The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be holding its Agricultural Outlook Forum, Transforming Agriculture, February 25–26, 2016. The Agricultural Outlook Forum, now in its 92nd year, is the USDA’s largest annual event, attracting 1,600 attendees. Along with the plenary panel discussion, “Providing Leadership for Present and Future Generations in the Transformation of Agriculture,” attendees can choose from 30 sessions with more than 80 speakers and a host of agriculture-related exhibits.
The Forum is a platform to facilitate conversation on key issues and topics within the agricultural community, including producers, processors, policy makers, government officials and NGOs, both foreign and domestic. Topics in this year’s Forum include:
- Today’s Droughts and Tomorrow’s Water Sources: Session speakers will discuss the supply, sources, drought impacts, and management of water for agriculture and communities.
- The Outlook for Organic Agriculture: This session highlights the outlook for organic producers and the challenges of supplying organic consumer markets.
- Ecosystem Services and Environmental Markets: Identifying and valuing the benefits people receive from nature and explaining those benefits in the context of ecosystem function and processes is necessary to ensuring that we recognize their value and the cost of losing them. This session discusses: 1) Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Federal Decision-Making; 2) Payments for Watershed Services; and 3) Environmental Credit Trading.
- Regionalization of Pest and Disease Outbreaks: A Success Story: Regionalization is now a common strategy used to address pests and diseases that threaten agricultural productivity. It separates the disease-free and affected areas. Pests and diseases continue to be a major challenge to the agricultural industry. Globalization and the rise in international trade have moved countries to use regionalization to facilitate trade during times of pests and disease outbreaks.
- Building Blocks for Smart Agriculture & Forestry: This session will focus on three of the agriculture-related building blocks including: improving fertilizer utilization, managing manure to reduce greenhouse gases and improving soil health and carbon storage
The two-day Forum will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 25–26, 2016. that early registration is available through Jan. 29, 2016.