Caring for Animals & Creating Trust in Food

About Caring for Animals & Creating Trust in Food

Today’s global consumer is very clear in their demand for safe, affordable, and sustainable protein. To continue to meet consumer’s rising expectations, the animal protein supply chain will require both leadership and collaboration with food chain stakeholders, academia, and the veterinary community. MSD Animal Health is committed to working with food system partners to share information on topics consumers care most about - health and nutrition, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and more. That’s what you can expect on this podcast. We are so pleased to amplify the voices of leaders and collaborators throughout the protein supply chain here at “Caring for Animals & Creating Trust in Food”.

Publisher

Copyright © 2023 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA, and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Category

arts · business · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Mar 2022

Latest episode

17 Oct 2023

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2023

   Transparency as the Currency of Trust

   Jane Dukes, associate director, Value Chain and Consumer Affairs (https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/about-us/veterinary-and-consumer-affairs), speaks with Charlie Arnot (https://foodintegrity.org/about/leadership/charlie-arnot/) the CEO of The Center for Food Integrity (https://foodintegrity.org/about/) and president of Look East (https://lookeast.com/), a communications consulting company based in Kansas City. The Center for Food Integrity is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system. Charlie is recognized as an industry leader on food and agriculture issues and is a thought-provoking writer and speaker. He discusses increased skepticism stakeholders are facing from customers, consumers and investors across the food value chain. He shares how we can work together to provide critical transparency on topics like food safety, ingredients, animal welfare, labor and business practices and environmental impact. “Consumers are not monolithic, and there are 350 million different opinions about what we should be doing when it comes to food and agriculture. And so it's really important and challenging for us to be able to engage. But really the questions, if you distill it all down, come down to, is the food system operating in a way consistent with my values?” - Charlie Arnot Transparency is personal to consumers. They are concerned about their health and the health of animals and the planet. We feel this topic is so important that we’re sponsoring the upcoming Transparency Summit (https://foodintegrity.org/transparency-summit/) hosted by the Center for Food Integrity this November in Chicago this November. “What we found in organizations is the champion for being more transparent can come from a wide variety of sectors within the company. Could be corporate affairs, could be food safety and regulatory, could be sustainability or ESG, supply chain, research and development, innovation, marketing, C suite leaders. We've worked with companies where the champion for transparency has come from any of those individual sectors. And so we encourage those who have an interest in transparency to come and learn more.” - Charlie Arnot This Week’s Podcast: Learn the facts about transparency in animal protein (https://transparencyinanimalprotein) Meet Charlie Arnot (https://foodintegrity.org/about/leadership/charlie-arnot/) the CEO of The Center for Food Integrity (https://foodintegrity.org/about/) and president of Look East, a communications consulting company based in Kansas City. Discover more about the Transparency Summit (https://foodintegrity.org/transparency-summit/) set to take place in Chicago this November Click the SpeakPipe link (https://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them as we can on podcasts throughout the year.

2. 

   5 Sept 2023

   Technology & Transparency

   Today’s consumers are focused on where their food comes from and how it was made. They are concerned about health and food safety of the food products they buy – and they want to know more about the farm their animal protein comes from along with the environmental impact and how animals are raised. Technology can help provide transparency in the supply chain that delivers upon consumer expectations. Jane Dukes, associate director, Value Chain and Consumer Affairs, speaks with Glenn Strickholm (https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-strickholm-b80b92b/), President, Protein Brands, Performance Food Group (PFG) (https://pfgc.com/), one of the nation’s largest broadline food distributors and a recognized innovator in the premium beef market. “I think that we're always open to finding ways to take the data and the DNA trace back and finding a way to make it mean more to people. You're right, we have it now for validation and sustainability, but what other things can we pull out of that? What other valuable, tangible things can we pull out of that, that a customer would see value in and be willing to pay for?” - Glenn Strickholm This Week’s Podcast: Meet Glenn Strickholm (https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-strickholm-b80b92b/), President, Protein Brands, Performance Food Group (PFG) (https://pfgc.com/), one of the nation’s largest broadline food distributors and a recognized innovator in the premium beef market. Understand consumers' needs for transparency Explore the importance of animal welfare to producers and consumers Consider the future of technology and transparency in the animal protein value chain Click the SpeakPipe link (https://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them as we can on podcasts throughout the year.

3. 

   13 Jun 2023

   National Dairy Month

   Jane Dukes, associate director, Value Chain and Consumer Affairs, speaks with Anne Warden (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annewarden), Executive Vice President, Head of Marketing, Communications and Affairs for Dairy Management Inc (https://www.usdairy.com/about-us/dmi) and Emily Yeiser Stepp (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-yeiser-stepp-6a052b30/) Executive Director for the National Dairy FARM Program (https://nationaldairyfarm.com/) at the National Milk Producers Federation. Both of these women work tirelessly for the dairy industry. Since 1939 National Dairy Month has encouraged families to make milk their beverage of choice based on its nutritional value. Dairy’s rich history continues to this day on more than 37,000 dairy farms and over 9 million dairy cows in the US. “I think there's been such an evolution over the centuries of dairy farming and the advancement of technology, genetics, nutrition, that truly, it feels like it's hard to keep up with from a consumer standpoint.… And so to help communicate those differences, still with that same confidence of care is really what we get the most consumer questions about.” - Emily Yeiser Stepp It's not easy being a dairy farmer. Producers are dealing with a lot of challenges at the moment including inflation, labor shortages, labeling of non-dairy competitors, higher input costs for feed and higher transportation costs. Fortunately for dairy producers, “dairy consumption is at an all time high… people love dairy and love finding ways to include it as a healthy option in their lives.” Programs like the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (https://www.usdairy.com/about-us/innovation-center) fosters collaboration and progress to build a healthy and sustainable future for the dairy community. “The National Dairy Checkoff is focused on growing demand for dairy products. We do that by delivering science behind dairy's benefits, behind its versatility as a category of products, and then giving consumers new reasons to love and trust dairy. So today, that means science that shows how milk and dairy products have a unique and truly unmatched combination of nutrients that can deliver against a wide range of consumer health and wellness needs.” - Anne Warden This Week’s Podcast: Meet Anne Warden (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annewarden), Executive Vice President, Head of Marketing, Communications and Affairs for Dairy Management Inc (https://www.usdairy.com/about-us/dmi) and Emily Yeiser Stepp (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-yeiser-stepp-6a052b30/), Executive Director for the National Dairy FARM Program (https://nationaldairyfarm.com/what-is-farm/) at the National Milk Producers Federation (https://www.nmpf.org/) Explore the state of the United States Dairy Industry and the challenges it faces Discover the proactive steps and programs that are established and working hard to support and grow the dairy industry Click the SpeakPipe link (https://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them as we can on podcasts throughout the year.

4. 

   9 May 2023

   Steak & Eggs

   Jane Dukes, associate director, Value Chain and Consumer Affairs, speaks with John Stika (https://news.certifiedangusbeef.com/expert-biographies/), a meat scientist and President of Certified Angus Beef (https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/) and Emily Metz (https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/newsroom/american-egg-board-names-emily-metz-president-and-chief-executive-officer), President and CEO of the American Egg Board (https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/). May is National Beef Month and National Egg Month and so in this episode our industry leading guests join us to recognize the contributions of layer farmers and cattle ranchers while gaining insights into the beef and egg industries. John guides grassroots programs and delivers premium beef from family farmers and ranchers to consumer’s dinner tables. Emily has worked as the head of Global Research and Development Communications and New Product Marketing for the world’s largest animal genetics company. Together they discuss how the agriculture industry can better interact and engage with consumers. “Consumers do not buy on price alone. They buy in price in relation to value. And if you understand what consumers value and you align your production systems for those to align with that. I think the opportunity is there to be the financial beneficiary of that alignment and those decisions. I think the data supports the optimism that we're seeing from a production standpoint and a beef merchandising standpoint for the demand that consumers have for our products not just here in the US but around the world.” - John Stika In a consumer research study conducted last year, two-thirds of consumers reported transparency in animal protein is extremely or very important, but only 35 percent of consumers surveyed feel the animal protein industry is transparent about sustainability or animal care/treatment. The egg industry is currently on a mission to simplify labels and allow consumers easier access to information in selecting their eggs based on what their family needs and the values they want to support. “We need to do a better job of talking about what those different production styles and practices really mean and making sure that people understand that there are trade offs. And I frankly think this is a conversation that probably agriculture needs to have across the board. There's no one silver bullet in terms of production and there's trade-offs in everything.” - Emily Metz This Week’s Podcast: Meet John Stika (https://news.certifiedangusbeef.com/expert-biographies/), is a meat scient ist and President of Certified Angus Beef (https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/) and Emily Metz (https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/newsroom/american-egg-board-names-emily-metz-president-and-chief-executive-officer), President and CEO of the American Egg Board (https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/). Explore the commonalities between the egg and beef industry in addressing consumer concerns and expectations Discover the discussions that are being had to encourage transparency in the agriculture industry and those yet to come Click the SpeakPipe link (https://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them...

5. 

   17 Mar 2023

   Celebrating Agriculture on National Ag Day

   Jane Dukes, associate director of value chain & consumers affairs, speaks with Tara Vander Dussen (https://www.instagram.com/taravanderdussen/) and Brandi Buzzard Frobose (https://www.instagram.com/brandibuzzard/). Tara is an environmental scientist, dairy farmer and online influencer. Some of you may know her as the “New Mexico Milkmaid (https://www.instagram.com/taravanderdussen/?hl=en)” on social media. She’s also a mom to two adorable little girls, and the co-founder of Elevate Ag (https://elevate-your-ag-story.teachable.com/). Brandi calls herself a Kansas “cowgirl.” She’s also a rancher, mom and author of a blog, Buzzard’s Beat (http://www.buzzardsbeat.com/). She has a suite of resources to help advocate for agriculture called “Amped Up Advocacy (http://www.buzzardsbeat.com/amped-up-advocacy/)” Both of these women are tireless advocates for agriculture with tens of thousands of followers on social media. “I think to some extent we don't give grocery shoppers enough credit for what they can handle. There's always been a wall, like we want to give them information but not too much because we don't want to scare them off…but I feel like if grocery shoppers can see how we truly do care and we are doing what we need to do, even if that means expensive medical treatment to save an animal and a calf, that's the right thing to do.” - Brandi Buzzard Frobose Consumers are three to four generations removed from the farm and want more information about how their food is grown and raised. Farmers and ranchers are feeling the pressure of a changing dynamic and perceptions of the food chain. “If every single farmer and rancher shared their story online, I don't think there would be enough of us sharing. Every single farmer rancher out there is going to reach somebody different and that's why it's so important to have so many of us sharing our message is because we're going to connect and relate with people differently.” - Tara Vander Dussen This Week’s Podcast: Meet Tara Vander Dussen (https://taravanderdussen.com/) an environmental scientist, dairy farmer and online influencer and and Brandi Buzzard Frobose (https://www.buzzardsbeat.com/) a rancher, mom and author of a blog, Buzzard’s Beat Discover the benefits in “sharing your story” in agriculture and the trust that action can foster in consumers Explore the common misconceptions around “factory farming” and how this ambiguous term has created a stigma around larger operations in the minds of grocery shoppers Click the SpeakPipe link (https://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them as we can on podcasts throughout the year.

6. 

   22 Feb 2023

   2023 Outlook in Food and Agriculture

   *ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE: http://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF* Last year, a research study explored consumer desire for transparency in animal protein. In the survey, two-thirds of consumers reported transparency in animal protein is extremely or very important. Participants shared that food safety and nutrition for “me and my family” are the main motivators for this interest. And yet, only 35 percent of consumers surveyed feel that the animal protein industry is transparent about sustainability or animal care/treatment. That’s a gap we can help fill. “We're really steadfast in reassuring that the food in the United States is the safest on the planet, that those who are in food production have made leaps and bounds in sustainability, that the diversity of today's food system empowers consumers to make the choice that is absolutely best for them... And then finally, it's important that we let them know that we're constantly innovating and leveraging technology to improve all aspects of food.” - Roxi Beck In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Roxi Beck (https://foodintegrity.org/education/speakers-bureau/meet-our-speakers/roxi-beck/), director of consumer engagement at the Center for Food Integrity, and Tim Hammerich (https://www.cogentcc.com/about), senior director of communications at Cogent Consulting. “I think farmers my age, as they're playing more leadership roles on the farm, are more interested in embracing technology and are more sustainability-conscious. And because of that, I think we will start to see more data available to tell the story of what's actually happening from farm to fork.” - Tim Hammerich This Week’s Podcast: Meet Roxi Beck, director of consumer engagement at the Center for Food Integrity and Tim Hammerich, senior director of communications at Cogent Consulting Discuss and understand what consumers mean by saying they prefer transparency in their food chain and where they find this value in the products they buy Explore the shared value strategy in communication with consumers to show that you support what matters most to them Click the SpeakPipe link (http://www.speakpipe.com/CACTF) and let us know what your questions are! We will try to answer as many of them as we can on podcasts throughout the year.

7. 

   14 Dec 2022

   Consumers, Transparency and Food

   This September our team conducted quantitative Consumer Transparency Research. The purpose was to explore consumer desire for transparency specifically in animal protein and their perceptions of transparency when it comes to animal welfare and sustainability. The findings included the fact that two-thirds of consumers believe that transparency in animal protein is very or extremely important. At the same time, only one-third of those surveyed feel like the animal protein industry is transparent when it comes to environmental sustainability and animal care. So what does transparency in food mean to consumers and why is it so important? “When I think of transparency and when I think of how consumers are dealing with it in our survey, I think about trust…… Do I trust you to be capable of delivering on your promises? But there's also intent, and that's more like consumer thinking. Do I trust that you have my best interest in mind? Are you trying to hide something? Transparency is very related to that latter one, intent. So if a company's willing to be transparent, to share information with me as a consumer, I'm more likely to trust its intent is aligned with my interest.” - Justin Cook In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Justin Cook the US Consumer Products Research Leader at Deloitte Services, and Maggie O’Quinn the New Business Development Manager at Midan Marketing. “I think it's so important to start with the fact that consumers do trust farmers and ranchers. A recent Gallup poll said that 59% of consumers trust farmers and ranchers. So I think that's a really good springboard and good place to start, but what we've uncovered in our recent research is that second to quality, the number one thing that consumers are looking for right now is that they're curious to understand how the animals were cared for.” - Maggie O’Quinn This Week’s Podcast: Meet Justin Cook the US Consumer Products Research Leader at Deloitte Services, and Maggie O’Quinn the New Business Development Manager at Midan Marketing. Explore highlights of the Quantitative Consumer Transparency Research and discover insights into consumers animal protein choices

8. 

   31 Oct 2022

   What We Wish Consumers Knew

   We want farmers, ranchers and veterinarians to share their stories. We’re releasing our third series of Caring for Animals and Creating Trust videos this month that shines a light on their backstories, what motivates them, what they care about and how they do what they do. Producers need to bridge a communication gap as consumers become further removed from the farm than ever before. The average American is three generations removed from the farm and they have questions about how their food is grown and raised. At the same time, shifting demographics contribute to a lack of trust in the food we eat, and questions arise about farmers and sustainability, animal welfare and production practices. While there’s plenty of research trying to get to the bottom of what consumers want to know, what do we, in the food value chain wish consumers knew? And how do we help farmers, ranchers and veterinarians share their stories? “I am a busy veterinarian. I serve dairy and feedlot clients in southwest Kansas, and I wish consumers knew that at the end of the day, I'm feeding the same food that we're producing every day to my family. And it comes with that level of confidence in the safety and nutritious value of the food that we're producing, that I'm willing to put it on my table.” - Dr. Tera Barnhardt In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Dr. Tera Barnhardt a cattle veterinarian and owner of Animal Welfare Consulting & Research, a large animal consulting veterinary practice and a devoted advocate for agriculture. Also joining us is social influencer Natalie Kovarik (https://nataliekovarik.com), a social entrepreneur, storyteller, ranch wife, mom and co-creator of Elevate Ag (https://elevateag.com), an online course that helps farmers and ranchers share their stories. “I definitely started out with an agriculture based community in the beginning. I just think, you kind of draw in like-minded people. But as I've grown and had success, I've definitely started reaching non-consumers. And I do have a lot of people who follow me that are outside of the industry. And I think that's one of the really rewarding things is to be able to kind of have one on one interaction with them….Like I said, being in control of being able to advocate for the industry and, and say things that I want to, that I know are going to reach people.” - Natalie Kovarik We know we need to tell our stories, but for many farmers and ranchers, there is perceived risk and a lack of time which might make them feel the benefits may not outweigh the risk. ElevateAg, co-founded by Natalie, is a resource producers can turn to to help them navigate sharing their story. This Week’s Podcast: Meet Dr. Tera Barnhardt a cattle veterinarian and owner of Animal Welfare Consulting & Research and Natalie Kovarik (https://nataliekovarik.com), a social entrepreneur, storyteller, ranch wife, mom and co-creator of Elevate Ag (https://elevateag.com). Hear directly from producers on about what they want consumers to hear and explore the means in which they can share that story with them

9. 

   19 Sept 2022

   Call the Veterinarian!

   In rural America there is a critical shortage of veterinarians, both for companion animals and livestock. Experts attribute the shortage to low wages, long hours and fewer graduates wanting to live outside a major city. This presents a problem in more ways than one since veterinarians are the first line of defense against disease. They work with farmers and ranchers throughout the animals’ lives, but they also inspect livestock before they can enter the food supply. There is also a shortage of companion animal veterinarians and veterinary technicians to keep our pets healthy members of the family. In 2020, pet ownership rose to 70% of American households. The need for companion animal veterinarians is outpacing the number we are graduating from vet schools across the country. “Around 2003 is when I noticed that there was change. I think it stems from a change in the interest and expectations from our students…There is less interest in some of our incoming students to enter food animal medicine….I think it stems from the fact that they don't have the experience. Maybe they don't have a sense of awareness of what a food animal practice can provide both from a personal and a professional reward. And then also of course, as you mentioned, there's the student debt, the potential maybe for lower wages, work-life balance, and those issues. ” - Dr. Carlos Risco In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Dr. Justin Welsh (https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/about-us/i-am-animal-health/dr-justin-welsh) executive director of Food Animal Technical Services, Dr. Carlos Risco (https://vetmed.okstate.edu/directory/826163.html) the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University, Rebecca Barnett (https://www.nasda.org/person/rebecca-barnett) associate director of public policy for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and Leyton Becker an Animal Health Veterinary Student Ambassador currently attending vet school at the University of Minnesota. “I think that it's gonna take a lot of stakeholders coming together and collaboration. It's gonna take the vet school. It's gonna take our stakeholders at the state level, state vets, and the federal level. Everyone kind of coming together, looking at this picture and seeing what role do they play and what solution can they offer. I think this…has a lot of different moving pieces within it that we can approach it with our solutions to try to solve this. I just don't think there's one solution that fits all.” - Rebecca Barnett The evidence of underserved counties in veterinary medicine is an ongoing pain point for the industry. There are also veterinary “deserts” where a single vet may oversee 150 square miles both for livestock and companion animals. It’s a tough life. Adding to the pressure is the rising debt load for education that has outpaced increases in starting salaries for veterinarians. This Week’s Podcast: Meet Dr. Justin Welsh (https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/about-us/i-am-animal-health/dr-justin-welsh) executive director of Food Animal Technical Services, Dr. Carlos Risco (https://vetmed.okstate.edu/directory/826163.html) the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University, Rebecca Barnett (https://www.nasda.org/person/rebecca-barnett) associate director of public policy for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and Leyton Becker an Animal...

10. 

    2 Aug 2022

    Retail Trends: Consumers and Transparency

    Along with sustainability practices current consumers are also looking for transparency in the management of their food supply chain. Consumers want more information than ever before about how the food they eat makes its way to their plates. Nutrition, food safety, animal welfare, and labeling are all things consumers want to know more about, and the transparency they are looking for around food and food production is evolving quickly. Our food system is working hard to meet consumer expectations that can be a bit of a moving target. “What we're doing is we're looking at conversations that consumers are having online, regardless of if we were observing them or not. And we're looking at their conversations in order to identify what something means, what a topic, a trend, an issue, something like today's topic, transparency. What does it mean to consumers? How are those meanings evolving or changing? And what does this mean for our business?.... It's helpful because we can answer what is happening in culture but our goal is really to get to the why. ” - Cheryl Auger In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Cheryl Auger, the Director of Client Success MotivBase (https://www.motivbase.com), and Jim Lanier, the Senior Manager Animal Welfare and Market Quality Assurance with HEB Grocery (https://www.heb.com). “I work with different departments across the company to ensure that all animals in our supply chain are properly cared for. We actually establish partnerships with our vendors, industry groups, and actual producers to develop and monitor our standards and more accurately our expectations.” - Jim Lanier We want to explore what consumers are looking for to fulfill this transparency desire in their food chain. It can mean anything from labeling to animal welfare and ingredient sourcing. An ethnography study on consumers and transparency earlier this year that Cheryl led. We discovered that consumer values and concerns play an important role when they ask for transparency in animal protein. In addition, we learned that consumers are driven by the need to make the right decisions when it comes to food and their health and part of that is fueled by skepticism and fear. They are worried about food safety, skeptical of production practices and worried about animal welfare as well as what’s not found on the label. “Consumers are looking for standardized approaches to organic or other forms of labeling. They're looking for some help cutting through the noise or cutting through some of their confusion. So when it comes to consumers, understanding of transparency or their top concerns, we're seeing nutritional benefits, animal welfare, ecological impact, food safety, and standardizing organic.” - Cheryl Auger This Week’s Podcast: Meet Cheryl Auger, Director of Client Success MotivBase (https://www.motivbase.com), and Jim Lanier, Senior Manager Animal Welfare and Market Quality Assurance with HEB Grocery (https://www.heb.com). Explore insights into consumer behavior with regards to food chain transparency and where they are placing their priorities Discover how consumer wants and concerns have evolved over time and how producers can respond to these demands

11. 

    17 Jun 2022

    Sharing The Dairy Sustainability Story With Consumers

    Consumers are interested in the sustainability of their food products and the impact food production is having on the environment. While many misconceptions exist about the sustainability of animal agriculture, data and science bring clarity to the sustainability story, helping stakeholders from farm to fork understand the progress made so far and focus on continuous improvement. “It is a really interesting time because we're seeing the sustainability concerns, not just coming into play as a desire for more information, but actually as a driver of decision making….Consumers are more and more identifying sustainability as a broader set of terms, including responsible farming, land management, water use, animal welfare and even areas like antibiotic use and labor relations. So it is a category that's going to become broader and broader and require the marketplace to be very nimble in addressing this as it evolves.” - Andy Harig In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Tara Vander Dussen (https://taravanderdussen.com), Environmental Scientist, Dairy farmer and co-founder of Elevate Ag (https://elevateag.com), Jamie Jonker (https://nationaldairyfarm.com/staff/jamie-jonker/), Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Sustainability & Scientific Affairs for National Milk Producers Federation (https://www.nmpf.org), and Andy Harig (https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/gr-staff/2016/07/06/andrew-harig), VP of the Food Marketing Institute (https://www.fmi.org) “It's important I think for our customers and consumers to understand that dairy farmers, like Tara, day in and day out, do their very best on their individual farms….they work with their animals, their land, their family, and their employees on the sustainability trajectory that is best for their individual business. Each dairy farm looks a little different and so their sustainability journey's gonna be a little bit different, but every dairy farm has that sustainability journey and the National Dairy Farm Program provides a way to capture metrics that can be added to (their) important stories.” -Jamie Jonker We are finding that not only are consumers seeking sustainability in their food items but fortunately they are also open to trust the sustainable labels they see on their food packaging and the stories they hear about producers. Jamie shares that “consumers are not wanting perfection but wanting improvement.” Sharing the story of producers, how they have improved their efforts and what changes they are planning for the future are what consumers are seeking. “I think that sometimes we get caught up in the latest trends in advancements, and we forget to share with consumers what we have been doing. I think we have to do a better job of taking consumers along on this journey….We have a track record of improving. We know we can do better. We know that we have done better in the past so we've set big goals for the future and we know we can get there.” - Tara Vander Dussen This Week’s Podcast: Meet Tara Vander Dussen (https://taravanderdussen.com), Environmental Scientist, Dairy farmer and co-founder of Elevate Ag (https://elevateag.com), Jamie Jonker (https://nationaldairyfarm.com/staff/jamie-jonker/), Chief Science Officer and Vice...

12. 

    27 Apr 2022

    2022 Food Industry Outlook: Tackling Challenges and Change with Collaboration and Innovation

    As we enter a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture industry continues to face more challenges and change. The U.S. Beef Industry is balancing strong market prices with lower cattle numbers and higher costs for labor, transportation, and feed while also managing international shifts and workforce shortages. On the retail side of the food value chain, finding workers remains the top foodservice challenge coupled with keeping shelves stocked amid ongoing supply chain struggles. Meanwhile, at the center of the food industry focus is on the ever-evolving consumer who is looking at food differently. In addition to filling empty bellies, consumers are increasingly using food to improve their health and they want transparency and sustainability. It’s a tall order for the industry to address. MSD is committed to the well-being of our communities, our employees, and our customers. In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Jessica Clowser Burkham, the Beef Alliance (https://beefalliance.com) Managing Director and Craig Wilson, Vice President, QA & Food Safety from Costco to try to address some of these ongoing challenges. “The (Beef) Alliance prides ourselves on being forward-thinking in the industry and identifying and dealing with these industry disruptions. We want to utilize our size. We are the biggest, so we'll definitely want to use that to positively influence not only policy, but business partner relationships with our packers, retailers and food service and address industry trends to foster some long term viability while essentially delivering high quality and nutritious products.” - Jessica Clowser Burkham Ongoing food value chain challenges for discussion: How can collaboration from producer to retailer help all segments of the industry adapt and advance? Where can we leverage innovation to help navigate these new challenges? And how can we pivot to meet new consumer demands in this ever-changing environment? It would appear that no matter which sector of the food value chain you call home, we share similar challenges. Inflation driving food prices up and in some cases consumer demand down, labor and the lack of available workers, and ongoing supply chain issues which impact product availability and evolving consumer preferences and demands. We have really strong collaboration where we know what (our suppliers) do. We set some expectations, they set some expectations and we work together to get that great product that our members want. Because at the end of the day…being able to provide our Costco members with great prices on great products all the time. And that takes very close collaboration all the way down to the feed yards, all the way back up to where the cattle are converted and broken into the cuts that we need… And it's the same on the produce side. We want to work directly with growers on quality, delivery, and that whole supply chain to make sure that our members are getting what they want. - Craig Wilson This Week’s Podcast: Meet Jessica Clowser Burkham, the Beef Alliance (https://beefalliance.com) Managing Director and Craig Wilson, Vice President, QA & Food Safety from Costco Explore how retailers and producers have adapted over the course of the pandemic and what challenges they will face going forward Discover ongoing innovation pushing the industry forward across the food chain Learn the impact of the consumers demands on the ongoing pursuit of sustainability and food value chain transparency

13. 

    29 Mar 2022

    Celebrating Women in Agriculture and Animal Health

    In honor of Women’s History Month and National Ag Day, we’re talking to three leaders in agriculture who will share their experiences and discuss progress and opportunities to support and elevate women in agriculture, the veterinary profession and throughout the industry. The number of women leading careers in this space continues to grow as shown by these statistics: 36% of US farmers are women and 56% of all farms have at least one female decision-maker according to the 2019 Census of Agriculture (https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/june/women-identified-as-operators-on-51-percent-of-us-farms-in-2019/) According to the AVMA 2020 statistics (https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/market-research-statistics-us-veterinarians), 64% of US veterinarians are women and 90% of certified veterinary technicians are women as reported by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in 2017 (https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/the-history-of-women-in-veterinary-medicine-in-the-u-s/). Additionally, according to a 2017 report by the AAVMC (https://www.wiareport.com/2017/05/u-s-veterinary-schools-women-80-percent-students-36-percent-tenured-tenure-track-faculty/), 80% of veterinary students were women – a statistic that 50 years earlier was reversed But the numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Women are actively shaping and changing the agricultural and animal health industries, leading not only on the farm, but paving the way for the future of professional and industry organizations and agricultural businesses. "There's room for all of us. The faster we realize that one person's success does not take away from our own and if we bring others with us, we can make a better impact." - Marissa Hake “Having women involved has been a huge asset to the cattle industry. Confidence is just part of it – don’t be scared to be the only woman in the room.” - Trista Brown “Confidence in your abilities is part of it, and you’ve got to believe in yourself – then have the courage to make the leap.” - Terri Moore We are committed to the well-being of our communities, our employees, and our customers. In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Trista Brown-Priest, Chief Strategy Officer, Cattle Empire (https://cattle-empire.net/about)3rd generation on the feeder operation; Terri Moore, VP Communications for the American Farm Bureau Federation (https://www.fb.org/newsroom/terri-moore-joins-american-farm-bureau-federation-as-vp-communications) and formerly deputy director of communications at the White House, and director of communications at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); and Dr. Marissa Hake, the “Calf Vet” (https://www.drhakecalfvet.com) and Director of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Farming for Fairlife (https://fairlife.com/what-we-believe/care-for-animals/). This Week’s Podcast: Meet Trista Brown-Priest, Chief Strategy Officer, Cattle Empire (https://cattle-empire.net/about)3rd generation on the feeder operation; Terri Moore, VP Communications for the American Farm Bureau...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Caring for Animals & Creating Trust in Food

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.