PODCAST: Agri-Food for Thought Ep 24 - M&A in the Global Agri-Food Industry, Feb 2025 Overview

Expana presents Agri-Food for Thought, the podcast series for agriculture and food professionals.

On today's episode of Agri-Food for Thought, we showcase selected mergers and acquisitions in the agri-food sector that took place in February 2025.

M&A in the global agri-food industry is an ongoing and very regular trend. Hundreds of deals take place each month. This episode will give you an idea of some of the main M&A activity that took place last month.

PODCAST: Agri-Food for Thought Ep 23 - Looking Back at Agri-Food Europe & WFA, feat. Thess Mostoles

Expana presents Agri-Food for Thought, the podcast series for agriculture and food professionals.

Last week, Expana hosted its inaugural European content-driven event under the new brand identity, Agri-Food Europe 2025. Held at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, the event brought together approximately 300 guests and followed a dedicated day focused on Women in Food & Agriculture.

Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the event’s strong organization, high-quality speakers, and comprehensive news coverage.

Agricultural Trade Highlighted During Greer's USTR Confirmation Hearing

On February 6, the Senate committee hearing was conducted for Trump’s nomination to the US Trade Representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer who previously served as the Chief of Staff to the agency under Robert Lighthizer. Since then, Greer has been advanced by the committee to a forthcoming Senate confirmation vote.

During the hearing, Greer spoke about bipartisan trade policy–notably the tariffs on China that were kept by the Biden administration. Greer says he wants the position because he believes America should be a country of producers...

PODCAST: Agri-Food for Thought Ep. 22 - The Road to Agri-Food Europe 2025, feat. Olympia Theocharous

On today’s episode, we speak to Olympia Theocharous, Expana’s Content Director for Events...

No Waste Left Behind: Insect Frass Can Improve Soil Fertility

Insect droppings, commonly known as insect frass, may seem useless and downright disgusting, but scientists found that this waste can improve soil health when added as a fertilizer in farming.

Insect frass is a mixture of excreta, feed, and molted skins. These droppings are a by-product of farming insects like yellow mealworms, banded crickets, and black soldier flies. Farmers raise and breed insects, also known as "mini-livestock," to be an alternative protein source for animals and be a more sustainable practice in agriculture.

Insect frass may...

USDA Launches Agribusiness Trade Mission to Morocco

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley arrived in Casablanca today to begin a USDA-sponsored agribusiness trade mission. Whitley is leading a delegation of nearly 50 U.S. agribusinesses and trade groups and 14 state departments of agriculture to expand U.S. farm and food exports to Morocco and other West African markets.

"I am honored to lead this delegation to Casablanca as we work to strengthen vital connections, grow U.S. agricultural exports, and showcase the broad array of products American agriculture has to...

Each Thanksgiving Dinner Requires a National Effort

As friends and family sit down for a Thanksgiving dinner, very few are aware that the feast on their table is a culmination of efforts of farmers from every corner of the United States. American Farm Bureau Federation economists analyzed the production of the ingredients that go into a classic Thanksgiving dinner, detailing which states produce the most commodities and the production value of those items. The Market Intel provides context to AFBF’s annual Thanksgiving dinner cost survey, which found the average cost of this year’s classic...

Dockworker Strike Highlights Importance of Food Independence

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the impact of the East Coast dockworker strike.

“America is bracing for the impact of the massive dockworker strike that threatens to paralyze traffic of goods in and out of the United States. Our nation relies on international trade for everything from electronics to machinery.

“Families also count on the import of food like bananas, coffee and specialty items, including chocolates and European beer. While there is a risk of shortages of some items...

Biden-Harris Administration Delivers Over $26.7 Billion In Market Access for U.S. Agriculture

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has secured over $26.7 billion in agricultural market access across the globe for America’s farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food manufacturers. Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have worked to ensure American agriculture can reach global markets and customers around the world...

Colombian Government Considers $5 Mln Investment in Agricultural Bio-Inputs Plant

The Colombian government is studying a potential USD $5 million investment to construct a public agricultural bio-inputs plant, based on information disclosed by the Ministry of Agriculture to Blu Radio.

This initiative forms part of Colombia's broader strategy to enhance its agricultural infrastructure and comes amidst escalating costs for key agricultural inputs such as urea, which have seen historical price surges due to global market fluctuations influenced by the Ukraine conflict.

The proposed plant aims to develop a range of products essential for local agricultural operations...

Ernst Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Protect Poultry Exports

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led over 50 of her colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to protect America’s agricultural competitiveness by adopting a better definition of "poultry" so Iowa farmers will not miss out on trade opportunities.

In the letter to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Dr. Michael Watson, they advocated for the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to adopt the definition of "poultry" unanimously approved by the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA).

The lawmakers explained the...

Cargill and Nestlé Purina Partner on Regenerative Agriculture Adoption to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Investment in regenerative agriculture is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of Purina’s U.S. grain supply from Cargill by up to 40 percent over the next three years

Nestlé Purina is investing in farmer adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the company’s corn and soy supply chains through a new partnership with Cargill, one of the largest ingredient and agricultural solutions companies in the U.S. This work will support soil health and reduce the carbon footprint for Purina dry pet food products across North America...

LaBelle Patrimoine Heritage Chicken Approved by USDA as Regeneratively Raised

LaBelle Patrimoine, producer of humanely raised heritage, air-chilled chickens, is proud to announce that it carries the new claim of regeneratively raised as approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), acknowledging its commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly poultry farming practices.

Regeneratively raised is a farming system where chickens are fed regeneratively grown grain, grown on managed pasture, and farm waste and processing waste are composted and returned to the soil to improve soil health. This meaningful recognition by the USDA, which...

Trade and Exports Continue to Strengthen American Agriculture

American agriculture remains strong. Total U.S. agricultural exports reached $174.9 billion in 2023. American farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners continue to have success abroad as USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service works for U.S. agriculture.

Exports are critical to the health of America’s farm sector and the nation’s economy. USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration are committed to ensuring that U.S. agriculture has full and fair access to markets and opportunities across the globe.

In the trade policy arena, USDA successfully opened a new grapefruit market in Vietnam...