IPPE 2014 a success despite bad weather

Cannon, who is also the current chairman of the American Feed Industry Association, praised the AFIA and US Poultry and Egg Association collaboration with the American Meat Institute to organize the annual IPPE at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“IPPE provided an extraordinary venue to learn and network,” Cannon said. “It was also a unique opportunity to explore crucial issues affecting the food industry worldwide.”

IPPE 2014 immediately followed the International Poultry Scientific Forum, which also took place at the Congress Center and included the AFIA-sponsored Pet Food Conference.

Although final figures on IPPE attendance were not yet available and a winter storm struck Atlanta during the show there appeared to be an increase in visitors from outside the US.

“The multitude of languages spoken in the aisles,” Cannon said, “and the diverse poultry nutrition and health questions we fielded at the Diamond V booth, suggest that this year’s show attracted visitors from a large number of countries. The growth of IPPE is part of the momentum toward globalization of the food industry.”

He said IPPE plays a significant role in enabling poultry producers and food companies to leverage current technology to meet future demands of diverse markets for safe and affordable feed and food production.

“Involving VIV this year in an international pork production summit shows how our global industries can come together. There are significant differences across national borders and types of food animals, but there also is common cause – safe feed and safe food. So as food production and markets around the world continue to develop and mature, we in the US have the opportunity to set an example of how industries can organize, adopt new technologies, and self-regulate for continual improvement.”

Cannon said he admired the organisation of IPPE 2014, which offered a consistent, world-class venue and professional-quality operation that helped international visitors feel comfortable. He praised AFIA staff in helping to foster and maintain great collaboration across all segments of industry.

“We need astute and competent representation in Washington, DC,” Cannon said. “As their work at IPPE shows, the AFIA staff also do a great job in ‘adding value’ to membership in the organisation.”

During his term as AFIA chairman, Cannon said, he was excited to see an increase in membership, including new members from other sectors of the U.S. food industry along with new international members. He also noted increased participation in AFIA committees: “Always a good sign of a growing, dynamic, member-driven organisation.”

Also Cannon participated in the 7th Annual International Feed Regulators Meeting (IFRM). For IFRM, the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), brought together feed industry representatives and government officials from around the world to discuss key feed and food chain issues, including implementation of Codex food safety requirements. AFIA was a founding member of IFIF, which notes that its members now represent more than 80% of global animal feed production.