Artificial intelligence, animal health and welfare, supply chain partnerships and animal rights extremism were among the key themes addressed at the Animal Agriculture Alliance 2025 Stakeholders Summit. The 2025 summit, themed “Food for Thought: Dishing on Sustainability,” took place April 30-May 2 in Arlington, Va. and included more than 200 registered in-person attendees. 

Former Google executive and president of Story Arc Consulting Steve Lerch led a session on how generative artificial intelligence can help animal agriculture identify new ways to connect with consumers. Lerch noted that, as humans, change is often resisted, especially when something has worked in the past. However, consumers are always changing, and animal agriculture needs to adapt to continue meeting people where they are at. AI tools like ChatGPT are a simple way to brainstorm new ideas and craft messaging that will resonate with target audiences.

Speakers also addressed animal welfare, noting that everyone involved in animal production has a role to play. “We’re all here for the same shared goal at the end of the day,” said Nick Wolfenden, Cargill’s global director of sustainable animal welfare. It was recommended that companies embrace animal welfare as part of their organizational culture. It was also noted that “healthy tension,” or friendly competition, is important between stakeholders to continue driving change on this issue.  

In the animal health space, panelists discussed how animal health is driving sustainability solutions. Speakers agreed that healthy animals are a cornerstone of sustainable food systems, claiming that better animal health equates to higher productivity, lower emissions, and more people being fed. “Keeping animals healthy can contribute to a more sustainable food system,” said Ron Phillips, senior vice president of policy at the Animal Health Institute. 

The need for continued partnerships across the supply chain and across species was a recurring theme of the Animal Agriculture Alliance 2025 Summit. Brandi Herndon, chief agribusiness officer at the Tulsa State Fair said, “We’re all facing the same problems…and we could all be fantastic allies together.” Eric Mittenthal, chief strategy officer at the Meat Institute, emphasized the importance of working together to reach shared sustainability goals: “We can’t achieve these big goals in silos.” 

Rounding out the event, several sessions focused on animal rights extremism and navigating related challenges. The ongoing threat of animal rights extremism is a national security concern. When asked what the top threats to animal agriculture and food security were, responses from security experts included the spread of zoonotic diseases – which can be exacerbated by on-farm activism, the rise of agro-crimes and animal rights activism, and cybersecurity concerns, such as data and intellectual property theft.

Other topics included countering animal rights campaigns, legal guidance on navigating marketing claim challenges, modernizing protein recommendations and building trust with stakeholders.

The 2026 summit is set for May 5-7 in Kansas City, Mo.

Source: Animal Agriculture Alliance