USDA’s 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum, Feb. 23-24, will present 25 breakout sessions, including Agricultural Financial Markets and Investment focusing on patterns of financial investment in U.S. agricultural assets, changes in the types of lenders serving the agriculture sector, and the economics of land prices. Session speakers will be John Blanchfield, Senior Vice President, Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking American Banker’s Association; Dr. Brent Gloy, Associate Professor and Director of Center for Commercial Agriculture, Purdue University; and John Hays, Senior Vice President–Policy Analysis and Development, Farm Credit Council. These are the topics they will address:
The Changing Agricultural Credit Landscape
Farmers today have a wide and growing range of options for obtaining credit, including from many of the world’s largest companies and financial institutions. This presentation will describe why and how the commercial banking sector and global financial firms are competing aggressively to serve agricultural credit markets.
The Economics of Agricultural Land Markets
Strong commodity prices and growing farm incomes are supporting the price of productive farm land at historically high levels, leading some observers to suggest a “bubble” is underway. This presentation will explore the economic rationale for land price swings, and discuss whether current price patterns are likely to persist or falter.
The Future of Cooperative Lending: The U.S. Farm Credit System
The Farm Credit System was founded in 1916 and remains one of the primary sources of credit to U.S. farmers and rural businesses. This presentation will focus on the mission and outlook for the farm credit system as competition from the commercial banking sector intensifies.
To learn more and register for the Forum, please go to: http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/
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PM Friday, February 24
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
2:00 p.m. -3:30 p.m.
Financial Markets Track
Agricultural Financial Markets & Investment
This session focuses on patterns of financial investment in U.S. agricultural assets, including changes in the types of lenders serving the agriculture sector and the economics of land prices.
Moderator: J. Michael Harris, Senior Economist, Economic Research Service, USDA, Washington, DC
The Changing Agricultural Credit Landscape
Farmers today have a wide and growing range of options for obtaining credit, including from many of the world’s largest companies and financial institutions. This presentation will describe why and how the commercial banking sector and global financial firms are competing aggressively to serve agricultural credit markets.
Speaker: John Blanchfield, Senior Vice President, Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking, American Banker’s Association, Washington, DCThe Economics of Agricultural Land Markets
Strong commodity prices and growing farm incomes are supporting the price of productive farm land at historically high levels, leading some observers to suggest a “bubble” is underway. This presentation will explore the economic rationale for land price swings, and discuss whether current price patterns are likely to persist or falter.
Speaker: Brent Gloy, Associate Professor and Director of Center for Commercial Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, INThe Future of Cooperative Lending: The U.S. Farm Credit System
The Farm Credit System was founded in 1916 and remains one of the primary sources of credit to U.S. farmers and rural businesses. This presentation will focus on the mission and outlook for the farm credit system as competition from the commercial banking sector intensifies.
Speaker: John Hays, Senior Vice President–Policy Analysis and Development, Farm Credit Council, Washington, DC
Food Security Track
Global Food Security
This session would review and discuss the challenges associated with feeding a growing world population given a resource base that is already strained.
Moderator: Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist, USDA, Washington, DC
To Challenges Ahead in Feeding the World
Speaker: Robert Thompson, Visiting Scholar, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DCGermplasm Connections: New Crop Varieties in Food-insecure Countries
Speaker: Ken Richards (retired), Canadian Genetic Resource Program, Plant Gene Resources of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, SaskatchewanAgriculture and Nutrition Connections: Role of the Food Assistance Program
A review of how the experience and practices of the Food and Nutrition Service, from nutrition based safety net programs for the most vulnerable, to a social and behavioral change approach in nutrition education and outreach within local communities, can contribute to the improvement of nutrition and food security in chronically food insecure countries.
Speaker: Janey Thornton, Deputy Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA, Washington, DC3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. -- Special Panel
A Dialogue Between Feed the Future and the International Research Community
Moderator: Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) and Chief Scientist, USDA, Washington, DCSpeaker: Anita Regmi, Senior Advisor, Global Food Security for the Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA, Washington, DC
Speaker: Julie Howard, Chief Scientist, Bureau for Food Security Senior Advisor to the Administrator, Agricultural Research, Extension and Education, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC
Speaker: Montague W. Demment, Associate Vice President for International Development Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Professor Emeritus Department of Plant Sciences University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Climate & Weather Track
U.S. Weather Outlook & Drought Mitigation
Moderator: David Miskus, Meteorologist, Climate Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Camp Springs, MD
U.S. Spring and Summer Weather Outlook
Speaker: Brad Rippey, Meteorologist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DCNorthern Hemisphere Weather Outlook for Spring and Summer
Speaker: Eric Luebehusen, Meteorologist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA, Washington, DCFostering Drought Mitigation Strategies Through Information Services
Speaker: Michael J. Hayes, Director, National Drought Mitigation Center, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NB
Making Locally Grown Food More Available
The local food movement has been gaining strength and may be rivaling the organic foods movement in growth. In some ways the local food movement shares some of the same challenges facing organic foods: market access, transportation, consumer awareness, and access to processing facilities. This session will explore what is driving demand for local foods, what challenges local food producers face in trying to market their products, and what is being done to facilitate local food marketing.
Moderator: Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, DC
What Is Driving Consumer Demand for Local Foods?
Consumers are increasingly expressing a preference for locally grown foods, and are often willing to pay more for them. This speaker will look at what is driving this shift in consumer preferences.
Speaker: Dawn D. Thilmany, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, COChallenges and Solutions for Local Food Producers
Speaker will address the challenges facing producers trying to sell foods locally and discuss possible methods that producer groups or government agencies can implement to improve the marketing process.
Speaker: Jim Crawford, Tuscarora Organic Growers, Penn's Corner Farm Alliance, Hustontown, PAFood Hubs: one Solution for Overcoming Barriers for Local Producers
This speaker will discuss how food hubs work to match local production with consumer demand through aggregation and distribution coordination.
Speaker: Jim Barham, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, Washington, DC