Schedule of events
June 25 PM – Field to Market Conference and Joint Dinner (open to all): ‘Making Dollars and Sense: Building Shared Value in Agricultural Sustainability Programs’ and joint SAI Platform/FtM dinner.
Please note that the programme of the SAI Platform Annual Event 2019 will be regularly updated, you will receive the final version via mail.
FIELD VISITS
We would like to offer you a range of simultaneous field visits to experience first-hand the various local food, agriculture system and farming practices with a focus on next generation farming. The visits will take place over a day.

SOIL HEALTH TOUR (CROPS)
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 7:00 am.
Where: Illinois and Indiana
Each of the stops of this tour will demonstrate maximizing efficiencies across farm management to increase soil health, expand market opportunities, and advance the industry.
The tour is limited to max. 18 participants on a first-come first-served basis.
We have reached the maximum number of participants. Registrations for the Soil tour are now closed.
The Soil Health tour is sponsored in part by PepsiCo.
NUTRIENT INNOVATION TOUR (CROPS)
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 8:00 am.
Where: Illinois and Indiana
Each of the stops of this tour will demonstrate diversification across production and generational management to decrease risk, increase environmental sustainability and empower the next generation of farmers.
The tour is limited to max. 30 participants on a first-come first-served basis.
The Indiana Roots & Shoots field visit is sponsored in part by Ingredion.


EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY TOUR (CROPS)
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 9:00 am.
Where: Illinois and Indiana
This field visit is focused entirely about trying to fill a trip with your senses: colourful vegetables, tasty garlic before finishing with the aroma of lavender. All of these farms are unique in how their ‘next generation’ has adopted and engaged in agriculture. Because more and more children are taking over their parents’ farm, these stops will provide a good perspective on the variety and diversity of farming families who are entering and continuing the farming heritage.
The tour is limited to max. 25 participants on a first-come first-served basis.
The Expanding Opportunity tour is sponsored in part by Netafim.
INSIGHTS TO THE US DAIRY SECTOR | RICK CLARK’S FARM
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 10:15 am.
Where: Rick Clark’s farm, Warrant County, Indiana.
Rick Clark is a fifth generation farmer in Warren County, Indiana, he is an expert in regenerative agriculture practices and developed an innovative feeding model currently in practice. At Clark’s farm is 7000 acres (2832 Hectares) farm, you will have a fantastic opportunity to see a practical proven example of how the use of non-GMO seeds, crop diversity, and ‘farming green’ can lead to regenerative soil health and profitable cash crops.
Rick Clark has been honored as Danone’s Sustainable Farmer of the Year in 2017.
Optional (8:00 am – 10:00 am at Hyatt Hotel): Panel Discussion: Current Challenges and Opportunities of the US Dairy Industry on Animal Welfare and Workforce Development

INSIGHTS TO THE US DAIRY SECTOR | KUTZ DAIRY
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 10:15 am.
Where: Kutz Dairy, Jefferson, Wisconsin.
Ron and Pam Kutz started the dairy in 1973 with 10 Holstein cows. Over the years they have gradually increased their milking herd and by 1994 they we’re milking 250 Holstein cows. Today Kutz Dairy LLC milk 2,000 Jersey cows and raise 1,600 heifers. They grow crops on 1,700 acres to feed the cows and their main focus is producing high quality milk. The family farm is owned and operated by Ron and Pam, along with their sons Aaron and Allen.
Their sustainability-focused practices include planting cover crops, no-fill fieldwork, and manure separation with in-vessel composting.
Optional (8:00 am – 10:00 am, at Hyatt Hotel): Panel Discussion: Current Challenges and Opportunities of the US Dairy Industry on Animal Welfare and Workforce Development
US BEEF CHAIN IN A DAY
Date and time: June 26. Departure from Hyatt Hotel: 7:00 am
Where: LaSalle, Illinois and surroundings
We will visit producers involved in three different stages of beef production, namely a cow-calf operation, a backgrounding farm and a covered feedlot.
The three farms we will visit are focused on sustainable practices which include animal well-being; manure management; soil health and row crop operations. The farmers involved also demonstrate good examples of ‘Next Generation Farming’ as they have had to be creative and innovative in order to convince the next generation to continue in their steps and build their futures on the family farm.
NOTE: Please note that participants on this beef visit should not be in contact with animals (excluding domestic pets) 24 hours prior to visiting each farm.
Participants will be required to wear clean footwear, particularly if they have been on a farm within the previous week.
The tour is limited to max. 25 participants. Place will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Conference ‘Next Generation Farming’ Day 1 – Open to all
Time | Content | Speakers |
7:00 – 7:20 | Running 4 miles with Sven (6:50 Meeting at the lobby) | |
8:00 – 8:30 | Registration & Coffee | |
8:30 – 8:40 | Welcome to SAI Platform Conference |
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8:40 – 9:00 | Keynote speaker |
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9:00 – 12:45 |
SESSION 1 – RESILIENT FARMING SYSTEMS: PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS AND CASE STUDIESClimate-related impacts are already reducing crop yields in some parts of the world. Without some thought and planning, producers struggle to remain viable in current production areas, the environment loses, or producers clear the land to produce new crops which are not necessarily adapted to the climate in the area. The learning curves suggests that maintaining production and commodity prices will be difficult in the future hence Business as usual will become increasingly a stretch goal. |
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9:00 – 9:45 | Panel Discussion: Towards Carbon-Neutral and Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Systems |
Moderator:
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9:45 – 10:45 | Panel Discussion: GeoFootprint: The Maps to Accelerate Sustainable Management of Agricultural Supply Chains |
Co-moderators:
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10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee Break | |
11:15 – 12:45 | Breakout Roundtables: Building on Implementation of Different Sustainable Practices – Soil, Animal Welfare and Water Stories from Farmers, Industry and Government | |
Breakout Roundtable 1 – Soil Health The Growing Case for Returning to Cover Crops and Small Grains in the Midwest In this session we will hear from a company, supplier partner, and farmer about what it takes to support farmers to try out new practices and what the limits are to scale. We will discuss what it will take to get to scale.
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Moderator:
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Breakout Roundtable 2 – Animal Welfare Farm Animal Wellbeing: An Ethical and Economic Win-Win for Farmers and Consumers In this session we will explore and test the extent of the idea that human and animal interests go hand in hand with improved welfare.
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Moderator:
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Breakout Roundtable 3 – Water Management California Almonds: Increasing Irrigation Efficiency through Education, Innovation & Adoption In this session we will learn more about the Almond Board of California, their Irrigation Improvement Continuum and sustainability program (CASP). |
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12:45 – 13:45 | Networking Lunch | |
13:45 – 14:25 | Roundtables Highlights and Key Takeaways |
Moderator:
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14:25 – 15:40 |
SAI Platform Market Place – Showcasing the Value Proposition of SAI Platform for a Global Market
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15:40 – 15:50 | Wrap up and close of day 1 |
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15:50 – 16:00 | Coffee Break | |
16:00 – 17:15 | General Assembly (Members Only) See agenda below | |
19:30 |
Conference Dinner at The Dalcy, 302 N Green Street, Chicago, Illinois (18:50 Meeting at the lobby) Keynote Speaker: Carrie Woolley, Livestock Operations Manager |
General Assembly – Members Only
Time | Content and Speaker | |
15:50 – 16:00 | Registration and Coffee | |
16:00 – 16:10 |
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16:10 – 16:20 | Report from SAI Platform Director General, Adrian Greet | |
16:20 – 16:25 | Update from SAI Platform Australia | |
16:25 – 16:40 |
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16:40 – 16:50 | Report from SAI Platform President, Jan Kees Vis | |
16:50 – 17:05 | Advocacy Discussion | |
17:05 – 17:15 |
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Conference Day 2 – Open to all
Time | Content | Speakers |
6:45 – 7:15 | Outdoor fitness session with Jenny (6:40 Meeting at the lobby) | |
7:30 – 8:00 | Registration & Coffee | |
8:00 – 10:20 |
SESSION 2 – DESIGNING RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS |
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8:00 – 8:30 | Progressing Sustainably Sourced Corn Across Global Supply Chain |
Moderator:
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8:30 – 9:00 | SAI Platform B2B Model – Dairy Global Methodology for Sustainability Performance |
Moderator:
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9:00 – 9:20 | Field to Market – Collaboration on FSA and Value Proposition for Both Members |
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9:20 – 10:20 | The Future of Responsible Supply Chains in the Global South: Corporate Trends and Technologies |
Moderator:
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10:20 – 10:45 | Coffee Break | |
10:45 – 13:00 |
SESSION 3 – ENABLING NEXT GENERATIONThe Future of Global Farming |
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10:45 – 11:00 | Introduction to Session 3 | |
11:00 – 12:00 | Generational Discussion on Next Generation Farming: Father and daughter will engage the audience in questions about the current and future generation of farming systems. |
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12:00 – 12:20 | Who’s the Next Generation?: “Made by Humans” |
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12:20 – 12:45 | Who’s the Next Generation?: Millennial Farmer and Entrepreneur |
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12:45 – 13:00 |
Interactive Reflection and Q&A Session |
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13:00 – 13:15 | Wrap up SAI Platform Conference 2019 ‘Next Generation Farming’ |
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13:15 – 15:00 | Networking Lunch |