Farmers and the role they can play in addressing climate change were a big part of the discussion as food industry leaders met in Minneapolis this week to discuss how the food industry must change.
The was growing acknowledgement at the Transform Food and Agriculture USA conference hosted by Reuters that farmers are already implementing changes on their farms to address climate change and that they are willing to work with food chain partners to accomplish more. But farmers and organizations representing them said it’s challenging to meet often conflicting expectations such as keeping the cost of food low and incorporating more sustainable practices. It is also time consuming and expensive for farmers to supply the data programpartners require to meet their own sustainability objectives. There is a risk of driving system costs higher, which can make it harder for consumers to afford nutritious food.
In this video, Lela Fausze, a registered dietician working in the dairy sector, outlines her key takeaways from the event and the risks of not getting the system framework right. Lela Fausze is vice president of Dairy Experience-Sustainable Nutrition for Midwest Dairy Association.
