The questions regarding the economy are rampant across all industries… But this session will analyse how the global and domestic economy has impacted the protein sector. With the war in Ukraine, animal disease, inflationary concerns and rising feed costs, there are no shortage of events that have caused continued stress for those in the industry. Moving forward though, how do we expect the economy to react? What are the major trends we are seeing along the commodity markets?  

Michael Swanson, Chief Agricultural Economist, Wells Fargo 

The UB market reporter team will set the stage for the conference by giving their state of the markets, summarizing the biggest issues their markets are dealing with and how that has affected pricing. Have consumers switched to different products amidst inflationary concerns? Have global issues and laws caused a swings in the market? This panel is a great tool for those looking to see into their competitor proteins and how those prices might affect their bottom line moving forward.  

As organisations continue to focus on delivering EDI strategies, we take stock of where we are as an industry and what is still needed to achieve true inclusion.  

Elzandi Oosthuizen, Senior VP, Head Crop Technology, Corn Soy and Cotton, Bayer 

Christine Daugherty, Former VP at PepsiCo, Former VP at Tyson, Former Business Development Leader at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  

Melissa Duncan, Legal Head, Global Syngenta Seeds, Syngenta 

How to run truly inclusive teams and adapt your management and leadership techniques to get the best out of your teams and deliver on business objectives. 

NAVIGATING MAJORITY DOMINATED WORKSPACES 

How it feels to navigate being an only or minority: hearing experiences and sourcing inspiration 

Marcy Bemiller, CEO, Candor Family Brands 

Imani Black, Founder and CEO, Minorities in Aquaculture 

How employees see you and the leaders within your organization has never been more important. As we tackle the great resignation, the quite quitter, the conscious quitters, as well as generation who demands more of us as an employer, join this discussion on how we better attract and retain diverse talent. 

Lynn Ducharme, Vice President, Talent Strategy, Curtis Food Recruiters 

Katie Hayes, HR Head, Global Syngenta Seeds, Syngenta 

Covering all levels of the value chain, this panel will focus on sustainability’s impact on the industry. With experts from some key companies in the protein sector, there will be analysis on the consumer preferences in relation to sustainability, how companies that have embraced sustainability seen a positive impact on their business, and some tips on how to follow thru on sustainability initiatives, a process that can be overwhelming for some.  

Dr. Ashley Peterson, Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, National Chicken Council 

Marcy Bemiller, CEO, Candor Family Brands 

Nicholas Walker, Director, TradeCafe 

How we package our foods to customers changes every day not just for marketing purposes and consumer preference, but because of regulation from the government. Recently the FDA has proposed a change to the definition of healthy as well as changes to naming substitute proteins, the FTC has updated their sustainability claims, and the USDA has updated their nutritional labeling on meat and poultry.  

Jesse Zuehlke, President, Prime Label Consultants