“I want us all to imagine that we are in 2050, and we’re looking back on this moment, this day, and we ask ourselves: did we do everything that we could do to make the world the place that we want it to be?”

Jack Bobo, CEO of Futurity, opened his keynote presentation at the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience with a challenging question for the audience. If our mission is for a better future of food and agriculture, what can we do to achieve this? The answer begins with a simple yet effective solution: we need to listen to the narratives surrounding these industries.

“We give meaning to the world around us through the stories that we tell… so today in my presentation, I’d like to talk about three different stories of what food and agriculture means.”

The three stories Bobo focused on were those of:

1. Conservationists.
2. Consumers.
3. Farmers.

These three groups of people have one goal: a plentiful future of food and agriculture. However, these three groups tend to actively work against each other. But why is that?

Starting with conservationists and the planet

In 2018, the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report documented that 60% of wildlife populations on the planet have disappeared between 1970 and 2014. We also know that 20% of the Amazon has disappeared in the last 50 years.

“So, this dramatic loss in biodiversity has occurred within the lifetimes of many of us,” said Bobo. “Biodiversity is undergoing this incredible challenge, and things are not looking good.”

According to these findings, the future will suffer the same trend of degrading biodiversity.

“So, we have this tremendous challenge of not destroying all of our wild spaces,” said Bobo. However, the bigger question is, “How do we make sure that we leave a world for our children that’s as good or better than the one we received?”

Many people wonder: Is agriculture the problem or solution to our conservation struggles? People tend to believe the former, yet Bobo is not convinced.

“But how do we talk about it?” asked Bobo. “What’s the story that we need to tell?”

The stories we hear about biodiversity tell us that:

1. Of global respondents, 80% believe that poverty has either increased or remained the same over the past 20 years.
2. The food system is broken, and agriculture is failing the people around us.
3. All deforestation is due to agriculture.
4. We do not have the means to feed the rapidly growing population.

The stories we need to tell about biodiversity are that:

1. Statistically, there is less poverty than there was 20 years ago — “Yet the public,” said Bobo, “think things are getting worse.”
2. We are producing more food on the same amount of land than we were 50–60 years ago — “This is important,” said Bobo. “If food production stays ahead of population growth, well, that means people become better fed, they rise out of poverty, nutrition and hunger disease.”
3. Better productivity and higher yields mean more food is being produced due to higher efficiency — “Improved productivity has saved a billion hectares of forest around the world. So more than a quarter of all the forest — nearly a third of all the forest — would be gone today without productivity increases.”
4. The rate of population growth was at its highest in 1968 when we were growing at 2.1% per year. However, today we are growing at about 1% per year. As we continue to project toward the future, that number will keep going down. Because population growth will slow dramatically but, “if that productivity was to continue, every day after 2050, it gets easier to feed the world,” said Bobo.

“And so, I want to look at this question of sustainability, and how it impacts the stories we tell about the world we live in,” explained Bobo.

Diving into sustainability with consumers

Bobo says that sustainability is not a destination — it is a journey. However, sustainability means different things to different people. Is it organic food? Regenerative agriculture? GMOs? Consumers, in particular, seem the most concerned about sustainability in agriculture.

The stories we hear about sustainability are that:

1. Farmers need to use less fertilizer and insecticide in order to reduce run-off into the local environment.
2. We need to farm organically.
3. Europe has pushed to intensive agriculture and is reducing the amount of fertilizer they use and the size of their farms. This should be a global initiative.

The stories we need to tell about sustainability are that:

1. It is a challenge for farmers to use less insecticide and fertilizer because it means that they will probably produce less food — “If you produce less food on that farm, that means you’re going to need more farms,” explained Bobo.
2. Organic agriculture produces 20–30% less food. If the whole world farmed organically, we would need to dedicate another 20­–30% to farms, and 40% of all the land on earth is already allocated to agriculture. This would have a devastating impact, according to Bobo, including the loss of our forests.
3. Europe practices intensive agriculture but also imports 70% of its animal feed needs. Most of their imports come from Brazil, the country with the greatest level of deforestation — “So, in many ways, Europe has exported its environmental footprint to arguably the most biodiverse country on the planet,” said Bobo.

No matter how you dissect it, it is clear that we have a problem: we need to produce more food. The Food and Agriculture Organization states that we are going to need 50–60% more food by 2050, but why is that the case if we are only going to see about 20% more people? This is directly due to an improvement in income and overall wellbeing, and when people are making money and feeling well, they buy more animal protein. Yet more protein means more crops to feed animals, hence, a spike in food production.

“The former director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacques Diouf, once said that the amount of food that needs to be produced in the next 40 or 50 years is equivalent to the amount of food that was produced in the last 10,00 years,” explained Bobo. “Let me repeat that. The amount of food we need to produce in the next 40 or 50 years is greater than the amount of food produced in the last 10,000 years of human civilization.”

The challenge is daunting, and while agriculture is getting better, it is not getting better fast enough.

There are no silver bullets to solve this challenge, but we do know that we need to increase our food production as sustainably as possible.

Bobo explored possible solutions, such as:

• Shifting diets: Many people believe that becoming a vegan or vegetarian is the solution to the problem. It is important to think about changing our diets to improve our health, but is this the way to also improve the environment? — “It’s not going to solve all of our problems,” said Bobo. He further explained that, even if the United States and Europe shifted their diets completely, people from low-income countries will be making more money in the next 30 years, which means they will be eating more protein. “So, shifting diets is important, but it can’t solve the problem all by itself.”
• Food waste: A third of all food produced is lost to food waste. In developed countries, a third of food is wasted post-consumer. But, in third-world countries, food is wasted because of loss in the fields, supply chain and storage — “If we could somehow address that third of food that’s lost through food waste, then that would get us most of the way to our challenge,” explained Bobo. However, there are so many types of food waste (storage, distribution, consumer, field) and food waste issues with different products (tomatoes, soybeans, corn, cantaloupes) that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving the issue.
• Technology: There are high-tech solutions, like gene editing and genetic engineering, and abundant ag-tech data that proves cover crops produce a higher return on investment and a lower environmental footprint.
• Alternative proteins: “Of course, these alternative proteins are part of the solution,” said Bobo. “The problem we have, though, is that companies that are producing these different products… they’re talking about them as the solution. That plant-based proteins can eliminate livestock. That cell-based agriculture is going to make dairy obsolete.” This approach suggests that there is a silver-bullet solution to a really complex problem, “and as we’ve already discussed,” said Bobo, “there’s not one solution to the problem.” Bobo also notes that the protein market is a trillion-dollar opportunity and will only get bigger in 2050. “And so, who really believes that plant-based meat is going to become a trillion-dollar industry in just 30 years?” asked Bobo.

These solutions are all necessary for achieving sustainability. However, they have become competitors in the market rather than working together as a single solution. Bobo says we need to think about what the future will look like, and work toward opportunities instead of focusing on problems.

“We don’t need one solution,” explained Bobo. “We need them all.”

Actively working on these solutions with farmers is the best and most effective way to achieve the goals of conservationists and consumers.

Working with farmers

“I’m just happy that consumers and conservationists are now joining farmers on this journey of sustainability,” said Bobo. “Because we could use their help. Instead of framing it as agriculture is the problem to be solved, we need to help them to understand that agriculture is the solution to the problem.”

What we find from data collected by the World Resources Institute is that if agriculture continues to improve the way it has been, 60% of the gains we need to achieve a sustainable future will happen just by farmers continuing what they are already doing. The data also talks about incentivizing steps that will increase productivity and improve efficiency in:

1. Livestock production.
2. Reducing methane emissions.
3. Using less fertilizer.

“Well, efficiency is something farmers want to do… So, these are huge opportunities. These are not challenges,” said Bobo.

However, if agriculture is the solution to our problem — the answer to improving the future of food — then why do we still hear that agriculture is the problem to be solved?

“Why do we talk about a broken food system when the food system was never not broken?” asked Bobo.

While it may be broken, Bobo assured the audience that the food system is better than it has ever been, and it will only continue to get better every day. But it is just not happening fast enough. Yet if we continue to spend our time spreading false stories and narratives about farmers being the problem, we cannot actively work with them toward a solution.

Organic agriculture may be critical to saving the planet, but it does not mean that genetic engineering and gene editing are not.

New alternative proteins are critical to saving the planet, but so are dairy farms and livestock production.

“It takes a menu of solutions to solve a problem,” explained Bobo.

Final thoughts

Bobo asked us an important question at the beginning of his presentation: Thirty years from now, will we be confident that we did everything that we could do to make the world the place that we want it to be?

Again, conservationists, consumers and farmers all want the same thing: a safe, plentiful and sustainable future of food and agriculture. The only way to achieve that goal is to start telling the same story, even if we are not always on the same page.

“Because if we do that,” said Bobo, “we all can save the planet.”

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The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the way we buy and sell food, perhaps forever. This time of upheaval will determine who in the food industry will surge ahead and who will get left behind.

According to Jessica Adelman, former Kroger executive and CEO of ESG Results, in 2015, for the first time in history, the consumption of food prepared outside the home was greater than the amount of food prepared at home. However, as a result of COVID-19, sector analysts are predicting a $100-billion shift back from restaurants and food service to the retail space. Between March 9 and March 22, 2020, the internet saw a 60% increase in cooking-related tweets, as well as 250,000 tweets about ordering and delivery. This represents a seismic shift — a 294% increase in talking about food from the previous month.

Jessica has held numerous leadership positions in the food, retail and agriculture sectors, including most recently as group vice president of corporate affairs for The Kroger Co., serving as chief corporate affairs officer, chief communications officer, chief sustainability officer and president of both Kroger Foundations. She joined the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience to share her insights on the long-lasting habits of the new consumer emerging from the lockdown, including trends in food and retail as well as long-term patterns already beginning to take root.

She said that now is the time for the agri-food sector to seize opportunities and write its own story.

“The rhetorical question that I pose to you today is, ‘Who do you want to be during, and then as a result of, COVID-19?’” asked Jessica. “I encourage you to write your own headlines now. And I encourage you to think about who you want to be and how you want to lead your organizations so that, coming out of this chapter, the best headlines and lead paragraphs are written about your organization's conduct, resilience and courage during COVID-19.”

Food and retail: The meteoric rise of e-commerce

In many difficult situations, such as the current pandemic, retailers often find themselves on the frontlines of challenging discussions. Retail is currently in trouble, with estimates that 15,000 stores may stay closed permanently post-COVID. The food industry and grocery space is different, however, and is seeing a boom, according to Jessica.

Nielson has reported that $18.8 billion was spent on consumer packaged goods (CPGs) in the month of March alone, which was directly attributed to COVID-related buying. Approximately $10 billion of that was spent on increased consumption, and $8.2 billion went directly toward pantry loading.

“Interestingly,” said Jessica, “70% of Americans say they still want to be able to, and like to, venture out to the grocery store. So, all of this leads us to the insight that the food industry is one of the only sectors that is actively hiring and thriving during this pandemic.”

The retailers who will struggle, she said, are the independents, leading to further consolidation and monopolies at both the regional and national levels of the retail food chain.

The most striking trend in food and retail is the rise of e-commerce. Jessica shared Nielson data that shows that e-commerce orders saw a major surge in the month of March, with online orders increasing by 60%. Significantly, 37% of that growth came from new households, and 45% of new online shoppers were over the age of 55. As this “new normal” continues to evolve, Jessica believes retailers with good infrastructure are more likely to come out of the transition in a good place.

“I think you're going to see the retailers who have the infrastructure, the ability to invest in their rail system — and ‘rails’ is kind of the e-commerce term for the infrastructure and platform that people use — who had their rails and the infrastructure in place already, those guys are going to do really well during the e-commerce boom, meet the customer expectations,” she said. “Maybe not in all cases, but they'll walk away with a decent customer experience, and they'll probably win that business for the long term. Those who had infrastructure and systems that were held together more by duct tape will just find themselves slowly losing ground and won't be competitive in the long run.”

A combination approach, which Jessica referred to as “bricks and clicks,” could also develop, similar to what happened when e-commerce giant Amazon bought brick-and-mortar Whole Foods. Whether retailers are online or just around the street corner, the important thing will be building an emotional relationship with the customer base.

“People don't really care about the infrastructure behind it,” explained Jessica. “We don't want to get too worried about what kind of rails or systems the retailers are using. We just want to know we can get the thing that we want, in the venue that we want, for a competitive price, when we want it.”

A key challenge the food and retail sector must meet going forward is retraining and upskilling workers as the industry continues to become more efficient, which will involve more technology, automation and “touchless” environments.

“Many of those manufacturing jobs and other positions might never come back to the 100% mark they were pre-COVID,” said Jessica. “That's what we're going to have to deal with as a society, is how do we retrain workers, and how do we make sure that we can have a productive workforce in this nation and other nations who are facing similar crises as a result of COVID. How do we upskill? And what is the future of work?”

Consumers: Food as medicine will grow, and trust in science could see a resurgence

University College London has conducted research that shows most new habits take an average of 66 days to form, which means that we are cementing new habits during the COVID-19 crisis, even while many of us remain in lockdown. Consumers, said Jessica, will likely begin to blend their new habits with their old routines. In fact, among consumers who have purchased alternative brands due to the effects of the pandemic, she said only half indicate that they will return to their previous brands once the pandemic calms.

Both private-label and national brands are winning in different areas of the market. Private-label brands could be growing as much as four times faster than national brands at the moment. On the other hand, one sector analyst from Stifel mentioned in a recent Washington Post article that big-company sales grew 39% through the month of March, a number that has never been seen before in the industry.

Food as medicine and the importance of health is a trend accelerated strongly by COVID-19. Functional foods are becoming more mainstream, and Jessica believes agriculture must take action in this space.

“Certainly, as we are taking these drastic steps to preserve our health and safety right now, you can't help but imagine a world where we're all much more dialed into food, food safety and how to keep ourselves healthy for the long term,” she said. “And I think the food and ag position to take the leadership role and thought leadership in this space is absolutely a great moment in time. And we should step up and seize it.”

Another critical development at this time could be a renewed sense of trust in science in the food space, which has traditionally been wary of science. Now, more than ever, we must listen to experts if we want to feed the world while also ensuring we protect it for future generations.

“We might be at the tipping point where consumers will permit science to re-enter the discussion on agriculture, food and nutrition,” said Jessica. “It's been very interesting to watch how COVID-19 has led to a re-appreciation of scientists, science, doctors and, in general, the return of experts. And we might have a newfound appetite for letting experts do more to ensure food security versus just hope for the best, which means we might have a chance of feeding the 10 billion and better preserving our planet.”

Traditionally, she explained, agriculture has answered questions of a more emotional nature with scientific responses, but food is a very emotional topic.

“Society has been asking emotional questions for the past couple decades about science in food and technology in food,” said Jessica. “And we, as an industry, have done kind of a lousy job and only given them scientific answers back. Now, things that I love in this space are thought leaders — much like Alltech and your Planet of Plenty™ work; you are stepping into that void, hearing that people want to have emotional answers, but then answering in a scientific way with data and facts.”

The future of food and retail

Jessica identified six long-term patterns that will continue to evolve as the agri-food space emerges from COVID-19:

1. Big data and the internet of things (IoT): People’s appreciation for harnessing information and gaining relevant insights is growing, and it will likely be used more moving forward. Society may therefore accept a tradeoff between data and privacy.
2. A stronger digital infrastructure: In conjunction with big data, IT departments and people around the world have been under great stress to ensure that a large number of people can complete work virtually, and the digital infrastructure should emerge much stronger as a result.
3. Tele-health, tele-education, tele-everything! Many things we thought could only be done in person can now be done online, and it could remain that way moving forward.
4. From “frictionless” to “touchless”: The user experience of the future will involve as little interaction as possible with hard surfaces and human beings, especially as we continue to determine how to conduct business during the pandemic. Retailers must help people to feel safe during these in-person experiences.
5. Widening income inequality: Unfortunately, there are likely to be deep political repercussions surrounding income inequality for years to come.
6. Stakeholder capitalism and ESG: The way companies treat their workforce today will have huge ramifications in the future, with those that focus on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of their businesses coming out on top.

The take-away, said Jessica, is that people will be more in tune with, and loyal to, brands that showed up well during the crisis with a strong focus on the ESG aspects of their business.

“Companies that are bold and don't let a good crisis go to waste will emerge stronger,” she explained. “But they also have to make sure that they're taking care of their communities and their workforce at the same time, which is a difficult balancing act and a needle that they'll have to thread, but one where I think, if you take that holistic stakeholder capitalism approach and think about the long term, you'll be able to navigate successfully and emerge as one of the winners from this chapter of history.”

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Sometimes, it takes leaving your world to better understand and appreciate the people you live and work alongside — just ask Cady Coleman. A retired NASA astronaut and colonel of the United States Air Force, Cady has spent more than 170 days in outer space during the course of three missions, including two on the Space Shuttle and a third as part of Expedition 27 on the International Space Station (ISS), where she lived for more than five months.

As the first featured keynote speaker at the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience, Cady gave a presentation on “Innovation in Isolation: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mental Strength, Creativity and Connectivity.” In both her lecture and her subsequent discussion with Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, Cady shared pictures and videos of her time in space — as well as some of the lessons she has learned, both on Earth and beyond.

Gaining new perspectives on people 220 miles from Earth

Cady didn’t always dream of being an astronaut. Despite the fact that her father was a deep-sea diver, she didn’t start thinking of herself as a potential explorer until she attended a campus lecture given by astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

“You see somebody that you can relate to, and I just thought, ‘Wow, maybe I could try to do that,’” said Cady.

After graduating from MIT, Cady was commissioned as a graduate of the Air Force ROTC and entered active duty on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a research chemist. During this time, she participated in the NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility experiment, where she set records in endurance and tolerance that still stand today.  

Unfortunately, not everyone recognized Cady’s potential as quickly as she herself did, but she was able to continue striving toward her goals thanks to her conviction that she deserved a seat at the table.

“I knew that I brought things to that team that others didn't,” said Cady. “And I cheerfully showed up to meetings that I wasn't invited to — not because people said, ‘Oh, we didn't like her’ or anything else; it was just that they looked at me and couldn't imagine that I should be part of that team. But I knew. And when it's something as important as exploring space, it gives you that extra courage to just say, ‘I know. I am showing up.’”

Cady’s persistence paid off: She was selected to be part of the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1992, and in 1995, she joined the crew of a scientific Space Shuttle mission that logged more than 15 days in space, orbiting the Earth 256 times and traveling more than 6 million miles. She experienced her second space flight in 1999 as a mission specialist in charge of deploying the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which conducts comprehensive studies of the universe and phenomena such as black holes. And in 2010, she became part of the mission that allowed her to spend 159 days on the ISS.

Throughout these missions, Cady began recognizing the beauty of diversity and differences in others. Among the most profound aspects from her time on the ISS was gaining a new perspective on the distance — or lack thereof — between people by seeing the Earth from above.  

“You just realize that everything is closer than you thought — and so is everyone,” she said. “We’d go around the Earth 16 times a day, and the Earth is turning, so we're always seeing a different slice of it. It becomes so clear that everything is connected — and, actually, everyone could be connected if they just knew that we're all there is.”

Teamwork makes the dream work, even in space

Recognizing the importance of other perspectives was pivotal to forming bonds and building a successful team on the ISS, where Cady lived and worked among astronauts from Italy, Russia and the United States.

“Most of the lessons I learned were about people, about being a crew,” she said. “I had to learn to ask different questions, and I had to learn to listen. You only know this little slice of (your colleagues’) life; you don't know the rest of it. And one of the ways to really make a group (work) is to find out more about the rest of them — really, the rest of their life.”

In space and on Earth, Cady noted, the differences among members of a team only make that team stronger, especially when we learn to appreciate other people’s unique offerings. 

“Every one of us is different,” she said. “Find some way to recognize what people bring (to the table). Make them tell stories about themselves in a group. Get to know each other a little bit. Just knowing a little bit more about somebody, I think, can help you realize that they bring other things.”

The ability to collaborate with different people has made Cady a successful leader. She posits that exhibiting true concern for and attention to others is one of the most basic and important tenets of leadership and teambuilding.

“Somebody asked me the other day how I basically got people to trust me as a leader, and it made me realize: It's (that) I ask people about themselves,” said Cady. “I do that because I want them to know that I see them and I know that they are more of a person than just the part that comes to work.”

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

Once trust and appreciation have been built among team members, the next most important step, said Cady, is focusing on the mission at hand. This concept of taking on a mission and striving to meet a goal is one that Cady has found herself thinking a lot about in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. If anyone knows about social distancing and experiencing long stretches of isolation, it’s astronauts like Cady, who asserts that identifying and focusing on a mission is key to getting through difficult times.

“We have this advantage as space explorers that we're part of the mission,” she noted. “It's really clear to you that you've got a job to do, so it's easy to think, ‘It's important for me to be ready, and all these actions, they're important.’ But I think, with COVID-19, the mission can be less tangible. The fact that you stay in your house with your family and stay safe doesn't feel like this step forward. And yet it is. It's a step toward the mission. And I think what can help people is just (to) give it a name. This is the mission: staying safe.”

In Cady’s mind, there are some aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown that are actually harder to deal with than being in space — especially the unknowns.

“The hardest thing that we don't actually have to wrestle with much in space is that we know, eventually, we're coming home,” she pointed out. “I was up there for six months, and the mission was extended by two weeks, which I was incredibly thrilled about, but it's still finite, whereas, with COVID-19, there's a lot of uncertainties — about finances, about dreams, about what you're going to be able to do next. And owning that uncertainty, I think, is really helpful — realizing that it's hard and just acknowledge you're working through hard things.”

Cady’s unique perspective on life has helped her see a silver lining in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: That, despite being physically distant from each other, people are coming together to help their neighbors and make important changes.

“I see a lot of positive happening,” she said. “I see this on the internet, I see it in the news — different people coming together, seeing something that they can do together and doing it. It's so hopeful.”

Of all the things Cady learned as an astronaut, her new perspective on humanity and the planet we live on may have been the most meaningful.

“I used to think that space was someplace different — like, ‘I'm on Earth, I'm going to go to space’ — but actually arriving up there, it just made me realize that Earth and the place that we live is just bigger than we thought,” she said. “And yet, it's home. And I think, for all of us, getting to look at what is home — home to our ancestors, home to our families — is what is the most special thing to look at as we go around the Earth.”

The magic of space exploration has clearly not lost its sparkle for Cady, whose wonder for the world and what lies beyond is uncapped — but whose unique experience away from Earth has only helped her appreciate her fellow man all the more.  

“It's like leading the life of Peter Pan, and everything is different, and everything is a discovery,” she said. “But we're still human. We each have our own way of bringing that experience back home.”

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Many tried-and-tested theories come up again and again in global economics. These are the philosophies and formulae that our leading economists use as the foundation of their own musings and studies. But there are situations in which these theories fall short, and our greatest minds are obligated to look elsewhere for their underpinning wisdom.

Speaking at the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience, respected Irish economist David McWilliams admitted that he was confronted with this very issue when thinking about how the economy will develop post-COVID-19.

“We are at this extraordinary, one-off moment where the global economy is now in a tailspin,” said McWilliams, “and the timing of when we get out of that is not going to be dictated by anything you and I understand in economics.”

Fortunately, having worked as an economist for around 25 years, as well as taking up a professorial post at Trinity College Dublin, McWilliams has built up other resources outside of regular economic texts that he can look to for inspiration. His advice in this instance is to look to history to determine how our ancestors dealt with and emerged from similar challenges. The events of the past have helped to inform him on:

• Short-term remedies.
• Long-term changes.
• The possible economic opportunities of the future.

Using history as his basis, McWilliams offered insights into three potential economic phases as the world moves beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

1. A shifting psychology

One point that McWilliams was certain of is that the world post-COVID will definitely not be the same as before, and neither will be the ways we look and think about our economic future. Referencing major, world-changing events of the past, such as World War I and the fall of the Berlin Wall, he said that crises tend to dramatically shift people's ways of thinking and operating.

“What was radical before the crisis becomes mainstream, and what was mainstream becomes redundant,” explained McWilliams during his keynote presentation.

However, McWilliams believes that a drastic change in outlook is necessary for the world to get itself back on track. He spoke about the monetary authorities around the globe as a point of reference, specifically about how they are using money and spending to help fix the current global issues. This unprecedented spending goes against the economic principles of any country. It will also doubtless lead to challenges, such as mass inflation, further down the line. But McWilliams is adamant that, in a crisis, it is essential to deal with the immediate problem first and cross the next bridge when you come to it.

“You know, if you're on a football team, you don't face the potential team if they do this, that or the other,” analogized McWilliams. “You've got to face the team that's in front of you.”

But quick thinking and action can only keep going for so long. Mindsets will change again, and tough decisions will need to be made.

“I think the consensus that locking down is the most important thing will begin to atrophy as the economic pain amplifies, and that's a big worry,” mused McWilliams. “It's very, very hard to know where we draw the line and the trade-offs we have to make — what they are and how to make them.”

As we move forward, McWilliams does believe that there should be a serious discussion about the long-term sustainability of our economies during varying states of lockdown.

2. The new global supply chain

When it comes to the long-term effects of global economics, McWilliams predicts yet another significant shift in thought processes and priorities.

“I think what's quite obvious for a global business is that the supply chain is going to change profoundly,” he stated.

Again, looking at history, McWilliams pointed out that from the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 right up until early March 2020, the global mindset stayed the same.

“The great corporate economic narrative is globalization, based on an extended and efficient supply chain,” explained McWilliams, “where sourcing and assembling become crucial.”

However, instead of history repeating itself, McWilliams believes that the events of COVID-19 will completely change people's perceptions of what is vital for their businesses and supply chains. He thinks that the most notable differences will be that:

• More emphasis will be put on reliability.
• Cost and efficiency will become less critical factors.

“I think what's going to happen is that the more extended the supply chain, the more likely you'll see that people will come back and begin to manufacture in countries that they really, really want to do business with — they trust, they understand, they feel comfortable there,” said McWilliams. “And I think that maybe price, which had been the dominant vector for many, many years in the supply chain management, will probably be elbowed out by security, by perceptions of security. Can we keep this plant open? Do we know what we're actually dealing with?”

Spring-boarding off of this change in mindset, however, McWilliams believes that opportunities will arise for small countries to become important players in the global supply chain. He used his native Ireland as an example of how this can happen. From being in the depths of recession in the 1980s — when McWilliams’ own father lost his job — the country has grown economically and socially to become an essential cog in international business by building trust and relationships.

“I think small cogs in the global supply chain, countries that position themselves well, could do extremely well,” McWilliams explained. “I think there's a huge opportunity, because I do think supply chains will contract. And I think that relationships will trump price; I think trust will trump competitive edge.”

3. Opportunities arise

Taking both of these major mindset shifts into account, McWilliams believes that businesses and leaders with the right wherewithal could find lucrative prospects in this new economic landscape. Again, this theory is based on narratives that have repeated throughout history.

In his presentation, McWilliams first referenced Florence, Italy, in the 1300s. Having suffered an enormous death toll due to the Black Death in 1347, it was believed that Florence’s then-thriving society would never recover. However, the Florentines contradicted all assumptions by ushering in the Renaissance, a historical period that forever changed how we view the world and operate within it. McWilliams then noted that something similar happened in the United States after the flu pandemic of 1918 to 1920. The country entered the new decade by diving nose-first into a period of intense deflation — but from this dark pit of despair sparked the now-famous Roaring ’20s, an economic upswing that brought electricity, radio and motor cars.

“There are many instances where you imagine that humanity will go into a tailspin,” said McWilliams, “and what humanity actually does is entrepreneurs come through, leaders come through, thinkers come through, and they change the world.”

With regard to the post-COVID-19 economy, McWilliams sees the same opportunities arising once again. While he did admit that not everyone will succeed and a lot of money will be lost across the board, there is potential for entrepreneurs to adapt and shine. Furthermore, putting faith in this entrepreneurial spirit, he believes that an economy can repair itself.

“These opportunities emerge in crises, and you just have to have the self-confidence and belief in yourself to keep plowing on,” assured McWilliams. “And I think, as I said before, all these crises lead to great renewal. And great renewal stems from people taking a risk because things have changed, and normality has changed. And that normality, in a way, is full of risks already, so why not go ahead and direct your own risk, in that regard.”

McWilliams concluded by again looking at a work from history. He cited the poem “The Second Coming” by famous Irish literary W.B. Yeats, saying, “The center will not hold, and things will fall apart only if the best people lack all conviction, allowing the worst people to come through and be full of what he called passionate intensity, full of slogans, and dominate the agenda.”

McWilliams explained that this is a message of rallying urgency, calling on all leaders to step up and figure out a way through the situation that lies ahead. This, he believes, is how humans have survived adverse periods throughout history, and how we will do so once again.

“All these things, this is all part of what I call the great commercial adventure of life,” stated McWilliams. “As long as we put commerce at the center, in terms of the adventure that is commercial adventure, and we protect it, then it's an evergreen urge that humans have, and it will not be defeated.”

Visit one.alltech.com for more information.

Long, sun-soaked days and blue skies lie ahead as we approach the summer season. Many of us — our pets included — enjoy more outdoor activities during this time of year, but it’s imperative to remember that dogs and hot weather don’t always mix. Building an understanding of how to keep your pets cool in the summer is essential. Even backyard summer picnics and barbecues can quickly become dangerous for our four-legged friends, as many human foods are toxic for dogs. So, what steps can you take to keep man’s best friend safe?

1. Provide adequate water.

Dehydration can happen quickly and have serious consequences. Understanding how to prevent dehydration in dogs is essential. Always have fresh, clean water on hand, especially when it’s particularly hot or humid outside. Early signs of dehydration in dogs include:

• Loss of skin elasticity
• Reduced energy
• Dry mouth and gums
• Dry nose
• Excessive panting

You should offer a mildly dehydrated dog small amounts of water every few minutes. Providing too much water too quickly could cause vomiting, which would only further dehydrate the animal.

More serious signs of dehydration may include:

• Vomiting and diarrhea or loss of appetite
• Sunken, dry eyes
• Loss of coordination
• Weakness
• Signs of shock, such as rapid heart rate, a weakened pulse or shivering

Severely dehydrated dogs need immediate medical attention and often require rehydration through intravenous fluids. Call your veterinarian as soon as you notice the first signs of severe dehydration.

2. Understand the signs of overheating in dogs.

Overheating is often linked to dehydration, as dogs are unable to regulate their body temperature as efficiently as humans. Panting and vasodilation in the ears and face play a key role in helping overheated dogs cool down.

Overheating can lead to heat exhaustion and potentially deadly heat stroke. Brachycephalic or flat-faced breeds, such as bulldogs, pugs and boxers, are especially prone to overheating in the summer months because their facial anatomy prevents them from panting efficiently. Overweight dogs and those with dark coats are also at increased risk. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of the following signs:

• Body temperature in excess of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (102.5 is normal; temperatures of 106 or higher can damage internal organs and prove fatal)
• Heavy panting
• Excessive drooling
• Bright red gums
• Rapid or irregular pulse
• Seizures or muscle tremors
• Loss of coordination or consciousness

3. Don’t shave your dog.

Many well-intentioned owners naturally equate more fur with a warmer dog in the summer months and are inspired to shave their pets in order to provide them relief, but this is not generally wise. Shorthaired, single-coated dogs are typically more heat-tolerant by nature, but the fur on double-coated breeds, such as Australian shepherds, Shelties and Samoyeds, are actually dual-purpose, keeping them both warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Learn more about why shaving doesn’t keep your dog cool.

4. Never leave your pet unattended in your vehicle.

Even when you leave the windows cracked or park in a shady spot, the temperature inside your car can climb in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of minutes during warmer months. If you can’t take your dog inside with you at each of your destinations, either drop them off at home before you complete your errands or leave them there to begin with.

5. Be sensible about hot-weather exercise and play.

This is important to keep in mind as you exercise your dog to ensure that they don’t overdo it. Choose cooler times of the day, such as early morning or evening, or consider going for a swim or running through the sprinkler instead. Not all dogs are strong swimmers, so it’s important not to leave them unattended around pools and other bodies of water. If you’re exercising on hot pavement, asphalt or sand, don’t forget your dog’s paws. If these surfaces are too hot to walk on with your bare feet, the same will be true for your dog; as such, it’s best to put dog booties on them or wait until the footing cools down.

6. Avoid getting into the habit of feeding your dog people food.

Not only does this often lead to unwelcome behaviors like begging, it can also embolden your dog to scavenge for scraps and prey on unsuspecting visitors who might inadvertently provide your pooch with items that are potentially dangerous. Backyard barbecues are ripe with risky temptations, such as:

• Cooked bones: Dogs and bones don’t always go together. Cooked bones can easily splinter into dangerous shards that may lead to choking or cause other serious damage to a dog’s mouth, throat or digestive tract.
• Rich foods: That creamy potato salad or mayonnaise-infused dip may seem like a good idea at first, but if we’re not used to such rich flavor, it can come back to haunt us in the form of gastrointestinal upset. The same holds true for your dog.
• Onions: These classic burger toppings may add great flavor to your meal, but they contain a substance that is toxic for dogs and can damage their red blood cells, leading to anemia.
• Grapes or raisins: Both are highly toxic and can lead to acute kidney failure, even in small amounts.
• Corn on the cob: While corn itself is not toxic to dogs, the cob is a choking hazard that could also lead to intestinal obstruction and an emergency vet visit.
• Chocolate: Ingestion of this sweet indulgence might also spur an emergency visit to the vet, depending on the type and amount of chocolate consumed, as well as the size of your dog.

7. Think before you light those fireworks.

If your dog is afraid of thunder, odds are that he or she will also be afraid of the loud noises associated with fireworks. A dog’s hearing is far more sensitive than our own, and they can hear sounds four times further away than we can. Imagine what a boom that is loud to us sounds like to our dogs.

If you have an anxious dog that is fearful of loud noises, do your utmost to keep them calm and comfortable, ideally leaving them indoors in a covered crate that might create an added sense of security and safety. Provide a distraction, such as a favorite chew toy, and turn up the TV or radio to help drown out the outdoor noise.

8. Don’t forget about flea, tick and heartworm prevention.

More time spent outdoors means that pets are at an increased risk for complications associated with pests. As Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus is thought to have said, “Prevention is better than cure.”

Fleas are prevalent in neighborhood mice and rabbits and can easily transfer to your pet, causing issues like excessive itching and hair loss. They can also be a nightmare to get rid of once they are in your home. Ticks are perhaps less of a nuisance than fleas but can transmit serious illnesses, such as Lyme disease, which predominantly causes lethargy and recurrent lameness due to joint inflammation. Prevention is ideal. There are several highly effective flea and tick preventatives on the market today; ask your veterinarian for recommendations.

Heartworm is spread by mosquito bites and is a serious and potentially fatal disease. Fortunately, however, it is considered almost 100% preventable in dogs and cats. Even if your pet spends the majority of its time indoors, it’s important to provide a regular heartworm preventative, which must be prescribed by your veterinarian.

I want to learn more about pet health and nutrition.

The summer season is generally a favorite among the equestrian crowd, as it not only equates to more riding and training time but also to weekends spent at shows and clinics or out on the trails. In addition, our horses get to enjoy some long-awaited grass and increased turnout time, often trading in bulky winter blankets for lighter fly gear.

Of course, everything has its downsides. I once read a quote that said, “Nothing is ever only good or bad. Everything is somewhere in the middle.” I think the same could most certainly be said about summer, for it brings both respite and risk. With this in mind, let’s explore four of the most commonly concerning summertime hazards associated with horses:

1. Heat stress:

It is critical to build an understanding of how to keep horses cool in the summer, especially if you are planning to increase your horse’s time spent working under saddle. Since equines can easily overheat, heat stress in horses is something all equestrians should take very seriously. What may first simply appear to be poor performance can rapidly escalate to potentially fatal heat exhaustion or stroke. If you suspect that your horse is succumbing to overheating, you must act quickly by taking the following steps:

• Walk the horse out. This not only encourages circulation — it also helps bring heated blood to the surface of the skin for cooling and can help regulate body temperature.
• Let the horse drink its fill of cool water. Contrary to popular belief, allowing a hot horse to drink cold water will not cause colic and muscle cramping.
• Splash or spray cold water directly onto the horse and then scrape it off to aid with evaporative cooling. Repeat this process until the skin feels cool to the touch and the horse’s breathing appears to have returned to normal.
• If the horse’s behavior and drinking habits have not returned to normal within one hour, or if you witness more significant signs of heat stress before then, contact your veterinarian immediately. Intravenous hydration and other medical measures may be required to prevent potentially irreversible damage or loss of life.

2. Biting flies:

Unfortunately, summer and flies are a package deal. And while stable flies and horse flies sometimes seem like nothing more than an ever-present annoyance, fly bites on horses can carry serious implications, such as disease transmission, weight loss, and hoof issues associated with stomping and restlessness. Even the most all-encompassing fly turnout gear can’t keep them completely at bay, but proper sanitation and stable management can go a long way in controlling the fly population of your barn.

Fly management tips:

• Keep manure picked up, and pile it a good distance from facilities, waterers and paddocks.
• Make sure all garbage cans have tight-fitting lids and are cleaned out regularly.
• Keep waterers in good condition and place them away from areas where horses are fed.
• Consider screening any windows in the feed and tack rooms, as well as in box stalls.
• Use fans that direct airflow down and outward. This will help keep flies from entering barns.
• Fly traps and sticky paper are effective means of capturing flies, and they can also be useful in documenting fly numbers over time. A notable increase in flies caught from one week to the next could serve as an alert that it’s time to check on your sanitation measures and improve upon your fly-control techniques.

Flies generally require a combination of breeding material, ideal moisture and adequate warmth to develop. Therefore, eliminating breeding sites is the key to a successful fly-control program. Barns and paddocks should be thoroughly cleaned once per week to assist in breaking fly life cycles. Insecticides should only be considered as a supplement to fly control.

3. Sweet itch:

Contrary to its somewhat sugary-sounding name, sweet itch in horses is a serious nuisance. Also known as summer itch, this seasonal recurrent dermatitis is typically caused by an allergic reaction to a genus of biting midges known as Culicoides, commonly referred to as “no-see-ums” or gnats. Affected horses often become very itchy in the spring and may rub out their manes and tails in an attempt to relieve itchy skin. You may also notice skin irritation along their toplines, jaws, axillary regions and ventral midlines.

Treatment options include supplementing diets with a source of omega-3 fatty acids, providing antihistamines or applying topical creams and insect repellents, but the best course of action is taking steps to prevent or eliminate the presence of these pests. You should regularly remove manure from both stalls and pastures and use stall fans to discourage gnats from lingering. Keep at-risk horses inside at dawn and dusk, as these are the most active feeding hours for midges.

4. Sunburn:

Humans have grown increasingly concerned with skin health, especially when it comes to sun-related safety. However, it can be somewhat easy to overlook horse sunburn protection, despite a real need for it — particularly for those with white-skinned areas or pale coats. Sunburn most commonly affects the faces and heels of horses because these areas often have non-pigmented, pink skin patches and less hair coverage. Just as with humans, this condition can not only be painful but is recurrently associated with an increased likelihood of developing skin cancer.

Owners must take preventative measures with horses prone to sunburn, such as stabling during daylight hours and providing overnight turnout time instead. Many human sunscreens are viable options for horses, and those containing zinc oxide are thought to be the most effective. However, you must reapply it at regular intervals for this method to be truly impactful. A full-face fly mask with ears and UV protection may also prove helpful.

I want to learn more about equine health and nutrition.

The egg industry is currently going through its fair share of challenges. With production outstripping consumption and prices being squeezed, producers are looking for more ways to improve the efficiency of their businesses.

To try to achieve this, many are looking into how they can:

• Improve eggshell quality.
• Increase the number of eggs laid, with regular discussions around a target of 500 eggs per bird.
• Lengthen the laying cycle.

With these objectives in mind, the role of layer gut health in production has never been more pertinent.

Egg production, for the laying hen, is a taxing process, considering the energy they use and the stress they endure. It is a biologically complex procedure, and to achieve the highest-quality eggs, the bird’s performance needs to be optimal. By trying to push the boundaries of a bird’s laying capability, we run the risk of compromising the quality of the end result.

If gut health in layers is not at its best, you will see the effects in the eggs they produce. In fact, gastrointestinal challenges are known to be connected to:

• Fragile shells.
• Dirty eggs.
• Short and less abundant laying cycles.

These are issues that will not only hurt your birds but, in the long term, hurt your profits, too.

By making gut health a priority, we can ensure that layers have the resources they need to produce successfully. On top of this, when we talk about pushing the boundaries in terms of what our birds can do, optimal gut health is the key to safely achieving these goals.

Eggshell essentials

When aiming to “improve eggshell quality,” it is essential to distinguish precisely what that means. Generally, a good-quality shell is one that does not crack easily and, as a result, will reduce the number of seconds. However, increasing shell thickness does not necessarily improve quality; it is the structure of the shell that is crucial.

Many enzymes and minerals are involved in the creation of the shell structure. Layers receive the required minerals through their diet, but these minerals must be readily bioavailable for them to be useful in the egg-creation process. The small intestine cannot absorb non-bioavailable minerals.

We also need to be wary of how much of a mineral is included in the diet formulation, as well as the interactions of that mineral once it is consumed. Calcium carbonate, for example, is crucial for eggshell formation, and it is often presumed that increasing the amount of calcium in the diet will automatically lead to more durable shells. However, there is a negligible balance to be considered. Calcium, when dissolved in the gastrointestinal system, can interact with other minerals, reducing their absorption. This, in turn, can have a direct impact on other structural components of the egg, diminishing quality.

With these factors in mind, the best method for ensuring optimum bioavailability is to use chelated minerals in the diet. They will have fewer reactions with other minerals, allowing the bird to absorb more of the mineral. By ensuring that layers are getting the most out of their feed, we give them the best chance to maintain a healthy gut and, as a result, produce high-quality eggs.

Laying healthier and longer

The laying hen can naturally continue to produce eggs for many years, but her peak production will naturally decline with age. Genetic advances in recent years have allowed birds to produce nearly one egg per day, from week 18 to week 75. In some cases, however, the push for large eggs — which come at end-of-lay — has extended this period to 80+ weeks.

Lengthening the egg-laying period puts more stress on the bird, as she must create a metabolically rich egg while also maintaining her body weight and dealing with any additional challenges from the environment that may impact the immune system. It is worth noting that if the energy requirements of the bird are not being met, at a certain point, her body will shut down the reproductive system that was producing the eggs in favor of supporting her body weight and providing energy for vital bodily systems.

Healthy gut, healthy lay

Between 50–80% of the immune system functions in some way through the gut. Many factors can trigger the immune system, such as:

• Mycotoxins.
• New diets.
• High levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria, known as dysbacteriosis.

The immune response in the gut generally takes the form of inflammation, which produces additional mucous layers. Added mucous creates an extra barrier for the minerals to pass through before being absorbed. This means that if an inflammatory response is underway, it is unlikely that the bird will receive its full mineral requirement, impacting eggshell structure and, therefore, strength and quality.

Maintaining and promoting gut health in flocks:

• Increases villi height.
• Reduces villi-crypt ratio.
• Improves tight junctions between cells.

Villi with improved height will have an enhanced surface area and, therefore, can absorb more nutrients to sustain the hen for longer lay cycles. Improving tight junctions will prevent bacteria from becoming translocated into the bloodstream, which can lead to a multitude of problems — including, in the worst cases, diseases like colisepticemia.

The addition of Actigen®, a unique bioactive product derived from the Saccharomyces cervisiae yeast strain, in layer feed can help to optimize gut health. Actigen works to normalize and promote diverse gut bacteria. This helps with the maintenance of the bird’s gastrointestinal integrity and stability, which, in turn, supports its immune defense and gut health.

Getting the balance right

In a natural setting, the microbiome — the microbial population in the gut — is developed from the mother as the chick is raised in the nest. Our modern systems mean that this does not happen, so the creation and maintenance of the microbiome should be considered when determining management practices. Keeping the microbiome balanced will go a long way to improving layer gut health and egg production.

Many producers have been successful in improving gut health and the microbiome via the implementation of Alltech’s Seed, Feed, Weed program to manage the composition of the intestinal microbial community. This involves accelerating the evolution of the microbial community to a steady state and then maintaining the status quo. The Seed, Feed, Weed program achieves this by:

• Seeding the gut with favorable organisms.
• Feeding these favorable organisms.
• Weeding out the unfavorable organisms.

By helping to maintain the microbiome balance, this program works to improve shell quality and enable a healthier, longer lay.

Producers in the egg industry are desperately seeking out ways to help their birds continue to lay more in the safest way possible. Quality food will help layers produce quality eggs — but this is only effective if the bird is able to absorb the beneficial nutrients that come from it in the first place. Improving the gut health of birds in lay will enable them to absorb a higher proportion of their feed. This will not only aid the overall wellbeing of the layer but will also give them the foundations to successfully and safely produce better eggs for a longer period of time.

I want to learn more about poultry nutrition. 

One of the primary goals of all livestock producers is to keep their herds healthy. Unfortunately, however, illness is often unavoidable — and some very easily transmitted but deadly ailments can be traced back to one source: Clostridium.

What is Clostridium, and how do you know when it is causing problems in your herd?

Clostridia are gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria that are often found in the soil and manure or in feedstuffs that have been contaminated.

“It’s around us all the time, everywhere,” said Dr. Luke Miller, a veterinary elite dairy advisor at Alltech. “Because it’s a spore former, soil contamination caused by clostridia can last through the winter. It can last in the desert, during heat stress, cold stress — all that stuff has very little effect on clostridia.”

Unlike many other disease-causing bacteria, clostridia are not contagious or passed from animal to animal.  

“There’s pretty much two ways you’re going to get a Clostridium infection,” said Luke. “You’re going to get it through either ingesting contaminated food or through a cut, an open wound or something like that. There’s always some insult that has to occur for a clostridial infection to flourish.”

It is possible for an animal to ingest clostridia and not be affected, as spores can lay dormant in the intestine. Clostridia become pathogenic when something about the animal’s diet, habitat or body changes — if the animal eats too much starch or carbohydrates, for example, or experiences a tissue injury, either internal (e.g., liver abscesses) or external (e.g., cuts or gashes). These issues — namely, a decrease in or lack of oxygen within the tissue — create favorable conditions for the proliferation of this bacteria.

Homing in on Clostridium perfringens

There are numerous types of clostridial bacteria, but cattle producers should be specifically concerned about Clostridium perfringens, which can have a major impact on an animal’s gut health — especially young animals, including calves that are less than 2 months old, because they have not yet developed a fully functioning rumen or a complete gut flora.

C. perfringens lives on starches and sugars, which explains why it proliferates when cattle start eating more carbohydrates. It can also spread when the animal experiences stress or is dealing with another condition that affects the gut, such as diarrhea. When elevated levels of the toxins released by C. perfringens enter the bloodstream — including alpha toxin, which is highly virulent — animals can experience inflammation, shock, cardiac arrest and even death.

What are the symptoms of clostridial disease in cattle?

Clostridium can lead to gut distress in cattle — especially when they are specifically dealing with C. perfringens, which can lead to symptoms and issues that include:

• Enterotoxemia (also known as purple gut; when toxins from bacteria that are usually found in the intestine enter the bloodstream)
• Severe diarrhea/stomach upset
• Abdominal pain
• Bloat
• Decreased appetite/intestinal movement
• Abomasum distention
• Leaky gut
• Bubbles in the manure
• Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
• Stalled calves
• ADR (“ain’t doin’ right”) — general malaise, etc.
• Blindness
• Sudden death

How can clostridial infections be prevented or defeated?

While it can be difficult to treat enteric diseases in cattle, including infections caused by C. perfringens, it is not impossible. Learn more about the various ways you can protect your animals against dangerous clostridia below.

1. Work with your vet to implement a vaccine protocol

Consult with your veterinarian about creating a proper vaccination program for your herd, as vaccines can help protect against some of the most common clostridial diseases in cattle, including enterotoxemia, blackleg, redwater and tetanus.

“There are many kinds and brands of vaccines for Clostridium,” said Miller. “Meet with your veterinarian to decide a proper vaccination protocol that addresses your operation’s needs and takes into account your regional pathogen load and issues.”

Miller also recommends being as proactive as possible about making sure your other cattle don’t contract clostridia once it has been identified in a member of the herd. After all, while clostridia can’t be transmitted from animal to animal, if the entire herd is eating the same contaminated feed or is walking on contaminated soil, more instances of infection are likely to crop up.  

2. Help the gut microbiome flourish by feeding probiotics

As defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits by helping digest food, destroying disease-causing cells and producing vitamins. Some of the microorganisms contained in probiotics are similar to — or even the same as — microorganisms that live naturally in the bodies of humans and animals. As such, probiotics help “complement the gut biome,” in Miller’s words, making it more robust and bolstering its ability to fight off colonization by detrimental bacteria like C. perfringens.

“You can get colonization with good bacteria every day with probiotics, and they simply out-eat the competition for nutrients,” said Miller. “When they eat more starch, the Clostridium won’t be able to. They’re keeping the pH where they like it, not where the Clostridium likes it.”

3. Keep the gut healthy with products like Select BAC™

While the methods mentioned above can help protect against clostridial diseases in cattle, some intestinal issues caused by C. perfringens are not addressed by vaccines and/or probiotics. Select BAC™, a new product offering from Alltech, serves as a great nutritional solution for helping solve the problems created by Clostridium. This complete gut health pack includes both enzymes and probiotics, which play a pivotal role in maintaining the health of the gut.

“We’re throwing in the whole kitchen sink of what science thinks is good for the gut in Select BAC,” Miller said. “We’re helping you heal your herd’s gut.”

Clostridium is nearly impossible to avoid, and the effects it can have on cattle herds are difficult to grasp. Fortunately, a variety of Clostridium perfringens treatments and methods of prevention are available, including establishing a vaccination program and feeding probiotics and enzymes. Hopefully, by utilizing these techniques, producers can begin to feel more at ease about the health of their herds.

References

“Clostridial disease.” MSD Animal Health, http://www.msd-animal-health.ie/diseases/cattle/clostridial-disease/information.aspx.

“Clostridium perfringens infections in baby calves.” Drovers, 26 March 2013, www.drovers.com/article/clostridium-perfringens-infections-baby-calves.

Thomas, Heather Smith. “Calving Tips: How to Prevent Acute Gut Infection in Beef Calves.” Beef Magazine, 22 March 2013, www.beefmagazine.com/calving/calving-tips-how-prevent-acute-gut-infection-beef-calves.

Thomas, Heather Smith. “Clostridial Infections in Calves.” Angus Journal, 26 April 2017, www.angus.org/Media/News/FullArticle.aspx?asTitle=Clostridial-Infections-in-Calves&aiId=786.

I would like more information about Clostridium in cattle.

Of all of the things that affect crop production, the environment is the single-most influential factor. Both the positive benefits and the negative stressors created by the environment not only affect plant growth and the actual yield attained at harvest — they also play a critical role in whether a plant will be able to reach its full genetic potential.

What are the stressors?

Rain, cold, heat and even the wind — the same meteorological factors that assist in crop growth — can also become great villains when they occur in excess, causing damage and destruction. Environmental stress can reduce plant productivity and overall crop production, resulting in economic instability for the farmer. Biotechnology is one weapon of choice when combating the adverse impacts caused by meteorological factors.

• Flooding can lead to soil erosion, a decrease in oxygen supply and an increase in disease risk.  Developmental challenges also mean lower crop yields and higher weed competition pressure.
• Drought can result in stunted plants and limited root growth. Crop yields can decrease, and growers are more likely to cut their total planted acreage in order to limit their probable losses.
• Extreme weather, such as hail and high winds, can not only damage leaves, flowers and fruit but can break or detach them altogether, significantly impacting productivity.
• Freezing temperatures and frost can damage plants via the ice crystals that form. These crystals can cut plant cells, damage and kill flowers during the flowering period and even kill the entire plant.

What happens when plants are stressed?

Winter rains and snow ensure adequate soil moisture in preparation for the following season.  However, as changes in climate affect agricultural cycles and conditions, farmers frequently face cold soils at planting, which result in plants taking more time and energy to establish themselves.

“Injuries caused by these stress factors can result in delayed establishment and development, or even the complete loss of hectares of crop,” explained Nicolas Body, Alltech Crop Science European technical manager. “Improving the soil microbiology and enhancing a well-structured root system creates the circumstances to help plants better resist and overcome these stressful situations.”

Reactions to stress can range from slightly burned leaves to the death of plant tissue, both below- and above-ground.

“This causes the plant to suffer a long period of environmental stress and to reduce the initial grubbing up, impacting its size and productive potential,” Body continued.

At these stages, the leaves are small and fragile, and the plant expends a lot of energy to recover from environmental damage. 

How to combat environmental stressors

It is important to keep the soil and plants nourished, even before the seeds are planted. Providing balanced nutrition beginning at the very early stages of the plant’s life and throughout the entire crop cycle can help prepare the plant to face any environmental stressors. 

• Before planting, growers should look at soil tests to identify any areas that need help so as to improve the soil’s microbial activity and nutrient availability. By improving the soil’s organic matter, there could also be an increase in the soil’s ability to hold and drain moisture, depending on need. Nutrients become more available to roots, and the improved nature of the soil allows those roots to grow further and spread out more, creating a stronger base for the plants and boosting their ability to reduce plant stress throughout the seasons.
• After planting, ensuring that plants are able to find and use important nutrients at the necessary levels is integral to decreasing the effect that environmental stressors can have on the plants. A fortified plant is better able to withstand stronger winds and can bounce back from hail damage more effectively. 
• Biostimulant technologies can be used to promote the plant’s root growth and its development and productivity.

How do biostimulants help plants?

Biostimulants can act on plant physiology as signalling molecules to improve the plant’s ability to resist stress and improve its response to those stressors. Noticeable improvements can be seen in plant processes such as:

• Growth
• The establishment, setting and bulking of fruit or grain
• The ability to face some of the biggest agricultural challenges — abiotic stresses like drought and salinity

The Alltech Crop Science (ACS) range of soil and performance solutions uses biotechnology to promote increased root growth, balanced nutrition and improved performance in plants. Nutritionally balanced and complexed with high-quality amino acids, Alltech Crop Science solutions allow for more rapid absorption and the improved movement of nutrients throughout the plant to where they are most needed, promoting increased quality and productivity.

As an agronomic segment, cereals and grains are expected to become the largest market share for the use of biologicals, due to higher demands for environmentally friendly fertilizers and bans on chemicals used as inputs in agriculture.

“It's a new frontier,” said Body. “Biologicals could contribute to the ability to stimulate the plant's own capacity for biochemical responses against stress factors.”

Body also pointed out two additional key benefits from the increased use of this technology.

“A greater global use of biologicals could help in improving chemically treated lands and water sources,” he said. “Their use can reduce the use of pesticides and will improve the efficient use of nutrients such as nitrogen.”

Growers are choosing more natural ways to manage their productions in an effort to be more sustainable. They are naturally strengthening their plants and making them less susceptible to the damages that can be incurred by the environmental stressors that vary from year to year. Increased soil and plant health — as well as the consequent increased productivity — make these naturally based technologies and investments well worth it.

I want to learn more about natural crop solutions.

With the numerous health and environmental challenges disrupting the pig industry at present, the summer heat is one seasonal condition that pig farmers cannot afford to let stifle their profitability. Heat stress can take a serious toll on pig performance, especially in breeding herds and finisher pigs. Heat and wide fluctuations in temperature are often immensely stressful for the animals, resulting in diminished performance, health problems and, eventually, economic losses for the farmer.

Why are pigs so sensitive to heat stress?

Pigs are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature because they do not have functional sweat glands and, therefore, do not have a way of efficiently cooling themselves. In addition, pigs have relatively small lungs for their body size, making it difficult for them to remove excess internal heat.

“Even during the hottest time of the day, pigs are still producing additional body heat from eating and moving around the barn,” said Russell Gilliam, U.S. swine business leader for Alltech. “Since pigs have few sweat glands, cooling off by perspiration is not much of an option. Respiratory rates begin to increase at around 70° Fahrenheit, and with high humidity, it becomes difficult for pigs to find relief from the heat on their own.”

Temperature fluctuations that continue from the summer into the fall season produce additional challenges. Wide variations in temperature between night and day can compound the stress that the animals already experienced as a result of increased temperatures.

What are the symptoms of heat stress in pigs?

One of the negative effects of heat stress is reduced feed intake. When pigs eat less, they convert less feed into muscle, thus reducing average daily gain (ADG) and potentially increasing their days to market. In turn, this can also lead to a heightened risk of health challenges and, ultimately, additional costs for producers.

Other symptoms include:

• Increased respiratory rate (panting)
• Excessive water intake and increasing loss of electrolytes
• Reduced activity
• Lying stretched on the floor, often separated from others

6 management strategies to reduce heat stress in pigs

Although stress cannot be completely avoided, the goal should be to minimize it as much as possible. Below are some quick tips for reducing heat stress and its negative effects:

1. Control the temperature, and make sure the temperature only shifts a few degrees in the barn.
2. Ensure that each pig has enough space and ventilation.
3. Coincide feeding times with the cooler parts of the day (e.g., earlier or later in the day).
4. Provide pigs with unlimited access to fresh and cool drinking water.
5. Move and transport work pigs early, keep them in groups and let them set the pace. Spend time with them prior to the move to ease their stress.
6. Tailor their diets to include technologies that will support them during stress.

Balancing temperature, ventilation and humidity

When pigs are kept at temperatures above their comfort zone, feed intake is sure to decrease, as are daily gains. In modern swine barns, pigs are at a greater risk of experiencing heat stress than cold stress. Ensure that all fans, sprinklers, cool cells and other cooling equipment are adequately maintained so that they will function properly during the hot summer months.

In addition, make sure that your barn is properly ventilated to provide pigs with an optimal environment. Even if the thermostat reading falls within the pigs’ comfort zone, what they are actually experiencing may still be stressful.

Effective temperature is a concept similar to wind chill and heat index. For example, 60°F is a favorable temperature for a 125-pound pig. However, 60°F combined with a high air speed (e.g., 100 feet per minute) would be cold and, consequently, the pig would be forced to divert energy away from growth to maintaining its body temperature. Chart 1 shows how wind speed affects temperature.

Chart 1: Effects of wind speed on temperature

The temperature within the barn needs to be adequately adjusted to account for the additional heat production from the growing pig. For every 60–80 pounds of gain, the pig will produce an additional 200 Btu of heat every hour, so the cubic feet per minute (CFM) must be properly adjusted to account for the increasing heat production.

Chart 2: Recommended ventilation rates, CFM per pig

Effects of humidity

Humidity is also an important indicator of proper ventilation. During warmer months, when the outside temperature exceeds the set point, increasing ventilation rates will not decrease humidity in the barn because warm air has a higher water-holding capacity than cooler air. Pigs can develop heat stress at much lower temperatures when the humidity is high, so humidity, along with temperature, needs to be carefully regulated in the barn. It is recommended to operate at a relative humidity of 65% or less, as this level of humidity will decrease condensation and wet floors in the barn.

Tailoring diets to support stress

Data has shown that offering pigs a combination of organic acids, electrolytes, enzymes and probiotics, such as those included in Acid-Pak 4-Way®, can support young animals during times of stress. Organic acids promote probiotic growth in the gut, and enzymes can help enhance intake and digestibility. Electrolytes keep the animal hydrated, especially in times of heat stress.

Addressing heat stress and being prepared for its effects can have a major impact on the performance and overall value of your pigs when you take them to market. It can also help reduce the cost of added days on feed and additional health costs. In times of stress, pigs can be more susceptible to disease and health challenges. It is essential that your pigs’ nutrition is bolstered by technologies that build their natural immunity.

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