ARLINGTON, VA. — From March 7 to 9, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) held its annual Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference (PISC), uniting 580 animal food ingredient buyers and sellers from throughout the United States. Held in Orlando, Fla., the PISC hosted educational sessions, business meetings and networking opportunities.

“In all aspects — PISC 2023 proved to be a roaring success,” said Rebecca Kane, CMP, director of meetings and events at the AFIA. “Animal food industry buyers and sellers showed up ready to meet colleagues, do business and learn about current trends. PISC truly is where business gets done.”

The conference’s educational program covered various topics, including supply chain challenges, the latest research on African swine fever (ASF), how to communicate about agriculture more effectively, and navigating sustainability. The PISC also featured discussions on the current outlook for grain trading and animal economics.

Ellen Dierenfeld, lead specialist in sustainable feed innovations at the World Wildlife Fund, and the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) released a new report on how the industry and supply chain partners can collaborate to decrease the industry’s overall environmental impact.

“Leaders in the feed industry have been implementing innovative and environmentally responsible practices for a while, but they just have not been getting attention for it,” Dierenfeld said at the event. “Now, we have the opportunity to elevate feed’s potential positive impact and show it can make a big difference, particularly for farmers and producers of livestock and poultry. We must consider the ingredients and also the technologies that will make it possible to reduce agriculture’s overall environmental impact.”

Also during the PISC, AFIA named the 2022 Premix/Ingredient Feed Facility of the Year.

PISC 2024 will be held in San Antonio, Texas, from March 12 to 14.

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