Press Room

Feed industry leaders appoint IFIF President and Board

Download Press Release (28kb MS Word Format)

October 25, 2005 - At its 18th Annual Assembly held in Rome, Italy, the International Feed Industry Federation reappointed Fred Stephens as President, a post he has held for the past three years. Mr Stephens, is recently retired from PCS Sales.  

Members elected during IFIF Annual Assembly, and agreeing to serve on the Board, include association leaders from the world ' s four largest feed producing countries. These association representatives are: Joel Newman, President of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA); Dr Martin Tielen, President of the European Feed Industry Federation (FEFAC), which reflects the combined interests of 25 European Countries; Hongjun Xie, General Secretary of the China Feed Industry Association (CFIA); Mario Cutait, President of Sindiracoes the Brazilian Feed Industry Association. These four associations form what IFIF refers to as its ‘ Big 4 ' feed producers, which account of almost 80 percent of the world ' s compound feed output globally.  

Also appointed to the Board, and representing the Mexican feed industry associations, is Francisco Valdez of Hi Fos.  

David Cieslak of Cargill and who is based in the USA, Pierre Lefebvre of Evialis in France, Ben Courtin of Tessenderlo, Belgium, Dr Steve Auman, director of product development for Potash Corporation in Canada, Jed Harms of Kemin Industries based in Desmoines, USA, and Brent Shonka of the Mosaic Company selling international phosphate sales out of Tampa, in the USA, all join the IFIF Board. Leth Niels of the World Renderers Organisation, who works from Denmark, serves on IFIF ' s Council. The IFIF Annual Assembly also approved the appointment of David Bossman, of the USA, as its Executive Vice-President.  

IFIF ' s Annual Assembly was conducted in Rome to mark the first occasion on which it could review progress made under the recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federation and FAO.  The meeting was attended by FAO senior management. 

“ Subsequent to the signing the agreement with FAO, we held successful regional meetings which began with a collaborative effort initiated in South Africa and has included our joint effort in Brazil in July this year. That was the first world Congress to address Safe Feed and Safe Food with over 500 delegates representing 44 countries. Our speakers were renowned professionals who came from 17 different countries - a truly global representation.    

“ The next meetings to be held under our MOU agreement will be collaborative meetings in Thailand and Egypt set for November and December 2005 respectively, and will focus on the introduction and implementation the Codex Alimentarius Code of Good Animal Feeding Practice, ” says Mr Stephens.  

Further, the Board has tentatively set into motion plans to organise a key feed meeting of the industry ' s major feed associations in China in 2006 and is presently considering plans to return to Brazil in early 2007, says Mr Stephens.

"The Board elected in Rome, I believe, accurately reflects our objective of involving - as well the national and international feed industry associations - feed leaders that have a global perspective . A shrinking world and the need for global answers to global issues demands that we do this. And it is fair to say that we have achieved this.  

“ We go forward with complicated issues seemingly coming at us at an increasing rate. Over the past years we have responded to BSE, dioxin, and other health issues in other parts of the world. Now Avian Flu is proving to be another example of the changing dynamics of trying to feed a hungry world not only efficiently but safely. ”  

Roger Gilbert, Secretary General of the Federation says, “ This is truly the time for the feed industry everywhere to join with us to provide a conduit to address growing international concerns. ”  

"For example, we are encouraging our national feed association members to address the issue of harmonisation between national Feed Safety Assurance programmes and have set up a Task Force to review existing schemes and bring forward recommendations for action by members to better co-ordinate their schemes."    

Mr Gilbert goes on to say that issues are the driving force behind IFIF and that these issues have become more obvious, difficult and complex over recent years, requiring industry leaders from the whole spectrum of industries involved in animal agriculture to come together.

Caption (picture available from ):

Mr Fred Stephens is reappointed as President of IFIF  

------------------------------ -------------
Note to Editors:
For additional information please contact:
Roger Gilbert
Secretary General - IFIF
Tel: +44 1242 267702  or Email: