Vilsack to keynote Ag Outlook Forum

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will give the keynote address and moderate a historic plenary panel at the Agricultural Outlook Forum scheduled for Feb. 23-24, in Arlington, Va. Former Secretaries of Agriculture Ed Schafer, Senator Mike Johanns, Ann Veneman, Dan Glickman, Mike Espy, Clayton Yeutter, John Block, and Bob Bergland have been invited to participate in a panel about the future of agriculture in America.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum's 25 breakout sessions with more than 80 speakers will focus on a broad range of issues, including: global food security; foreign trade, financial markets, and economic development; conservation; energy; climate change; food safety; food hubs; extension programs; and next generation farmers. The Forum continues to feature the traditional USDA commodity supply and demand and food price outlooks.

USDA's Chief Economist Joseph Glauber will present the foreign trade and domestic agricultural economic outlooks. The Forum's dinner speaker will be Jim Miller, Senior Policy Adviser to the Senate Budget Committee. Miller formerly served as USDA's Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

USDA has hosted the Agricultural Outlook Forum since 1923 to provide farmers and ranchers, government, and agribusinesses with sound information for decision-making. Attendees are expected to include members of farm organizations, food and fiber firms, academia, foreign governments, and the news media.

As USDA commemorates 150 years of accomplishments, the Department is learning from past experiences and looking to the future. USDA is working to make the Department a more modern and effective service provider that delivers the best possible results for all of the American people. The Blueprint for Stronger Service, announced by Vilsack on Jan. 9, underscores USDA's commitment to build a modern and efficient service organization.

For further information, including registration for the Outlook Forum and speakers' affiliations and biographies, click here. Registration is $375 until Jan. 23, 2012, and $425 thereafter. Plenary speeches will be Webcast after 6 p.m. EST on Feb. 23, and breakout session speeches and PowerPoint presentations will be posted online after 6 p.m. Feb. 24.
Source: USDA