When planning this trip to Europe as part of my Nuffield travels I actually built it around this conference being held in the Normandy region of France which brings together over 700 beef and dairy farmers from 42 countries. My aim was to seek out new perspectives and to get a truly global perspective on beef production. Conferences are efficient as they bring many people together in one location and I have an opportunity to talk to many of them, far more than I could if I was travelling around on my own. As a company I wasn’t all that familiar with Alltech but I had heard about the conference a few years ago and caught part of it online last year so that was enough for me to make the trip and find out for myself. Alltech is an American company based in Lexington, Kentucky that manufacturers and sells feed additives for ruminants. They host this event annually and are present in countries around the world.
The presentations were varied and included information on products available through Alltech and the technology behind them as well as outlooks and trends in a global context. Surrounding the theme of “What if….” big questions were asked and the answers are complex and difficult but the discussion was good. Labour shortages in agriculture, increasing efficiencies, traceability and sustainability were all topics covered during the two days.
Some interesting points I am taking home are:
- Opportunities are often in worlds less travelled.
- “You and I have a job thanks to consumers” Hans Johr, Nestle
- It is always a good idea to invest in agriculture
- Traceability will improve efficiency and innovation, decrease food waste and be necessary to sustain customer confidence.
For me the biggest feature was being in a group of farmers where I knew none of them. Before leaving home, I expected to get here and run into someone I knew from home, the USA or by chance somewhere else but it did not happen. It was refreshing. I met many people from many countries, and met a few Canadians who live in the Calgary area as well.
The town of Deauville, which hosted this event is beautiful. The venue was right on the beach and the sun was shining. The town had the old style wood buildings and is a popular vacation spot for well to do Parisians in the summer. An American film festival is held every year in early September and the stars and stripes were already flying all around town.
Over the past few days I have gathered plenty of material for my Nuffield project, gained knowledge and ideas that will be used at the office and had interesting conversations with a variety of people. Another successful endeavour in my books.
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