Ray Goldberg IFAMA 2022

Overview

The speaker delivers an address at IFAMA 2022 (at an event titled “Ray Goldberg IFAMA 2022”), focusing on the future of agribusiness and the farmer’s role in navigating both major opportunities and serious current challenges.

Main Arguments and Themes

1) A dual reality: technological progress vs. societal breakdown

• The talk highlights “wonderful revolutions” in agricultural technology—methods to produce more nutritious food with better environmental outcomes, using more efficient human labor.
• At the same time, the speaker describes the current moment as “tragic” because collaboration and cooperation are disappearing across the food system and within agribusiness more broadly.

2) Win-win collaboration across sectors

• IFAMA/agribusiness should strengthen partnerships among private, public, non-profit, and governmental sectors.
• The aim is a win-win relationship where cooperation strengthens the entire food system rather than benefiting only isolated actors.

3) Inclusivity and openness to new approaches

• Farmers and the agribusiness community should be more inclusive, including opening membership to different emerging technologies.
• The speaker suggests the future depends on adopting a broader range of tools and knowledge—not relying on a narrow set of approaches.

4) Food systems are central to health and climate

• The speaker emphasizes that the food system is not just about economics or production; it is essential to public health.
• It is also crucial for climate stability.
• Innovation should therefore be framed around both human health and environmental/climate outcomes.

5) Multi-disciplinary education and university reform

• Education for farmers and food-system leaders must be multi-disciplinary, involving not only agribusiness, but also:
  • public policy
  • public health
  • government engagement
• Universities should structure programs so students can work across multiple disciplines, rather than studying agribusiness in isolation.

6) Proactive defense of a free and fair food system

• The speaker argues the food system faces threats from divisive political/economic forces (including oligarchy and efforts that reduce freedoms).
• Agribusiness leaders should be more proactive in ensuring collaborations remain fair to everyone.
• The talk also calls for stronger support for women’s increased role in the food system.

7) Empowering youth

• Young people are described as the future.
• The organization should give youth a bigger voice immediately, not only later in their careers.
• Youth should be integrated into the food system through opportunities and engagement now.

8) Institutional role models

• The speaker credits Jim Austin for helping establish an agribusiness program and notes his doctoral work on wheat.
• The university/IFAMA-affiliated institution is presented as a model for building a world capable of enduring future conflicts and challenges.

Closing Message

• The speaker congratulates attendees—many described as former students and long-term friends—and expresses confidence in their leadership.
• The talk frames the period as one where core values are under attack, but insists the world depends on agribusiness leaders to drive cooperative, effective, and socially beneficial progress in the food system.

Presenters or Contributors

• Ray Goldberg
• Jim Austin