Ag Future: Innovation in Agri-Food

As consumer demand for antibiotic-free beef increases, we must consider the possibility of a future without antibiotics. What role does nutrition play in responsible antibiotic use and efficacy? Should we be more concerned about antimicrobial resistance in animals? Dr. Brian Lubbers, director of clinical microbiology at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Library, shares his perspective on the...

David Cleary, director of global agriculture at The Nature Conservancy, discusses the institution's three main sustainability goals: to reduce deforestation, increase soil health and promote water conservation. Learn what these three goals mean for climate change, habitat conservation, regenerative agriculture and the recent fires in the Amazon.

To improve profitability and meet consumer demands, farmers need to manage dairy cow comfort as well as intakes, body temperature, stress levels and additional aspects for each cow. Without precision dairy monitoring and real-time data, this is nearly impossible. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Alltech's dairy housing and analytics specialist, shares where technologies like robotic milking and sensors come in...

As climate change becomes a larger issue, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finding ways to sequester carbon in farm and food production is more important than ever. Robynne Anderson discusses her experience providing businesses with sustainable solutions as president of Emerging Ag, the international consulting firm for agriculture.

While farmers spend billions of dollars each year in crop inputs, many are missing biomarkers that can cost them up to 30% in total value. The ag-tech startup Biome Makers is using new technologies like DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence in agriculture to improve soil health and crop production on-farm. How healthy is the microbial activity of your soil?

With the rise of foreign animal diseases like African swine fever, mitigating the risk of viruses spreading through feed has become a massive challenge for pig producers today. Dr. Gordon Spronk and Dr. Jon De Jong of Pipestone System detail their research on biosecurity measures in feed to reduce risk on farm.

How do plants grow in space? Dr. Robert Ferl, a molecular and space biologist who has spent his career studying how biology adapts to strange environments through gene expression in plants, offers insights on how these studies can affect agriculture not only on Earth, but also in space.

Calf scours is responsible for about 61% of all sickness in cattle and can affect farmers' profitability. How can farmers improve the health of their calves? Dr. Shelby Roberts, researcher at Alltech, shares what causes this common disease and best practices for preventing calf scours in the future.

With global population growth and an increasing demand for fish products, the aquaculture sector is facing more pressure for seafood production. Dr. Katerina Kousoulaki, senior researcher at Nofima AS in Bergen, Norway, discusses the future challenges and opportunities for fish nutrition, including microalagae, in aquaculture.

How can better soil health and more efficient beef production reduce our carbon footprint? Dr. Taro Takahashi, research scientist at Rothamsted Research, discusses organic vs. inorganic fertilizers, proposed meat taxes and agriculture's overall quest toward sustainability.

Mycotoxin contamination can affect even the most well-run dairy farms. Pat Crowley, on-farm specialist at Alltech, details how farmers can reduce the cost of production on their dairy farms by detecting mycotoxins early.

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and how can organizations implement sustainable business practices? Here, Brian Lowry, deputy general counsel at Bayer Crop Science U.S., gives his take on sustainability and the broad impact it can have on people, animals and the environment.

Can gut health improve efficiency on poultry farms? John Cooper, Alltech poultry technical manager for the U.K., explains the science behind gut health and the benefits that come with being proactive in addressing on-farm concerns.

With finite fish meal supplies and fish oil resources, can aquaculture still produce a high-quality product? Frits Berkers, manager of the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre details why quality won’t be compromised thanks to innovations to feed in aquaculture.

Trying something new doesn't have to be scary. Fresh digital platforms open up a world of possibilities. How can new digital platforms empower farmers and help retailers extend their reach? Patrick Sullivan, partnership manager at AgVend, has a solution for both parties.

Consumers are growing more and more environmentally conscious, and many have started to experiment with meat-free options. From plant-based burgers to burgers made entirely of tissue-cultured meat, are these really the "alternative meats of the future?" What does this mean for the beef industry, and which option is actually better for the environment?

How do you attract and retain dairy farm employees? Jorge Delgado, dairy advisor at Alltech, highlights how the labor force in dairy is changing and the importance of creating a work culture with strong values where employees feel respected.

By the year 2022, pig diets in the EU will be free of zinc oxide thanks to a recently passed ban. Jacob Dahl, chief nutritionist of Vilofoss, an international feed company, discusses the negative effects of using zinc oxide in pig feed and how the company is working to provide solutions for the future. How will pig producers face these new challenges?

Among the challenges faced by the swine industry, this one may not be on the radar. In reality, deaths due to sows crushing their young costs producers billions of dollars a year. SwineTech, a U.S. based startup, is solving the problem using artificial intelligence and sensors to prevent piglet deaths. Can the next generation of ag-tech increase efficiency and improve profitability on the pig farm...

We are in the midst of some of the most significant scientific breakthroughs since Norman Borlaug's Green Revolution of the 1940s. Just as his innovative approach to crop science saved billions of lives, agriculture now stands poised to feed the rising population. What technology will drive the new era? Dr. Richard Lally joins us to discuss the most promising research from the field.

Floating islands of plastic waste. Sea turtles with straws lodged in their nostrils. Images abound and emotions are high as the critical problem of single use plastics floats to the surface. At the same time, food waste is as high as 40% in some countries. How do we balance the preservation of our most perishable products with protecting our environment? We explore the complex issues with Karl Dei...

With a mortality rate of up to 30%, blackhead disease can be detrimental to the flock and to poultry producers. Dr. Robert Beckstead's team at North Carolina State University is conducting research on the disease on a molecular level. Are there alternative treatments and preventatives to consider? In this podcast, Dr. Beckstead shares why producers may reconsider their feeding strategy in the futu...

Dr. Frank Mitloehner has done the math on the livestock industry’s contribution to climate change. He is a professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, specializing in measurement and mitigation of airborne pollutants from livestock production, including greenhouse gases, VOCs, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and particulate matter. Dr. Mitloehner joins us for a...

Livestock misses out on about 25 percent of the available nutrients in feedstuffs, resulting in a $4-quadrillion loss the ag industry can't afford as it works to feed the growing population. Dr. Kyle McKinney focuses on solutions that allow animals to get the most from their feed, increasing efficiency and profitability. He joins us to discuss how enzyme technology offers hope for supporting a pla...

Can we provide the engineering solutions to meet the challenges of the open ocean? And can we realistically produce five-kilo salmon onshore in closed systems? We take a deep-dive into the future of salmon farming with Dr. Oyvind Fylling-Jensen, CEO of Nofima, the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research.