USDA Opens Registration for 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum

Registration is now open for the 96th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), the largest annual meeting and premiere event of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The two-day Forum will take place on Feb. 20-21, 2020, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va.

The 2020 Forum, themed “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture”, will feature more than 30 sessions covering topics such as innovations in agriculture, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. In addition, USDA Chief Economist will unveil the Department’s outlook for U.S. commodity markets and trade in 2020 and discuss the U.S. farm income situation.

An exhibit hall will showcase resources from USDA agencies and private organisations. The 2020 Forum’s programme will be announced at the beginning of November.

USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum began in 1923 to distribute and interpret national forecasts to farmers in the field. The goal was to provide the information developed through economic forecasting to farmers so they had the tools to read market signals and avoid producing beyond demand. Since then, the Forum has developed into a unique platform where key stakeholders from the agricultural sector in the United States and around the world come together every year to discuss current and emerging topics and trends in the sector. On average, 1,600 people attend the Forum each year.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum, organised by USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist together with other USDA agencies, is independent of commercial interests and aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that leads to well-functioning open markets.