Ames, Iowa, September 23, 2026 — The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) today announced The Future of American Agriculture, a public leadership dialogue series launching September 30, 2026, that will bring together leaders from across agriculture to explore the opportunities, challenges, and capabilities likely to shape the future of the agricultural enterprise.
American agriculture faces extraordinary opportunities but also increasing complexity and diverse challenges. Technological change, global competition, workforce pressures, evolving consumer expectations, regulatory challenges, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and food and national security concerns are reshaping the agricultural landscape at a pace few institutions were designed to address.
American agriculture benefits from world-class universities, innovative companies, producer organizations, government agencies, and research institutions. Yet as challenges become more interconnected, questions increasingly arise about how those efforts can be better aligned around emerging opportunities, risks, and priorities.
Through a series of public dialogues, participants will explore the investments, innovations, partnerships, and institutional capabilities that will shape the future of American agriculture. The conversations are intended to inform the ongoing work of CAST’s Strategic Advisory Council as it considers how CAST can grow its impact as a trusted source of science-based expertise, strategic foresight, and cross-sector dialogue.
At the center of the series is a simple question: What capabilities, partnerships, and innovations will American agriculture need to thrive in an increasingly complex world?
“American agriculture faces challenges that are increasingly interconnected, from research and innovation to competitiveness, resilience, and public confidence. For more than 50 years, CAST has helped convene experts from across agriculture to examine complex issues through credible, science-based dialogue. This series builds on that tradition by bringing together leaders with diverse perspectives to explore the opportunities, challenges, and capabilities that will shape the future of agricultural science, technology, and innovation. CAST believes agriculture is strongest when science, expertise, and collaboration help inform long-term thinking and action.”
— Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CAST
Webinar Series Schedule and Details
September 30 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
Investment and Competitiveness: Aligning Capital with Agricultural Priorities
Featuring: Paola de Almeida, Natural Systems Capital, Inc.
Host: Chris Boomsma
Agriculture’s future will depend not only on the availability of capital, but on how effectively investment supports the research, innovation, infrastructure, workforce, and institutional capabilities needed for long-term competitiveness. As emerging technologies, changing markets, and global competition continue to reshape the sector, strategic investments will play a critical role in determining which opportunities are pursued, which capabilities are strengthened, and how effectively agriculture adapts to future challenges.
Guiding Question: How can investment be better aligned with the capabilities agriculture will need for the future?
October 7 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
Research and Innovation: Accelerating the Path from Discovery to Impact
Featuring: Elizabeth Stulberg, ClearPath; Karen Ellis Carr, ArentFox Schiff; Ronnie Green, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Sally Rockey, Rockey Consulting
Host: Chris Boomsma
Scientific discovery alone is not enough. The future of agriculture depends on how effectively promising ideas move from research to real-world application. America possesses one of the world’s strongest agricultural research enterprises, yet innovation often encounters barriers related to funding, regulation, commercialization, adoption, and institutional coordination. Improving how ideas move through the system may be one of the most important opportunities available to agriculture. Improving innovation systems is not simply about accelerating discovery. It is also about ensuring that scientific advances ultimately reach producers, food companies, supply chains, consumers, and other end users.
Guiding Question: How can the United States strengthen the innovation systems needed to move faster and deliver greater impact?
October 14 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
Resilience and Security: Building the Capacity to Thrive in a Changing World
Featuring: Duane Simpson, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Jeremy Jack, Silent Shade Planting Company; and Michaela McGinn, United Soybean Board
Host: Chris Boomsma
The strength of American agriculture ultimately depends on the resilience and competitiveness of its producers and the systems that support them. Markets, supply chains, technology, infrastructure, labor, and natural resources all play a role in determining agriculture’s ability to withstand disruption, adapt to change, and remain economically competitive. Producers today face pressures ranging from market volatility and workforce challenges to geopolitical uncertainty and increasing global competition. The resilience of agriculture is closely linked to the resilience of the broader food system. This discussion will explore the capabilities producers and agricultural systems will need to remain competitive, adaptable, and secure in the decades ahead.
Guiding Question: What capabilities are needed to help producers remain competitive and ensure American agriculture remains resilient and secure in the decades ahead?
October 21 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
Trust and Leadership: Building Confidence in Food and Agriculture
Featuring: Jack Bobo, University of California, Los Angeles Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies; and Julie Borlaug, Borlaug Consulting
Host: Chris Boomsma
Scientific advances only create value when they are trusted, understood, and ultimately adopted.
As agriculture becomes increasingly dependent upon scientific advancement and technological innovation, public confidence, effective communication, and leadership have become essential capabilities for long-term success. Building trust is not simply a communications challenge. It is a strategic requirement for continued progress.
As innovation increasingly influences how food is produced, marketed, and consumed, understanding how consumers engage with food and agricultural systems has become increasingly important. This discussion will explore how agriculture can strengthen trust, communicate more effectively with diverse audiences, and foster stronger relationships among producers, food companies, consumers, and the broader public.
Guiding Question: How can agriculture strengthen the trust and leadership capabilities needed to support continued innovation and progress?
Early November | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
American Agriculture 2040: From Vision to Action
Featuring: Dan Robison, Iowa State University; David Crass, Michael Best; and Janie Hipp, Native Agriculture Financial Services
Co-Hosts: Ray Starling, NC Chamber, and Chris Boomsma
Throughout this series, participants will examine American agriculture through the lenses of investment, innovation, resilience, and trust. Together, these discussions explore the capabilities, partnerships, and institutions that underpin a strong agricultural future. The concluding Strategic Advisory Council Roundtable will bring those themes together in a forward-looking discussion focused on how agriculture can move from vision to action while strengthening its ability to anticipate change, align priorities, and respond effectively to emerging opportunities and challenges.
Participants will explore how innovation, technology, markets, policy, leadership, and collaboration may influence agriculture through 2040 and beyond, and how those changes may affect producers, food systems, consumers, supply chains, and society more broadly. The discussion will also examine how agriculture can better anticipate emerging issues, establish priorities, and align action around the opportunities and challenges most likely to shape the decades ahead.
Guiding Question: What will it take to move American agriculture from vision to action?
Additional Series Component
Horizon Perspectives: The Future of American Agriculture
To broaden participation and showcase the diversity of expertise represented on CAST’s Strategic Advisory Council, CAST will also launch Horizon Perspectives: The Future of American Agriculture, a companion video series featuring short reflections from SAC members not participating directly in a webinar dialogue or roundtable discussion.
Participants will be invited to address questions such as:
- What is the greatest opportunity facing American agriculture? What is the greatest risk?
- What capability does agriculture most need to strengthen?
- What barriers to innovation deserve greater attention?
- What should agriculture prioritize between now and 2040? What issue is receiving too little attention?
These interviews will help extend the conversation and highlight additional perspectives from across the Council.
All sessions are free and open to the public. Register at https://cast-science.org/the-future-of-american-agriculture/.
