Recently, the American Feed Industry Association applied for and was awarded funding through the Foreign Agricultural Service’s Emerging Markets Program (EMP) to do an animal feed market assessment in Brazil, which could foster identification of opportunities for the U.S. feed industry in the Brazilian marketplace. This assessment will provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of the Brazilian market for U.S. exports of feed additives and feed ingredients, excluding raw agricultural commodities (e.g., corn, soybeans, sorghum, etc.).

Twice a year, those interested in the animal food regulatory space make the trek to attend the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) meetings. Sometimes those treks require patience while traveling through blizzards in the winter. Sometimes, it requires fortitude to handle being in business clothes instead of in shorts watching a baseball game during the summer. For both meetings, it requires preparation from all parties to make sure the AAFCO business gets due consideration and discussion. Your American Feed Industry Association staff are there on your behalf and are busy preparing for the upcoming AAFCO annual meeting, happening Aug. 3-6 in St. Louis, Mo.

Last week, I was reminded that “Attitude is Everything,” just like one of my favorite artists, Bonnie Mohr painted. As many of us have been working from home over the past several years, it’s strange to come into the office sometimes. So many articles in the media talk about how staff don’t want to come into offices, and leaders are struggling with keeping their teams happy and engaged.

Remember speed dating? Those magical minutes when you sat across from a stranger and tried to ascertain if there was a spark of emotion or maybe if it was love at first sight? Well, that is exactly what the U.S. Agriculture Export Development Council (USAEDC) Annual Attaché Seminar feels like! Just kidding, but the seminar is often compared to speed dating.

Rendering is an important part of the agriculture industry, as it offers an environmentally friendly way of recycling materials that would otherwise be wasted. In fact, rendered products can comprise up to 5% or more of some animal diets. It is an interesting topic to learn about, and I enjoyed learning bits and pieces about it when my boyfriend worked in rendering, which made me more excited to work on this topic!

Ever wondered what science-based targets really are or why they may be relevant to animal food? We’ve got a webinar opportunity for you to listen and learn.  

If I had to guess, I would say that most people have heard about this year’s astounding Kentucky Derby win. Supposing that you haven’t heard, I can summarize it for you: Rich Strike, who entered the derby due to a late scratch with 80-1 odds, blew past the rest of the pack to secure an almost unforeseeable win in May. While this is the most recent derby underdog win, this is only one of many in the horse race’s history. Although I am certainly not old enough to have seen all these runs in person, here are my top three Kentucky Derby underdog wins.

Dogs and cats have been part of my life ever since my parents brought a stray kitten home from the bustling streets of New York City. I realize how fortunate my family is to have the means to care for our pets including flying them to Europe when we moved abroad.  Not all companion animals are blessed to have stable homes and not all pet owners have the means to cover the cost of routine care or find new homes when life changes force the surrender of loved animals. Subsidized programs to neuter and rehome pets and feral cats are part of a caring culture. But should the cost of these efforts be borne by pet food businesses through legislatively mandated taxation? My response is a firm “no.”