8:00 am Registration & Coffee
9:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Navigating Evolving Regulations & Standards
9:15 am Discussion: A Comprehensive Approach to Managing Scope 3 Emissions
Synopsis
- In this panel session discuss lessons learned in managing Scope 3 emissions and how they are addressing emissions via particular investments in actions with their Tier 1 suppliers or investments in market-based measures.
- Validation of Scope 3 interventions non-intervention Scope 3 activity and emissions data
- Top trends and innovations in inventory accounting procedures, including when and how to integrate interventions into your Scope 3 emissions footprint, and when you should not integrate
- Effective internal data quality and assurance policies
- Adapting to shifting methodologies, evolving standards and policy pressures with agile, future-proof systems
- Explore how transparency enables better procurement decisions, market differentiation, and access to incentive structures and low-carbon finance
10:15 am Panel Discussion: From the Field to Frito-Lay: Partnering on Conservation and GHG Reductions in Corn Production
Synopsis
Discover how Midwest corn farmers, Precision Conservation Management (PCM), a leading conservation program, and PepsiCo are working together to measure, reduce, and report carbon emissions while improving soil health and farm profitability. This session brings farmer perspectives and corporate insights together to show how data-driven conservation is transforming the snack supply chain from the ground up.
- Bridging farm and corporate goals: Explore how a conservation program collaborates with PepsiCo and Frito-Lay corn suppliers to align sustainability targets with real-world farming practices.
- On-the-ground experiences: Hear directly from farmers about the practical challenges and opportunities of implementing climate-smart conservation practices from two generations of farmers.
- Market incentives and supply chain integration: Understand the role technical and financial assistance plays in helping farmers understand sustainability metrics that influence purchasing decisions, contracts, and long-term market access.
- Scaling impact: Discuss takeaways and future strategies for expanding successful programming across more acres and more supply chain partners.
11:15 am Morning Refreshments & Networking
11:45 am Life Cycle Modeling & Chain of Custody Considerations for Biofuels Policies
Synopsis
- Integration of chain of custody models with global biofuels policies
- Quantification of emissions credits for conservation-smart agricultural practices using life cycle modeling
- Book & claim vs. mass balance chain of custody for agricultural supply chains
12:15 pm California’s Climate Disclosure Legislation: Expectations for Food & Agriculture
Synopsis
- Priorities around sustainability are shifting in the United States. Climate-focused action items are broadening to place particular emphasis on supply chain resiliency, operational productivity, and risk mitigation. At the same time, the current federal administration has deprioritized many climate-related policies and withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate. This scenario presents both challenges and opportunities for food and agriculture companies
- Preparing for impending climate disclosure legislation at home and abroad will add cost, specifically for those who are early in their carbon accounting journeys. However, an expanded understanding of climate-related impacts and pressures within complex agrifood supply chains will unlock opportunities for increasing efficiency, preserve market access, and strengthen resiliency to manage future risks
- For large companies, climate disclosure will soon be a requirement to operate in California. Similar legislation has been proposed in other states, and the European Union has already acted on climate disclosure. Small to mid-size companies can expect a longer timeline before reporting is legally required but may see an increase in requests for climate data from their buyers or customers because of the legislation
- California’s influence on resources and consumer goods warrants the need for all companies in the United States to pay attention, regardless of if they are currently conducting business in California
12:45 pm Lunch & Networking
Accounting Case Studies Across the Value Chain to Support Emissions Reporting
1:45 pm Removing Barriers to Accelerate Decarbonization in the U.S. Dairy Supply Chain
Synopsis
- As expectations rise for companies, brands, and sectors to measure and manage their footprint, the need for credible and transparent Scope 3 accounting is increasingly urgent
- Market-based mechanisms, both within and outside the value chain, provide necessary financial incentives and an operating margin for farmers to invest in sustainable practices and technologies that would otherwise be cost prohibitive
- Current accounting standards create challenges and limitations for the dairy industry because – like the broader agriculture sector – it is both a GHG emissions source and sink
- Case study: The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s CEO Task Force on GHG Accounting developed a set of principles and potential solutions to increase transparency in Scope 3 accounting and unlock investment in emission reductions at scale
2:15 pm Incredibly Sustainable: A Tool Designed for U.S. Egg Farmers to Support Supply Chain Measurement & Reporting of GHG Emissions & Other Sustainability-Related Metrics
Synopsis
- Supply chain sustainability reporting for U.S. egg farmers has become increasingly difficult due to a lack of tools and support specific to commercial egg production
- Through interviews with egg producers and the top egg buying companies in the U.S. supply chain, we built a tool that guides producers in reporting on the most requested metrics and disclosures
- Embedded within the tool is a GHG calculator, the first of its kind designed specifically to assess the organizational footprint of an egg producer
2:45 pm From Farm Gate to the Consumer Plate
Synopsis
- Our approach to farming and creating nutrient dense food with our system
- Carbon credits sequestered using our approach