steadfast and reliable risk management tool for agricultural producers facing adverse weather events.

Moderator: Robert Ibarra, Chief Operating Officer, Farm Production and Conservation, Washington, DC

Portfolio Size, Growth, and Penetration of the Federal Crop Insurance Program
This discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the insurance portfolio composed of individual policies relevant to crop production that were in effect within the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP). The focus was on analyzing trends in the book of business as well as rates of market penetration over the period from 2007 to 2022.
Speaker: Francis Tsiboe, Research Agricultural Economist, Economic Research Service, Lawrence, KS. Slides

Crop Insurance: A Farmer's Perspective
Charles Guidry discussed crop insurance as a risk management tool from the perspective of a producer who participated in the Federal Crop Insurance Program.
Speaker: Charles Guidry, Producer, Charles Guidry Farms, Erath, LA

Recent Innovations in Crop Insurance
Mr. White explored recent program innovations that provided producers with additional insurance options to help protect against hurricanes and tropical storms using parametric insurance principles.
Speaker: Zachary White, Director of Actuarial, Pricing & Filing Division, Product Management, Risk Management Agency, Parkville, MO. Slides

SESSION: Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook

This session discussed the current state and future of the U.S. refining sector from three different perspectives on cane and beet sugar.

Moderator: Rob Johansson, Director of Economics & Policy Analysis, American Sugar Alliance, Arlington, VA

Cost of Production of Sweeteners in the United States and Mexico
This is a comprehensive view of increasing sweetener cost trends in both the United States and Mexico from the perspective of the world's leading sweetener consulting firm.
Speaker:  Paula Bauer,  VP North America Agriculture, GlobalData, Chatfield, MN. Slides

Sugarcane Growers' Perspective on the Sector's Challenges and the Role of USDA Policy  
Speaker: Travis Medine, Director, Sugar Cane League, Thibodaux, LA. Slides

Sugarbeet Growers' Perspective on the Sector's Challenges and the Role of USDA Policy Speaker: Neil Rockstad, President, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Washington, DC. Slides

Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations of Sugar from Mexico  Speaker: Brad Gehrke, Senior International Economist, USITC, Washington, DC. Slides

 

SESSION: Building Resiliency and Prosperity with Traits from the Wild

U.S. leadership in agricultural productivity and production efficiency contributes to global food security and strengthened the U.S. economy. However, climate change poses extreme challenges to our food systems and natural resources by altering weather patterns, increasing the incidence of stress-inducing heat and drought, and creating conditions that are favorable to pests, diseases, and wildfires.

Moderator: Steve Ostoja, Director, USDA California Climate Hub, USDA-ARS, Davis, CA. Slides

How NPGS Maintained Critical Germplasm and Served as a Foundation for Innovation
The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) was a collaborative effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of agriculturally important plants. The NPGS was managed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding for the NPGS came primarily through appropriations from the U.S. Congress. However, the NPGS was a partnership between the public and private sectors. Many NPGS genebanks were located at state land-grant universities.
Speaker: Neha Kothari, National Program Leader, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD. Slides

Wild Relatives of Tomato and Applications for Breeding
The speaker explored novel and more efficient approaches for plant improvement that utilized genome sequence data, data mining, and information sciences. He discussed priorities for discovery and application including resistance to bacterial spot and bacterial canker, as well as fruit quality, which was defined by color, color uniformity, nutritional value, and taste.
Speaker: David Francis, Professor, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH. Slides

Accelerated Crop Improvement Using Technology Platform
INARI's SEEDesign™ technology platform addressed the immense biological complexity of plants through the latest innovations in genomics, artificial intelligence, and multiplex gene editing. Through analysis of diverse, ever-growing data sets, they worked to pinpoint exactly which edits and edit types would have the most positive impacts at specific locations within a crop's DNA structure. They then executed these edits—all at the same time. The result: accelerated crop improvement.
Speaker: Emily Negrin, Director of Plant Breeding, INARI. Slides

Global Seed Trade
Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) was one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States. ASTA worked on behalf of the seed industry to promote the research, development, and movement of quality seed to meet the world’s demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel.
Speaker: Samuel Crowell, Senior Director, International Programs and Policy, American Seed Trade Association, Alexandria, VA. Slides
 

SESSION: Livestock and Poultry Outlook

This session included presentations on USDA's preliminary supply and demand forecasts for 2024/25 for livestock and poultry, along with a discussion of the key factors that impacted the sector.

Moderator: Seanicaa Herron, Founder, Freedmen Heirs, Washington, DC

Outlook for the U.S. Livestock and Poultry Sector
Speaker: Michael McConnell, Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Analyst, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA, Washington, DC. Slides

Wholesale Suppliers’ Approach and Challenges to the Current Consumer Demand Environment
Speaker: Altin Kalo, Head Economist, Steiner Consulting, Manchester, NH. Slides

Trends in Consumer Demand and Purchasing Patterns for Meat and Proteins
Speaker: Brian Earnest, Lead Economist-Animal Protein, CoBan. Slides (PDF, 1.5 MB)

 

SESSION: Cotton Outlook 

An expert panel presented USDA's first 2025/26 cotton outlook, discussed the impacts of de minimis shipments of textile and apparel products, and addressed issues related to global textile and apparel sustainability and recovery.

Moderator: Leslie Meyer, Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC

Outlook for the U.S. and World Cotton Markets
USDA presented its first preliminary forecasts of U.S. and world cotton production, consumption, and trade for the 2025/26 marketing year.
Speaker: Kent Lanclos, Fibers Analyst, USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board, Washington, DC. Slides

De Minimis Shipments and Cotton
An acceleration in online spending was among the changes in consumption patterns that emerged from the COVID pandemic. In particular, there was rapid growth in sales from online retailers leveraging de minimis shipments. The rise of the de minimis channel had consequences for the global cotton supply chain, including the bypassing of forced labor protections and a decline in cotton’s market share.
Speaker: Jon Devine, Senior Economist, Cotton, Inc., Cary, NC. Slides

EU Regulatory Outlook: Implications for Cotton
The EU was developing policies to reduce the negative social and environmental impacts of textile consumption. As the world’s largest textile market, these changes could significantly impact the global cotton sector. This presentation included a regulatory update while making the case for cotton as a global public good.
Speaker: Eric Trachtenberg, Executive Director, International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington, DC. Slides

3:45 - 5:15 PM   CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

SESSION: Dairy Outlook

Moderator: Angel Teran, Agricultural Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA, Kansas City, MO

Outlook for the U.S. Dairy Sector Through 2025
Speaker: Peyton Ferrier, Agricultural Economist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, USDA, Washington, DC. Slides

Why Milk Components Matter More than Milk Production Changes in milk composition over the past 20 years have had implications for milk production and dairy product markets.
Speaker: Corey Geiger, Lead Economist, CoBank, Greenwood Village, CO. Slides

Genetics and Genomics Transforming Milk Composition Trends and developments in the dairy industry as they relate to a greater focus on milk composition in dairy production.
Speaker: Jonathan Lamb, Dairy Farmer, Board Member, Oakfield Corners Dairy, Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Oakfield, NY. Slides

SESSION: Innovative Solutions to Advance Sustainability
 

Agriculture is the major consumer of U.S. and global freshwater resources and a significant portion of energy use. Technologies such as AI and precision farming provide useful information to build more efficient food systems that reduced energy, nutrient, and water use. In this session, a panel of speakers focused on technology innovations that had potential as sustainable solutions, from reducing water consumption using smart-irrigation technology to using AI for monitoring vegetation and soil health to regenerative agriculture practices.

Moderator: Julie Suhr Pierce, National Economist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Washington, DC.

What's Next in Geospatial Technology Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
This talk set out TGI's perspective on the research and innovation needed to develop next-generation agriculture and food systems applications that took advantage of emergent geospatial technologies.
Speaker: Rachel Opitz, Program Manager, Taylor Geospatial Institute (TGI), St. Louis, MO. Slides

Technology Adoption Decisions in Complex Settings
In this presentation, we explored some key factors that influenced these decisions, including technological advancements, different cultivation strategies, risk and uncertainty, management approaches, market and non-market incentives, data limitations, institutional constraints, and personal values.
Speaker: Charles Rice, Kansas State University, University Distinguished Professor, Soil Microbiology, Manhattan, KS. Slides

Venture Capital Funding for Technology and Innovation to Scale Regenerative Agriculture
Speaker: Mark Lewis, Managing Partner, Trailhead Capital, Denver, CO. Slides

 

SESSION: Farm and Rural Workforce Housing Needs and Solutions

The panel focused on housing in rural America. The panelists discussed ways in which USDA and other organizations supported agricultural producers and rural citizens in housing development. Creating more affordable housing was essential for the development of rural areas and also supported job creation and retention of existing employees in the agriculture sector.

Moderator: Angilla Denton, Deputy Administrator, USDA - Rural Development, Multifamily Housing, Washington, DC

Farmworker and Rural Workforce Housing Needs and Solutions

Speaker: Dan Rogers, Director of Production & Preservation, USDA - Rural Development, Multifamily Housing, Washington, DC. Slides

Farmworker and Rural Workforce Housing Needs and Solutions

Speaker: Marty Miller, Executive Director, Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing, Yakima, WA

SESSION: Farmworker and Rural Workforce Housing Needs and Solutions

 Young people and women are increasingly at the forefront in agriculture and making a difference in a number of areas, such as entrepreneurship and agribusiness, agri-tech innovation, education and advocacy, community leadership, and global and local policy influence. This session highlighted youth and women’s unique roles in agriculture as leaders and innovators, and how they are responding to the needs of the agricultural sector. Speakers discussed the impact youth and women exercise in these areas and how their leadership is transforming the agricultural landscape, driving innovation, and ensuring that the sector remains forward-looking. This session focused on how organizations around the world are encouraging young people and women to engage more in agriculture as with their leadership, energy, creativity, and innovation they can contribute to global food security.

Moderator: Cynthia Guven, Senior Strategic Partnerships Liaison and USDA Chief International Agreements Officer, FAS, Washington, DC

Speaker: Jessica Cabrera, Managing Director, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, DC

Speaker: Elly Sukup, Director of Program Development, Global Farmer Network, Des Moines, IA

SESSION: Organic Outlook

This session provided an overview of the trends and recent developments in organic production and consumption. Presentations discussed up-to-date information on the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule, the use of federal programs by organic farmers, and global trends in organic agriculture.

Moderator: Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky, Research Economist, USDA-ERS, Silver Spring, MD. Slides

AMS Policy Update: Looking at Enforcement Policy and Enforcement Progress

Speaker: Jennifer Tucker, USDA-AMS-NOP, Washington, DC. Slides

Speaker: Julia Barton, Organic Farmers Association, Washington, DC. Slides

Speaker: Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland. Slides