Animal AgTech Innovation Summit 2022

Moderator: Juan Tricarico, VP of Sustainability Research, INNOVATION CENTER FOR US DAIRY, USA

Speakers: Matthew Cleveland, Director of Global Beef Product Development, GENUS, USA; Daniel Griffis, Investment Director, ADM VENTURES, USA; Lucas Huntimer, Senior Advisor – External Innovation, ELANCO, USA; Jessica Langley, Director of Sustainability, JBS, USA

This briefing will address how the Greener Cattle Initiative brings together stakeholders from across the dairy and beef value chains to leverage investments in the research and development of practices and technologies that reduce enteric methane emissions. The panel will discuss the importance of sharing knowledge and accelerating the development of scalable and commercially feasible technologies that reduce enteric methane emissions and enable the production of sustainable beef and dairy.

Session Chair: Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Professor, Animal Sciences / Director, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY / CSU AGNEXT, USA.

Speakers: Abhay Nayak, EVP, Head of Accelerated Growth Businesses, Commercial Development & Strategy, ZOETIS, USA; Stewart Leeth, Chief Sustainability Officer, SMITHFIELD FOODS, USA; Maik Kindermann, Inventor of Bovaer, Director Innovation & Venturing, DSM, SWITZERLAND.

• As we move towards a higher-welfare and climate-centric livestock industry, how is the US market responding and adapting to the demands of this new reality?
• What does the carbon net-zero road map look like for the livestock industry? What new business models are needed; and what tools and incentives are being offered?
• What are the most critical pain-points, and where do stakeholders see the biggest opportunities for innovation and technology adoption in helping tackle these?
• How can we ensure that carbon-smart farming delivers an ROI to producers? What benefits are there beyond financial?
• Do we have a full understanding of carbon-credits? What impact could access to carbon markets have on the livestock and dairy industries?

Speaker: Justin Webb, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, AGRIWEBB, AUSTRALIA.

Session Chair: Sam Freesmeyer, VP Global Engineering, Grain & Protein, AGCO CORPORATION, USA.

Speakers: Paul Koffman, Executive Director, North America Lead, MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH INTELLIGENCE, USA; Terry Canning, CEO, CATTLE EYE, IRELAND; Brad Papineau, VP of Product, VAS, USA.

• What approaches are businesses taking to tackle current labor issues, and are they long-term, sustainable solutions? With an industry historically so focused on humans, how are organizations thinking about the move to automation?
• What examples have we seen in the industry of the successful introduction of robotics, AI and smart technologies? What business models have seen greatest success?
• How can we boost collaboration in this competitive space to offer more integrated solutions to the farmer?
• Is the future of farming hybrid and where does the human play into this? What skills can AI do better than humans?
• What is the timeline for large-scale adoption of labour-reducing technologies and where and when should we invest into these technologies?

Speaker: Jeremy Hill, Chief Science & Technology Officer, FONTERRA, NEW ZEALAND.

Moderator: SriRaj Kantamneni, Managing Director, Digital Insights, CARGILL, USA.

Speakers: Marcel Sarzen, Founder & CEO, AGL TECHNOLOGY, USA; Guy Harari, Senior Global Director, ADISSEO, USA; Markus Hammer, Global Head of Swine, BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM, GERMANY; Clint Schwab, VP of Science & Technology, THE MASCHHOFFS, USA; Kari Spaan, CEO, IYOTAH SOLUTIONS, USA.

• Which digital technologies have the greatest potential to transform today’s livestock and dairy industries?
• Where are the concrete businesses cases proving the benefits of digital and precision livestock technologies?
• What are the biggest drivers for the adoption of digital technologies? How have these changed since Covid? What are businesses doing to appeal to these markets?
• How can we bring the standardisation of data to speed? How are data aggregators communicating the value proposition of their users sharing their data with them?
• How are companies solving the problem with data connectivity, consolidation, and exchange? How can we attract investors and corporates to take a more active role in this part of the supply chain.

Speaker: Jordan Kraft-Lambert, VP Business Development, VAS, USA.

VAS will discuss how its aggregating and standardizing data within the dairy industry in a safe and secure way that will boost productivity, sustainability, and welfare.

Speakers: Andrew McKenzie, CEO, PRECISION LIVESTOCK TECHNOLOGIES, USA; Josh Szasz, Veterinarian, FIVE RIVERS CATTLE FEEDING, USA.

Moderator: Jenny Rooke, Managing Director, GENOA VENTURES, USA.

Speakers: Matthew Tebeau, COO, PROTEON PHARMACEUTICALS, USA; Anthony Finbow, CEO, EAGLE GENOMICS, UK; Prem Mohanty, Life Sciences Product Director, BENCHLING, USA; Elena Rice, CSO & Head of R&D, GENUS, USA.

• What emerging technologies are improving the way those working with animals can make better predictions and decisions around animal health?
• Which approaches to disease prevention are seeing the fastest adoption by producers?
• How is the need to reduce antibiotic use creating opportunities for breeding and genetics companies to produce heathier animals?
• How is our understanding of the microbiome enabling us to develop solutions that reduce the need for anti-biotics? What technologies are seeing greatest success What’s next to market?
• How can we facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between vets, farmers, health providers and feed suppliers to create integrated solutions that will make a difference?

Session Chair: Ruaraidh Petre, Executive Director, GLOBAL ROUNDTABLE FOR SUSTAINABLE BEEF, NEW ZEALAND

Speakers: Tad Sonstegard, President & CEO, ACCELIGEN, USA; Lee Leachman, Partner, LEACHMAN CATTLE OF COLORADO, USA

• What challenges are breeding and genomic technologies helping to solve, particularly around sustainability, health and welfare?
• How can the industry prepare for new genetic applications and integrate them when planning production systems? How is the lack of Integration across the supply chain hindering genetic progress and what role does data play into this?
• What is required to ensure innovations in genetics will be accepted and understood by consumers? Does this depend on the purpose and type of application proposed?
• When is the right time for investors to enter into this space? What are investors most hesitant about and how can we get them more comfortable about new approaches to breeding and genetics?

Investors: Son Vo, Managing Director, CAVALLO VENTURES, USA; Brett Wong, Principal, ANTERRA CAPITAL, USA

Start-Ups: Chafik Barbar, CEO, MARBLE TECHNOLOGIES, USA; Alexia Akbay, CEO, SYMBROSIA, USA; Shekhar Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, MYANIML, USA; Sean Thompson, Co-Founder & CEO, PSIGRYPH, CANADA

The industry’s most exciting animal agtech entrepreneurs will each pitch their innovative solutions on stage, followed by an exploratory Q&A from our corporate and VC investors.

Moderator: Constance Cullman, President & CEO, AFIA, USA

Speakers: Steve Lerner, Vice President Scientific Affairs, CHR HANSEN, USA; Matthew Payne, SVP Commercial Operations, GREEN PLAINS, USA; Ryan Lane, President Animal Nutrition, N. America, ADM, USA; Maye Walraven, Vice President, INNOVAFEED, FRANCE

• How can we take the best of technology, science, and data to make efficient, nutritious, productive and low-emission feeds, whilst also being smart about land-use?
• How can novel feeds and feed additives such as algae, single-cell and insect-based feeds help reduce the environmental impact of livestock and dairy farming?  How scalable and affordable are they?
• How can we take advantage of innovations in the human and pet-feed markets, and apply these to animal agtech?
• With carbon emissions and labor being key issues, how can we localize and create decentralized feed systems to shorten the supply chain and lower costs at all levels?
• How can animals be part of the solution to food waste in a way that benefits all parties? Can we create a circular economy using animals? Where have we seen successful models being applied at scale?

Speaker: Thierry Perrotin, Vice President, HYDROGREEN, USA

Session Chair: Eric Mittenthal, Chief Strategy Officer, NORTH AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE/ PROTEIN PACT, USA

Speakers: Anne Malleua, Executive Leader Meat & Poultry, Live Production, WHOLE FOODS, CANADA; Bruce Stewart-Brown, SVP of Technical Services & Innovation, PERDUE FARMS, USA; Janet Helms, Global Sustainability Developer, INTER IKEA, USA; Melissa Brandao, Founder & CRO, HERDDOGG, USA; Chris Van den Berg, CEO, FARMTRACE, USA

• What role do traceability, interconnectivity and data technologies play in re-inventing and transforming the livestock supply chain?
• How are retailers and end users utilising traceability and data-connectivity applications, and are they getting a return on their investment?
• What labelling messages resonate with consumers when they’re deciding what to buy, and how has this changed post-pandemic?
• How can the industry develop more trust with consumers and communicate product value? What are consumers willing to pay more for?

Moderator: Mareese Keane, Co-Founder, OPENGATE, USA

Speakers: Aaron Schacht, President & CEO, MBRD / Former EVP, ELANCO, USA; Michael Helmstetter, Founder & President, TECHACCEL LLC, USA; Rich Shuler, Operating Director, PAINE SCHWARTZ, USA; Kate Danaher, Managing Director, S2G VENTURES, USA

• Which areas of animal agtech are most exciting to VC and strategic investors, and what do investors look for in a potential investment?
• With few non-specialist agri-food funds investing in animal agtech, how can we attract a greater diversity of investors from outside the industry? What skills and networks are needed to accelerate animal agtech’s commercialization pathway?
• How can we communicate better downstream the value proposition and ROI of animal agtech? How do ESG risks and other risks factors affect access to capital in animal ag?
• Where are the start-ups now from 5 years ago and how have they progressed? What worked and what key learnings can we take away?
• What are investors’ predictions for animal agtech over the next five years?