INTERVIEW ▶▶▶ Dr Mark Lyons


“Next 30 years are critical to agriculture”‘


One year ago Dr Mark Lyons, CEO of Alltech, presented his vision of a Planet of Plenty. A year later he shares his ever evolving thoughts on the future of agriculture with All About Feed. In a time of worldwide disruption he sees challenges but, above all, opportunities. “Change is the only constant and will open up a myriad of possibilities.”


BY FABIAN BROCKÖTTER A


t the 35th edition of the renowned Alltech One confer- ence in 2019 Mark Lyons started a journey towards a future for his company and – more importantly – a journey which points towards an exciting future for


the whole agricultural sector. “Do we want to live on a planet of peril or plenty?” This was the rhetorical question he asked then. He continued: “We choose to believe in the latter. With upcoming new technologies, improved farm management practices and the ingenuity of mankind, a world of abundance could be ours. There is so much to discover, millions of ideas to chase and apply and, last but not least, stories to tell which show that plants, animals and people can thrive.” Twelve months on hosting the 36th


edition


of One, the world has changed in many ways. “Even with large parts of the world struggling with the coronavirus, there are no limits and we are full-on in shaping the future of agri-food. More than ever, I am convinced that the next 30 years are critical to ag- riculture,” says Lyons. Normally Dr Lyons would have welcomed over 3500 guests to the 36th


edition of One in Lexington, Kentucky, but the coronavirus


threw a spanner in the works. “Sadly we have no live event this year and even with no lockdown in Kentucky we decided 70 days ago to prepare ourselves for an online One conference. A monu- mental undertaking which led to a very different experience than we are all used to, but which I am very exited about. The Alltech One virtual experience launched with over 23,000 registrants from over 115 countries – truly mind-boggling. They are being provided with on-demand focus sessions, streaming keynote presentations and live Q&A chats with select speakers.”


14 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 5, 2020


He continues: “Of course we miss the live interactions and net- working possibilities but even that is partly possible with online groups coming together for separate discussions and a drink to toast. Or as our keynote speaker, Cady Coleman, former NASA as- tronaut and US Air Force colonel stated when she shared her ex- periences of working in the challenging conditions on the Inter- national Space Station: ‘I think the world understands missions in a different way because of this pandemic. COVID-19 has created this need to solve problems together and be on the same mission. People are coming together, helping each other. It’s hopeful.’ I fully agree with that.”


Removing barriers “With this edition of One we are removing barriers and connect- ing people. And – other than in our live events – we want to keep the project running for 12 months by adding more presentations, projects and inspiration until the next event in 2021. I do have to say, it feels somewhat strange connecting to an audience from my father’s office, but as he used to tell me: ‘Change is the only con- stant in life’. When he passed and when my beloved sister passed, I often referred back to his learnings. In all things, we have a choice in responding to difficult times, to change. It is my choice to take action and to be inspired by the great people one has lost and to do what they would have wanted me to do. That is what moved me to envision the Planet of Plenty. Last year we launched this ambitious mission. We need not one idea to make the future a better one, we need millions; to learn from each others’ exper- tise and, above all, communicate our wins. What keeps me up at night is the limited views I see in some companies’ leadership where the focus is only on short term gains for the company and


PHOTO: ALLTECH


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