Veterinarian Michelle Kromm, alongside HealthforAnimals’ Alex Rinkus, will dive into the topic of animal agriculture and its role in public health at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit. The 2024 event, themed “Ready, Set, Solve! Advancing Animal Agriculture,” is set for May 8–9 in Kansas City, Mo. Those interested in attending can explore the full agenda here.

“Antibiotics are an important tool for people and animals, and their continued effectiveness is paramount to safeguard animal health and food availability,” said Emily Ellis, manager, communications and content, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Eliminating this tool from farmers’ toolboxes would do more harm than good and be in direct violation of recommended animal welfare practices. Michelle and Alex will provide an expert view on the subject, backed up with decades of research, to support the animal agriculture community and our partners along the food chain in identifying solutions to the challenging issue of antibiotic resistance.”

Antibiotics and their effectiveness have been a long-standing hot topic in the agriculture community and with consumers. Kromm and Rinkus will share more than 20 years of insights into managing the balance between animal and public health. This includes data on the OneHealth approach, which recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the shared environment. Rinkus and Kromm will also provide information on additional support and tools needed on the front lines for farmers, ranchers and veterinarians to continue making progress in this area.

Kromm is principal at Food Forward LLC, a consulting practice focused on improving the resiliency of the food system. She is a board-certified poultry veterinarian who received a concurrent Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University and Master of Public Health from the University of Iowa in 2006. Kromm has served on more than 15 taskforces and committees addressing the topic of emergency disease preparedness, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance, including serving as the vice chair of the National Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education. Previously, Kromm worked as the vice president of animal health and welfare for Hormel Foods.

Rinkus is director of communications and stakeholder engagement at HealthforAnimals, the global animal health association that believes healthy animals are fundamental for improving global well-being, sustainability and prosperity. Rinkus joined HealthforAnimals in 2016 following previous roles in agriculture, biotechnology and nanotechnology. He holds a bachelor’s degree from American University in political science.

Source: Animal Agriculture Alliance