Agricultural policy such as the Farm Bill pending before Congress, commodity outlooks and environmental management issues will lead the topics for the eighth annual Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference on March 2 at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center or via Zoom.

Registration for the event can be found here. The conference engages stakeholders around the state – for example, agribusiness managers, policy makers and researchers – about relevant agribusiness management issues, said Derek Farnsworth, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food and resource economics and the event’s organizer.

“Conference attendees will get up-to-date information on relevant agricultural policy and production trends that may impact their business, clientele and the economy at large,” Farnsworth said.

J. Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and head of UF/IFAS, will be among those speaking at the conference.

“This conference is not only about what we know, it’s about what’s ahead,” Angle said. “The right policies can improve farmers’ ability to recover from natural disaster, compete globally, contribute to the economy and protect the environment. As Congress takes up the Farm Bill, it is an important conversation about which policies can make the future of Florida agriculture brighter.”

This year, the morning session focuses on agricultural policy developments affecting Florida producers, with a focus on the upcoming Farm Bill.

One afternoon session focuses on outlooks for Florida commodities such as citrus, tomatoes, berries and tropical fruits. In the other session, UF/IFAS faculty will talk about emerging environmental management issues in agricultural production.

Here’s the agenda:

9 a.m. – Registration.

9:15 a.m.

• Scott Angle, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and administrative leader of UF/IFAS.
• Lisa House, chair, UF/IFAS food and resource economics department.

State, federal and international policy

9:45 a.m.

• John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs, American Farm Bureau Federation.
• Courtney Larkin, state legislative affairs director, Florida Farm Bureau.

11 a.m.

• John Newton, chief economist, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

11:30 a.m.

• Suzanne Thornsbury, professor, UF/IFAS food and resource economics

Afternoon – concurrent split sessions: Production and Environmental Issues

1:15 p.m.

• Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research, Florida Department of Citrus – citrus outlook.

1:45 p.m.

• Zhengfei Guan, UF/IFAS associate professor of food and resource economics – vegetables and berries outlook.

2:30 p.m.

• Trent Blare, UF/IFAS assistant professor of food and resource economics – tropical fruits outlook

Environmental and Economic Management

1:15 p.m.

• Olesya Savchenko, UF/IFAS assistant professor of food and resource economics – invasive species management in Florida waters

1:45 p.m.

• Tara Wade, UF/IFAS assistant professor of food and resource economics – conservation practices adoption

2:30 p.m.

• Weizhe Weng, UF/IFAS assistant professor of food and resource economics – freshwater conservation

3 p.m.

• Final thoughts and conference evaluation

The cost for the conference is $50 in-person, $30 online. Media can attend for free. For more information, contact Farnsworth at dfarnswo@ufl.edu

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The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
ifas.ufl.edu  |  @UF_IFAS

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