Conference Introduction

The International Summit on Agricultural and Food Transportation will be held in Washington, D.C. December 2-3, 2008 at the Fairmont Washington hotel.

Mission

To build on the Summit in 2007 bringing the trucking industry and other agriculture and food transportation organizations together to discuss critical issues and generate ideas to strengthen commercial agricultural trucking as a key partner in the future success of U.S. and international agriculture.

Given the essential role the trucking sector plays in world agriculture, this event will encourage proactive and coordinated efforts and contribute to efficient and effective transportation of agricultural commodities and food worldwide.

Over 20 speakers/presenters from Congress, trucking and national and international agriculture organizations, federal government agencies, and private sector experts, will address the 2008 Summit.

Focus Issues

The trucking industry is a diverse and highly competitive industry providing a broad spectrum of services to a variety of agricultural and food operations, markets, and interests worldwide. Although many issues are important, within the agricultural and food trucking sector these issues have been identified as critical:

• Impacts of the new U.S. farm and energy legislation on domestic and international agricultural production and processing as a critical agent of change for the agricultural and trucking sectors.
• Trucking industry ability to meet increasing demands from agricultural and food industries.
• Role of energy costs, renewable fuels and environmental issues on the agricultural and food trucking industry.
• Factors that affect driver recruitment, training and retention.
• Effects of security concerns and requirements in agricultural and food transportation.
• Importance of agricultural hours-of-service exemption to the efficiency of U.S. commercial agricultural transportation and exports.

“Commercial agricultural transporters, agribusinesses, agricultural organizations and shippers need an international forum for several reasons. New U.S. farm and energy legislation will significantly impact agriculture and transportation, as well as the decisions made in the 2009 highway reauthorization bill to be passed in the 111th Congress. These and other legislative and policy decisions will also affect global agricultural and transportation markets. The 2008 Summit, through a successful partnership of public and private organizations, will provide an excellent forum for discussion, information sharing, and knowledge on many critical issues.”

(Fletcher R. Hall, Executive Director
2008 International Summit on Ag and Food Transportation)

Expected Outcomes

• Nationally and internationally recognized speaker presentations
• Discussions among researchers, policy makers, and industry leaders for defining strategies, setting agendas, and pooling resources for effective and efficient agricultural and food truck transportation
• Expert Presentations and Panel Discussions
• Ideas Exchange and Knowledge-Building
• National and International Relationship and Networking Opportunities
• Focus on Future Policy and Legislative Actions
• Increased understanding of renewable fuels on agricultural transportation

Sponsors

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Primary Sponsors

• Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, American Trucking Associations
• Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University

Affiliate Sponsors

• Great West Casualty Company
• Scopelitis, Garvin, Light & Hanson