Recently, I had the opportunity to again represent the ACES Office of International Programs in the U.S. – German Forum on the Future of Agriculture sponsored by Aspen Institute Germany.

This project promotes transatlantic dialogue on common challenges in agriculture towards a more sustainable future for all. Specifically, the 2024 cohort focuses on the digital transformation of beef and dairy farming. With the goal of developing a set of policy recommendations, the participants–dairy farmers and other stakeholders from both countries–meet virtually throughout the year and in person once. 

While last year Illinois hosted the in-person meeting, this year’s group met to share ideas and best practices in Kiel, Germany, a port town on the Baltic sea and the most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to working on the policy recommendations document, the group toured area dairy and research farms, and met with legislators.

I was able to introduce Illinois to the diverse people we met through several ways, one popular way was gifting jars of honey from the IGB bee research along with a small flier (in the shape of Block I) with quick facts about the university.

You have 50,000 students? 24 Nobel Prizes! These were just a couple of the comments I heard. After watching presentations about digital ag in Germany, I was proud to share our websites for I-FARM and the Center for Digital Ag, and now we have some interested collaborators in Germany.

Like last year, during a very busy week, I witnessed connections being made, lifetime friendships formed, plans being made to meet in person again, visits being planned to U.S. farms, and ultimately as the program intended, people with different perspectives working together to serve the greater good.

The group has even requested an additional virtual meeting be added to the schedule so they can share more information about each other’s farms.

The university, as it should, focuses on opportunities for our students to go abroad. But as I’ve seen in person two times now, even adults who have established lives, farms, and careers, benefit professionally and personally from programs that foster a global outlook and build a global community.

I am also happy to share that this project was recently renewed for three more years through 2027 and ACES International Programs will continue to serve as the U.S. implementing partner along with the European Union Center. For next year’s cohort, we will be looking for farmers and other stakeholders interested in land use conflicts between renewable energy and food production. 

Now a five-year project, the Forum's annual themes include: 

• 2023 - climate resilience of arable agriculture (download recommendations)
• 2024 - digital transformation of beef and dairy farming (in progress)
• 2025 - land use conflicts between renewable energy and food production
• 2026 - animal health and welfare with poultry and pig farmers 
• 2027 - the agricultural labor market in the fruit and vegetable industries