Overview
Co-hosted by the Sweetener Users Association and the International Dairy Foods Association, the International Sweetener Colloquium provides a unique opportunity for key players from all sectors to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global sweetener industry.
Attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in content-rich sessions with presentations from a wide range of speakers, addressing the latest challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Topics will cover everything from government regulation and political outlook to current research findings and market trends.
The Colloquium draws hundreds of professionals and decision-makers from the sweetener industry and from companies that use sweeteners in the products they make. Buyers, refiners, distributors and food companies actively participate in the Colloquium, using it as a springboard to enhance their business and trading-partner networks.
Cohosted By:
Sponsors:
Agenda
| February 27, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
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| 12:00pm | Golf Tournament | ||
| 6:00pm - 7:30pm |
Welcome Reception
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| 9:00pm |
After-Hours Party
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| February 28, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:00am - 9:00am | Session I – Breakfast and Keynote Address | ||
| 9:00am - 9:30am |
Networking Break
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| 9:30am - 10:45am |
Session II – International & North American Sugar Market Outlook
Domestic sugar prices have been at multi-year highs and supplies have been challenged by drought, hurricanes, logistics delays and import policies. Global sugar prices also have risen, with Brazil sugar production on a rollercoaster and India gaining prominence in the export market. Depressed demand is emerging from the pandemic’s shadow. Hear market experts discuss the North American and global supply-and-demand situation for sweeteners and the impact of those factors on prices. </br>Moderator: <b>Ron Sterk</b>, Senior Editor, Markets, Sosland Publishing</br>Panelists: <b>Frank Jenkins</b>, President, JSG Commodities </br><b>Vincent O’Rourke</b>, Trader and Market Analyst, C. Czarnikow Sugar, Inc. </br><b>Craig Ruffolo</b>, Vice President – Commodity Specialist, McKeany-Flavell Company
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| 10:45am - 12:00pm |
Session III – Farm Bill Preview
The farm bill is the authorizing home for commodity programs, including sugar. The current structure of the commodity programs expires and must be authorized in 2023, so in less than a year, Congress will begin writing a new farm bill, which among many other debates will decide the fate of the sugar program. Preparations and positioning have already begun. What effect would a change in partisan control of the House and/or Senate have on the process? And will new pressure to address climate change produce profound changes in farm programs? This panel will cover the new farm bill’s likely priorities, opportunities, constituencies, and challenges. </br>Moderator: <b> Bill O’Conner</b>, Agriculture Policy Expert, Watkinson Miller PLLC </br>Panelists: <b> Dave Carlin, </b> Senior Vice President, Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy, International Dairy Foods Association </br>
<b> Kathleen Merrigan</b>, Executive Director & Professor of Practice, Arizona State University </br>
<b> Bob Young</b>, Former Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation </br>
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| 4:00pm - 5:30pm | SUA Board Meeting | ||
| 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Networking Reception | ||
| March 1, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 9:00am - 9:30am | Continental Breakfast | ||
| 9:30am - 10:30am |
Session IV – Hedging
Covering sugar needs at manageable prices so factories can keep running has become more important than ever amid multi-year high prices, supply concerns and rising freight costs. In a Colloquium first, experts will explain the hedging process and discuss possible hedging strategies that will allow sugar users to reduce their market risk.
</br>Moderator: <b>Paul Steed</b>, Senior Global Price Risk Lead - Sugar, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC</br>
Additional speakers will be added once confirmed; please check back.
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| 10:30am - 11:30am |
Session V – Sugar Supply Chain & Sustainability: Are Both Front and Center
Sugar supply chain issues, including physical logistic problems have become very real, so how do we ensure a workable sugar supply chain going forward? At the same time, sugar producers have a great opportunity to share the progress they have made in implementing sugar sustainability measures. Come to this session to hear from a diverse group of speakers about the most recent developments in evolving arenas with ever-greater significance.
</br>Moderator: <b>Rick Pasco, </b>President, Sweetener Users Association </br> Panelists: <b>Kevin Ogorzalek,</b> Senior Manager, Sustainability Sourcing, Barry Callebaut </br> <b>Jim Ritchie,</b> President and CEO, RedStone Logistics </br><b>Rafael Vayá</b>, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, American Sugar Refining Inc.</b>
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| 11:30am - 12:00pm |
Networking Break
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| 12:00pm - 1:30pm |
Session VI – Luncheon: Food and Farm Policy and the Elections
Session VI – Luncheon: Food and Farm Policy and the Elections
One of the nation’s premier agricultural and food journalists, Sara Wyant is president of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. She and her team regularly interview the nation’s top decision-makers on food and farm policy and politics, and are known for going in-depth to make complex topics understandable and relevant. Sara will share her insights on key races in the coming elections and how that may affect the next farm bill, food regulation and other topics that have a direct impact on Colloquium participants’ bottom lines. </br>Moderator: <b>Randy Green</b>, Principal, Watson Green LLC</br>Speaker: <b> Sara Wyant</b>, President, Agri-Pulse Communications
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| 1:30pm - 2:00pm |
Networking Break
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| 2:00pm - 3:30pm |
Session VII – Latest Trends in Consumer Preferences
Consumers say they want to consume less sugar, but do they really? How have the Millennials and Gen Z changed the face of food marketing? How lasting are the profound changes in food purchasing and behavior wrought by the pandemic? For a look at consumer trends present and future, this is the place to be. </br>Moderator: <b> Kelsey Hibbs</b>, Senior Manager, Procurement and Commodities, The J.M. Smucker Company </br>
Additional speakers will be added once confirmed; please check back.
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| 3:00pm - 4:00pm |
Session VIII – Ingredients Outlook in 2022
Most commodity prices ended 2021 well above year-ago levels. What do analysts expect in 2022? Our panel of speakers will discuss the supply-and-demand and pricing possibilities for corn, soybean oil, cocoa, and dairy products critical to food manufacturers in view of the “new normal” in a post-pandemic world. </br>Moderator: <b>Ron Sterk</b>, Senior Editor, Markets, Sosland Publishing</br>Panelists: <b>Lucas Fuess</b>, Director of Dairy Market Intelligence, HighGround Dairy</br> <b>Stephen Nicholson</b>, Vice President, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst, Rabo Agrifinance</br><b>Hugo van der Goes</b>, Vice President Cocoa North America, Barry Callebaut
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| March 2, 2022 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 7:30am - 8:00am | Continental Breakfast | ||
| 8:00am - 9:00am |
Session IX – Economic Forecast and Financial Market Update
The Fed moves toward higher rates and investors try to assess a richly-valued market in the midst of a pandemic, while fiscal policy measures now come in the trillions. We’ll consider the U.S. and world macroeconomic landscapes and identify both watch-outs and opportunities. </br>Moderator: <b>Randy Green</b>, Principal, Watson Green LLC</br>Speaker: <b>Scott Colbert, CFA</b>, Executive Vice President, Chief Economist and Director of Fixed Income, The Commerce Trust Company
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| 9:00am - 10:00am |
Session X – U.S. Sugar Program Administration
The sugar program is one of the more difficult commodity programs to administer. It is no surprise that the U.S. sugar market situation over the last year has raised serious concerns about whether current government policies are sufficient to meet locational demand. A fundamental question is whether a so-called “just-in-time” delivery approach to sugar policy needs to be replaced with a “just-in-case” policy that factors in disruptions to the functional availability of sugar to refineries and end users located in different states. What steps could USDA and USTR take to mitigate the adverse impacts of sugar policy on food manufacturers, cane refiners, consumers, and workers? This don’t miss session should offer fresh insights into sugar policy administration. </br>Moderator: <b> Barb Fecso,</b>, Branch Chief, Commodity Analysis, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture </br>Panelist: <b> Robert Johansson, Ph.D.,</b> Director of Economic and Policy Analysis, American Sugar Alliance </br>
Additional speakers will be added once confirmed; please check back.
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| 10:00am | Adjournment |
Welcome Reception
After-Hours Party
Networking Break
Session II – International & North American Sugar Market Outlook
Ron Sterk
Ron Sterk is senior editor, markets, for Food Business News and Milling & Baking News, and is editor of the Sosland Sweetener Report. Prior to joining Sosland Publishing Company in 2003, he was involved in market coverage and management for several years for the real-time news services. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a focus in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins, president of Jenkins Sugar Group, has over 20 years of experience as a broker and consultant focusing mainly on the US/NAFTA sugar markets. Prior to founding Jenkins Sugar Group in 1993, he worked on the sugar desk of ED&F Man in New York from 1983 to 1986, and served as vice president in Merrill Lynch Private Client Group in New York from 1986 to 1993. Frank was honored to serve as president of the Sugar Club of New York and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry and USDA sponsored forums.
Vincent O’Rourke
Vincent O’Rourke is a trader and market analyst within the raw sugar trading team at Czarnikow. His role includes global book management, position keeping, spread position optimization and broker relationships. O’Rourke also uses his expertise to prepare market models, regional sugar flows and balances, market hedging strategies, and long term spread analysis.
Craig Ruffolo
Since joining McKeany-Flavell in 1995, Craig has developed expertise in several categories—including sugar, corn sweeteners, alternative sweeteners, coffee, honey, and edible oils—and he assists domestic and multinational clients through market analysis, ingredient resource management, and buyer education. An acknowledged industry expert, Craig makes frequent national and international speaking engagements to discuss the sweeteners industry, including at ASA, Sosland, and F.O. Licht market conferences. Craig’s study on the potential ramifications to the U.S. sugar market if government supports to growers were changed or eliminated was presented to Congress.
Session III – Farm Bill Preview
Bill O'Conner
Bill O'Conner joined the firm in 2010, bringing with him more than three decades of experience in the legislative and executive branches of government. During that time, he was one of the key policy staffers in the development and passage of five farm bills, three laws to restructure and reform the Farm Credit System, and the entire legislative development of the federal crop insurance program.
He also played a key role in the legislative evolution of futures and derivatives regulation from the 1980's through House passage of the most recent financial services reform in 2009. He continues to follow closely the implementation of the Dodd - Frank Act and the huge number of regulations that are being promulgated to implement that Act. He was at the center of legislation regulating pesticides, including the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. He has played a major legislative role in all of the diverse legislation in the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Committee from forestry to food stamps and tobacco to trade.
Former Jobs/Positions Held
Mr. O'Conner began his service in Washington in 1979, working in the House Republican leadership. In 1983, he was brought to the House Agriculture Committee by Congressman Ed Madigan of Illinois, where he worked as deputy staff director. In 1991 Congressman Madigan became Agriculture Secretary Madigan and Bill became his chief of staff. In addition to overseeing general functioning of USDA, Bill worked intensively on the negotiation of the Uruguay Round of trade talks.
In 1993, Bill returned to the House Agriculture Committee as policy director, coordinating and implementing policy for the Committee. He served in that capacity for Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and Chairman Bob Smith of Oregon. In 1999 Chairman Larry Combest of Texas named Bill Staff Director for the Committee, a position that continued under Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. At the time Bill retired from Capitol Hill to join the firm, he was serving as minority policy director for Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.
J. David Carlin
J. David Carlin leads the association's legislative, political and economic policy activities. He was a partner with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP until joining IDFA and has extensive experience in food and agriculture policy. Carlin has represented numerous food and agricultural companies, cooperatives and trade associations before the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Carlin joined Akin Gump in 1988. In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed him to serve as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations under Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman at USDA. As head of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Carlin served as the primary USDA liaison with Congress and the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. He returned to Akin Gump in 1998 to focus his practice on public law and policy matters. His interest in agricultural and public policy began on the family dairy farm founded by his grandfather in 1940.
Kathleen Merrigan
Kathleen A. Merrigan is an expert in food and agriculture, celebrated by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Currently, she serves as the Kelly and Brian Swette Professor in the School of Sustainability and executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University. From 2009 to 2013, Merrigan was deputy secretary and COO of the United States Department of Agriculture, where she led efforts to support local food systems. She is known for authoring the law establishing national standards for organic food and the federal definition of sustainable agriculture. Merrigan is a board member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and a Trustee of CIFOR and ICRAF. She is a partner in Astanor Ventures and an advisor to S2G Ventures, two firms investing in ag-tech innovation. Merrigan holds a PhD in Public Policy and Environmental Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MPA from University of Texas at Austin, and BA from Williams College.
Bob Young
Bob Young retired from AFBF in 2017 after studying the agriculture economy for more than 30 years.
He served as chief economist since 2003 and deputy executive director of public policy since 2013 for AFBF in Washington, D.C. He has a long career devoted to farm policy, serving as a co-director of the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute from 1991 to 2003 and as an associate professor in agricultural economics at the University of Missouri. From 1987 to 1991, Young served as the chief economist of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. He has a doctorate degree in agricultural economics and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in atmospheric sciences from the University of Missouri.
Session IV – Hedging
Paul Steed
Paul Steed’s commodity background spans physical trading, industrial procurement and derivatives position management.
Paul was born in Argentina and moved with his family to the United States as a child. He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. As a Global Price Risk Lead at Mars Wrigley he drives commodity hedging strategies for all business units world-wide.
Paul is a past President of the Sugar Club and current member of the Board of the Sugar User’s Association. He also serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners and Sweetener Products. Paul is also a member of the Intercontinental Exchange’s “No. 16” US domestic raw sugar contract.
Paul and his wife Martina live in Connecticut with their menagerie of cats, dogs and horses.
Session V – Sugar Supply Chain & Sustainability: Are Both Front and Center
Rick Pasco
Rick Pasco is a partner at Watkinson Miller PLLC where he is legal counsel and lobbyist for a number of agribusiness clients in the food, agricultural, trade and environmental arenas. He has more than 30 years of experience working in agriculture and food-related legislative and regulatory matters. Mr. Pasco specializes in advising and representing trade associations and companies on government policies and programs. In this capacity, he serves as President of the Sweetener Users Association.
He has a wealth of experience working with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has played a key role in implementing lobbying strategies and advancing agricultural program and trade reforms, as well as developing environmental guidelines, food labeling rules, and food safety/nutrition legislation. During the course of his private and public-sector career, he has been closely involved in six omnibus farm bills.
Mr. Pasco is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Colorado and Nebraska. He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, and earned a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and a J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska.
Kevin Ogorzalek
Kevin Ogorzalek is Sustainability Sourcing Manager for the Americas at Barry-Callebaut where he is responsible for leading sustainable sourcing of non-cocoa ingredients. Prior to joining Barry-Callebaut, Kevin was Director of Impact Partnerships at Bonsucro. Before Bonsucro, Kevin was the Vice President of Sustainability Metrics for the Innovation Center for US Dairy.
Kevin started his career at WWF leading the global sugarcane program to improve environmental and social outcomes from sugarcane production – including several pioneering field projects with producers and supply chain partners. While at WWF Kevin also led the development of the North American bison conservation management guidelines. He spent over two years as Chairman of Bonsucro, leading the organization as one of the fastest growing sustainability certification organizations. He also led the founding of the Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance.
Kevin is also a past Chair of the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, an organization dedicated to promoting the intersection of the arts, nature, and community well-being. Kevin received his undergraduate degree at Duke University and Master of Environmental Science from Yale University. He lives in Chicago with his wife, their toddling son, and a high maintenance, yet lovable Portuguese water dog.
Jim Ritchie
Mr. Ritchie has spent more than 35 years in the logistics and supply chain management industry. His experience includes running the retail and consumer products group for Ryder Logistics business unit before leaving to start up Meridian IQ Logistics. Ten years ago, Mr. Ritchie founded RedStone Logistics. In addition to his CEO role at RedStone Logistics, he has been an instructor for the University of Kansas graduate program for supply chain management. Mr. Ritchie instructs the capstone course for logistics officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial design – architecture from California State University at Long Beach.
Rafael Vayá
Rafael Vayá serves as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility of ASR Group, where he oversees the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Along with planning the strategy and driving initiatives across the global enterprise, Mr. Vayá also actively identifies and implements new CSR opportunities. As the world’s market leader in cane sugar refining, ASR Group procures raw sugar from its own operations and more than 40 countries across the globe. Mr. Vayá is responsible for ensuring ASR Group’s suppliers are in compliance with the company’s Ethical Sourcing Policy that includes labor, health and safety, environmental, land use and legal conduct pillars. As part of the company’s supply chain verification, he engages with third-party organizations to conduct compliance reviews annually and, if necessary, works with suppliers on remediation support. He focuses his efforts on building relationships with international financial organizations, like the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), to help suppliers access resources where needed. Mr. Vayá is also focused on relationship-building with key stakeholders. He participates actively in ASR Group’s involvement with a number of NGOs leading CSR/sustainable agriculture programs. Mr. Vayá has more than 15 years of experience driving operational excellence, combining experience in global social economic development and environmental programs, multilateral organizations and the financial industry while promoting Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability. Prior to ASR Group, he led projects and programs within the apparel/textile, shoes, coffee, flowers, toys and mining industries focused on environmental impacts and economic development in Africa, EMENA, Asia and LATAM; developed and implemented program’s environmental, social, health and safety and labor policies and procedures for factories; consulted on the establishment of trade agreements, including DR-CAFTA.
Networking Break
Session VI – Luncheon: Food and Farm Policy and the Elections
Randy Green
Randy Green, a principal at Watson Green LLC, has seen food and agriculture policy from all sides, having served in both the executive and legislative branches of government and in the private sector. Over his career he has been closely involved in the development of five multi-year farm bills, as well as major legislation and regulations affecting derivatives, food safety, animal health and human nutrition.
Randy came to Washington in the 1980s to work for former Representative Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) and later served former Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With the exception of two years as a deputy under secretary of agriculture, Randy served on the agriculture committee staff continuously from 1989 to 1999. The last two years he was chief of staff.
In 1999 Randy entered the private sector to represent agricultural and food industry clients. Earlier in his career, he managed government relations for the American Soybean Association and was director of the Wheat Export Trade Education Center.
In 2013, Randy and Lisa Watson formed Watson Green LLC, a firm centered on food and agriculture policy and public affairs.
Sara Wyant
Sara Wyant is President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Calif. and Camdenton, Missouri. As a veteran farm policy reporter, she is recognized on Capitol Hill, as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country.
The newsletter and website she founded, Agri-Pulse, include the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs.
In addition, Wyant publishes early morning news summaries Daily Harvest and Daybreak, providing busy readers with a quick overview of the latest farm, food, and rural policy news each weekday. She frequently speaks at farm and commodity associations around the country.
Wyant formerly served as chairwoman on the Farm Foundation's board of trustees and as past president of the American Agricultural Editor's Association.
In 2015, Wyant was named to the Folio: "Top Women in Media" recognition in the Entrepreneurs category. She has been awarded a producer communications award from the United Soybean Board, and Oscar in Agriculture award for excellence in agricultural reporting from the American Agricultural Editor's Association and a leadership award from Agriculture Future of America. She is currently President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) Foundation. In 2013, Wyant was recognized for outstanding service to agriculture by the Missouri Farm Bureau.
Wyant gained first-hand knowledge of crop and livestock production while growing up on a farm near Marengo, Iowa. She and husband Allan Johnson, parents of sons Jason and Jordan, also own the farm where her husband's family originally established a homestead near Almont, North Dakota.
Networking Break
Session VII – Latest Trends in Consumer Preferences
Kelsey Hibbs
Kelsey Hibbs is a Senior Manager, Procurement and Commodities at the JM Smucker Co. Since 2008, she has held multiple roles within the procurement organization, specializing in commodity risk management for grain and sweeteners. As part of her role, Kelsey also serves as an agricultural commodity subject matter expert for Smucker’s Corporate Sustainability team. Prior to joining Smucker’s, Kelsey worked for a boutique procurement and logistics provider, servicing NGO humanitarian aid procurement requirements globally. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree from Muskingum University where she studied International Business.
Session VIII – Ingredients Outlook in 2022
Ron Sterk
Ron Sterk is senior editor, markets, for Food Business News and Milling & Baking News, and is editor of the Sosland Sweetener Report. Prior to joining Sosland Publishing Company in 2003, he was involved in market coverage and management for several years for the real-time news services. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a focus in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
Lucas Fuess
Lucas Fuess has spent a lifetime in dairy, growing up on his family’s 200-cow farm in Upstate New York. Lucas graduated with distinction in research from Cornell University, where he studied Animal Science and International Agriculture. Lucas started his career as a Dairy Analyst at Glanbia Nutritionals and was soon promoted to the Dairy Economist role after completing Master’s Degrees at Purdue and Indiana Universities. In 2018, Lucas joined HighGround Dairy as Director of Market Intelligence, leading HighGround Dairy’s best-in-class global dairy market analysis group. Lucas resides in Chicago, Illinois, USA and was recently named to AgGrad’s “30 Under 30” list.
Stephen Nicholson
Stephen Nicholson is a senior grains and oilseeds analyst at Rabo AgriFinance in the RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness group.
Stephen has over thirty years of experience in cash grain markets, hedging, commodity/ingredient procurement, commodity risk management and commodity analysis. Throughout his career, he has focused on procurement and trading of vegetable oils, corn sweeteners, starches and grain products, and worked on various consulting assignments. Stephen was involved in the creation of the first commodity risk management and governance policy framework for The Coca-Cola Company.
Stephen holds a bachelor’s degree in Farm Operations and Agricultural Education and a master’s in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University. Prior to joining Rabo AgriFinance, he was Category Manager and Chief Economist with International Food Products. Stephen also served as a Senior Economist with Doane Agricultural Services as the oilseed analyst, Senior Buyer at The Earthgrains Company, now the Sara Lee Baking Group, and was the Senior Commodity Analyst in the Global Procurement and Trading Company at The Coca-Cola Company.
Hugo van der Goes
Mr. van der Goes is the Vice President Cocoa, North America for Barry Callebaut. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s North American cocoa business, including leadership of the commercial team, risk management and financial performance of the business. He is a member of Barry Callebaut global cocoa and the Americas leadership teams.
Before joining Barry Callebaut, van der Goes worked for 16 years at Cargill in different senior management positions within the cocoa & chocolate division. His roles included responsibility for Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate commercial and cocoa sustainability functions.
He currently serves as Chairman & board member of The Cocoa Merchants’ Association of America. Van der Goes attended Erasmus University, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), where he received a Master of Science in Economics and International Marketing Management. He lives in Glenview, IL with his wife Marieke and 3 kids
Session IX – Economic Forecast and Financial Market Update
Randy Green
Randy Green, a principal at Watson Green LLC, has seen food and agriculture policy from all sides, having served in both the executive and legislative branches of government and in the private sector. Over his career he has been closely involved in the development of five multi-year farm bills, as well as major legislation and regulations affecting derivatives, food safety, animal health and human nutrition.
Randy came to Washington in the 1980s to work for former Representative Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) and later served former Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With the exception of two years as a deputy under secretary of agriculture, Randy served on the agriculture committee staff continuously from 1989 to 1999. The last two years he was chief of staff.
In 1999 Randy entered the private sector to represent agricultural and food industry clients. Earlier in his career, he managed government relations for the American Soybean Association and was director of the Wheat Export Trade Education Center.
In 2013, Randy and Lisa Watson formed Watson Green LLC, a firm centered on food and agriculture policy and public affairs.
Scott Colbert, CFA
Scott is the chief economist and director of fixed income management with Commerce Trust Company.
He joined Commerce in 1993 and has investment responsibilities for over $26 billion in fixed income assets. Scott directly manages the Commerce Short-Term Government and the flagship Commerce Bond strategies.
Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1986 and received his Master of Business Administration from Xavier University in 1988. He has been both a director and president of the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of St. Louis.
Session X – U.S. Sugar Program Administration
Barb Fecso
Barbara Fecso is the Branch Chief of the Commodity Analysis Branch, Economic and Policy Analysis Division, Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is responsible for overseeing the administration of the domestic sugar, dairy, livestock, cotton, peanuts, grains and oilseeds programs. Barbara provides guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture in the formulation and implementation of national policies and procedures, as well as economic and budgetary impact analysis of those programs.
Barbara has almost twenty-five years of government service in USDA with an emphasis on program analysis, operations and budgetary analysis. She initially spent five years with the Natural Resource Conservation Service as a program analyst for conservation technical assistance, watershed and animal waste management programs. She then spent two years as a wheat and pulse crop analyst at the Farm Service Agency before shifting to sugar. She was named Director of FSA’s Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis branch in 2014 and played a critical role in the negotiation of the current sugar trade agreement with Mexico. In October 2018, she was named Branch Chief under USDA’s reorganization.
Barbara received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana in 1994. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and lived for almost twenty years in central Illinois. She has three children and now resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband.
Robert Johansson, Ph.D.
Dr. Johansson serves as the Director of Economics and Policy Analysis for the American Sugar Alliance, the national coalition of sugarbeet and sugarcane growers, processors, and refiners. There he analyzes and models domestic and world sugar supply and demand fundamentals and domestic and foreign sugar and general agricultural policies, including Farm Bill topics and international trade negotiations.
Previously, Dr. Robert Johansson was the Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Johansson served in that role from January 2015 to January 2021. As Chief Economist, he was responsible for the Department’s agricultural forecasts and projections and for advising the Secretary of Agriculture on economic implications of alternative programs, regulations, and legislative proposals. During that period, Dr. Johansson also served as the Chairman of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors and was responsible for establishing USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area in 2017.
He has also served as an economist with several government agencies, including USDA’s Economic Research Service, the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, and the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Dr. Johansson received his B.A. in economics from Northwestern University and then served with the U.S. Peace Corps from 1990 to 1995. After returning to his home State of Minnesota, he received his Ph.D. in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota in 2000. His research has spanned a wide range of issues, including biofuels policy, water quality and quantity policies, regulatory economics, food security, and regional modeling of agricultural systems.
Speakers
J. David Carlin
Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy
J. David Carlin
J. David Carlin leads the association's legislative, political and economic policy activities. He was a partner with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP until joining IDFA and has extensive experience in food and agriculture policy. Carlin has represented numerous food and agricultural companies, cooperatives and trade associations before the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Carlin joined Akin Gump in 1988. In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed him to serve as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations under Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman at USDA. As head of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Carlin served as the primary USDA liaison with Congress and the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. He returned to Akin Gump in 1998 to focus his practice on public law and policy matters. His interest in agricultural and public policy began on the family dairy farm founded by his grandfather in 1940.
Scott Colbert, CFA
Executive Vice President, Chief Economist and Director of Fixed Income | The Commerce Trust Company
Scott Colbert, CFA
Scott is the chief economist and director of fixed income management with Commerce Trust Company.
He joined Commerce in 1993 and has investment responsibilities for over $26 billion in fixed income assets. Scott directly manages the Commerce Short-Term Government and the flagship Commerce Bond strategies.
Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1986 and received his Master of Business Administration from Xavier University in 1988. He has been both a director and president of the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of St. Louis.
Barb Fecso
Branch Chief, Commodity Analysis | Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Barb Fecso
Barbara Fecso is the Branch Chief of the Commodity Analysis Branch, Economic and Policy Analysis Division, Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is responsible for overseeing the administration of the domestic sugar, dairy, livestock, cotton, peanuts, grains and oilseeds programs. Barbara provides guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture in the formulation and implementation of national policies and procedures, as well as economic and budgetary impact analysis of those programs.
Barbara has almost twenty-five years of government service in USDA with an emphasis on program analysis, operations and budgetary analysis. She initially spent five years with the Natural Resource Conservation Service as a program analyst for conservation technical assistance, watershed and animal waste management programs. She then spent two years as a wheat and pulse crop analyst at the Farm Service Agency before shifting to sugar. She was named Director of FSA’s Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis branch in 2014 and played a critical role in the negotiation of the current sugar trade agreement with Mexico. In October 2018, she was named Branch Chief under USDA’s reorganization.
Barbara received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana in 1994. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and lived for almost twenty years in central Illinois. She has three children and now resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband.
Lucas Fuess
Director, Dairy Market Intelligence | HighGround Dairy
Lucas Fuess
Lucas Fuess has spent a lifetime in dairy, growing up on his family’s 200-cow farm in Upstate New York. Lucas graduated with distinction in research from Cornell University, where he studied Animal Science and International Agriculture. Lucas started his career as a Dairy Analyst at Glanbia Nutritionals and was soon promoted to the Dairy Economist role after completing Master’s Degrees at Purdue and Indiana Universities. In 2018, Lucas joined HighGround Dairy as Director of Market Intelligence, leading HighGround Dairy’s best-in-class global dairy market analysis group. Lucas resides in Chicago, Illinois, USA and was recently named to AgGrad’s “30 Under 30” list.
Randy Green
Principal | Watson Green LLC
Randy Green
Randy Green, a principal at Watson Green LLC, has seen food and agriculture policy from all sides, having served in both the executive and legislative branches of government and in the private sector. Over his career he has been closely involved in the development of five multi-year farm bills, as well as major legislation and regulations affecting derivatives, food safety, animal health and human nutrition.
Randy came to Washington in the 1980s to work for former Representative Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) and later served former Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With the exception of two years as a deputy under secretary of agriculture, Randy served on the agriculture committee staff continuously from 1989 to 1999. The last two years he was chief of staff.
In 1999 Randy entered the private sector to represent agricultural and food industry clients. Earlier in his career, he managed government relations for the American Soybean Association and was director of the Wheat Export Trade Education Center.
In 2013, Randy and Lisa Watson formed Watson Green LLC, a firm centered on food and agriculture policy and public affairs.
Kelsey Hibbs
Senior Manager, Procurement and Commodities | The J.M. Smucker Company
Kelsey Hibbs
Kelsey Hibbs is a Senior Manager, Procurement and Commodities at the JM Smucker Co. Since 2008, she has held multiple roles within the procurement organization, specializing in commodity risk management for grain and sweeteners. As part of her role, Kelsey also serves as an agricultural commodity subject matter expert for Smucker’s Corporate Sustainability team. Prior to joining Smucker’s, Kelsey worked for a boutique procurement and logistics provider, servicing NGO humanitarian aid procurement requirements globally. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree from Muskingum University where she studied International Business.
Frank Jenkins
President | JSG Commodities
Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins, president of Jenkins Sugar Group, has over 20 years of experience as a broker and consultant focusing mainly on the US/NAFTA sugar markets. Prior to founding Jenkins Sugar Group in 1993, he worked on the sugar desk of ED&F Man in New York from 1983 to 1986, and served as vice president in Merrill Lynch Private Client Group in New York from 1986 to 1993. Frank was honored to serve as president of the Sugar Club of New York and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry and USDA sponsored forums.
Robert Johansson
Director of Economics and Policy Analysis, American Sugar Alliance
Robert Johansson
Dr. Johansson serves as the Director of Economics and Policy Analysis for the American Sugar Alliance, the national coalition of sugarbeet and sugarcane growers, processors, and refiners. There he analyzes and models domestic and world sugar supply and demand fundamentals and domestic and foreign sugar and general agricultural policies, including Farm Bill topics and international trade negotiations.
Previously, Dr. Robert Johansson was the Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Johansson served in that role from January 2015 to January 2021. As Chief Economist, he was responsible for the Department’s agricultural forecasts and projections and for advising the Secretary of Agriculture on economic implications of alternative programs, regulations, and legislative proposals. During that period, Dr. Johansson also served as the Chairman of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors and was responsible for establishing USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area in 2017.
He has also served as an economist with several government agencies, including USDA’s Economic Research Service, the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, and the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Dr. Johansson received his B.A. in economics from Northwestern University and then served with the U.S. Peace Corps from 1990 to 1995. After returning to his home State of Minnesota, he received his Ph.D. in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota in 2000. His research has spanned a wide range of issues, including biofuels policy, water quality and quantity policies, regulatory economics, food security, and regional modeling of agricultural systems.
Kathleen Merrigan
Executive Director & Professor of Practice | Arizona State University
Kathleen Merrigan
Kathleen A. Merrigan is an expert in food and agriculture, celebrated by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Currently, she serves as the Kelly and Brian Swette Professor in the School of Sustainability and executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University. From 2009 to 2013, Merrigan was deputy secretary and COO of the United States Department of Agriculture, where she led efforts to support local food systems. She is known for authoring the law establishing national standards for organic food and the federal definition of sustainable agriculture. Merrigan is a board member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and a Trustee of CIFOR and ICRAF. She is a partner in Astanor Ventures and an advisor to S2G Ventures, two firms investing in ag-tech innovation. Merrigan holds a PhD in Public Policy and Environmental Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MPA from University of Texas at Austin, and BA from Williams College.
Stephen Nicholson
Vice President, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst | Rabo Agrifinance
Stephen Nicholson
Stephen Nicholson is a senior grains and oilseeds analyst at Rabo AgriFinance in the RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness group.
Stephen has over thirty years of experience in cash grain markets, hedging, commodity/ingredient procurement, commodity risk management and commodity analysis. Throughout his career, he has focused on procurement and trading of vegetable oils, corn sweeteners, starches and grain products, and worked on various consulting assignments. Stephen was involved in the creation of the first commodity risk management and governance policy framework for The Coca-Cola Company.
Stephen holds a bachelor’s degree in Farm Operations and Agricultural Education and a master’s in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University. Prior to joining Rabo AgriFinance, he was Category Manager and Chief Economist with International Food Products. Stephen also served as a Senior Economist with Doane Agricultural Services as the oilseed analyst, Senior Buyer at The Earthgrains Company, now the Sara Lee Baking Group, and was the Senior Commodity Analyst in the Global Procurement and Trading Company at The Coca-Cola Company.
Bill O'Conner
Agriculture Policy Expert | Watkinson Miller PLLC
Bill O'Conner
Bill O'Conner joined the firm in 2010, bringing with him more than three decades of experience in the legislative and executive branches of government. During that time, he was one of the key policy staffers in the development and passage of five farm bills, three laws to restructure and reform the Farm Credit System, and the entire legislative development of the federal crop insurance program.
He also played a key role in the legislative evolution of futures and derivatives regulation from the 1980's through House passage of the most recent financial services reform in 2009. He continues to follow closely the implementation of the Dodd - Frank Act and the huge number of regulations that are being promulgated to implement that Act. He was at the center of legislation regulating pesticides, including the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. He has played a major legislative role in all of the diverse legislation in the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Committee from forestry to food stamps and tobacco to trade.
Former Jobs/Positions Held
Mr. O'Conner began his service in Washington in 1979, working in the House Republican leadership. In 1983, he was brought to the House Agriculture Committee by Congressman Ed Madigan of Illinois, where he worked as deputy staff director. In 1991 Congressman Madigan became Agriculture Secretary Madigan and Bill became his chief of staff. In addition to overseeing general functioning of USDA, Bill worked intensively on the negotiation of the Uruguay Round of trade talks.
In 1993, Bill returned to the House Agriculture Committee as policy director, coordinating and implementing policy for the Committee. He served in that capacity for Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and Chairman Bob Smith of Oregon. In 1999 Chairman Larry Combest of Texas named Bill Staff Director for the Committee, a position that continued under Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. At the time Bill retired from Capitol Hill to join the firm, he was serving as minority policy director for Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.
Kevin Ogorzalek
Sustainability Sourcing Manager for the Americas | Barry-Callebaut
Kevin Ogorzalek
Kevin Ogorzalek is Sustainability Sourcing Manager for the Americas at Barry-Callebaut where he is responsible for leading sustainable sourcing of non-cocoa ingredients. Prior to joining Barry-Callebaut, Kevin was Director of Impact Partnerships at Bonsucro. Before Bonsucro, Kevin was the Vice President of Sustainability Metrics for the Innovation Center for US Dairy.
Kevin started his career at WWF leading the global sugarcane program to improve environmental and social outcomes from sugarcane production – including several pioneering field projects with producers and supply chain partners. While at WWF Kevin also led the development of the North American bison conservation management guidelines. He spent over two years as Chairman of Bonsucro, leading the organization as one of the fastest growing sustainability certification organizations. He also led the founding of the Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance.
Kevin is also a past Chair of the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, an organization dedicated to promoting the intersection of the arts, nature, and community well-being. Kevin received his undergraduate degree at Duke University and Master of Environmental Science from Yale University. He lives in Chicago with his wife, their toddling son, and a high maintenance, yet lovable Portuguese water dog.
Vincent O’Rourke
Trader and Market Analyst | C. Czarnikow Sugar, Inc.
Vincent O’Rourke
Vincent O’Rourke is a trader and market analyst within the raw sugar trading team at Czarnikow. His role includes global book management, position keeping, spread position optimization and broker relationships. O’Rourke also uses his expertise to prepare market models, regional sugar flows and balances, market hedging strategies, and long term spread analysis.
Rick Pasco
President | Sweetener Users Association
Rick Pasco
Rick Pasco is a partner at Watkinson Miller PLLC where he is legal counsel and lobbyist for a number of agribusiness clients in the food, agricultural, trade and environmental arenas. He has more than 30 years of experience working in agriculture and food-related legislative and regulatory matters. Mr. Pasco specializes in advising and representing trade associations and companies on government policies and programs. In this capacity, he serves as President of the Sweetener Users Association.
He has a wealth of experience working with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has played a key role in implementing lobbying strategies and advancing agricultural program and trade reforms, as well as developing environmental guidelines, food labeling rules, and food safety/nutrition legislation. During the course of his private and public-sector career, he has been closely involved in six omnibus farm bills.
Mr. Pasco is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Colorado and Nebraska. He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, and earned a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and a J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska.
Jim Ritchie
President and Chief Executive Officer | RedStone Logistics, LLC
Jim Ritchie
Mr. Ritchie has spent more than 35 years in the logistics and supply chain management industry. His experience includes running the retail and consumer products group for Ryder Logistics business unit before leaving to start up Meridian IQ Logistics. Ten years ago, Mr. Ritchie founded RedStone Logistics. In addition to his CEO role at RedStone Logistics, he has been an instructor for the University of Kansas graduate program for supply chain management. Mr. Ritchie instructs the capstone course for logistics officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial design – architecture from California State University at Long Beach.
Craig Ruffolo
Vice President – Commodity Specialist | McKeany-Flavell Company
Craig Ruffolo
Since joining McKeany-Flavell in 1995, Craig has developed expertise in several categories—including sugar, corn sweeteners, alternative sweeteners, coffee, honey, and edible oils—and he assists domestic and multinational clients through market analysis, ingredient resource management, and buyer education. An acknowledged industry expert, Craig makes frequent national and international speaking engagements to discuss the sweeteners industry, including at ASA, Sosland, and F.O. Licht market conferences. Craig’s study on the potential ramifications to the U.S. sugar market if government supports to growers were changed or eliminated was presented to Congress.
Paul Steed
Senior Global Price Risk Lead - Sugar | Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC
Paul Steed
Paul Steed’s commodity background spans physical trading, industrial procurement and derivatives position management.
Paul was born in Argentina and moved with his family to the United States as a child. He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. As a Global Price Risk Lead at Mars Wrigley he drives commodity hedging strategies for all business units world-wide.
Paul is a past President of the Sugar Club and current member of the Board of the Sugar User’s Association. He also serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners and Sweetener Products. Paul is also a member of the Intercontinental Exchange’s “No. 16” US domestic raw sugar contract.
Paul and his wife Martina live in Connecticut with their menagerie of cats, dogs and horses.
Ron Sterk
Senior Editor, Markets | Sosland Publishing
Ron Sterk
Ron Sterk is senior editor, markets, for Food Business News and Milling & Baking News, and is editor of the Sosland Sweetener Report. Prior to joining Sosland Publishing Company in 2003, he was involved in market coverage and management for several years for the real-time news services. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a focus in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
Rafael Vayá
Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility | ASR Group
Rafael Vayá
Rafael Vayá serves as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility of ASR Group, where he oversees the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Along with planning the strategy and driving initiatives across the global enterprise, Mr. Vayá also actively identifies and implements new CSR opportunities. As the world’s market leader in cane sugar refining, ASR Group procures raw sugar from its own operations and more than 40 countries across the globe. Mr. Vayá is responsible for ensuring ASR Group’s suppliers are in compliance with the company’s Ethical Sourcing Policy that includes labor, health and safety, environmental, land use and legal conduct pillars. As part of the company’s supply chain verification, he engages with third-party organizations to conduct compliance reviews annually and, if necessary, works with suppliers on remediation support. He focuses his efforts on building relationships with international financial organizations, like the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), to help suppliers access resources where needed. Mr. Vayá is also focused on relationship-building with key stakeholders. He participates actively in ASR Group’s involvement with a number of NGOs leading CSR/sustainable agriculture programs. Mr. Vayá has more than 15 years of experience driving operational excellence, combining experience in global social economic development and environmental programs, multilateral organizations and the financial industry while promoting Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability. Prior to ASR Group, he led projects and programs within the apparel/textile, shoes, coffee, flowers, toys and mining industries focused on environmental impacts and economic development in Africa, EMENA, Asia and LATAM; developed and implemented program’s environmental, social, health and safety and labor policies and procedures for factories; consulted on the establishment of trade agreements, including DR-CAFTA.
Sara Wyant
President | Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Sara Wyant
Sara Wyant is President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Calif. and Camdenton, Missouri. As a veteran farm policy reporter, she is recognized on Capitol Hill, as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country.
The newsletter and website she founded, Agri-Pulse, include the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs.
In addition, Wyant publishes early morning news summaries Daily Harvest and Daybreak, providing busy readers with a quick overview of the latest farm, food, and rural policy news each weekday. She frequently speaks at farm and commodity associations around the country.
Wyant formerly served as chairwoman on the Farm Foundation's board of trustees and as past president of the American Agricultural Editor's Association.
In 2015, Wyant was named to the Folio: "Top Women in Media" recognition in the Entrepreneurs category. She has been awarded a producer communications award from the United Soybean Board, and Oscar in Agriculture award for excellence in agricultural reporting from the American Agricultural Editor's Association and a leadership award from Agriculture Future of America. She is currently President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) Foundation. In 2013, Wyant was recognized for outstanding service to agriculture by the Missouri Farm Bureau.
Wyant gained first-hand knowledge of crop and livestock production while growing up on a farm near Marengo, Iowa. She and husband Allan Johnson, parents of sons Jason and Jordan, also own the farm where her husband's family originally established a homestead near Almont, North Dakota.
Bob Young
Former Chief Economist | American Farm Bureau Federation
Bob Young
Bob Young retired from AFBF in 2017 after studying the agriculture economy for more than 30 years.
He served as chief economist since 2003 and deputy executive director of public policy since 2013 for AFBF in Washington, D.C. He has a long career devoted to farm policy, serving as a co-director of the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute from 1991 to 2003 and as an associate professor in agricultural economics at the University of Missouri. From 1987 to 1991, Young served as the chief economist of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. He has a doctorate degree in agricultural economics and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in atmospheric sciences from the University of Missouri.
Hugo van der Goes
Vice President Cocoa, North America | Barry Callebaut
Hugo van der Goes
Mr. van der Goes is the Vice President Cocoa, North America for Barry Callebaut. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s North American cocoa business, including leadership of the commercial team, risk management and financial performance of the business. He is a member of Barry Callebaut global cocoa and the Americas leadership teams.
Before joining Barry Callebaut, van der Goes worked for 16 years at Cargill in different senior management positions within the cocoa & chocolate division. His roles included responsibility for Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate commercial and cocoa sustainability functions.
He currently serves as Chairman & board member of The Cocoa Merchants’ Association of America. Van der Goes attended Erasmus University, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), where he received a Master of Science in Economics and International Marketing Management. He lives in Glenview, IL with his wife Marieke and 3 kids
Golf
Sunday, February 27 | 12:00 PM Shotgun Start
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort | Canyon Course
Registration Fee: $250 per person
Registration includes: greens fees, boxed lunch, cart fees, practice balls, beverages, and service fees. Appropriate golf attire and shoes are required.
We will do our best to accommodate any foursome requests. If you would like to request a person(s) in your foursome, please list their name and company during registration.
Hotel
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
The International Sweetener Colloquium will be held at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. You may make your hotel reservations online or directly with the hotel by calling (877) 879-9979. When calling, refer to the International Sweetener Colloquium to receive the special room rate of $249 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline to secure a room is February 4, 2022. We have reserved a large block of rooms, but once all the rooms have been booked, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available. Hotel Reservation Policy: You must register for the International Sweetener Colloquium to be eligible for the conference discounted room rates. Only one reservation is permitted per registrant. If a hotel guest is not registered for the International Sweetener Colloquium, we reserve the right to cancel the guest room reservation without notice.
Registration
Q: Registration Substitutions
Registration is non-transferable from one company to another; however, substitutions within companies are welcome at any time. Please email registrar@idfa.org if you would like to make a registration substitution.
Q: Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to January 28, 2022 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after January 28, 2022, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable after February 11, 2022. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org. IDFA reserves the right to cancel all unpaid registrations. All golf tournament cancellations will receive a full refund before January 28, 2022. No golf tournament refunds will be given after this date.
Q: Golf Tournament Cancellation Policy
All golf tournament cancellations will receive a full refund before January 28, 2022. No golf tournament refunds will be given after this date.
Q: News Media
Credentialed members of the news media are welcome to register at a special rate by contacting mherrick@idfa.org. News media must present credentials to qualify.
Q: Attire
Attire is business casual although we encourage attendees to dress comfortable for evening receptions which may be held outdoors. The average temperatures in Tucson, Arizona in March are 75°F high and 49°F low.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
Sponsors
For more than forty years, the International Sweetener Colloquium has been a popular place for industry professionals to meet, network and conduct business. The flexible meeting format and location encourage formal and informal discussions and fosters relationships, while a host of informative presentations highlight important trends and issues affecting the sweetener industry.
The Colloquium draws hundreds of professionals and decision-makers from the sweetener industry and from companies that use sweeteners in the products they make. Buyers, refiners, distributors and food companies actively participate in the Colloquium, using it as a springboard to enhance their business and trading-partner networks.
For those interested in sponsorship, the Colloquium is the place to be heard and seen. Sponsorship is one of the best ways to brand your organization as a thought-leader and to highlight your commitment to advancing the sweetener industry. The Colloquium offers various levels of sponsorship opportunities. Please contact mlembke@idfa.org for more information.
Sponsors:
Health and Safety Guidelines
Conference organizers are facilitating measures that seek to ensure optimal health and safety conditions in all environments where in-person interactions take place during the 2022 International Sweetener Colloquium. The Colloquium will follow all federal, state, and local guidelines set for in-person gatherings as well as recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support in making this a successful and safe gathering.
We have developed the following health and safety guidelines with the hotel and our conference management partners to provide you with a safe and productive environment to conduct business, connect, and be inspired to drive our industry forward. Conference organizers will continue to monitor federal, state, and local recommendations and will update these guidelines as appropriate.
We Encourage Attendees to be Fully Vaccinated for COVID-19 Prior to Attendance. Ensuring the safety of all attendees, speakers, sponsors, partners, and team on-site is our top priority. Our expectation is we will all be mindful of our colleagues and practice safety protocols protecting the good of the whole community of attendees. We look forward to welcoming you back to an engaging in-person environment.
Masks are Recommended. The CDC recommends that individuals wear a face mask in public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. We strongly encourage all Colloquium attendees to properly wear a mask during the event. Disposable face masks will be available onsite for attendees, if needed.
Physical Distanced Seating. Within the design of our meeting and event spaces we will offer distanced seating sections to accommodate various levels of comfort.
Enhanced Cleaning. The venue will routinely clean and disinfect shared surfaces and “high touch areas”.
Hand Sanitizer. We encourage attendees to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer frequently throughout their time at the Colloquium. Hand sanitizer will be available for attendee use.
We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2022 International Sweetener Colloquium.
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