Tuesday, October 7, 2014

10:00-4:00 - Animal Protein Seminar

1:30-4:15 -   Tour of Port of New Orleans
1:00-4:00 - Soybean Meal and Corn Risk Mitigation Seminar   Presented By:     
Doug Prohaska, Senior Risk Manager, FCStone, LLC 

This short course seminar is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of corporate commodity risk policy and advanced real-time soybean meal and corn user risk mitigation strategies. Examples of meal and corn hedging using futures, options, futures spreads and OTC customized structures will be presented.

4:45-5:00 -  Welcome Remarks on the Agribusiness Expo floor
Gary LaGrange, President and CEO, Port of New Orleans

5:00-5:30 -  Opening Address: Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Agricultural Commodity Procurement
David Brown, Vice President of Global Commodities, Mondelēz International  

Join us for the event’s opening presentation as the Vice President of Global Commodities for Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest snack food companies, addresses the challenges that major food companies are facing as they implement sustainable procurement strategies for agricultural commodities and the implications that these initiatives are likely to have in upstream markets.

5:30-7:30 -  Opening Reception               Sponsored by:    

Wednesday, October 8, 2014 

7:30-8:30 - Breakfast

8:30-9:00 -  Opening Comments, Presentation
Philippe de Lapérouse , Managing Director, HighQuest Partners

Based on HighQuest Partners’ work advising clients on how to address challenges and opportunities across the global food and agricultural supply chain, Philippe de Lapérouse will discuss some of the major trends facing the industry in 2015 and beyond, including: 

• An assessment as to whether or not agriculture is emerging as a distinct asset class on its own
• The impact of new technologies which will affect how agricultural commodities are grown, handled and processed and consumed
• Whether investments in infrastructure are keeping up with the need to move large volumes efficiently between major origin and destination markets and
• The regulatory environment in various key markets, which have a direct impact on supply and demand. 

9:00-10:00 -  Global Oilseed and Grains Update
Tom Scott, CEO, Informa Economics, Inc.

Growth in demand for animal and vegetable protein and fats and oils continues unabated. This session will provide insights into the direction in which the demand and supply of protein meals, vegetable oils and feed grains are headed in the near and medium term.

• What are the latest supply and demand forecasts for oilseeds, their products and feed grains in 2014/15?
• What drivers and challenges will oilseed and grains markets face in the next three years?
• What are expectations for prices of oilseed, oils, meals and feed grains in the next year and how will the prices of competitive crops impact these?

10:00-10:45 - Keynote Address: The Impact of International Trade on Global Food Security 
James C. Borel, Executive Vice President, DuPont

Jim Borel, Executive Vice President, DuPont will discuss the impact that international trade, food and regulatory policies are having on global food security. He will share insights about how government, private sector and industry organizations can collaborate to promote sound import and export policies, and regulatory frameworks that help facilitate a more rapid introduction of technology to improve agricultural productivity in food insecure regions in particular. 

10:45-11:25 - Coffee Break                    Coffee Break Sponsored by:  
                                                             Exhibit Presentation by:     on the Ag Expo Stage
           

11:25-11:55 - The Impact of Shifts in Farm Policy in Major Markets on Agricultural Production and Trade
Gary Blumenthal, President & Chief Executive Officer, World Perspectives 

Gary Blumenthal, who has monitored and analyzed the impact of government policies on global agriculture for more than 25 years, will address key developments which will affect trade flows and what this means for participants active in the global supply chain.

• How will the U.S Farm Bill affect incentives for producers and what impact will it have on U.S. agricultural exports, specifically soybeans and feed grains?
• What is the likely impact of changes in farm policies in other major origination markets such as Brazil, Argentina and the Black Sea region on the global trade of commodities?
• Food security has become a major concern of major destination markets such as Japan, China and the Middle East. How will policies enacted to address this concern affect demand for soybeans and feed grains?  

11:55 -12:40 - Industry Game Changers in 2015 
Moderator: Daniel Redo, Manager, Agriculture Research Commodities Research & Forecasts, Thomson Reuters Lanworth
Panelists:
Dr. Michael Swanson, Agricultural Economist, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank N.A
Jim Tobin, VP Industry Affairs, Monsanto
Mark Zenuk, Managing Director of NGP Global Agribusiness Partners

2015 is expected to bring disruption, challenges and opportunities to the oilseed and grains sector globally. This panel comprised of industry experts and executives will explore the key trends likely to shape 2015 and beyond, including: 

• What impacts will energy policy and new associated technologies have on the oilseed and grains sector? 
• How will slowing economic growth in Southeast Asia and China affect global agricultural markets? 
• What opportunities can continued improvements in precision agriculture and ag productivity provide for the industry near and long-term? 
  

12:40-2:00 - Lunch

2:00-2:45 - Concurrent Track Sessions:

Crop Production: Soy Crop Tour 2014
Illinois Soybean Association Speaker TBD

This session will address development in the U.S.  2014 soybean crop season focusing on: 

• What are the characteristics of the 2014 soy crop, including yields, volumes  and quality (protein and oil levels) of the harvest in comparison to previous years?
• What are planting expectations for the 2015 crop year?
• What challenges does the U.S. soybean complex face and what investments are necessary and are likely to be made in 2015 to address them?
  

Feed: Impact of U.S. and Brazil on the Global Corn Market       Sponsored by:  
Moderator: Daniel Redo, Manager, Agriculture Research Commodities Research & Forecasts, Thomson Reuters Lanworth
Panelists:
Dr. Peter Goldsmith, Director, Food and Agribusiness Management Program, Associate Professor, Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois

While the U.S. continues to lead in global corn production and exports, within the past five years Brazil has emerged as a major player in the global corn trade. 

• What does this mean for the U.S.’ historical position as the leading corn exporter in the world?
• What are the production expectations for corn in the U.S. and Brazil for 2014/15?
• How are production patterns in the U.S. and Brazil impacting supply and demand in other markets?
• What is the likely impact of anticipated changes to renewable energy policies in both the U.S. and Brazil on the global corn market? 

Transportation and Infrastructure: Containerized                                    Sponsored by: 
Shipment of Ag Commodities
Peter Friedmann, Executive Director, AgTC Agriculture Transportation Coalition 

While the use of containers for the shipment of agricultural commodities has grown significantly over the past decade, changes in the trade flow of other industrial goods has had a dramatic impact on their availability for shipping agriculture commodities.  

• What is the outlook for supply and demand of containers in major origins?
• What are pricing expectations for containers in the year ahead and what drivers are influencing these trends?

 2:45-3:30 - Concurrent Track Sessions:

Crop Production: Development in the Global Wheat Market
Moderator: Philippe de Lapérouse, Managing Director, HighQuest Partners 
Panelists:
Emily French, Managing Director, ConsiliAgra
Dr. William W. Wilson, University Distinguished Professor, North Dakota State University

With growing populations in traditional wheat markets such as the Middle East and North Africa, demand for wheat for use in food and feed is growing on a global basis putting pressure on other oilseed and grain crops.

• What are the key drivers determining global supply and demand of wheat?
• How has political unrest in the Black Sea Region contributed to challenges and opunities in the global wheat market?
• How are developments in the global wheat market likely to afftect major oilseed and grain commodities? 

Feed: Global Trends in the Compound Feed Sector
Aidan Connolly, Vice President of Corporate Accounts, AllTech

As global demand for animal protein continues to increase,  annual demand for industrial compound feed is fast approaching 1 billion metric tons annually.

• What is the supply/demand forecast for the global compound feed industry over the next 3-5 years?
• What impact is growing global demand for animal protein having on the compound feed sector?
• What impact, if any, do new sources of vegetable proteins for feed such as canola and other oilseeds play in the feed market?
• How do renewable fuel policies concerning biodiesel and ethanol affect the supply of different sources of protein and energy ingredients for feed?

Transportation and Infrastructure: Infrastructure Investments in Three Key Regions: Brazil, China, and the U.S.
Dr. Walter Kemmsies, Chief Economist, Moffatt & Nichol 

As demand for feed and foodstuffs in China increases and as Brazil and the U.S. vie for the position of leading exporter in several major agricultural commodities, the infrastructure both countries rely on to assure the efficient movement of agricultural commodities will become increasingly critical.

• What is the status of current initiatives being undertaken to improve the interior transportation sector and port facilities in Brazil, China, and the U.S.?
• How are investments in infrastructure affecting opportunities for increased trade in emerging markets in North America, Brazil and China?
• What investments in infrastructure are necessary to facilitate the increasing trade between Brazil and China?

3:30-4:10  Coffee Break                              Sponsored by:  

4:10-4:55 - Concurrent Tracks:

Food and Ingredients: Global Food Trends and their Impact on Food Ingredients
Kara L. VanKleek, Global Marketing Director, CHS Inc. Processing & Food Ingredients

Consumer food trends can be either short-term fads or can develop into a new market paradigm, which requires adaptation by participants along the supply chain. 

• What emerging consumer food trends are likely to drive demand for oilseed and grain commodities and ingredients and what impacts are they likely to have on players  along the value chain including seed companies, commodity producers and processors and consumer packaged goods manufacturers addressing these?
• What challenges do the next three years hold for the marketing of new oilseed and grain food ingredients?
• With growing consumer interest in high-protein foods, what new opportunities exist for vegetable proteins in the food sector?

Sustainability: Reducing Waste in the Agribusiness Value Chain
Hugh Welsh, President, DSM North America

By some estimates, over 50% of food and food ingredients are wasted along the agribusiness supply chain, at both the production level (particularly in developing markets) and at the consumption level in developed markets. Addressing this waste would help to alleviate pressure to supply sufficient quantities of calories to the growing global population in the future.
  

• What concrete steps can be undertaken to create a more sustainable agribusiness value chain?
• Which sectors in the supply chain can provide examples of effective strategies used to reduce waste?
• How can businesses develop strategies to monetize these opportunities in order to attract investment?

Logistics: Safety and Quality Control Challenges Throughout the Feed and Food Supply Chain
Douglas Marshall, Chief Scientific Officer, Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories Inc.

With growing dependence of major destination markets on food imports, oversight on the supply chain to assure that products are delivered as per contractual quality standards and to detect adulteration of food products and ingredients is represents a major challenge for complex supply chains.

• What are the critical quality and safety challenges facing food and feed supply chains today?
• What new strategies and technologies are being implemented by the supply chain in order to enhance food quality and safety?
• How is industry assessing its success in assuring compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements?
• What testing and auditing procedures can be leveraged efficiently in order to verify the quality and safety of food and feed in the supply chain?
• What food control programs are useful to improve the quality and safety of food and feed in the supply chain?

4:55-5:40 - Concurrent Track Sessions:

Sustainability: Do Biofuels Have a Sustainable Future?
Moderator: Curt Goulding, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, INTL FCStone Inc
Panelists:
Geoff Cooper, Senior Vice President of Research and Analysis, Renewable Fuels Association 
Dr. Michael Swanson, Agricultural Economist, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank N.A

This panel of experts will debate the likely future of renewable energy derived from biofuels, focusing on the following issues: 

• Which key economic and regulatory factors will determine the  long-term sustainability of the biofuels industry?
• How does the current U.S. renewable fuels policy influence the industry’s supply and demand structure and how is this likely to change in coming years?
• What impact does the energy market have on the pricing of oilseeds and grain markets?

Logistics: Addressing Procurement Challenges for Non-GMO, Specialty and Organic Crops
Moderator:  Paul Smolen, Principal, AgriNetworks
Panelists:
LaVerne Klecker, Director of Procurement, SunOpta (Raw Materials Sourcing & Supply)
Tom Kopp, Manager,Commodities and Ingredients, World Food Processing, LLC 
Darwin Rader, International Sales Manager, Zeeland Farm Services, Inc.

With increasing consumer interest in and demand for non-GMO and organic products in the U.S, a growing number of major retailers have announced plans to supply products at competitive prices points in an effort to increase their availability to an expanding segment of consumers. 

• What challenges do buyers of non-GMO, specialty and organic crops face in sourcing these products?
• How is demand for these crops likely to change over the next three years and how will this affect their availability in the market?
• What is the current outlook for GMO crop acceptance globally, including new developments in the U.S., and how will this impact global trade flows of existing and new varieties?

5:40-7:15 - Reception 

7:15-8:15 - Breakfast

8:15-8:20 - Opening Remarks
8:20-9:05 - El Niño, the Twisted Atlantic and Global Agriculture     Sponsored by: 
Evelyn Browning- Garriss, Historical Climatologist and Author, The Browning Newsletter

Corn, soybean and wheat futures are at four-year lows while cattle prices are at an all-time high. The developing El Niño conditions continue to bring moderate temperatures and good growing conditions for this year’s Midwestern and Great Plains agriculture. Leading historical climatologist, Evelyn Browning Garriss, will share her insights about the changing climate – not just the mantra of “global warming” but the short and long-term natural factors that are likely to shape weather, crops and investments around the globe. In particular, she will address the challenges and opportunities that the climate presents for participants across the oilseed and grains value chains.

9:15-10:00 - Concurrent Track Sessions:

Risk Management: Best Practices for Managing Commodity Procurement Risks
Moderator: Curt Goulding, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, INTL FCStone Inc
Panelists:
Susan Grelling, Vice President, Member Relations and Chief Commodity Risk Officer, Land O'Lakes 
Tom Neher, Vice President, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions
Josh Sell, Senior Director Commodities, Industry Affairs, and Supply Chain Analysis, Quality Supply Chain Co-op, Inc

Managing risk in agricultural commodity markets is crucial to the success of most agribusinesses. This session will address:

• The strategies that producers, merchandisers and buyers employ in order to mitigate their operating risk.
• How risk management tools can be leveraged to reduce risk and increase margin enhancement in the supply chain.

Trade Financing: Trends in Trade Finance for the Global Ag Supply Chain
Moderator: Paul Smolen, Principal, AgriNetworks
Panelists:
Tom Gaglione, Vice President, Global Trade Services, JP Morgan Chase Bank
Adrian Katz, Chief Executive Officer, Finacity Corporation
Diane D. Stewart, Senior Vice President and Manager, Structured Trade Finance Division, U.S. Bank

With increased regulatory oversight on bank reserves and capital ratios, the number and list of banks providing trade financing for agricultural commodities has shifted dramatically over the past three years.  

• What are the current trends in the lending terms environment and how long are they likely to persist?
• What can exporters and importers do to ensure that they develop a close working relationship with their sources of financing so that they increase the likelihood of securing favorable financing terms for their merchandising and sourcing initiatives?

Global Markets: Market Focus: Black Sea Region
Moderator: Philippe de Lapérouse , Managing Director, HighQuest Partners
Panelists:
Matt Ammermann, Commodity Risk Management - CIS / Black Sea Region, INTL FCStone, Inc.
Ken Eriksen, Senior Vice President, Transportation, Informa Economics
Levin Flake, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

Within the last decade, the Black Sea region has developed into a major origin market for oilseeds, wheat and other grains. However, geopolitical unrest in the region has raised challenges, which could hinder the continued development of the region into a major grain exporter and limit the region’s ability to attract the capital required to build the infrastructure needed to facilitate the movement of crops into the export market. 

• What are the supply expectations for agricultural commodities out of the Black Sea region?
• What implications does political unrest in the region have on global agricultural markets and trade and what is the likely outcome of these developments?

10:00-10:45 - Concurrent Tracks:

Risk Management: Strategies for Leveraging Options to Manage Price Volatility
David Lehman, Managing Director, Commodity Research and Product Development, CME Group

• What new risk management tools have been launched to enable participants in the oilseed and grain supply chain to mitigate risk?
• How can options play a role in managing weather and event risk, inventory and seasonality risk and new crop risk?

Trade Financing: New Financing Techniques for Expanding Trade Opportunities
Moderator: Pranav Garg, Managing Director & Co-Head-Consulting, HighQuest Partners
Panelists:
Gregory Bernardi, President, London Forfaiting Americas Inc.
Craig Tashjian, Founding Partner & Managing Director, AMERRA Capital Management, LLC

In parallel with traditional sources of financing for the trading of ag commodities amongst commercial banks, new sources of financing and innovative vehicles are being leveraged to support trade along the supply chain. 

• What new financing techniques are available to sellers and buyers of commodities in order to facilitate trade?

• How can these innovative techniques be used by sellers and buyers to enhance risk management and increase operating profits?

Global Markets: Market Focus: Africa
Moderator:  Alan Boyce, Founder and CEO, Westland Solar Farms, LLC 
Panelist:
Jim Hershey, Executive Director, American Soybean Association, WISHH Program
Levin Flake, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
Dr. Bharat Kulkarni, Director, Stalwart Management Consultancy Services Pvt.

Due to growing populations, increased urbanization and rising GDP in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, food demand in the region is expected to grow at 3% annually per year through 2030, creating tremendous opportunities for both food and ingredient imports as well as domestic food and crop production.

• What is the near-term, regional demand forecast for agricultural commodities and which countries and which crops are likely to experience the greatest increase?

• What strategies can exporters and investors pursue in order to participate in growth opportunities in Sub-Sahara Africa?

10:45-11:25 - Coffee Break

The appearance of new technologies and the ability to derivee useful analysis out of what were previously unmanageable volumes of raw data is changing the way agricultural commodities are produced, processed and transported at a rate faster than ever before. This panel discussion will explore:

• Which cutting-edge technologies that are likely to be harnessed by agricultural within the 3-5 years and how will this change the way business is conducted across the value chain?
• What new opportunities and challenges will the adoption and integration of these new technologies bring to the industry?
• Where is information technology and "big data" likely to have the biggest impact in terms of improving the production efficiency, sustainability, traceability and safety of food products?
  
  

12:10-12:55 -  Closing Address: Geopolitical Trends in 2014 and the Impact on Agriculture
Peter Zeihan, Geopolitical Strategist

Former Stratfor Global Intelligence Executive, Peter Zeihan will highlight the impact that developing geopolitical trends and the impact that they are likely to have on the global agricultural sector in the years to come. He will distill global complexities into actionable items, providing clear concepts of what cannot happen, what must eventually happen and what is likely to happen very soon. This session will provide new perspectives about the agriculture sector and suggest strategies for addressing the challenges presented by economic, political, and cultural pressures in today’s global economy. 

Hear Geopolitical Strategist, Peter Zeihan, in 3 podcasts: 

1. He explains his divergent short- and Long-term outlook for Argentina! Click here to listen to the podcast.

2. He speaks about the trade implications of the world’s fastest growing economy, Mexico. Click here to listen to the podcast.

3. He addresses the changing structure of global geopolitical relations and its potential implications for U.S. and global markets. Click here to listen to the podcast.

12:55-1:00 - Closing Comments

1:00-2:30 - Lunch with Roundtable Discussions