Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interacting with some of the feed industry’s finest folks at the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Symposium (LFS) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Each year, this event is planned, moderated and hosted by AFIA’s Liquid Feed Committee. LFS remains a perennial favorite of mine, as my involvement spans nearly 25 years and is filled with good memories.

In today’s business landscape, sustainability is not just about environmental stewardship; it’s also a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent. Employees, particularly younger generations, are increasingly seeking out companies that align with their values, especially in areas of social good. Given I recently joined the workforce, I was curious: what are some of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) members doing in the space of social good?

This month, Mallory Gaines, Ivy Torres and I had the privilege of joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agricultural trade mission to Vietnam, where we represented the American Feed Industry Association alongside a diverse group of agribusiness leaders. Led by USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor, this mission provided a unique opportunity to further explore the market and strengthen relationships between U.S. agribusiness and key players in Vietnam.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a report designed to help governments create healthier diets for their populations while making food systems more sustainable and equitable. The FAO stated in the “Food Systems-Based Dietary Guidelines” report that the guidelines are comprehensive and developed through a multidisciplinary and multisectoral process that considers environmental sustainability and socio-economic equity. 

In a recent episode of The Feed Science Podcast Show, Gary Huddleston, American Feed Industry Associations' director of feed manufacturing & regulatory affairs, dives into The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new heat safety standard, explaining the impact the updates will have on U.S. feed mills. Don't miss Gary's valuable insights by listening here.  

One of the things I enjoy most about summer is the opportunity to catch up on reading that often gets pushed to the back burner during busy meeting seasons. It was a treat, this summer, to read a collection of articles on the University of Illinois farmdocdaily site and consider how macroeconomic trends might be shaping the future of U.S. food and agriculture.  

Change is inevitable in life and even “good change” requires a degree of effort to navigate successfully. How change impacts you is correlated to how you respond to it. Do you shy away? Do you embrace it? Or are you the type that prepares for change and then turns it into something even better than you anticipated for your life situation? Every opportunity differs, but hopefully you have learned some tips along the way, so change is not as scary every time you work through it.  

As someone working at a trade association, I often hear the question, 'What does the future hold for our industry?' Recently, much of this curiosity centers around sustainability. With the efforts the American Feed Industry Association and its members are putting into feed ingredient innovation and accurate product claims, I am hopeful that, one day, U.S. farmers and ranchers will be able to use these advancements to reduce their carbon impact AND benefit from a carbon market.