Committees

The American Feed Industry Association has 14 committees that are focused on supporting the AFIA’s core legislative and regulatory objectives and/or member services. The committees oversee the AFIA’s ongoing activities, interests and programs in very specific disciplines and reflect all segments of the total feed industry. Typically members are nominated for election each May, at the beginning of the AFIA’s fiscal year, to serve three-year terms.

Read the committee descriptions below, and members may also click the links to see the committees’ latest annual reports. If you are interested in joining a committee, contact the AFIA staff person responsible for the committee.

• Aquaculture Committee: Informs members of opportunities within aquaculture industry; assists in solving industry- related problems; educates membership on needed products, technologies and services. Annual Report. Staff contact: Leah Wilkinson
• Equine Committee: Composed of member companies interested in the manufacturing, marketing, sales and trade of equine feeds and ingredients. The mission is to educate members regarding the changing regulatory environment related to equine feeds and ingredients, communicate key issues and concerns with stakeholders and track policies impacting equine feeds and ingredients. Annual Report. Staff contact: Louise Calderwood
• Equipment Manufacturers Committee: Represents the interests of animal food equipment manufacturing members. Activities include Occupational and Safety Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency regulatory compliance. Sponsors a national safety sign program and the continuing development of new safety signs and placement guidelines. Also conducts an annual conference and oversees the equipment manufacturers scholarship fund. Annual Report. Staff contact: Gary Huddleston
• Feed Regulatory Committee: Monitors the federal and state regulatory agencies. Meets with the Food and Drug Administration and Association of American Feed Control Officials to represent the interests of the feed industry on manufacturing practices, labeling requirements and the uniform feed law. Note, committee appointments are subject to the AFIA’s president’s approval. Annual Report. Staff contacts: Leah Wilkinson and Louise Calderwood
• Global Affairs Committee: Serves as a platform for its members to actively participate in achieving the AFIA's overarching goal of enhancing the resilience of the U.S. animal food industry. The committee plays a pivotal role in addressing and advising on the ever-evolving global regulatory and policy landscape that directly impacts international trade of feed, feed ingredients and pet food. It provides valuable insights into the international pressures facing the industry and the import and export of these crucial products. Furthermore, the Global Affairs Committee serves as a unifying force, coordinating and directing the international trade interests of AFIA's members into a cohesive and strategic approach. The committee plays a vital role in shaping and safeguarding the interests of the U.S. animal food industry in the global arena. Annual Report. Staff contact: Gina Tumbarello
• Ingredient Approval and Definition Committee: Provides a forum for AFIA members to represent regulatory and legislative interests regarding the feed ingredient approval/recognition process to government officials and educate members regarding the changing regulatory environment related to feed ingredient approval/recognition. The primary objectives are to address and communicate key issues and concerns with stakeholders and to impact the approval/recognition and definition process of feed ingredients. Annual Report. Staff contact: Leah Wilkinson
• Liquid Feed Committee: Represents the interests of liquid feed manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. Responsible for the annual AFIA Liquid Feed Symposium. Works with AFIA staff providing regulatory representation for the liquid feed industry, maintains subcommittees for research, education and finance. Annual Report. Staff contact: Paul Davis
• Marketing and Communications Committee: Provides counsel in marketing the value of AFIA, its certification program and its events and products; develops strategic communications recommendations for branding the animal food industry; and oversees the development of AFIA’s member and public communications tools. Annual Report. Staff contact: Victoria Broehm
• Nutrition Committee: Offers a medium through which feed and pet food industry personnel responsible for information, research, quality control, technological services and regulatory compliance can explore new technologies and issues affecting animal nutrition. Sponsors the Feed Industry Institute. Annual Report. Staff contact: Paul Davis
• Pet Food Committee: Represents the pet food industry on regulatory and legislative issues and develops educational programs specific to the pet food industry, such as the AFIA Pet Food Conference. Annual Report. Staff contact: Louise Calderwood
• Production Compliance Committee: Represents the production and manufacturing facility segments of the industry as well as the industry’s interests before the regulatory agencies as they write regulations affecting the feed industry. Conducts educational programs and provides compliance leadership for members. Annual Report. Staff contact: Gary Huddleston
• Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Committee: Plans and sponsors the annual AFIA Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference. Annual Report. Staff contact: Jessica Morse
• Quality and Animal Food Safety Committee: Examines quality and food safety issues of animal feed, feed ingredients and pet food. Provides direction to the AFIA’s quality and animal food safety programs, particularly the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program, and supports compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. Annual Report. Staff contact: Paul Davis
• Sustainability Committee: Provides leadership for and representation of the animal food industry in the area of sustainability. Communicates the industry’s role not only in continuously reducing animal agriculture’s carbon footprint in the United States, but also in being part of the solution by developing tools and resources that help the industry improve its practices globally. Annual Report. Staff contact: Sarah Novak