Forums

2018 Farm Foundation Forums

November 14, 2018
What the Mid-term elections mean for Food and Agriculture
Voters preferences and priorities will be reflected in the the new lineup of House and Senate Members following the Nov. 6, 2018, mid-term elections. The implications of the elections for the nation’s food and agriculture sector will be the topic for a panel of noted journalists.

Panelist will include:
Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Communications
Chris Clayton, DTN
Helen Bottemiller Evich, Politico
Teaganne Finn, Bloomberg Government

October 31, 2018
Tariffs and the USMCA–Impacts on U.S. Agricultural Trade

This Forum focused on the potential economic impacts of Mexican and Canadian retaliatory tariffs and the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on U.S. agricultural trade. An Farm Foundation commissioned the analysis, How U.S. Agriculture Will Fare Under the USMCA and Retaliatory Tariffs, which was done by agricultural economists at Purdue University. Results of that analysis were discussed at the Oct. 31 Forum by Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Global Trade Analysis (GTAP) at Purdue University. Serving as respondent was Joe Glauber, Ph.D., a Senior Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Panelists:
Dominique van der Mensbrugghe Ph.D., Director, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Purdue University
Joseph Glauber Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute

View video interviews with the panelists

Listen to audio of the Oct. 31 Forum

September 19, 2018
The Future of Higher Education in Agriculture

This Forum examined the challenges educational institutions face in preparing students for the opportunities in the food and agriculture sectors.  The challenges are as diverse as the student population, or the many professional opportunities that exist in food and agriculture.  Yet responding to the evolving opportunities in a timely manner can pose issues for some institutions, especially in a time of diminishing state and federal financial support.

Panelists:
Former Sen. Richard G. Lugar, President of The Lugar Center
Mike Martin, Ph.D., President of Florida Gulf Coast University
Ronnie Greene, Ph.D., Chancellor of the University of Nebraska, and
Jay Akridge, Ph.D., Provost of Purdue University

Listen Here

July 17, 2018
Gene Editing: Challenges and Opportunities
Panelists were:
Mitch Abrahamsen, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial and Scientific Officer at Recombinetics
Karen Carr, partner at Arent Fox, LLP
Randy Spronk, President of Spronk Brothers III Holdings, LLC, and
Kevin Diehl, Regulatory Strategy Lead for Gene-edited Products, Corteva AgriScience

May 22, 2018
A Conversation with the Ambassadors:  Trade War or Rhetoric?
Ambassador Gregg Doud, Chief Agriculture Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Ambassador Darci Vetter, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2014-2016)
Ambassador Richard Crowder, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2006-2008)
Ambassador Al Johnson, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2001-2005)

Ambassador Doud referenced a March 22, 2018, report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative entitled:  Findings of the Investigation into China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974

February 13, 2018
The Economics of the Next Farm Bill
February 13, 2018
Joe Outlaw,  Texas A&M
Craig Jagger, Former Chief Economist, House Agriculture Committee
Pat Westhoff, FAPRI
Don Villwock, Indiana farmer

January 23, 2018
The Role of Conservation Practices in Meeting Water Quality Goals
Jimmy Bramblett, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Dennis Nuxoll, Western Growers Association
Barry Gold, Walton Family Foundation
Fred Yoder, Ohio farmer and Solutions from the Land