MADISON — GMOs, air quality, water quality, animal treatment, antibiotic resistance … these issues and many more are becoming part of the purchasing decision for today’s consumers. The 2017 PDPW Food & Policy Summit presented by The Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) will bring together innovative dairy farm owners, industry CEOs, food system department executives and key decision makers and thought leaders from across the food value chain to learn more about what is influencing today’s consumer and how dairy farmers can join the conversation in a credible, transparent way.
The Food & Policy Summit is a two-day collaborative event, held Dec. 6-7 at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, Wis. The summit is open for one-day or two-day registration, and features a world-class slate of speakers that will provide both a scientific and consumer perspective on key topics. The summit will run from 1:00 to 7:15 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 6, and from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 7.
“We’re excited to bring together a group of speakers that will not only talk about trends and issues, but also dig deep into the science and research,” said Shelly Mayer, Executive Director of PDPW. “Dairy farmers will leave with a new perspective on how their dairy may be impacted by these challenges and opportunities in the future.”
On Wednesday, Dec. 6, speakers will provide perspective on dairy markets and how today’s consumer views agriculture and food production:
- New faces, policies and possibilities presented by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board CEO Chad Vincent;
- A global view of dairy presented by U.S. Dairy Export Council CEO Matt McKnight;
- Panel discussion of non-ag media professionals, including television and radio personality Katrina Cravy; and former manager of the Associated press, Michelle Johnson;
- Who’s driving the bus? And where’s it headed? presented by Charlie Arnot, CEO of the Center for Food Integrity; and
- Evolution or Revolution? Watch a screening of the new documentary film “Food Evolution” with co-star Dr. Allison Van Eenennaam, and participate in discussion about technology, our farms, and the future of agriculture.
On Thursday, Dec. 7, participants will take a deeper dive into the latest science in several key areas:
- Dairy – where biological and social science meet, presented by Dr. Allison Van Eenennamm, Cooperative Extension Specialist in Animal Genomics and Biotechnology at the University of California-Davis;
- Tread lightly: What’s ahead for dairy and our carbon footprint? presented by Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist in Cooperative Extension at the University of California-Davis;
- Superbugs or Superheroes? presented by Dr. Randy Singer, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota;
- Science Report: Well water in Kewaunee County presented by Dr. Mark Borchardt, USDA Research Microbiologist who is the lead scientist studying private wells in northeastern Wisconsin; and
- A round table discussion with the experts will give participants the opportunity to drive the discussion deeper with questions for the day’s presenters.
To learn more about the program and to register, visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDPW at 1-800-947-7379 or to follow on social media with #FoodandPolicy2017.
The PDPW Food & Policy Summit is an accredited training and offers up to 11.4 continuing education (CE) credits are available to UW-School of Veterinary Medicine (UW-SVM) and up to 9.0 Dairy AdvanCE CE credits. To learn more or secure credits, visit www.DairyAdvance.org.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”
— PDPW
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