Industry Ag News 5/27

The Make America Healthy Again Commission released its long-awaited report, which denigrates the safety of key pesticides used by corn growers and other farmers. In response, the National Corn Growers Association released the following statement: “The Make America Healthy Again Report is filled with fear-based rather than science-based misinformation about pesticides. We are deeply troubled that claims of this magnitude are being made without any scientific basis or regard for a long history of EPA expert evaluations of these products.”

The American Soybean Association strongly rebukes the May 22 Make America Healthy Again Commission report for being brazenly unscientific and damaging to consumer confidence in America’s safe, reliable food system. Should the administration act on the report—which was drafted entirely behind closed doors— it will harm U.S. farmers, increase food costs for consumers, and worsen health outcomes for all Americans. ASA calls on President Trump, who has long been a friend of farmers, to step in and correct the Commission’s deeply misguided report.

Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) have reintroduced the Farmer-to-Farmer Education Act (S. 1769). This bill, written in collaboration with American Farmland Trust (AFT) and the National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers), would facilitate farmer-to-farmer conservation education and successful practice adoption by building capacity and increasing support for farmer-led education networks, particularly for historically underserved producers.

The World Food Prize Foundation and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) are pleased to announce the creation of the Illinois Youth Institute, as part of the Foundation’s continued expansion of its global Youth Programs. Over the coming year, the Foundation and UIC will partner to plan a one-day immersive event for Illinois students to explore global food security challenges, engage in hands-on science and discover careers in food and agriculture.

The AgCareers 2025 Roundtable Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, will feature sessions for attendees to learn about the latest developments in AI and new technology in the agriculture and food industry. The Roundtable education sessions kick off on Wednesday, August 6th, with an “Innovation in the Industry” keynote session. Billi Hunt, Executive Director of America’s Cultivation Corridor, presenting an overview of the industry’s latest technological advancements and trends and how they affect people recruitment, management and retention.

Over 100 expert speakers participated in the week-long 2025 Water for Food Global Conference held in Lincoln, Neb. April 28 to May 2, 2025. More than 350 attendees from 23 different countries came together to tackle the critical challenge of ensuring a resilient future with water and food security for all at the event hosted by the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska. All conference sessions were recorded and will be available to view on the institute’s YouTube Channel in the coming months. More information can be found on the conference website.

More than 4,700 food safety professionals, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the globe gathered for the 2025 Food Safety Summit, held May 11–15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. The event brought together 1,210 in-person attendees and 3,546 virtual participants to explore the latest advancements and pressing challenges in food safety. The expanded exhibit hall featured 160 leading vendors—marking a 28 percent increase from 2024—and showcased innovative solutions across the industry.

The Southern Peanut Growers Conference is scheduled for July 23-25, 2025 at
Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. This year’s theme is “Ridin’ Out the Storm.” View the conference schedule and register online here. Registration rates increase by $75 on June 16, 2025.

Texas Tech University graduate Allie Herring has joined the Agri-Pulse team of journalists as an intern this summer in Washington. Herring will write for the Agri-Pulse and Agri-Pulse West newsletters — which are must-read, subscriber-only products offering the latest ag and food policy information — and contribute to the Agri-Pulse DriveTime podcast and Newsmakers TV show available at Agri-Pulse.com. She will also help compile the annual Agri-Pulse CEO salary report.

Join the Livestock Publications Council for the next Coffee and Collaboration on Wednesday, May 28 at noon CT. Speakers include Kelsey Vejraska, Audio Visual Specialist, American Hereford Association and Dylan Davidson, Director of Marketing and Creative Design, American Paint Horse Association. This free monthly webinar is moderated by Jennifer Shike and Angie Stump Denton. No registration is necessary. It’s open to members and non-members.

The Syngenta RTP Community Grant Program is celebrating 10 years of providing valuable support that has helped address important needs in the community pertaining to agriculture and STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math) including education, hunger relief, nutrition, and water and land conservation. Over the past 10 years, the RTP Community Grant Program has distributed approximately $222,500 in funding to local organizations engaged in initiatives such as community gardens, food pantries, STEM programs, lake cleanup, land conservation, and agriculture education programs.