WASHINGTON, DC, US — In its 100th year, the Agricultural Outlook Forum is looking to the future.

The session set to open the 100th annual forum will feature speakers and topics focusing on “solutions to cultivating the future of agriculture,” the US Department of Agriculture said on Feb. 12 in unveiling the complete plenary session lineup.

The two-day conference Feb. 15-16 at Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, US, will kick off with a welcome message from Xochitl Torres Small, deputy secretary of agriculture. Next, the USDA’s chief economist, Seth Meyer, is scheduled to present the Department’s outlook on the domestic agricultural economy and trade for 2024.

The chief economist’s presentation traditionally provides a broad outlook for the year ahead, touching on planted area, production and price expectations for corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops, as well as export and import expectations and the geopolitical issues that may affect both programs.

US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is set to deliver his third consecutive keynote address at the annual forum. The keynote will “underscore USDA’s progress in creating a more resilient food system and structures that allow future generations to keep farming and build a good life in the communities they love,” the USDA said.

The Feb. 15 plenary session also is scheduled to include a moderated panel with Amanda Beal, commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; and Rick Pate, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

The discussion topic will be the future of agriculture, producer challenges and the implementation of USDA investments in food and agriculture, the USDA said. A second panel, composed of producers and industry experts, will convene to discuss how science, technology and innovation are positioning farmers and ranchers to prosper.

Raj Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, is set to speak to the full forum on the domestic and global agriculture challenges in the years ahead. Wendy Wintersteen, president of Iowa State University, will conclude Day 1 with a speech on innovating agriculture’s future.

Day 2 of the Department’s flagship event will feature speakers exploring “ways to foster diverse opportunities for US ag exports in the global marketplace,” the USDA said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak virtually to those assembled in Virginia and those tuning into a planned livestream on current US foreign policy aimed at shaping and protecting America’s interests. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will speak on the topic of the current global trade policy landscape and discuss bilateral and multilateral engagement to increase export market opportunities for the US agricultural sector.

Secretary Vilsack will close out the Friday morning plenary programming moderating a panel discussion on government effort toward market promotion, trade policy and capacity building to expand US agricultural exports. The panel will comprise Representative Tai; MaryKay L. Carlson, US Ambassador to the Philippines; and Marc E. Knapper, US Ambassador to Vietnam.