Dec 3, 2019

Agricultural Outlook Forum program details set by USDA

USDA announces details of the 96th Agricultural Outlook Forum program (PDF, 94 KB), which takes place Feb. 20-21, 2020 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

The 2020 Forum is themed The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture. The forum’s plenary panel and several breakout sessions will focus on the central role science and innovation play in driving future growth and addressing challenges facing farmers.

Speakers will highlight some of the cutting edge technologies and emerging trends and their implications for the future of agriculture. Topics include scientific advances in corporate food safety strategies, and farming practices for extreme weather uncertainties.

The forum’s program will begin with a presentation by USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson on the Department’s outlook for U.S. commodity markets and trade for 2020 and the U.S. farm income situation.

In addition to science and innovation, the 2020 program will cover five key areas:

• Managing risk and ensuring sustainability
• U.S. agricultural trade and global markets
• Commodity outlooks
• Rural economy
• Food and nutrition

The USDA offers a pre-forum field trip for early arrivals. This year’s trip will include a visit to an urban commercial rooftop farming enterprise, and a trip to USDA’s Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, to share USDA research on food genetics and pollinator health.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum brings together more than 1,500 participants each year from the U.S. and around the world, including producers, processors, policymakers, government officials, and nongovernmental organizations. The Forum’s program includes more than 30 sessions and one hundred expert speakers.

To register for the 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum, visit www.usda.gov/oce/forum.