In this Feed & Grain Chat, Berit Foss, PhD, vice president, feed and sustainability, of the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), discusses regulatory shifts and sustainability priorities shaping the feed industry.
She highlights the expiration of the FDA–AAFCO agreement and the proposed Innovative Feed Act as pivotal changes that could modernize ingredient approval and regulatory frameworks. Foss emphasized collaboration on shared issues like mycotoxins and sanitary transportation, while drawing on her sustainability background to help members navigate global policies and data demands. Looking ahead, she expects stronger food safety, transparency and sustainability standards across the supply chain.
Transcript of interview with Berit Foss, PhD, vice president, feed and sustainability of NGFA:
Elise Schafer, editor, Feed & Grain: Hi everyone, and welcome to Feed & Grain Chat. I'm your host. Elise Schafer, editor of Feed & Grain. This edition of Feed & Grain Chat is brought to you by WATT Global Media and FeedandGrain.com. FeedandGrain.com is your source for the latest news, product and equipment information for the grain handling and feed manufacturing industries.
Today, I'm joined by Dr. Berit Foss, vice president, feed and sustainability for National Grain and Feed Association. She's here to give us an update on feed regulations and a glimpse into NGFA's sustainability priorities. Hi Berit, thanks for joining me today.
Berit Foss, PhD, vice president, feed and sustainability, NGFA: Yeah, thanks, Elise. I'm happy to be here.
Schafer: Well, you joined NGFA at what CEO Mike Seyfert calls a critical juncture. What are the biggest challenges facing the feed industry right now?
Foss: Yeah, so this is actually a really great and timely question. And I think one of the biggest challenges as a you know when we talk about the feed industry is that the regulatory landscape is really undergoing change.
And a prime example is that expiration of the FDA and AAFCO memorandum of understanding. And so it really creates a shift to how things have been done. And so a big positive from that is that you have regulators industry that recognize that there's a need for bold action that needs to happen to support innovation and really make progress in the feed sector. So, there's a really big positive here, but change can be uncomfortable.
But we're also at a juncture that we can really focus on our current reality — what is working and what isn't working. And that's where you see FDA last year asking for input on current ingredient review processes. AAFCO has been spending an incredible amount of time really trying to build an ingredient review process that is effective and predictable for the industry.
And also from a legislative standpoint, we have the proposed legislations of the Innovative Feed Act, and that could be a really big game changer for the industry as it's a chance to really make progress and move toward a more modern, responsive regulatory framework.
So yes, big things happening with the feed industry right now. I think there's a lot of positive movement to really drive the industry forward.
Schafer: Now, how will your sustainability background impact NGFA's approach to advocacy and member services?
Foss: So I actually had the opportunity to work in a sustainability role prior to NGFA, and what I learned from that role is that sustainability is a very big word. And so I was fortunate that my background really gave me that broad view of what that means in practice. And so whether there's a focus on alternative energy strategies to the alphabet soup of sustainability standards, or really a focus on data as it relates to life cycle assessments, both in feed and biofuels.
And so I've had conversations with downstream customers, users of products that those metrics are incredibly important, but then also really trying to understand how domestic and international policies really have implications for business.
And so I think that my broad view and that knowledge is helpful to our members at NGFA, especially when we look at the membership that NGFA represents really the full supply chain, and so our members experience sustainability from every angle.
So, it's very significant and I'm grateful to have that wide lens on these issues. I can support members by answering questions, helping them navigate that complexity.
And then I think being exposed to all of that, when we talk about some of these big opportunities that our industry has, no single company or group can really solve alone. And that's where our members are really wanting to look at collaboration, leverage what other groups are doing. There's some great work out there, and you've talked to them in the past, that are really focused on some of these big sustainability metrics. And if we can be at the table as it talks about the supply chain, and really work with our members on where NGFA should be seated at the table, where we should make sure that the supply chain is represented to solve for some of those bigger sustainability issues. It's a very exciting time on the sustainability front. It's just a great time at NGFA to really engage in that conversation and really collaborate.
Schafer: Now, with that mix in your membership, what is your strategy for helping both small and large feed operations navigate increasingly complex regulations?
Foss: Yeah, I mean I have felt empowered in my own background to really strategize around animal food safety and food safety plans. I've built food safety plans from the ground up. When our commercial teams have challenged us to adopt greater standards as it relates to ISO and the global food safety initiatives, whether you're managing a single facility or a network of 100, now operations of all sizes are going to face many of the same challenges.
And so you know my strategy to help our members is really around kind of how our committee structure has been set up and Dave Fairfield did an amazing job of this. Really, NGFA can bring the industry together, create these forums for open dialogue on these like shared issues. Mycotoxins — I hate to say that word. It's not anyone's favorite word, but it's such an important topic that it continues to evolve from a regulatory standpoint, from a technology standpoint. And so it's something that that's a common topic that we want to continue to engage on. Same thing as something like sanitary transportation.
You know, when our supply chain is as large as we are, we move hundreds of thousands of trucks and rail cars, and it's an important topic. And so there's a lot of big things that impact everyone across the supply chain.
So really all of our members, whether big or small, share a commitment to that safe and secure food supply. And so I’m really grateful to be a part of NGFA, to be able to bring my knowledge of building from the ground up to thinking and strategizing way ahead so that I can help our members drive their own continuous improvement, create a forum where folks are asking questions that might not have been asked before and help strengthen the food security here in the United States.
Schafer: Berit, where do you see feed safety and sustainability regulations heading in the next few years?
Foss: So, looking ahead regulatory progress is inevitable. There's no turning back. We see that in the feed safety realm, feed regulatory realm. And right now, food safety and transparency are front and center, you know, with anticipated reforms to existing legislation and the introduction of new policies like iFeed.
And so these developments reflect that growing commitment to strengthening the food system and ensuring greater accountability across the supply chain. And on the sustainability side we know that agriculture can play that significant role and our members at NGFA are already at work, delivering on market demands. And so I'm really excited to continue to work alongside our members to shape animal food policy and make progress and really support sustainability programming and truly support them in navigating the changes ahead.
I will say NGFA does a stellar job at advocating and is really positioned well in DC to advocate on NGFA member issues. And it's so important, but what is also unique with NGFA is that it's so important to make sure that our members feel equipped and confident as that landscape evolves.
And that's where I, when I looked at joining NGFA and the background I have, I'm really happy that I'm able to support our members in both looking forward, but then strategizing as things change too.
Schafer: Well, thank you so much for sharing your passion and insights with us today, Berit.
Foss: Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate the conversation.
Schafer: Of course. That's all for today's Feed & Grain Chat. And if you'd like to see more videos like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel, sign up for the Industry Watch daily eNewsletter, or go to FeedandGrain.com and search for videos. Thanks again for watching, and we hope to see you next time.