TOPSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, US — Breakout sessions are back on the agenda for the annual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit, which is planned Sept. 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas, US.

Several concurrent sessions will be offered on the second day of the two- and-a-half-day event.

“Pivoting to virtual conferences during the pandemic had limited our options to offer concurrent track sessions, which had grown to be very popular with our WIA community, so we are delighted to announce that the fully in-person 2022 event will offer three breakout sessions, each with four topics that will substantially add to an agenda already brimming with content,” said Carrie Vita, event director for Women in Agribusiness.

Breakout topic titles include: The Ever-Changing Vegetable Oil Market, Ukrainian Grain and Business Strategy, Managing Supply Chain Disruptions in Turbulent Times, and The Increasing Demand for Biofuels.

A special animal ag track features Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of AgNext and professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, who will speak on “Animal Agriculture’s Role in Mitigating Climate Change.” Others presenting during this track are: Emily Metz, president and chief executive officer of the American Egg Board; and Anna Forseth, director of animal health, National Pork Producers Council.

In the session, “What Does ESG Mean for the Ag Industry?” led by Susan Mac Cormac, chair of ESG at Morrison Foerster, will provide an overview of both the legal and practical application of ESG issues for ag companies. This includes understanding what is material to operations, how to prepare for the US Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rule changes for climate-related disclosures, how ESG initiatives themselves can present unintended compliance risks, and ways companies can incorporate compliance risk assessment and mitigation measures in connection with sustainability initiatives to avoid unintended negative consequences from efforts to “do good.”

Always a WIA favorite, the Executive Profiles panel highlights top female executives who share their stories and perspectives on navigating a successful career in ag. This year, the popular panel will include:

• Jaine Chisholm Caunt, director general, The Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA).
• Kelly Olsen, president, Western States Equipment Co.
• Sylvia Wulf, president and CEO, AquaBounty Technologies, Inc.

Learn more about the 11th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit at womeninag.com.