Farm Leaders Unite at NA/EU Agri-Conference

Sep 21, 2023

In a gathering fostering international collaboration, Charlottetown, PEI played host to the bi-annual North American/European Union Agriculture Conference (NA/EU) from September 12-14.

The event, facilitated by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in conjunction with multiple prominent agriculture organizations, saw around 280 delegates from the EU, Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

“This conference is an opportunity to share a wide range of perspectives on the key issues and solutions to some of the issues that affect agriculture across the globe, and share lessons learned on how we can best solve the challenges we face as an industry,” said Keith Currie, CFA President.

The primary focal points of the discussion panels were global challenges, agricultural trade dynamics, sustainability, innovation, adapting to market and consumer trends, and bolstering food security and resilience in agricultural systems.

A series of dignitaries, including the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, shared their expertise through presentations and speeches.

They emphasized the common pressures farmers endure globally such as climate change impacts, labor shortages, and fluctuating market and consumer trends.

“Farmers on both sides of the Atlantic are facing similar pressures from climate change, high input costs, labour shortages and changing market and consumer trends. The North American European Union Agricultural Conference provided a forum to share information and work together on solutions to some of the issues facing the sector. This is the kind of collaboration that will help us achieve our common goal of feeding the world sustainably, while building strong, productive and resilient food systems. Thank you to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for hosting this important event in Prince Edward Island,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The collaboration forged here aims to lead towards sustainable and resilient food systems globally.

The conference became a hotspot for bilateral meetings addressing critical topics like animal emergency preparedness and plant breeding innovations.

Moreover, attendees were treated to a sneak peek into PEI’s innovative farming practices during an agriculture tour and a Leadership Summit.

The event portrayed a promising future where shared knowledge could pave the path for a globally sustainable agriculture system, underscoring the necessity for unified efforts in this dynamic landscape.

By working hand in hand, the international farming community is steering towards a future rich in innovation and sustainability. Stay tuned to witness how the dialogues from this conference shape the future of agriculture worldwide.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.