2023 Stakeholders Summit highlights benefits of partnering along the food supply chain
Grab a recording pass by May 19 so you don’t miss out on valuable insights!
May 17, 2023 – The Animal Agriculture Alliance released its 2023 Stakeholders Summit Highlights Report, featuring key quotes, takeaways, and insights from each session of the event. A recording pass to watch the sessions is available for purchase until May 19: http://bit.ly/AAA23Summit. The 2023 Summit, held May 4-5 in Arlington, Va., was themed “Partners in Progress: Building a Sustainable Future for Animal Ag” and attracted nearly 320 attendees.
How can we create a sustainable future for animal agriculture? By building it together. This statement from the 2023 Summit theme rang true as speakers from varying points along the food supply chain came together to discuss how partnerships from farm to table have enabled them to build relationships and enhance sustainability efforts. 
In a session titled “Supply Chain Sustainability: Practical Lessons from the Field to the Corporate Office,” a farmer, a food product company, and a multinational restaurant brand came together to share how they have collaborated on sustainability initiatives by leveraging each others’ areas of expertise. Maryland dairy farmer Matt Fry stated, “The biggest hurdle is just getting started. When you’re getting started, it seems like it’s a monumental task, but once you’re in the system, it’s very easy to continue operating.” Katherine Staiger with Danone added that two specific skillsets are needed when building a sustainability program: knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions, modeling, and data analysis and agricultural expertise. Staiger recommended, “Be very individualized with the farms that you’re working with. Respect that they’re the experts.” Angela Anderson with Starbucks echoed Staiger’s comments saying, “We learned very quickly from some very vocal farmers what was working, what was not, and we listened, and so we would adapt and change and try to rethink this.” Each panelist agreed that communication along the supply chain was key in the success of these partnerships and programs.
Attendees dove in deeper to corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting during the session “Telling Your Story: Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting.” According to panelists, the first step in CSR reporting is identifying how the organization defines “sustainability.” Christina Lood of Zoetis said, “You have to define what does ‘sustainability’ mean for you because it can mean so many different things.” Cassie Jo Arend of Shift•ology Communication added, “If you’re doing social responsibility correctly, you should always be changing and making improvements because those are priorities for you when you’re setting goals.” Panelists agreed that each segment of the supply chain has to be willing to participate for CSR reporting to be successful. When it comes to getting farmers and ranchers on board, Sydney Reese, PhD, with Prime Pursuits noted, “One thing I have learned is if you flip the word from ‘sustainability’ to ‘stewardship,’ we get… so much more reception.”
Registered dietitian nutritionist Nicole Rodriquez and author Michele Payn led a discussion on building “Partners Around the Plate: Shifting the Conversation About Food.” Payn said she sees untapped potential for the animal agriculture community to engage with registered dietitians to spread its message. “The dietitian community has a unique lens in which we can connect with, and there are a lot of opportunities to build their interest in and engage them in the agriculture story,” said Payn. Rodriguez echoed this and encouraged organizations to develop dietitian-friendly toolkits that they can use to support our messaging and work. “Dietitians want a seat at your table… Please engage with us because we’re willing, we’re able and genuinely want to help you get the messages out to those families.” To read more insights in the complete 2023 Stakeholders Summit Highlights Report, click here.
Save the date for the 2024 Summit, set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo. Follow the hashtag #AAA24 for periodic updates about the event. For general questions about Summit, please contact summit@animalagalliance.org or call (703) 562-5160.
Thank you to our 2023 Summit sponsors: Farm Journal, MEAT + POULTRY, Meatingplace, National Pork Producers Council, Watt Global Media, American Feed Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, Smithfield, United Soybean Board, Dairy MAX, Elanco, Farm Credit, Mountaire Farms, United Egg Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Veal Association, Bayer Crop Science, Cal-Maine Foods, Cobb-Vantress, Inc., Filament Marketing, Kemin, Aviagen Group, National Chicken Council, Progressive Dairy, Protect the Harvest, Trans Ova Genetics, Tyson Foods Inc., Vivayic, Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Eggland’s Best, Live Oak Bank, North Carolina Farm Bureau, and Sustainable Environmental Consultants.
The Alliance also thanks the following members for their continued support of Summit and other Alliance programs: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cargill, C.O.nxt, Dairy Farmers of America, Diamond V, Genus PLC – PIC/ABS, Hendrix Genetics, Hy-Line North America, LLC, Iowa Soybean Association, JBS, Kanas Soybean Commission, Merck Animal Health, Midwest Dairy, National Turkey Federation, Nutrien, Provimi North America, Inc., and Seaboard Foods.
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