World Pork Expo Creates a Biosecurity Policy

Jun 02, 2014

Amid the outbreak of the pig virus known as porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), organizers for this year’s World Pork Expo, June 4-6, developed a biosecurity plan to prevent the potential spread of swine diseases like PED from the event.

The biosecurity plan was created in consultation with industry experts including veterinarians who helped determine the best ways to prevent exposure to diseases. Organizers say that all swine barns and pens will be disinfected before pigs arrive, and again following the expo.

Expo organizers urge attendees to practice good biosecurity practices, including wearing clean clothing and footwear that has not been inside a pig barn. For farmers planning to attend the show, they can disinfect their shoes before heading home. Washing stations placed near the exits of the expo will be made available.

The World Pork expo is expected to attract about 20,000 attendees, and is the largest pork-specific trade show of its kind. The expo features educational seminars and showcases the latest products and technology in the swine industry.

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.