“Creating a Supply Chain for a ‘New to the World’ Food Packaging Material”
Mary Rosenthal
NatureWorks LLC
Mary Rosenthal presented a case study of supply chain education to bring NatureWorks Polymer to market in North America and around the world.

Passing the Gavel
2007 NAMA President Stephanie Gabel passes the leadership gavel to incoming president Patty Travis. The new president shared her thoughts about the challenges that lie ahead for NAMA and its membership.

NAMA Professional Development Awards of Excellence

Each year, NAMA honors members with hands-on responsibility in marketing communications, public relations, product/species management and sales.
Here are the winner’s thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in agri-marketing.

Peter Kovac
Nicholson Kovac
Marketing Communications Winner

Greg Smith
Padilla Speer Beardsley
Public Relations Winner

Klaas Okkinga
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Product/Species Management Winner

Bill Heffron
Recently Retired from Bock & Associates
Sales Winner

“The Decision Zone: Six Issues the Food Industry Must Confront in 2008, 2009…”
Kevin Coupe
MorningNewsBeat.com
The issues that face the food industry in the coming years are key to the industry’s survival. According to Kevin Coupe, the stakes are too high, the time too short and customers too demanding for the industry to put off critical decisions.

“Food Safety & Customer Confidence – What’s Making News”
Sarah Muirhead
Feedstuffs
Food safety scares, from dirty spinach to peanut butter, have shaken consumer confidence in the food they consume. Why does the media react the way it does when covering food safety issues, and, how does that affect consumers? Sarah Muirhead shared her insight and tells us what the ag industry can do to better inform consumers.

“The Changing Consumer”
Dr. Claudia Mobley
The habits of American consumers change as they age and their circumstances evolve. Adapting to those changes and the trends in buying habits is crucial for economic survival.
Dr. Claudia Mobley is the Director of the Center for Retailing Excellence at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. She shared insights with the Forum on how changing lifestyles and cultural shifts impact our bottom line.

“Who’s Pulling Our Chain?”
Don Reynolds
Kick-Off Session
The 2007 Agribusiness Forum kicked off with Don Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds was Chairman of the Investment Advisory Board before his appointment by President Bush as Pension Board Chairman. In that position, he has oversight of $120 billion in pension and trust funds.
Mr. Reynolds shared an overview of the major trends in the global economy and the effect those trends will have on agriculture. So, given the market volatility, how can we prepare for and profit from the changing marketplace? Reynolds says that the early 21st century is the “Golden Age” for agriculture.