Registration Now Open for USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum

Tractor planting at sunset
All sessions of the 2024 Agricultural Outlook Forum will be livestreamed, and virtual attendance is free. See registration link below for more information.

Registration Now Open for USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this week the opening of registration for the 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. This landmark event, titled “Cultivating the Future,” will be held in person on Thursday, Feb. 15 and Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. All Forum sessions will also be livestreamed on a virtual platform, with free virtual attendance.

“As we reflect on a century of agricultural progress, we’re not just celebrating our achievements, we're also preparing for an even better future,” said Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack. “The 2024 Forum underscores USDA’s commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability, and resilience in the sector and serves as a platform for bringing together minds dedicated to advancing America’s agriculture.”

The 2024 Forum program will feature a keynote address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a presentation on the outlook for agricultural markets and trade by USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer, a plenary panel of distinguished guest speakers, and 30 breakout sessions covering a wide range of timely agricultural, food market, and environmental issues. More than 100 experts from government, industry and academia will share insights on topics such as commodity and food price outlooks, U.S. and global agricultural trade developments, agricultural innovations, climate change and the bioeconomy.

The in-person event will also feature exhibit booths from agencies across USDA highlighting their missions and activities.

Future Leaders Program

The Future Leaders in Agriculture program is an academic competition focused on identifying college students from land-grant colleges and universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and non-land-grant colleges of agriculture, who have the skills and experience to be tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture. This year, 20 students in agriculture-related fields of study (15 undergraduate students and five graduate students) will be selected to participate in this program in Washington, D.C. The program will include meetings with leaders from across USDA and agricultural staff on Capitol Hill, networking opportunities with fellow student participants and USDA staff, and full participation in the 2024 Agricultural Outlook Forum. All transportation, lodging, meals, and conference registration fees are covered for the students selected. Apply today.

About USDA’s Outlook Forum

USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum began in 1923 as a way to disseminate USDA data and analyses to farmers, so they had the tools to understand markets and make informed production decisions. Over time, the event has evolved into a unique platform where key stakeholders from the agricultural sector in the United States and around the world come together every year to discuss current and emerging topics and trends in the sector.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum, organized by USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist together with other USDA agencies, is independent of commercial interests and aims to facilitate information sharing among stakeholders and generate the transparency that supports more, better, and fairer markets for producers and consumers alike.

Visit the Agricultural Outlook Forum website to register, reserve discounted room rates, or apply for the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program.

Follow the conversation at #AgOutlook100 on USDA’s Instagram, X, and Facebook.

Online Master of Science in Agronomy

With a focus on industry applications and research, the online program is designed with maximum flexibility for today's working professionals.

A field of corn.