Finance & Administration Committee

Country Elevator Committee

Trade Rules Committee

ITAP Committee

Joint Feed Committees/Biofuels & Co-Products Committee

Crop Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee

Mr. Oberman, the newest member of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) will discuss his priorities at the agency and his philosophy regarding federal regulatory oversight of freight railroads.  He also will take questions and solicit input from NGFA members on the impact of current rail carrier practices on the ability of agricultural rail shippers and receivers to competitively and efficiently serve domestic and export customers.

A special focus on the new and currently underway Barge Digital Transformation project – the initiative launched in October 2018 in response to universal industry demand to replace the current costly, cumbersome and outdated (paper and FedEx-based) process to apply barges and transfer bills of lading.  Brittany has a unique and in-depth perspective as chair of the BDT steering committee, which is directing the development of this industry-led project that is now in final development stages.    

Covantis: An Industry Initiative to Modernize Global Trade - PRESENTATION
Petya Sechanova, Trade Operations Leader, Cargill

The Covantis initiative (www.covantis.io) is an industry initiative started in 2018 by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Bunge, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and Glencore Agri to modernize and digitalize the global agricultural post-trade processes. Petya will discuss the project and answer audience questions.

Solutions for Agriculture in the US Senate
United States Senator Mike Braun (IN)

Senator Braun will share views and insights about current major issues facing the U.S. Senate and the nation, including the potential for a significant infrastructure investment package, and detail the priorities of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

2020 Distinguished Professional Awards

NGFA Chairman's Address: Entering a New Decade 
Eric Wilkey, President, Arizona Grain, Chairman, NGFA Board of Directors

Chairman Wilkey will provide a look back at NGFA’s successes in 2019 and outline the Association’s upcoming projects and policy priorities for 2020.

Radical Safety - LEARN MORE
Vince Poscente, Author, Radical Safety

Safety is an undeniably crucial part of our industry, yet many agribusiness professionals think safety conversations don't apply to them. Vince Poscente, an expert in creating a long-term safety conscious culture, gets directly at the heart of the neuroscience of safety: the more invested people are in the process, the stronger your safety culture becomes. Using his prolific background regarding safe outcomes in volatile situations - as an Olympian speed skier and expedition leader in the Himalayas - Vince will explain in a fun and experiential way three decades of research on how ‘mind-set’ is established and sustained. No matter your role, participation in your organization's safety culture is crucial to it's success.

Association Annual Business Meeting

2020 Association Service Award Announcements

The Future Shape of the Grain Industry: How Fickle Consumers, Geopolitics, China's Swine Fever and the Auto Industry Will Drive Change to the US Grain Industry - PRESENTATION
Stefan Vogel, Head of Agri Commodity Markets Research and Global Sector Strategist, Grains & Oilseeds, Rabobank

Stefan will discuss today's headline events in agriculture - including African swine fever, the trade wars, and changing consumer needs - and provide a futurist's look at how these structural changes in the grain sector will shape the agribusiness industry over the next 10 years. 

Coffee Break

2020 Membership Award Announcements

Sustainability in Agriculture: Putting Research into Action
Pipa Elias, Director of Agriculture, North America, The Nature Conservancy - PRESENTATION
Ryan Sirolli, Global Row Crop Sustainability Director, Cargill

Consumer-facing companies in food and agriculture are working to reduce their carbon footprints, conserve resources, encourage resource intensification, and operate more sustainably -- and they are asking supply chain partners to participate in these efforts. Join the conversation about current initiatives and potential impacts on companies in the grain, feed and processing industry.  Pipa Elias and Ryan Sirolli will discuss how to meet the growing demand for food while protecting critically important lands and waters, using best management practices with a focus on economic outcomes.

USDA Trade Priorities 
Ted McKinney, Under Secretary of  Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs