The Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) opened to a live audience in Lexington, Kentucky, today after being held as a virtual-only event for two years. Alltech’s flagship event continues to be an invaluable industry resource, providing innovative ideas, inspiration and motivation through world-class speakers and unmatched content. ONE welcomed nearly 2,000 international delegates to downtown Lexington, with an additional 5,000 participating virtually.

The ONE Mainstage session began with Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, who welcomed the in-person delegates to Lexington and virtual attendees tuning in from around the world, challenging them to think about what comes next as we look toward the future. 

“It’s been almost 1,100 days since we were last together and certainly, we know a tremendous amount has changed — from social turmoil to a global pandemic and beyond,” Lyons said. “What is this all telling us? What can we step back and think about in terms of how we progress forward?”

Lyons was joined on the ONE mainstage by Heather White, author, founder and CEO of “OneGreenThing,” who brought two decades of environmental advocacy work and national nonprofit leadership to life with her book, "One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet." White offered three steps to make climate action a joyful daily practice. First, think beyond your age and listen. Secondly, find your unique role, and third, apply the daily practice of sustainability.

Following White’s presentation, Lyons spoke to agriculture’s role in saving the planet.

“Reducing is not enough; we must do something different,” said Lyons. “Our belief is that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively influence the future of our planet, to provide nutrition for all and to help rural communities thrive and replenish our planet’s resources.”

The keynote lineup also included Nikki Putnam Badding, registered dietitian nutritionist and managing director of Acutia. Putnam Badding spoke about the crucial importance of making nutrition accessible to all.

“The impact of malnutrition is far-reaching,” said Putnam Badding. “So, is it enough to just feed the world? Do we instead need to focus on providing nutrition for all, thereby changing the dialogue from food security to nutrition security?”

Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech ruminant research group director, then shared his insights on how animal agriculture can be part of the solution to improving sustainability.

“We sit at the interface between the main carbon capturing industry in the world and the main food production industry in the world,” said Holder. “Those things are tied closely together and unavoidable. We sit in a unique position to be doing something about the carbon argument. It really is important that we do not talk about compromising one for the other — because we have to do both.”

During the opening session, Lyons presented the Alltech Medal of Excellence Award to Dr. Karl Dawson for his advancement of animal science over a career spanning more than five decades. The award further recognizes Dawson’s contributions as an educator, innovator, mentor, scientist and technologist. Dawson became the 31^st recipient of the Alltech Medal of Excellence Award and, having previously received the honor in 1992, also became the 1^st two-time recipient.

In addition to hearing from the inspiring keynote speakers, ONE attendees participated in live workshops and focus tracks, uncovering the challenges and opportunities in agriculture, business, health and wellness, and professional development.

At the height of the 2008–2009 financial crisis, Unilever brought in Paul Polman as its CEO to jolt the business back to vigor and success. In his 10 years at the company, Polman led Unilever to double its revenues while reducing the company’s environmental impact by half. He has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade.”

Today, he works to accelerate action by businesses to achieve the UN Global Goals, which he helped developed. Polman recently co-wrote a book titled “Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take”. He joined the Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) virtually to share how organizations can transform themselves to achieve big goals by serving the world.

“It really is about making a business model where you can show that you profit from solving the world’s problems, not creating them,” advised Polman. “And when you can honestly answer the question, ‘Is the world better off because your business is in it?’”

The world needs business to step up

“What was very clear during the financial crisis, to me, (was) that we missed an opportunity to address the two most burning issues that science points us to: climate change and inequality,” said Polman. He sees the increases in disparity, natural disasters and diseases as the cost of our failures.

Polman went on to explain that if we put the planet’s age of 4.6 billion years old on a scale of 46 years:

• Human beings have only been around for four hours.
• The Industrial Revolution only started one minute ago.
• In that one minute, we’ve cut down 50% of the world’s forests.

“You can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet,” Polman said. “Anything you can’t do forever is, by definition, unsustainable.”

For many companies, corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments are about less plastics in the ocean, fewer carbon emissions and less deforestation. But in a world that has overshot its boundaries so much, Polman argued that “less bad” is still bad.

“So, the only way of thinking is really to think restorative, reparative, regenerative,” he continued. “And that is what we call ‘net positive’.”

Net positive is not about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.

According to Polman, a change needs to happen well beyond the scale of the Industrial Revolution. Increasingly, CEOs are required to be broader social leaders and to partner up within and beyond the industry level. Many CEOs are struggling to make change — and that is normal. The good news, however, is that the greatest challenges also present the greatest business opportunities.

“We are at the point confirmed by study after study (where) the cost of not acting is becoming higher than the cost of acting,” said Polman, “which actually makes it an enormous economic opportunity to create this greener, more inclusive, more resilient future and not go back to the past where we came from, which, frankly, had run out of steam.”

Helping the world is good for business

Polman noted three opportunities for businesses who step up:

1. Being highly valued in the financial market: Doing right by stakeholders is good for shareholders. Companies focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance get higher returns in the market.
2. Attracting the best talent and increasing engagement: Gen Z and millennials are looking for purposeful companies to work for, where they can make a bigger difference than themselves and work on something that improves the state of the world.
3. Getting economic benefits from using sustainable technology: Moving all supply chains to sustainable supply chains can reduce costs by 9–16%, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In food and agriculture, farmers are using precision farming, artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy to provide food to people in a sustainable way. “Planetary health (and) regenerative agriculture … are, by all means, possible,” said Polman. “We see economic benefits coming through as well.”

Key takeaways from Unilever’s transformation

For business leaders who wants to embark upon the path to net positive, Polman shared the following tips:

1. Think long-term

When Polman came to Unilever, he did something unusual in the business world: He stopped providing quarterly earnings reports to focus on a long-term strategy that would benefit all stakeholders. Within 10 years, Unilever saw a 300% shareholder return and a 19% return on investment capital, outgrowing their competitive set. This reconciled the need for shareholder returns.

“People often behave short-term because of the boundaries that are put around them,” said Polman. “It’s clear that the issues like climate change or inequality or food securities or these enormous opportunities out there can really not be solved in the rat race of short-term reporting.”

2. Have an aligned purpose

“Our first step was really to define that purpose, to get our people behind that,” Polman recalled. “You cannot run a purposeful company if you are not purposeful yourself.”

Unilever spent a year working to find out everyone’s personal purpose before collectively developing the company purpose: making sustainable living commonplace. This paid homage to their co-founder, Lord William Lever, who wanted to make good hygiene common practice in the 19th century. To drive performance, Polman introduced “3+1,” where three objectives aligned across the company and one objective was about personal development.

Unilever started to build true momentum when its purpose-driven brands were more profitable and growing faster than others. Those brands included the likes of Lifebouy, a bar soap with the mission to help children reach the age of five when 4 million children die every year of infectious diseases. That brand has grown by double digits and has more than doubled in size over 10 years, when it was previously a dying brand.

3. Setting aggressive, net-positive goals

“Once we decided that we wanted to make sustainable living commonplace, we also felt that we needed to take responsibility for our total impact in the world,” said Polman.

Unilever started to measure its impact in terms of water, waste, carbon emissions and livelihoods. The company wanted to decouple their growth with an environmental impact and increase their overall social impact.

Unilever set 50 targets in building a multi-stakeholder model, including:

• Improving the health and well-being of 1 billion people
• Creating 5 million jobs for smallholder farmers
• Running zero-waste factories

The company made these goals public. For Polman, transparency drives trust, and trust is the basis of prosperity. Being trusted attracted the needed partnerships that opened up many business opportunities for Unilever.

4. Create partnerships

Business cannot thrive in a society that fails. “Net positive” is about driving the broader systems changes that society needs. No company can do this alone — but in partnering up with each other, as well as with civil society and governments, businesses can drive bigger transformations.

Unilever worked with numerous other companies (including its competitors), as well as governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in its effort to improve the well-being of people and the planet. This built credibility for the company. Consequently, Polman earned the only seat at the table as a private-sector representative on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) working group in 2013.

In concluding his virtual talk at ONE, Polman emphasized the important role that agri-business plays in creating a thriving world for all.

“I think what you (Alltech) are doing and what you are referring to as the Planet of Plenty™ is an important vision where you bring together the key principles of consumer health, environmental health and also animal health — where you leverage, obviously, very important technology, where you call out the importance of sustainable farm management, where partnership is engraved very high in your philosophy,” Polman said. “These are all key elements.”

“I could not think of a more important industry for the integral parts of health or people and planet — what we call planetary health — probably than this industry that you represent,” he continued. “The implementation of the [United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals, I would argue, is in the hands of the people that control our food and land-use systems. And that’s why it’s so important that we talk today.”

To register for access to on-demand content and more from the Alltech ONE Conference, visit one.alltech.com.

Addressing the Alltech ONE Conference, Dr. Mark Lyons reflected on the journey that Alltech has taken over the last few years. He reminisced about the 2019 event at which he stood on the main stage to announce Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, a new idea that would soon become the organization's overarching vision.

Lyons admitted that the concept was not the easiest for people to grasp at the time. However, it was a perspective that was deeply rooted in the DNA of Alltech. It was directly connected to and expanded on Dr. Pearse Lyons’ original ACE principle; the belief that it was agriculture’s duty to care for the animal, consumer and environment. Similarly, when this idea was introduced in the 1980s, many people were also slow to get on board.

However, focusing on the present day, Lyons said that the time of the ACE principle and a Planet of Plenty has truly come. He stated that consumers, especially the younger generation, are thinking about food differently, and agriculture must respond to their needs.

To achieve this, however, he explained that we might require a shift in approach.

“Reducing is not enough; we have to do something different,” Lyons said. “Our belief is that agriculture has the greatest positive potential to influence the future of our planet that can provide nutrition for all and help rural communities to thrive and replenish our planet’s resources.”

Carbon sequestration

One of the ways that agriculture can have a major impact on restoring and conserving the environment is through carbon sequestration. Lyons welcomed Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech ruminant research group director, to the stage to further explore this concept and how it could be implemented within the industry.

Holder began this discussion by looking at data on greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on our planet. What was clear to see from these graphs was that CO2 is the primary contributor to global warming. However, Holder believes that agriculture could do a lot to solve this issue and showed that Alltech is already working to help farmers address it.

He introduced the audience to an Alltech research alliance called Archbold Expeditions. Based at the 10,000-acre Buck Island Ranch station in Lake Placid, Florida, this research monitors land, nutrient and pollution inputs and outputs to evaluate experimental methodologies and modeling techniques for estimating carbon and nutrient fluxes on working cattle operations.

Holder explained that Buck Island Ranch production data analysis documented emissions from its 3,000-head cattle operation of 10,884 metric tons of CO2e/year, with enteric fermentation responsible for 64%. However, estimates of sequestration by Bahia grass pasture suggest that Buck Island Ranch pastures take up 17,813 metric tons of CO2e/year, resulting in a net sequestration of 6,929 metric tons of CO2e/year.

So, what does this mean for farmers? Holder revealed that the data shows us that by implementing pasture management practices, agriculture is in a unique position where it can both provide the food resources that the world population needs while at the same time engaging in actions that will help conserve and restore the planet. In fact, he stated that by focusing on feed and growth efficiency strategies and carbon sequestration management strategies on grazed lands, we could reduce greenhouse gases by over 50%.

“Our ability to manipulate it is going to become more important,” Holder explained. “No one else is positioned in the way that we are to do this.”

When asked what the next step is for making this a reality, Holder said we first need to create a mindset shift. He explained that a scalable model of how to approach this must be developed so that farmers can focus on food production and the environment simultaneously. Only then can we preserve the future of the planet.

Nutrition for all

Echoing Holder’s message of the importance of conserving the world in which we live, Nikki Putnam Badding, managing director and chief dietitian of Acutia, focused on expanding this theme to the world population.

“Sustainability does not begin and end with environmental impact,” Putnam Badding explained. “It actually means that we are taking care of the health of the planet and the people who share it.”

Putnam Badding presented the ONE attendees with the troubling figures that 1 in 10 people is undernourished, while 1 in 4 is malnourished. This issue can have severe health repercussions, such as pregnancy complications, heart problems and cognitive function. There are also further-reaching consequences, such as slow economic growth, poverty and reduced numbers of children receiving education.

“So, is it enough to just feed the world?” Putnam Badding asked. “Do we need to provide nutrition for all and change the dialogue from food security to nutrition security?”

Putnam Badding believes that agriculture has the opportunity to be the world's hero in this situation, as societal health starts in the soil. She explained that people have known that soil health and human health are intrinsically connected throughout history. This is also backed by numerous case studies showing that bringing deficient nutrients back to the soil can rectify many human health issues.

However, once we bring the nutrients back to the soil, Putnam Badding says we need to focus on the best way of getting the nutrients to the people. This is where animals come in.

“Livestock is nature’s original upcyclers,” Putnam Badding stated. “They take plant stuffs that our bodies cannot do anything with and create highly bioavailable, nutrient-dense, protein-packed meat, dairy and eggs.”

She also revealed that enriching products with nutrients not only benefits human health but the commercial aspects of agriculture too. Studies show that 48% of consumers are willing to pay more for healthier food, while 72% believe that businesses need to play a bigger role in the availability and access to healthy food.

“We must remember that soil, plants, animal, environmental and human health are all deeply interrelated, and our purpose is more than farming,” Putnam Badding concluded. “It’s more than food production; it’s more than the reduction of environmental impact. It is sustaining the life and health of the planet and the lives and health of the people who share it.”

For additional on-demand content and more from the Alltech ONE Conference, visit one.alltech.com.

“Mom, where are the baby boomers, where are the millennials? You can’t leave this (climate) crisis all on our shoulders … We are running out of time,” Heather White’s teenage daughter said tearfully to her at the dinner table one day in 2019. White, who has been a noted environmentalist for 20-plus years, recalled the moment during her keynote presentation at the Alltech ONE Conference (ONE). At that moment, she decided to dig into the mental health impact of the climate crisis and create an opportunity for more people to see themselves within the movement.

“The climate crisis is the biggest challenge of our time,” White said at ONE. “Everyone is needed, and everyone is welcome. But … it’s so overwhelming, most people don’t know where to start.”

Here are the three steps you can take right now to contribute to the climate movement:

Step 1: Think beyond your age and listen

First, White argues, it is important to think about the people who created opportunity for you — someone who might no longer be here but who changed the trajectory of your life. Our ancestors were intentional in trying to create a better legacy for us, and we can become good ancestors for the next generation, too.

Now, envision that it’s 2050. What would a teenager in 2050 thank you for?

White invites everyone to listen to young people about their climate concerns and also to give them hope.

“We need to be intentional and share with them about the progress that we’ve witnessed in our lifetime so they know that change, hope and progress is not only possible, but that it is inevitable,” White asserted. “That’s on us, and that happens with conversations.”

We all have a role to play in climate change, and White helps people find the roles they were meant to play.

Step 2: Find your unique role

With two decades of environmental advocacy work and national nonprofit leadership to draw from, White wrote a book titled “One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet”. In that book, she created the Service Superpower Profile Assessment, which is similar to a personality test that you can take for free here.

“This is an assessment that asks you, ‘Who are you in service? How do you show up for the people that you love?’” White explained.

After taking the assessment, you will find yourself among the following seven service types based on which one best suits your personality and talents:

1. The adventurer loves the physicality of the outdoors. They are a calculated risk taker. They love taking other people outside their comfort zone.
2. The beacon is all about social justice. They are comfortable behind the podium. They are visionaries who can see what’s possible.
3. The influencer is about bringing people together and connecting them.  
4. The philanthropist is the giver who gives their time and resources and connects other people to causes they care about.
5. The sage focuses on the spiritual connection to nature and the moral case for acting on behalf of the future generation. They can break through the political divide and find common ground for people to see the bigger picture.
6. The spark is the cheerleader who ignites the movement and is always ready to cheer on friends and family.
7. The wonk loves science, policy, data and graphs. They can translate complex technology into solutions people can understand and rally around.

“The point of these different seven personality types in service is this idea that you don’t have to do it all,” White assured the audience at ONE. “You can manage to your strengths and contribute to the movement based on your strengths. First and foremost, it is not about perfection. It’s about progress.”

Step 3: Apply the daily practice of sustainability

Now that you know what your service superpower is, it’s time to save the world. This is where one green thing — a daily sustainability practice — comes in.

• Start by making a 21-day plan filled with activities you want to do that are fun for you and good for the planet. If you need inspiration or you’re just curious, learn more about your service superpower and matching climate actions here.
• Follow your plan for 21 days. If you need motivation, reflect on how you want to show up for the people you love, then dedicate a time on your daily schedule.
• Keep your daily habit of one green thing after the 21 days.

“Individual action shifts the culture,” White said. “You are the influencer in your community. Because the reality is (that) all the solutions to the climate crisis exist right now. What is missing is the political will. And the political will only happens when every single one of us acts every day to shift that culture.”

With her experience in lobbying for environmental policy on Capitol Hill, White advises that we must create cultural change for policy to work and for market solutions to be adopted at scale. If we all do one green thing every day, we can build a momentum to create support for change to become reality.

White left the ONE audience with this parting thought: “What will your legacy be? Because together, we can create a Planet of Plenty^TM. Thirty years from now, what can we create together that will stop our future loved ones in their tracks and create a moment of breathtaking gratitude?”

To register for access to on-demand content and more from the Alltech ONE Conference, visit one.alltech.com.

The Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) will feature tracks that will uncover the challenges and opportunities in agriculture, business, health and wellness, and professional development. Now in its 38^th year, Alltech’s global agri-food conference continues to be an invaluable resource, uniting thought leaders and changemakers in an exploration of the power of science, sustainability and storytelling. This annual flagship event will be held May 22–24, both in person in Lexington, Kentucky, and virtually on a first-class platform, with live-streaming keynote and select on-demand track presentations available to ensure accessibility to everyone, everywhere.

Many topics* are slated for discussion at ONE, including:    

Aqua

• Holistic Gut Health: The Latest Improvements in Fish Nutrition
• Inside Out: Developing Healthy Skin, Guts and Gills
• Wave of the Future: Exciting New Developments in Aqua-Tech
• Aqua Investors: The Big Bad Wolves — or Our Rescuers?
• Aqua On Top: Building on Aquaculture's Unfair (Sustainable) Advantage

Beef

• Beef and Global Food Security: Resource-Use Efficiency for Protein Production
• Looking Ahead: Consumer Trends and Beef Production Systems
• Beef x Dairy: A Growing Link in the Supply Chain
• Beef and Global Food Security: Resource-Use Efficiency for Protein Production
• Better Connection: Why This Telecommunications Company Invests in Beef
• Better Beef: Exploring the Need for Innovation in the Beef Industry
• A New Day for Beef: Turning Sustainability Challenges Into Opportunities
• A Blueprint for Success: Getting Team Buy-In for New Products
• Organic Trace Minerals and Their Impact on Fetal Programming

Crop Science

• Little Bugs, Big Impact: Soil Microbes and Fertility
• Planting the Seed: Growing Through Strategic Partnerships
• The Growing Field of Crop Science: Performance, Sustainability and Innovation
• Bridging the Gap: Merging Conventional and Biological Innovations to Drive Crop Productivity
• Soil Biological Analysis: A Simple Tool for On-Farm Soil Health Assessments

Dairy

• Dairy Market Trends: Making Predictions During a Pandemic
• Dairy Gone Digital: Sustainability and On-Farm Technologies
• Planning for Success: Animal and Human Welfare on Dairy Operations
• Crème de la Crème: Large Herd Management in the Desert
• Predictions and Positioning for the Next 10 Years
• Chewing the Cud: Transparency and Communication in the Dairy Industry
• Sharing the Plate: Exploring Byproduct Utilization
• Bringing Data to Sustainability: Alltech E-CO₂
• Lessons Learned: Sustainability Goals for the Dairy Industry
• Transition to a Successful Lactation Cycle

Equine

• Exceptional Equines: All About Regenerative Medicine for Horses
• Taking Flight: Finding a Niche in the Horse Business
• Forage Quality: How Is It Measured, and Why Is It Important for Your Horse?
• Recipe for Success: How Mrs. Pastures Became the Top Horse Treat in America
• Achieving Greatness: Olympic Dreams — and A Lot of Hard Work
• Start 'Em Young: Building the Equine Bone Matrix
• Not Just a One-Trick Pony: 10 Great Social Media Strategies
• The Significance of Selenium: Exploring A Decade of Research

Pet

• The Golden Years: Strategies for Senior Pet Health
• Your Pet and You: Pet and Human Crossover Trends and Insights
• Brain Power: Supporting Our Pets' Cognitive Health at All Life Stages
• The Truth About Pet Food Mergers and Acquisitions: Revelations from an Industry Insider
• Planet-Friendly Pets: Sustainability Hot Topics in the Pet Industry

Pig

• The Zinc Oxide Ban: Nutritional Ramifications and Global Implications
• Caring for Disease-Challenged Pigs: Can Changing Nutrient Sources Affect Their Performance?
• The Buzz About Xylanase: Is It Here to Stay?
• Transformational Trends: How Can the Swine Industry Meet Consumers' Demands?
• Pork Producer Panel: The Challenges and Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
• Long Live the Sow: Protecting Your Herd
• Sustainability in Pork Production: The New Normal
• Developing a Productive Gilt: How Nutrition Affects Lactation
• Sow Mortality: Addressing an Industry-Wide Issue
• Smart Farms: Integrating AI and IoT Into Commercial Pig Operations

Poultry

• Protection Through Immunity: A Holistic Approach to Poultry Production
• Leveling Up: Improving Sustainability at Each Stage of Poultry Production
• Knowing Poultry Consumers and Delivering What They Want
• Antibiotic Resistance: A Hidden Problem for Poultry Production
• We're All in This Together: How COVID-19 Impacted the Poultry Industry
• Poultry Innovations: Where Are We Now, and Where Are We Going?
• Driving Demands: Shifting the Focus to Poultry Welfare
• Efficient, Sustainable Performance: The Impact of Organic Trace Minerals
• Balancing Animal Welfare and Sustainability: A Global Panel Discussion
• Understanding Coccidiosis: A Proactive Approach to a Major Poultry Challenge

Business

• The Power of Why: Aligning Business With Purpose
• Price Pressure: Doing Business During a Pandemic
• Business as (Un)usual: Embracing New Models
• From the Great Resignation to the Great Re-Engagement
• From Soil to Slainté: Making Irish Whiskey
• Echoes of War: The Global Impact of Conflict
• Making Moves: Turning a Vision Into Reality
• Partnering for Success: Why Business is Better Together

Health and Wellness

• The Science of Happiness: How to Make it Work for You
• Eating for Health and the Planet: A Guide to a Sustainable Diet
• Managing Stress and Overcoming Burnout: How to Live With Intention and Purpose
• It's Not Just Your Genes: Understanding the Equation That Drives Your Health
• Migraines and the Diet: The Myths vs. the Facts
• The Promise of Health Through Agriculture

Neurogastronomy

• Neurogastronomy: A Road to Global Health and a Planet of Plenty
• The Neuroscience of Flavor and Flavor Manipulation
• Extraordinary Eating: Enhancing Food Health and Flavor Through Neurogastronomy
• Food, Farming and You: What Neurogastronomy Can Teach Us About the World
• How We Eat is Who We Are: Gastronomy as a Shared Destiny

Stay Curious

• Redefining Resilience: Know Your Achilles Heel
• Crossed Wires: Culture and Communication
• Pitch With a Purpose: Innovation Driven by Compassion
• If I Can: Limitless Potential In Practice
• Pulling Up a Chair: Inclusion as a Key to Success
• Safety First: The Non-Negotiable of Psychological Security
• Do Things, Tell People: The Power of Personal Branding and Social Media Storytelling
• The Power of Purpose
• Meaningful Career Connections
• XYZ: Leading the Alphabet Soup of Generations
• Winning Body Language for a Successful Career

*Topics are subject to change. Some track topics are virtual or in-person only. Check the agenda for details.  

In addition to the many track topics, ONE attendees will be inspired by keynote speakers who have unleashed the power of innovation and courageous leadership to make a positive impact, including:

• Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs and author of “Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn’t Be Done,” will take the ONE mainstage in person, and his presentation will also be live-streamed for those joining virtually.
• Paul Polman, presenting virtually at ONE, has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”. While serving as the CEO of Unilever, he stopped reporting quarterly earnings to focus on a long-term strategy that would successfully double revenues while reducing the company’s environmental impact by half.   
• Heather White, author, founder and CEO of “OneGreenThing,” will present on the mainstage at ONE, and her presentation will also be live-streamed for those joining virtually. She brings two decades of environmental advocacy work and national nonprofit leadership to life with her joyful and practical book, "One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet".
• Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, will welcome all ONE attendees, both in-person and virtually. Based on Alltech’s belief that agriculture has the greatest potential to shape our world’s future, he launched the company’s vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™ in 2019. He has called for collaboration to improve nutrition, human and animal well-being, and the replenishment of natural resources.
• Nikki Putnam Badding, will present in-person and virtually during ONE about the crucial importance of making nutrition accessible to all. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, she brings human health expertise to her role as managing director and chief dietitian of Acutia, Inc., an Alltech company.

• Dr. Karl Dawson, scientific advisor with Alltech, will join the keynote lineup in person and virtually to discuss how animal agriculture can be part of the solution to improving sustainability.

As the Alltech ONE Conference returns live to Lexington, Kentucky, after being a virtual-only event for the past two years, it will also feature a weekend of fun-filled activities for all. For more details about the ONE Weekend activities and tours, visit one.alltech.com/one-weekend.

Registration for the Alltech ONE Conference is open at one.alltech.com. Join the conversation across social media with #AlltechONE.

The walls of the Singletary Center for the Arts reverberated with the sound of students singing for their dreams at the 17^th annual Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition on Sunday. The event — which was held virtually in 2021 — once again welcomed a live audience as 15 talented vocalists vied for more than $700,000 in scholarships and prizes and an opportunity to attend the University of Kentucky and join the UK Opera Theatre.

The winners of the 2022 Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition are:

Undergraduate students

Alltech 1st Place Undergraduate Award & Scholarship: Saige Hoffman*; Miami, Florida

Alltech & Bryant's Rent-All 2nd Place Undergraduate Award & Scholarship: Gloree Nell Wood*; Benton, Kentucky

Alltech Feed Division 3rd Place Undergraduate Award: Calista Case*; Lexington, Kentucky

Alltech Crop Science Undergraduate Award: Dejah Watts; Indianapolis, Indiana

Barbara Rouse Kentucky Prize: Isabella Recktenwald; Louisville, Kentucky  

Graduate students

Alltech 1st Place Graduate Award + Graduate Assistantship: Daniel Rich*; Baltimore, Maryland

Alltech 2nd Place Graduate Award + Graduate Assistantship: Christopher Burchett*; Lexington, Kentucky

Pearse & Deirdre Lyons Award + Half Assistantship: Jessica Bayne*; Lexington, Kentucky

Graduate Encouragement Award: Blayne Ziegenfuss; Knoxville, Tennessee 

Gail Robinson Alumni Performance Award: Fairynne Rogers; Lexington, Kentucky

Transfer student

1st Place Transfer Student Award: Dylon Crain*; Louisville, Kentucky  

*These winners also received a tuition stipend to study at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. AIMS is the leading summer music program in Europe.  

“The past few weeks have been a time when many of our hearts are heavy given what’s happening around the world and particularly in the Ukraine,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “It is during this time that the arts can provide a sense of joy and unity. Today’s competition featured an extraordinary group of talented young people. We thank them for being here and sharing their musical gifts with us.”

Finalists were scored based on their voice, technical skill, interpretation and accuracy by three judges: Evans Mirageas, who is in his fourteenth season as The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera and is widely considered one of the most talented and respected artistic leaders in the classical music industry today; Luther Lewis, III, a multidisciplinary artist, singer, teacher and director within classical voice/opera, theater and visual art and the Crane Directing Fellow at Opera Columbus; and Dr. Thomas King, a tenor who has performed in five world-premiere operas — three of which were written especially for him — and numerous recitals throughout the U.S., Germany and Austria.

The Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition was initiated in 2006 by the late Dr. Pearse Lyons, Mark’s father and founder of Alltech, who was an avid supporter of the arts. His friendship with Dr. Everett McCorvey of the UK Opera Theatre inspired what is now one of the largest vocal scholarship competitions in the world.

Since the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition began, more than 180 students have been empowered to chase their operatic ambitions and receive an education in the arts. The competition attracts some of the top vocal performers from around the world, helping them overcome financial barriers and paving their way to a successful career. It is credited as being a driving force behind the UK Opera Theatre becoming a world-renowned program.

Competition winners have travelled the world while performing, teaching and providing inspiration to others. In Kentucky, they infuse art into the community through performances such as “A Grand Night for Singing” and the annual Alltech Celebration of Song.

Before today’s competition drew to a close, Dr. Mark Lyons made an exciting announcement about a new foundation to benefit hopeful vocal students.

“My father would often encourage us all to dream bigger,” said Lyons. “It is in that spirit that we are creating a foundation to ensure this program continues to change the lives of students and allow them to pursue their dreams.”

The foundation is launching with a $50,000 donation from Mark and Mrs. Deirdre Lyons, Dr. Mark Lyons’ mother and co-founder and director of corporate image and design at Alltech. The donation will then be matched by the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation — a nonprofit foundation that supports Alltech’s philanthropic efforts around the world — for a total initial contribution of $100,000. Additional details will be announced soon.

If you would like to donate to the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, click here. Your contribution will help support education and the arts and will make a positive difference in the lives of talented students.

In fewer than 100 days, the Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) will return to Lexington, Kentucky, for a collaborative exploration of the challenges and opportunities in the agri-food industry and beyond. Alltech, a global leader in animal health and nutrition, announced that their 38th annual flagship event will be held May 22-24 both in person and virtually on a first-class platform, with live-streaming and on-demand presentations available to ensure accessibility to everyone, everywhere.

Reflecting the most relevant topics impacting the agri-food industry, the key themes of the discussions held at ONE will include science, sustainability and storytelling.  

“The opportunities are abundant for the global agri-food sector to shape the future of our planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “We can deliver nutrition for all, while fuelling economic vitality and replenishing our Earth’s resources. The potential for impact is profound, but it requires a higher level of commitment and collaboration from every one of us. ONE is much more than a gathering; it is an invitation to step forward and share in a vision of promise for our ONE planet.”

ONE attendees will derive inspiration from keynote speakers who have unleashed the power of innovation and courageous leadership for positive impact.

Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs and author of “Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn’t Be Done,” will take the ONE mainstage in person, and his presentation will also be live-streamed for those joining virtually.

Ebeling was recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders. He is a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award and is listed as one of the world’s most influential creative people by The Creativity 50s. Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation, and as a career producer and filmmaker, he harvests the power of technology and storytelling to change the world.

Presenting virtually is Paul Polman, who has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”. As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he stopped reporting quarterly earnings to focus on a long-term strategy that would successfully double revenues while reducing the company’s environmental impact by half.   

Prior to joining Unilever, Polman served as CFO and vice president for the Americas at Nestlé and as president for Western Europe at Procter & Gamble. He was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel, which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and which he continues to champion, working with global organizations to push the 2030 development agenda.  

Paul’s new book, “Net Positive,” is a call to arms to courageous business leaders, outlining how to build net-positive companies that profit by fixing the world’s problems rather than creating them. He serves as the chair of IMAGINE — a social venture dedicated to systems change — and of the Saïd Business School. He is vice-chair of the UN Global Compact and is a B Team leader and honorary chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years.  

While the world-class keynote speakers at ONE will offer universally valuable insights, the subject- and species-specific tracks will explore emerging opportunities in aquaculture, beef, crop science, dairy, pig, poultry, equine, health and wellness, business, and brewing and distilling. Confirmed speakers are currently listed on the ONE website, with more to be added.   

Virtual attendees of ONE will have access to live-streamed keynotes and pre-recorded track presentations that can be viewed on-demand. For in-person attendees, the ONE experience will extend into beautiful downtown Lexington, Kentucky, with special events, dinners and tours.   

To learn more about the Alltech ONE Conference, including how to register, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation across social media with #AlltechONE.

Since 1985, Alltech’s annual conference has drawn leaders, innovators and changemakers within agri-food to Lexington, Kentucky. In 2020, Alltech reimagined the event in a virtual format to ensure that its ideas and inspiration could reach everyone, everywhere. Last year, the virtual event drew more than 10,000 people, including over 400 media, from 101 countries.

Growing up near the rice fields and beaches of Bali, Melati Wijsen saw the impact of plastic waste firsthand as it littered the landscape and endangered local wildlife. She was spurred into action, and at just 12 years old, Melati and her younger sister, Isabel, founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags, with a mission to rid the world of plastic bags and empower young people to take action. Hear from Melati on the youth-led movement to build a brighter future and what this could mean for business leaders.

In this episode of Ag Future, we revisit a conversation that Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, had with Melati Wijsen, Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags & YOUTHTOPIA, as a part of the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference in 2020. For more information and to register for ONE 2021, visit one.alltech.com.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Melati Wijsen. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dr. Lyons:    Welcome to the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience. I'm Dr. Mark Lyons, President and CEO of Alltech. Founding Alltech in 1980 was just the beginning of a vision for my parents, Dr. Pearse and Mrs. Deirdre Lyons. They desired to build a business, but they also wanted to ensure that that business would have an impact on our planet far into the future. Today, our customers, partners, and more than 5000 team members around the world are working together for a planet of plenty, propelling our founding vision into a new world of possibilities. We are inspired by the challenge to produce enough safe, nutritious food for all while caring for animals and sustaining our land, air, and water for future generations. Our natural resources may be finite, but human ingenuity is infinite.

                        Planet of plenty is a vision of promise and positivity for the future. It's our belief that the world of abundance is achievable, but it will take all of us working together. It's a vision that must be led by science and technology, and a shared will to make a difference, to plant trees we will never see grow. In 2020, these ideas seem to be growing in importance and urgency. Our special guest today on the ONE Virtual Experience was motivated very early in life to make a difference.

                        Growing up near the rice fields and beaches in beautiful Bali, Indonesia, Melati Wijsen was impacted when she saw plastic firsthand as it littered the landscape and endangered local wildlife. She was spurred into action at just 12 years old. She and her younger sister, Isabel, founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags with a mission to rid the world of plastic bags starting at home in Bali and empower young people to take action. She has spoken on world stages such as TED and the United Nations. She has been honored by Time as one of the most influential teams in the world, and has also been named to CNN Heroes Young Wonders and Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

                        Melati graduated from high school one year early and recently founded Youthtopia, a global community that empowers youth through meaningful, short peer-to-peer programs and provides them with tools that they need to become young changemakers themselves. Melati, welcome to the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience.

Melati:            Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be joining you today.

Dr. Lyons:    Well, you have an incredible story and I think one that will not only inspire the ONE Virtual Experience normal adult audience, but also their children, the kids and teenagers that we've invited to join us today. Could you maybe just start with telling us a little bit about what inspired you to take on this role of being a changemaker?

Melati:            Yes. Well, for starters, I grew up on the island of Bali here in Indonesia. Growing up here, we had a childhood which meant playing in the environment 24/7. We were always in the rivers, running through the rice fields. That at an early age grew such a strong connection between myself, my family, and the environment around us. When we started Bye Bye Plastic Bags when I was 12 and my younger sister was 10, we had no idea what being a changemaker even was, what an activist even meant. We just saw plastic pollution being a problem, plastic pollution ending up in places that it absolutely should not, and it wasn't rocket science. We just asked a simple question. How can we get started? How can we get involved?

                        The rest was pretty much history. My sister and I rolled up our sleeves without a business plan, without a strategy, but the pure passion to just protect the environment in our home.

Dr. Lyons:    When you specifically got things started with your sister and you decided you were going to do something, what really started that journey? What was the seed of inertia that got things moving for you?

Melati:            This is a question that we get a lot of the time. One thing that I have heavily reflected on especially during this time right now is after seven years on the frontlines, what was it? What was that moment for us? It's very difficult to pinpoint one moment. To be honest, I think it was a whole collection of moments growing up on the island of Bali. Again, we were always in nature whether that was doing our first surfing lesson and really being out there in the ocean with plastic coming out after every single paddle, or learning how to plant rice for the first time and actually planting it on top of plastic. All of those sorts of moments where you may be hearing it for the first time through my story, but for me, it was my reality.

                        I don't know if I can give you an exact moment for me, but I definitely know that me and my sister saw this problem, and at the same time, we were very much inspired by the story that we learned at school. Think back to the time when you first learned about Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Lady Diana, all of these incredible leaders who throughout history made a difference in their community. My sister and I, after learning about them for the very first time, we thought we don't want to wait until we're older to start making a difference. We went home that day, connected the problem of plastic pollution, this motivation that this class, this lesson had for us, and combined the two and said we're going to make our island home of Bali plastic bag-free.

Dr. Lyons:    That's incredible. I think one of the things that all of us think about is how would I have started that at that age? Or if I know young people at that age, what would I be thinking of what they were doing? What did your parents and maybe your community think about this when you got things going in those first stages?

Melati:            My parents, first and foremost, they come from completely two different worlds. My mom is Dutch, my dad is Indonesian, totally different cultures and backgrounds, but they both found themselves on the island of Bali. When they were raising me and my sister -- also, me and my sister, a little bit of background, we were that kind of sisters that never fought. We are best friends. Even up to this day, we tell each other everything and we do everything together. We were always doing projects, not as big as Bye Bye Plastic Bags, but we were organizing the village bazaars. We were organizing how to make tree houses with our friends. We're always up to something.

                        So when my sister and I went up to our parents and said we're going to do this, we're going to make Bali plastic bag-free, they thought and we thought it was just going to be another summer project. But here we are seven years later and our parents have been an incredible source of support, which we're very, very lucky to have and to call our parents as one of our biggest supporters. They've also taught us a lot about balance. I'm sure we'll get closer to that throughout the entire discussion of how young changemakers and the support system around them require that sense of balance.

Dr. Lyons:    Maybe we could talk a little bit about those early stages. You must have faced a lot of challenges. Maybe you could explain a little bit of what took place. How did you get things moving? How did you get some of the first signatures on your petition?

Melati:            To be honest, when I think about our very first days with Bye Bye Plastic Bags, it blows my mind. It still does. I have a lot of projects that we started after Bye Bye Plastic Bags where I just want to capture that same sense of spontaneousness. I don't know if that's a word, but that level of passion that just went into creating something overnight and turning into this large movement that became much bigger than just me and my sister overnight. At first, we posted our first Facebook post and the first likes were my mom and my dad, the auntie and the uncle. Then we thought, well, what can we do from there?

                        Obviously, the first step was building our team, and that was often more other young people, other peers, our best friends. From then on, we started a petition. So what you were referring to, how did we get the first signatures on board, we put it up online. And within the first 24 hours, we had 6000 signatures already agreeing that Bali should be plastic bag-free. I guess this was really the first "aha" moment for us. This was where we realized that more people agreed with us. We were onto something big and the time for change was now. Since then, we've really used that momentum that we built as one of the largest youth-led movements in the country to see how we could build those conversations and turn that into action and positive impact.

Dr. Lyons:    That must have been so exciting to get that level of response.

Melati:            I just want to share one story, just the level of excitement to give you an idea of what that was for me and my sister at 10 and 12 years old. Every morning just before school, we'd rush to our parents' computers and log on to our online petition and reload the page. Every morning, we had thousands and thousands of more and new names that signed the petition. That was something that we did every morning for the next several weeks forward.

Dr. Lyons:    That's incredible. It must have been such a rush every morning to get up and just be thinking about what the response was. Certainly, I think that message then moved even beyond Bali to international. It's extraordinary. Ultimately, you've faced some challenges. Obviously, it wasn't all smooth sailing the whole time. What did Bye Bye Plastic Bags actually achieve and what were some of the roadblocks you had to overcome to get there?

Melati:            Over the last seven years of campaigning on the frontlines, we have come across many obstacles, everything from how do we keep that long-term motivation going. Being 12 years old, starting the movement all the way up to today where I'm 19, that long-term motivation, keeping people hopeful in the movement, keeping people excited about the change that is coming while it still didn't come fast enough, that was probably one of the biggest challenges. The way we overcame that honestly was just to keep the movement fun, keep the movement as creative as possible. Being a youth-led movement, that wasn't too difficult.

                        I think one of our biggest achievements that we have accomplished after seven years, six years on the frontlines together with the like-minded, our biggest and proudest achievement is the ban on single use plastic bags, straws, and styrofoam on the island of Bali.

Dr. Lyons:    It's an incredible achievement and it's something that I think a lot of people with a lot more experience, with a lot more resources couldn't have achieved. I think everybody watching this will be watching with admiration in terms of what you and your sister and the whole movement have done.

                        You really touched on an interesting point there that I think every organization struggles with. You have a founding principle and everybody feels very passionate about it in the beginning, but how do you keep that energy going? You mentioned something that we find very important within our culture, fun. You've got to keep things fun. Right now, we're in a world where we're a bit separated. Obviously, social media has been a huge part of your movement. What have you learned over the last seven years in terms of social media, how to use that and how to influence others and keep that mission alive and strong?

Melati:            Well, I could write a book about all the different lessons because if one thing is for sure, Bye Bye Plastic Bags was my life school. There's no other textbook that could teach me what I learned through the hands-on experience. Some of the biggest tools and learnings that I've had is really how can we collaborate more? How can we create those connections and those partnerships to create meaningful impact in our communities? I think that was one of the biggest takeaways over the last seven years and something that I really hope we can be a living example to show that collaboration. But also, youth empowerment is key if we want to see change happening.

Dr. Lyons:    Absolutely. That's a lot of what you're working on now. You've moved on. You're talking about a lot of other ways to engage with young people, and you've created something very exciting and new and something I was very inspired by first learning about it when we chatted earlier, Youthtopia. What is Youthtopia about and what is it that you want to achieve with this new ambitious effort?

Melati:            Yes, and thank you for letting me share a little bit more about Youthtopia. I don't know if you can tell, but my cheeks always get very hot and excited when I talk about the new project that me and my sister are working on. Think about the seven-year journey that me and my sister had. It brought us to so many extremely beautiful stages all around the world from the TED stages to the UN headquarters. My sister and I were going all over the world, but our biggest audience, no matter where we were, was always young people, other students, other like-minded, young people that were always curious about our story.

                        Whenever we stepped into the classroom, they sat a little bit taller, leaned on their chairs and said, "If they can do it, I can do it, too." But the question we always got after presenting and sharing our story with Bye Bye Plastic Bags was young people coming up to us and asking, "How can I do what you do?" This is where the larger passion of me and my sister really came into, which is education, specifically peer-to-peer education, and youth empowerment. How can we mobilize an entire generation of young changemakers?

                        That's what Youthtopia is all about. We're a community-centric platform with learning at its core and we work with real life, frontline, young changemakers. We use their experience. We pull together their knowledge and put it into a program for the rising young changemaker. We provide the education systems and the educational programs that the current traditional system doesn't have in place right now.

Dr. Lyons:    Yeah. I think for a lot of us, we're going to think, okay, that sounds fantastic. How do we define youth empowerment? What can we do to make sure that youth do feel empowered? I think a lot of times, young people today feel a little bit disconnected, disheartened particularly in this moment where COVID has been such a challenge. What can we do to define that youth empowerment and make sure to support it?

Melati:            This is again where my passion for education comes in, so cut me off at any moment when I talk too much about it. This is really where a huge passion of mine and a belief of mine is, that the education system needs to change. A big reason why young people all around the world feel a disconnect is because a big chunk of our day, five days a week, we spend it at school and we learn about things that are not relevant nor happening in the moment. Where when we come back home, when we turn on our phones and go through Instagram, we're seeing all of these bigger problems. This heavyweight suddenly sits on our shoulders and we want to play a more active role in the community we're living in, and we're not being provided with that.

                        When we talk about youth empowerment, we have to expect more from the young generation. We have to expect more and to guide more with the relevant tools, the relevant skills, and educational material our generation is asking for. I really think that youth empowerment, especially in the space that I'm in with the young people I've gotten to meet, we're empowering each other with our stories, with the other things that we're learning and sharing with each other. I think that that's really where the power of youth empowerment is.

Dr. Lyons:    I think a lot of people are going to be wanting to get onto Youthtopia hearing about it when they go through this. How can other youths get involved? Is this something that is limited to Asia? Is it something that's global?

Melati:            This is definitely going to be a global project and we welcome anyone that would like to join and learn how to become a young changemaker. As most startups nowadays, especially led by the Gen Z, the best source of information at the moment as we build is our Instagram page, youthtopia.world or our website, which is the same handle.

Dr. Lyons:    Awesome. Let's switch gears a little bit. We're in a moment right now that is truly unprecedented. One thing that we're seeing in the lens that we have is that a lot of these mega-trends are speeding up. And things that we were speaking about before, sustainability, climate change, and it being accepted and being something that we're really going to focus on are two that we do see speeding up.

                        We took a great quote from Martin Luther King a few months back and said there's a fierce urgency of now and that this is a moment that we've got to grasp. How do we grasp the opportunity that is being presented to us right now in a moment of such change and really continue to move these types of things forward?

Melati:            I asked myself this question a lot and I definitely don't have the answer. I think it's a learning curve that we are all experiencing. I guess the way that I would approach an answer would be to zoom out and zoom in at the same time and really personally reflect on what this time means to you. This is on a global scale. I think we're being given an opportunity, an unprecedented opportunity, not a challenge, not a risk, but this is an opportunity for us. I think young people as well, again, we often look at challenges or burdens without the heaviness, but we again look at it more as an opportunity.

                        I think we have to look at it as when I say zoom out, think about the timeline that we have set in place. Five years ago, the United Nations invented the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This has become a framework that is implemented or spoken about all around the world, in classrooms, in board meetings, in government halls. The 17 SDGs is a framework or acts as a framework and a guideline of 17 different goals from humanitarian issues to environmental issues that we have to reach. 2020 and this year, we have hit the ten-year mark to reach those goals or not. I think with everything going on, we're being given an opportunity to reflect and refocus, restructure, reinvent the time that we're living in because we know already way longer before the 17 SDGs were invented, we know that the current system no longer works to our favor or to our benefit. And if we do not change business as usual, we're headed to an unlivable future.

                        The opportunity that is right in front of us, where and how we grasp it is by first and foremost becoming face to face. Once we do the whole zoom out, come up close. Embrace the confrontation that is happening right now on a global scale and on a personal scale, and understand what side you want to be on: the part that makes the future worth living or the history that doesn't move us forward. I think this is where we as individuals have a huge role to play in creating the movement forward.

Dr. Lyons:    Yeah, I think it's really that moment. It is a gut check moment in a way to really say where are we going and how are we going to change the trajectory if we don't like that place that we're going to end up. For a lot of the audience, and I'm thinking particularly even within our core business, the word 'activist' often strikes a tone of fear. People are thinking, "What is this person doing?" Of course, we know one of the big challenges that we have as humans is sometimes not embracing change, which is certainly something we need to be doing right now. How do we help people to overcome that fear and actually see that opportunity that you're highlighting for change?

Melati:            I love this. I love that the word 'activist' already makes people a little bit uncomfortable. That's good because that's when we know we're doing our job right. The role of an activist, especially young activists, is that we don't have that level of diplomacy. We know we do not have the time for chitchat and how's the weather. We get down to business. We know what we want. We're determined. Activists, especially in the recent couple of months, couple of years back, especially with the youth movement on the rise, we make people uncomfortable. The goal is to make us as uncomfortable as possible so we know we have to change. It's about applying the right kind of pressure.

                        Notice the reason why I don't mention the word 'fear' is because I think that that's not necessarily where the movement even comes from. The movement comes from a place of passion, of authenticity, and of love. I think that's why older generations or people that are afraid of change, they come up from a place of fear. They come up from a place of not willing to change because they're stuck in their comfort zone. Again, that's where we come in to make you as uncomfortable as possible so that we can change and move things along.

Dr. Lyons:    Yeah. We like to say that the magic in life starts at the edge of your comfort zone, so I think that's absolutely what we need to be doing and provoking in certain regards. Fear is one of the most useless emotions I think we have. I'm thinking about people watching this and saying, like you've said, "I'm a young person. I want to get involved." But a lot of people do feel intimidated or uncertain about themselves. How did you have the confidence in yourself to say, "Yes, we can go and get this done" and what would you suggest for young people if they were wanting to embark on such a mission themselves?

Melati:            I think that there are a lot of reasons why you are feeling this way and rightly so. Don't feel like it's not normal. There are definitely moments even where I find myself feeling super overwhelmed because when we look at the problem that the world is currently facing, we can feel very small and very -- well, just simply asking the question, where can we start? Where do I start? And how do I start? I think one piece of advice or one learning that I've had through my own experience is if you find just your piece of the puzzle, where can you add your strength, your power, your authenticity? Fuel it with your own passion. For you, it might not be plastic bags. For me, that was something that opened a whole opportunity and started me on this journey. It might be feeding the homeless, fighting for the forest and the rights of the trees.

                        Find your own passion and what is happening in your local area. I think once you find something that you deeply connect with, intimidation and the butterflies in your stomach is a healthy and good way to keep you on this path, to keep you moving forward because you also have to understand that it's bigger than you. It's bigger than one person. For me, this was the biggest lesson that I still cherish and carry with me to this day. We're a part of something bigger. There's a bigger message here, and young people are here to play a role in a bigger picture.

Dr. Lyons:    Fantastic and very inspiring. There are going to be other people watching this and they're going to be thinking, gosh, this young lady, very inspiring, very impressive, has spent a third of her life now focused in this area, but I'm a little later in life. How do I become a changemaker as well or how do I help to mentor changemakers? What would be your message perhaps to the audience a little bit older?

Melati:            Well, first of all, you're probably in a position of power, so I hope that you are using it to the potential of creating a world and a future that we are proud of, that is legal, that is just, and that is fair. I think that as a company owner, an industry leader, a government representative, being an adult, there's so much that you could do for good. When we talk about empowering young people and bringing us and inviting us into the space, that is one thing that we need more of. We need to be invited more often to conferences, to sit on panel discussions, and when we're not on stage, to be in the room.

                        Too many times, I'm finding myself in these beautiful, incredible, wealthy, knowledgeable conference rooms, and I ask the question, how many of you here are below the age of 30? Not because I want to see how many old people there are, but just because I want to make a point of how many or too little young people are in the audience. This for me, you have so much power as adults to invite us into those spaces. That's one of the ways that I think that you can empower and foster us into the realm of changemaking as well.

Dr. Lyons:    Yeah, I really like that idea. I recently was introduced to a book called "The Good Ancestor" and it was basically talking about future generations, generations that aren't even with us. Somehow, we need to also be thinking about them and bringing their voice into the room. I think that type of concept of getting more listening sessions and engagement with youth and what's really important on their agenda is a great suggestion and something we should be thinking about.

                        I might just think a little bit back on plastics. Plastics had been a big, big focus. That was the initial core issue that you guys identified and moved ahead with. Plastic is really part of a larger problem, which is a huge reliance on fossil fuels, which has been the dominant driver of climate change.

                        Do you have any thoughts about how we can use that focus and that success you've had with plastic to maybe put a light on the bigger issue of overuse of fossil fuels?

Melati:            Well, if we think about it -- and it touches on a way bigger point and I like that we're headed into there. When we think about problems or issues or challenges, we often box them or label them as if they're separate. Plastic pollution is connected and intertwined to climate change. Climate change is intertwined to gender inequality, to poverty. We have to start understanding that there is a global interconnectedness to all of these issues.

                        Think about the Black Lives Matter movement. There is no racial justice without climate justice. There is no climate justice without racial justice. Just before diving into that, of the plastic pollution, I just wanted to paint the picture of just how the narrative needs to change that everything is interconnected. Plastic bags, for example, the very thing that it's made of is from the fossil fuels that we need to keep in the ground. The reason, without even knowing it when we started, plastic pollution or going up against plastic pollution, it's a low hanging fruit. It is something where people are ready for as individuals, consumers, businesses even, government even. We're all towards a willingness and an intention to see how we can find alternatives.

                        When we started, for example, Bali banned plastic bags. That opened an entire discussion of okay, now what? What is the long-term solution? How can we look more into other types of alternatives not only for plastic bags, but for other plastic products for the entire waste management system? I think using the fact of the discussions on plastic pollution as a leverage to climate change and the climate crisis is a good way to go and a good start to open the larger discussion.

Dr. Lyons:    I think it really touches on the actual opportunity. Maybe you have a plastic ban in one location, but it creates commercial opportunities. You are getting an opportunity now to engage with business, to engage with policymakers. Have you been able to see or identify anything within companies that's maybe restricting them to see the opportunity that some of these changes and perhaps aligning with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals could actually create for them?

Melati:            Yeah. I'm not sure if I'm answering your question 100%, so please correct me or guide me in the right direction. But from what I get and where I think I would like to answer is that right now, what I'm coming on to when I'm in board meetings or when I'm with a government meeting, I constantly hear the excuse that people are not ready or even business leaders themselves are not ready for the change. But when I dig a little bit deeper, I'm like, why are we not changing fast enough? Is it a budget issue? Not really. Is it a consumer issue? I may live in a bubble, but I don't think so. I think the demand is there.

                        What it comes down to is definitely what you're touching on, is that systemic support is not there. I feel like the government regulations are not changing or adapting nor supporting the level and the speed of change. So business leaders can hide behind that and have no consequences or need to change their behavior. I think it's a little bit frustrating because when we talk about the elephant in the room, that's the elephant in the room. We're having too much gray area. People are hiding behind the willingness only and the inspiration only without actually implementing or changing the regulations, the policy frameworks to be able to actually implement that change.

Dr. Lyons:    We've been touching on a lot of different topics and I like the way that you phrased that the Sustainable Development Goals give us a framework. For us and for me personally, I feel like one of the most important of the Sustainable Development Goals is the last one focused on partnerships, and you've already mentioned collaboration. How do you think that policymakers, youth activists, and even companies can come together in partnerships to bring about the change that we need?

Melati:            I couldn't agree more. There is a very strong need and urgency for more partnerships, more authentic partnerships to take place.

                        To touch on it a little bit as well, I think when we look at partnerships, especially between young people and businesses, government sectors or departments, it's often viewed upon as an annual CSR program or a charity event where it's a one-off partnership. I think moving into 2020, learning everything that's happening around the world right now, we have to understand that when we talk about partnerships, it has to be more long-term. It has to be sustainable.

                        The way that authentic partnerships can take place is if there's a true transparency and communication. What I mean by that is take for example when a big corporation sets a goal or even a government sets a goal and a massive commitment. We love viral articles and viral videos and headlines, but we need more than that. In order to have a real working partnership, transparency and communication in the progress of achieving that commitment is necessary for us to be able to commit fully and to be able to contribute back into the partnership in a meaningful way. I think that that's what young people are really looking for, just to have a seat on the table and be taken seriously at the same time.

Dr. Lyons:    This is a time of challenge. It's a time of separation. You guys have had to deal with that and modify what you're doing. Maybe a two-part question, the first, how have you adapted your program through COVID and kept that engagement? Then maybe I'd ask, you're an optimistic person and I think that's one of the things that makes what you're doing very attractive and something that people want to be part of. What makes you optimistic for the future?

Melati:            Okay. The first question, with Bye Bye Plastic Bags, we were definitely more hands-on. You could find us at a bazaar, at an event, at a conference. We're doing three to five events a week. As a youth led movement, that was a lot for us to be doing. When COVID-19 happened, we had to switch everything online. We kept it as interactive as possible with our followers and continued our educational outreach there.

                        But with Youthtopia, we use this momentum and this growth in online learning to our advantage because Youthtopia's signature programs live online. That, for us, has been a real boost and actually worked to our advantage where we now host a lot of webinars, and again, interactive peer-to-peer panel discussions. We've had a lot of traction continue forward there also simply because we see that kids, young people all around the world, especially now, what is being amplified is the question of how can I create positive change? Our goal with Youthtopia is really to become that go-to headquarters for young changemakers all around the world.

                        What keeps me hopeful is exactly that, I would say, seeing young people from all around the world, all corners, no matter what background, no matter what culture, them coming up with the craziest and coolest and just so simple solutions. Being so determined no matter how often they're met with barriers and challenges. Their persistence, that's what inspires me. I feel like this sense of global community that we have as young changemakers has really been, again, amplified throughout this COVID-19. I think it's really brought us closer together as a global community, so I'm grateful for that, but it's also what fuels me every single day.

Dr. Lyons:    Yeah. It is one of the paradoxes of this time. Somehow we are physically separated, but somehow socially we're actually coming together, so it's great to see that you're experiencing that as well. Well, Melati, this has been fantastic. It's been really exciting to talk to you. I think it's been inspiring for me personally. I think for the audience, they will feel exactly the same, so thank you for being with us and sharing your story.

Melati:            Thank you very much.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Agriculture has the greatest potential to shape the future of our planet, and by embracing innovation and improving farm management, our agriculture sector can lead the way in enhancing agri-food sustainability. The Alltech Ireland Environmental Forum was held yesterday as a virtual gathering of international and domestic thought leaders to discuss carbon and climate challenges and inform and equip Ireland’s dairy industry to move forward to achieve its sustainability goals and Ireland’s 2030 targets.

“Never before have we needed to come together as an industry to solve the environmental challenges we face, and is not up to one organisation to solve this issue,” said Cathal McCormack, country manager at Alltech Ireland. “We need to collaborate with the industry by working together with farmers, industry bodies, dairy processors and the government. Action is what will make it happen, we need to make a start.”

Global industry experts joined the virtual event to explain how industry stakeholders can lead the way in enhancing both agri-food and national sustainability. The speakers and discussion topics included:

• Timothy P. Robinson, senior livestock policy officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization with the United Nations, was the opening plenary session speaker with his presentation, “Raising ambitions on climate action in dairy systems.”
• Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality specialist in cooperative extension in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis, California, presented on “Key actions to reduce livestock’s contribution to climate change.”
• Emma Swan, InTouch Feeding Specialist, Alltech Ireland and Dr. Stephen Ross, Alltech E-CO2, shared their thoughts about “Alltech’s Vision for a Sustainable Irish Dairy Industry.”   
• Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, provided closing remarks to the morning session.
• The afternoon session consisted of a panel discussion, “Digging deeper on sustainability: What needs to happen?”, with industry experts:
  • Thomas Hubert, The Currency
  • Matthew Smith, vice president, Alltech  
  • Prof. Frank O’Mara, director of research, Teagasc
  • Dr. Elizabeth Magowan, director of sustainable agri-food sciences division, AFBI
  • Tom Arnold, chair of the Irish 2030 Agri-Food Strategy Committee

To view the recording and for more information about the event, speakers and topics, visit https://go.alltech.com/ireland/environmental-forum.

Alltech has announced the keynote speaker line-up to be featured at the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference (ONE), a virtual event that will be held on May 25–27, 2021. Streaming keynote and on-demand presentations will be released during the global conference and will focus on the power of science, sustainability and storytelling.

Shirzad Chamine, author of the New York Times bestseller "Positive Intelligence," has served as the CEO of the largest coach-training organization in the world and has used his expertise to train the faculty at the business schools at Stanford and Yale. Chamine lectures on the concept of mental fitness at Stanford, where he also works with the university’s student athletes. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Chamine has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams.

A man of many talents, Dewitt Jones is one of America's top professional photographers, as well as a motion-picture director, an author and a former photojournalist for National Geographic. He has also been at the forefront of corporate creative marketing by photographing national advertising campaigns for major brands. Jones is recognized as a world-class lecturer. His knowledge of the creative process, his relaxed and genuine style, and his ability to communicate make his presentations truly outstanding.

Economist, bestselling author, journalist, documentary filmmaker and broadcaster David McWilliams is ranked as one of the top ten most influential economists in the world. He has devoted his entire professional life to the objective of making economics as widely available and easily understandable as possible.

Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, represents the second generation of the global business founded by his father Dr. Pearse Lyons. Based on Alltech’s belief that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively impact the future of the planet, he launched the company’s vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™ in 2019.  Alltech is driving science-led sustainability within agriculture and calling for collaboration to improve nutrition, human and animal well-being, and the preservation of natural resources.

“This past year has changed the world, and now, more than ever, we need to come together to share insights, inspiration and innovations,” said Lyons. “The Alltech ONE Ideas Conference connects changemakers for conversations that can shape the future of agri-food and our planet.”

A new keynote presentation will be streamed on the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference virtual platform each day. Registrants who miss the scheduled streaming can access the presentations on demand.

More than 40 on-demand presentations will also be released on May 25. These presentations will uncover the challenges and opportunities in the aqua, beef, business, crop science, dairy, equine, health and wellness, pet, pig, and poultry sectors. The Alltech ONE Ideas Conference virtual platform will also host live workshops and an interactive networking experience.

To learn more about the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference, including how to register, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation across social media with #ONEbigidea.