This was originally published on the AFIA Feed Bites blog. When I visit the grocery store, I am awed by the choices available to shoppers – from fresh to frozen produce, canned or processed goods catered toward unique dietary preferences (e.g., low sodium, sugar-free) to various cuts of meat or dairy foods from animals raised in various farm settings. Choice is a wonderful thing, but what happens when that choice is removed by state or local laws?  Matt Walters Last week, at the American Feed Industry Association’s Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference, I listened to a couple of ..read more

It’s going to take a team to drive our future forward. It’s going to take you, running alongside fellow stakeholders from across the food chain who know that putting in the work is the only way to transform today’s challenges into tomorrow’s solutions. Are you ready? Then take your spot at the 2024 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Missouri! This year’s Summit is themed “Ready, Set, Solve: Advancing Animal Agriculture!” Here are 10 ways you can score big at this year’s event:  1. Join stakeholders in advancing animal agriculture Dozens of speakers. Hundreds of perspecti ..read more

As we reflect on 2023, we are proud to share the success of two of our programs, College Aggies Online (CAO) and Animal Ag Allies, as they continue to reshape the narrative surrounding animal agriculture and cultivate a new group of informed and engaged voices. These programs represent a unique approach to bridge the communication gap between the animal agriculture community and consumers. Both programs offer a platform for participants and industry experts to connect, engage, and protect by discussing the hard-hitting issues that continue to affect the evolving animal agriculture landscape.&n ..read more

It’s hard to believe it’s already a new year. 2023 may have come and gone, but there’s plenty we can take away from the last year, including trends we’ve seen in the animal rights movement that we expect to continue over the next 12 months. This includes animal theft (called “open rescue” by extremists) and the use of “undercover videos” in support of lawsuits against farms and other agricultural entities, linking large scale farms to negative human health and environmental impacts, the outcome of California Proposition 12 and the use of legislation and ballot initiatives to drive change, as w ..read more

Everybody’s grocery store experience is different – whether you are strolling down the grocery store aisle searching for your much-needed pint of ice cream after a long day or you’re begging your toddler to put down the goldfish and get in the checkout line. As we tend to stroll the aisles and grab our go-to staples, questions often begin to appear. How did my turkey burgers, ground beef, and other animal proteins get to these very shelves? What is the process from farm to table? With today’s average American at least three generations removed from the farm, you’re not alone in asking these qu ..read more

Hannah Thompson-Weeman’s journey with the Animal Agriculture Alliance started back in 2014 when she was hired as the director of communications. Since then, Hannah has held various leadership roles within the Alliance, and in May of 2022 was named president and CEO. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the (still relatively!) new leader behind the Alliance, who is at the forefront of the organization’s mission to safeguard the future of animal agriculture.  Passion for Agriculture and Early Involvement in 4-H and FFA Hannah with her heifer “Joy” at the local 4-H fair. Hannah grew u ..read more

Have you ever wondered what the “best” diet is to live a healthy lifestyle? You’ve probably heard of fad diets and eating patterns like keto, the Mediterranean diet, low-carb, low-fat, etc. with influencers on social media sharing why their diet choice is the “best.” I recently wrapped up a 9-month journey of earning my nutrition coaching certification, and I’ve learned a lot – about nutrition, lifestyle, and overall wellness. Here are some of my main takeaways, including what the “best” diet really is. Nutrition is personal One of the key themes reiterated in my studies was that nutrition is ..read more

Did you miss part 1 of our “Partnering for a Sustainable Future” blog series? Check it out here before continuing!  Communication is Key In the “Partners Around the Plate: Shifting the Conversation About Food” session, Food Bullying podcast hosts Michele Payn, CSP, and Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, led attendees through an interactive discussion that provided them with practical ideas to engage consumers in conversations about food and farming that are both meaningful and productive. The session helped attendees discover how meeting people where they are can drive conversations and engage consu ..read more

In early May, the Alliance hosted its 2023 Stakeholders Summit themed “Partners in Progress: Building a Sustainable Future for Animal Ag.” The annual Summit is a one-of-a-kind conference which attracted a diverse crowd of almost 320 decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies, and media. The conference featured a dynamic group of speakers from across commodities and the food supply chain. Attendees were able to learn how to do their part to help protect, sustain ..read more

When you think of some facts about cranberries, you might be thinking of Thanksgiving and using cranberry sauce. Well, you wouldn’t be far off in many cases. Every year 20 percent of the more than 400 million pounds of cranberries Americans eat are consumed during the week of Thanksgiving. There are, however, many benefits beyond enjoying them just one time of the year: Cranberries include a high amount of antioxidants that can help protect against heart disease, cancer and other diseases. So, do you want to know more about cranberries? Here are 9 facts about them — both in ..read more