Labor, Infrastructure, Supply Chain Top Major Ag Issues — AFBF Convention

Though the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to how light was shed on some of the issues, things like rural infrastructure (including rural broadband), farm labor and sustainability will remain major priorities once the pandemic is under control. That was the context behind a virtual discussion between American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall and Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford on Tuesday as part of the annual AFBF convention. This year, the event is being held exclusively online. Duvall sees farm labor as a major “limiting factor” for U.S. farms, and will continue to make it an AFBF legislative priority in coming years. On top of labor, building a more sustainable supply chain is a matter of national security, Ford said, and should be added to agriculture’s legislative and operational priorities. The CEO also discussed a few ways Land O’Lakes has taken on these and other issues, demonstrating the importance of rural broadband to solving a lot of problems facing rural America. See more from the conversation.