The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) will host Resilience and Security: Building the Capacity to Thrive in a Changing World, the third session of The Future of American Agriculture, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT. The webinar is free and open to the public.
The session will feature Duane Simpson, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Jeremy Jack, Silent Shade Planting Company; and Michaela McGinn, United Soybean Board. Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CAST, will host the discussion.
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.
The discussion will be guided by the question: What capabilities are needed to help producers remain competitive and ensure American agriculture remains resilient and secure in the decades ahead?
About the Series
The Future of American Agriculture is a public leadership dialogue series that brings 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.
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.
“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,” said Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CAST.
Previous Sessions
Recordings of the first two sessions are available on CAST’s YouTube channel:
- Sept. 30: Investment and Competitiveness: Aligning Capital with Agricultural Priorities, featuring Paola de Almeida, Natural Systems Capital, Inc. Watch the recording
- Oct. 7: Research and Innovation: Accelerating the Path from Discovery to Impact, featuring Elizabeth Stulberg, ClearPath; Karen Ellis Carr, ArentFox Schiff; and Ronnie Green, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Watch the recording
Upcoming Sessions
All sessions take place on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT and are free and open to the public.
- Oct. 21: 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. Register
- November (TBA): American Agriculture 2040: From Vision to Action, a Strategic Advisory Council Roundtable 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.
Full series details are available at cast-science.org/the-future-of-american-agriculture.
