By Heather McGuire Doyle, Senior Market Reporter (North America)
The US feed industry is grappling with growing biological, regulatory, and technological disruptions—challenges that took center stage this week at the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference (PISC) in Orlando, Florida.
With over 600 professionals in attendance, the conference provided insights for feed and ingredient buyers, sellers, and manufacturers. Sessions covered the rising threat of zoonotic diseases in livestock, complex political and regulatory developments in Washington, D.C., and the increasing role of artificial intelligence and sustainability demands in feed production.
HPAI in the feed industry
Day one led with an update from Dr Jamie Jonker, Chief Science Office and Vice President of Sustainability & Scientific Affairs, of the National Milk Producers Federation.
Dr Jonker shared recent developments around highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The virus, traditionally associated with poultry, has now made three crossovers from birds to cattle in the past 12 months, a trend Jonker described as increasingly difficult to manage.
“It’s getting a little tough to handle,” he said, explaining that in some herds, 10-15% of cows are in the hospital area. “You are not making money in the dairy industry when that happens.” Jonker also noted that while there’s a clear impact on yield, they are not yet seeing a decline in consumer demand of dairy products, which he described as a relief. He outlined how industry and government are working together to build a robust testing program and move toward potential disease eradication efforts at the state level.
Washington's legislative bottlenecks
In “Industry Outlook Under a New Government,” a policy session led by Tara Smith, Executive Vice President of Washington, D.C. consultancy Torrey Advisory Group, attendees received a rapid-fire overview of the fast-changing US policy landscape. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 128 executive orders, covering everything from climate and immigration to health and federal spending.
Smith described a highly compressed 96-day window in which Congress must attempt to confirm nominees, lift the debt ceiling, fund the government, extend Trump-era tax cuts, and possibly negotiate a new Farm Bill—all while navigating deep political divides and a slim two-seat majority in the House. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get to some sort of compromise,” Smith said.
Cracking the AI code
The growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on feed and ingredient markets was the focus of a session with Dr. Ryan Walker of Mississippi State University. Walker described how artificial intelligence is reshaping how professionals gather and use information, from supplier analysis to product development.
According to Walker, AI will play a major role in creating new decision-making criteria and is expected to streamline operations, forecast risks, and help companies remain competitive in increasingly data-driven markets.
In conversations with delegates at the event, a few larger-volume buyers noted how they are using AI in purchasing volume decisions and feed formulations. For example, how much lysine to buy based on the price of soybean meal.
Regulatory environment
A broad regulatory panel explored how proposed reorganizations at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could reshape oversight of animal feed ingredients. Gary Huddleston, Director of Feed Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs for the AFIA, addressed concerns about staffing cuts and their impact on inspections, noting that states may have to step in to fill federal gaps. He also discussed shifting enforcement dynamics under OSHA and EPA, including leadership changes and the potential implications for chemicals like formaldehyde and PFAs.
Leah Wilkinson, AFIA’s Vice President of Public Policy and Education, focused on new ingredient approval pathways, particularly how the FDA's Animal Food Ingredient Consultation process and Kansas State University’s GRAS self-determination program could help address bottlenecks in bringing new products to market.
Environmental strategy
A session on the green economy explored how sustainability pressures are translating into business opportunities—and new demands—within the feed supply chain. Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, Partner at The Context Network, explained how evolving carbon markets are affecting ingredient sourcing and how companies like his are balancing headwinds and tailwinds in a volatile regulatory and commercial environment.
Zach Pinto, Director of Carbon & Ecosystems Markets of AgSpire, provided a pragmatic framework for feed manufacturers seeking to develop products that produce measurable environmental outcomes. He encouraged attendees to approach sustainability with market-based thinking, aligning internal processes with external certification and demand signals.
Framing the climate narrative: “A World Without Cows”
In a first for PISC, attendees viewed a film screening of A World Without Cows, a documentary sponsored by Alltech. The film aimed to challenge perceptions that livestock are the primary culprits of climate change. It offered a counter-narrative emphasizing the essential role of cattle in human nutrition, cultural identity, and economic systems worldwide.
Economic forecast: uncertainty amid trade deficits
The conference was wrapped with a market outlook session from economists Richard Brock, Owner and President of Brock Associates, and Brian Earnest, Lead Economist – Animal Protein for CoBank, who provided a sobering yet nuanced take on global and domestic trends. Among their key points: labor shortages, reduced investment in the livestock sector, and a $45 billion US agricultural trade deficit continue to weigh on long-term growth prospects.
Cullman summed up the tone of the session, saying, “As economists are prone to do…They raised and dashed our hopes over and over about the market outlook, from global trends to the forecast for labor and potential for investment in the livestock sector, to the trade deficit.”
