Source: PRESS RELEASE, 1/12/16

The Jan. 20 Farm Foundation Forum will take a broad look at the issue of antibiotic use in both humans and animals.

Panel members will examine issues and actions in animal health, human health, the retail/market sector and the public policy arena, including what those actions mean domestically and globally.

Featured on the panel will be:
• Terry Coffey, DVM, Smithfield Foods
• Steve Solomon, MD, Global Public Health Consulting
• Jerome Lyman, McDonald's Corporation, retired 
• Kathy Talkington, Pew Charitable Trusts

Moderating the panel will be Farm Foundation Trustee Joe Swedberg, who chairs the Foundation's Antimicrobial Education Project Advisory Committee.

The Forum will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. After discussion by the panelists, the floor will be opened for questions. For those unable to attend in person, a live audiocast is available free of charge.
 
There is no charge to participate in the Jan. 20 Forum, but registration is requested. REGISTER HERE if you plan to to attend the Forum in person at the National Press Club. REGISTER HERE to participate in the live audiocast. Audiocasting is made possible by a grant from Farm Credit. After the event, an audio file is posted to the Farm Foundation website for those unable to be part of the live event.

This Forum precedes the national summit, Antimicrobial Stewardship: Policy, Education and Economics, which begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, and continues through Thursday, Jan. 21. The summit is a collaboration of Farm Foundation, NFP, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and USDA's Economic Research Service.

Over the last six months, Farm Foundation, NFP has hosted a series of 13 workshop across the nation to provide livestock producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers with information regarding new policies issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on use of antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals. The workshops were also an opportunity for producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers to provide feedback to FDA and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the management challenges of instituting the new policies. A report of the workshops will be discussed as part of the national summit. 

Who should participate in the Forum: People with an interest in agricultural, food and rural policy, including members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, industry representatives, NGO representatives, academics and members of the media.

The Forum: Farm Foundation, NFP organizes these public forums to engage all stakeholders in informed dialogue on food, agricultural and rural policies. Participants examine current policies, explore and analyze alternative policy options, and give voice to new proposals.

Audio from the session will be posted on the Farm Foundation website. Presentations and audio files from past Forum sessions are also available at the website.