Savannah Brown is an experienced production supervisor with a demonstrated history of working in the food production industry. She was Laboratory Technician at the Foremost Farms, USA. She served as Production and Safety Supervisor, Production Manager, and Operation Manager. Currently, she is serving as the plant manager at Land O'Lakes. She and her team manufacture the world's best milk replacers and focus on continuous improvement, capital projects, and coordination with scientists to regularly improve the milk-replacing process. She is an operation professional with a Bachelor of Science focused on Dairy Science and Agricultural Business from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
What are some of the recent challenges and trends that are prevailing in the agricultural space?
Farmers all over the world are plagued by multiple challenges which indirectly and directly affect their lives. Furthermore, farming practices and other aspects of agriculture can consume a lot of resources and time. The problems faced by farmers are typically ignored in the food industry. Farmers require capital to get their businesses off the ground and expand them into successful operations. The lack of financial resources affects not only productivity but also affects the quality of agricultural produce. Additionally, the pandemic's impact on the supply chain and the loss in income caused by falling prices have exacerbated food shortages in both developed and developing nations. Nevertheless, the global demand for food items has remained more or less unchanged owing to their inelastic demand.
I believe, maintaining a good relationship with your employees and paying equal importance to their opinions is how a team works effectively and helps an organization grow
What are the leadership strategies that you put in place to assist your team to grow and meet the objectives you have as a company?
I was in the background of organizational leadership and development. To make a better team, we need to ensure that their opinions are respected and needs are met. Before jumping into a decision, we collaborate as a team and work hand in hand to come to a final decision. I believe, maintaining a good relationship with your employees and paying equal importance to their opinions is how a team works effectively and helps an organization grow.
With all these potential transformations and disruptions, how do you envision the future of the agricultural space?
The agricultural sector is turning toward automation and AI with the advancement of technology. Artificial Intelligence can help a great deal with the entire process of agricultural farming. It would include less human involvement, helping agro-economists analyze real-time data and predict beneficial outcomes. There would be less room for error in such a process, providing a magnificent end product. The world population is increasing day by day, and so is the demand for food. But there is a shortage of labor in the agricultural businesses. So how are they going to meet the demand for a supply of food to feed each mouth? Agricultural automation is the answer. It will alleviate the labor-intensive and time-consuming agricultural operations that farmers all over the world face.
Would you like to share a piece of advice with the other leaders and fellow peers so that they can improve in the space?
The agricultural sector is vast, and it has major divisions. The challenges and pain points prevailing in this vast space can be frustrating to tackle, especially for those working in this field. My advice is to mitigate and face those challenges; teamwork is extremely important. We need to think out of the box and come up with a new solution that works for everyone. Finally, with this kind of mindset, we can collaboratively reach a better future goal.
