Better food, better lives
Seeds of Success: What we can learn from past consumer-oriented trait introductions
Embassy Suites, Olathe, Kansas: Feb 18, 2024
In this Kansas and virtual panel and discussion we will learn from past efforts, refining our strategic approach to enroll the world’s favorite foods in the fight against chronic disease. Discussion will center on the Coalition for Grain Fiber (CGF), which is naturally increasing (a non-GMO approach) the dietary fiber in wheat – America’s most-consumed commodity?
From high oleic sunflowers, high erucic rapeseed oil, high oleic soy; white wheat and high amylose wheat, numerous consumer-and-nutrient oriented traits have been introduced. Success has varied. In some cases, the same varietals are viewed as both successes and failures by different individuals. In our half-day roundtable, we will update you on the progress CGF has made, share insights from across the supply chain on factors that determine the impact of these previous consumer-focused trait introductions, and develop alignment around improvements to our wheat plan.
From high oleic sunflowers, high erucic rapeseed oil, high oleic soy; white wheat and high amylose wheat, numerous consumer-and-nutrient oriented traits have been introduced. Success has varied. In some cases, the same varietals are viewed as both successes and failures by different individuals. In our half-day roundtable, we will update you on the progress CGF has made, share insights from across the supply chain on factors that determine the impact of these previous consumer-focused trait introductions, and develop alignment around improvements to our wheat plan.
Our Aim
Reduce chronic disease and improve lives at a global scale with quality science and a profitable economic model.
Agenda
February 18, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 5:30 PM Includes lunch
- Registration
- Coalition for Grain Fiber Overview and Updates
- Growers’ Perspectives
- Views from Across the Supply Chain and Beyond
- The Path Forward
Our Speakers
Justin Gilpin
Chief Executive Officer, Kansas Wheat Commission
Justin Gilpin became Kansas Wheat CEO September 1, 2009. Gilpin is a graduate of Kansas State University’s Milling Science program within the Department of Grain Science and Industry. Before joining Kansas Wheat, Gilpin worked at General Mills, Inc., where he was a wheat buyer for three flour mills.
He executed daily wheat market orders on the floor of the Kansas City Board of Trade, worked with flour sales, elevator and mill management, and sourcing wheat from various classes. He has been involved in a number of U.S. Wheat Associates committees, is past-chair of the Kansas City Board of Trade Cash Basis committee, Wheat Quality Council board Member and is an adjunct research scientist for Kansas State University’s Department of Grain Science and Industry. He currently serves as Chairman of Heartland Plant Innovations and works daily leading efforts at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center on the KSU campus.
Ron Suppes
Kansas Wheat Commissioner, Kansas Wheat Commission
Ron Suppes has been a Kansas Wheat Commissioner since 2003, serving as Chairman in 2013-2014 and is currently the Chairman of the newly formed Wheat Innovation Center Research Foundation. He was Chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates from 2007-2008 and Wheat Foods Council from 2023-2024. He has traveled overseas extensively to promote Kansas and U.S. wheat farmer interests.
He is a member of Kansas Agricultural Rural Leadership Class IV, serving as a KARL board member for six years. He is also a member of the Wheat Seminar Group, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, National Association of Wheat Growers, Farmer Direct Foods, Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association and National Grain Sorghum Producers Association. Suppes is a past board member of his local co-op and currently serves on The Kansas Ag Advisory Board for International Marketing as well as currently serving on a National Advisory Board for USTR representing Wheat, Oil Seeds and Small Grains.
Brad Erker
Executive Director, Colorado Wheat
Brad Erker has been Executive Director of Colorado Wheat since 2017. In this role, he manages relationships with researchers at Colorado State University, and funding provided from the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, and the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. Colorado Wheat has been actively involved in one of the nation’s largest identity preserved grain systems, the CWRF/Ardent Mills UltraGrain Premium Program, which pays growers grain premiums for growing high quality hard white winter wheat, for over 15 years.
Dr. Ed Souza
Plant Breeder & Research Manager, Goodland Innovation LLC
Dr. Ed Souza is a plant breeder and research manager. His consulting firm Goodland Innovation supports R&D directors in the agriculture and food sectors. The goal is to find ways to limit complexity and to get products to market faster. His area of expertise is using crop genetics to improve grower success and human nutrition.
Through work at the University of Idaho, USDA-ARS, and private industry, Dr Souza has developed over 20 commercial wheat varieties. His research in plant breeding, plant diseases, and milling and baking quality resulted in over 140 research publications. Dr. Souza received the Crop Science Society of America, top award, Fellow, in 2005. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Kansas State University, Department of Plant Pathology.
Dr. Souza grew up on a family farm in Northern California. He currently resides in Manhattan, Kansas with Dr. Mary Guttieri, his wife of 42 years. They have two adult children. He is an avid gardener, cook, and distance runner.
James Bowling
Supply Chain Management, Bay State Milling
James Bowling lives in northern MN with over 30 years of farming experience. His professional background includes expertise in elevator management and agronomy, giving him a broad understanding of agricultural practices. For the past six years, James has worked at Bay State Milling, where he serves as the Supply Chain Manager for seed and grain sales. Outside of his professional life, James is a family man, married with two daughters and three grandchildren. His wealth of experience in both farming and supply chain management positions him as a knowledgeable and seasoned professional in the agricultural industry.
Dr. Deirdre Ortiz
Retired Kellogg Fellow, Former President of Cereals and Grains Association
Deirdre has her MS and PhD in Cereal Science from Kansas State University. It was her great privilege to work under Carl Hoseney for those degrees. She spent 25+ years at the Kellogg Company in Research and Development. She rose to the title of Fellow and was accountable to large scale research programs including Kellogg’s Global Grains Program. Post retirement, she became the president of the Cereals and Grains Association. She is a big believer in the value of grain fiber.
Dr. Natalia Palacios Rojas
Principal Scientist Maize Quality Specialist, CIMMYT
Dr. Palacios has worked as a Quality Specialist at CIMMYT since 2005. She studied Microbiology at Andes University in Bogota, Colombia, and completed her doctoral studies in Plant Biology at the University of East Anglia and the John Innes Centre in Norwich, England.
Her main area of work is the development of maize germplasm with high nutritional quality, including high quality protein maize, high zinc and high provitamin A maize, the evaluation of nutritional and processing quality of maize under different production systems and the characterization of maize for end-use quality. She has also recently become involved in the safety of maize kernels by evaluating different strategies for aflatoxin control. Her research also includes the development of food processing methods to increase health and nutrition benefits for consumers.
Juergen Keil
Strategic Agri-Food Advisor (ex Cargill)
Juergen is a strategic Agri-Food Advisor and former Senior Executive at Cargill who provides valuable guidance and advise to help Startups, Venture Capital Funds and Foundation to maximize their potential and increase their chances of success.
He is also a Board Member of FIHF and a Startup Mentor for Start Life, a leading Ag-Food Accelerator.
During his Cargill career, he has worked across various Ag and Food value Chains, including Cocoa & Chocolate, Edible oils, Oilseeds processing, Biofuels, Starch & Sweeteners, Texturizers and Beverage Ingredients, making significant contributions to multiple Businesses. He brings 33 years of successful career experience and a strong leadership record in Supply Chain, Sustainability, Commercial, Commodity Risk and General Management.
Dr. Emily Klarquist
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington State University
Dr. Emily Klarquist is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at Washington State University. Before her current role, Dr. Klarquist spent seven years as a greenhouse technician with the USDA-ARS Club Wheat Breeding Program, overseeing the development and management of early-generation breeding populations. During this time, she contributed to the development and licensing of three club wheat varieties and led numerous projects aimed at evaluating germplasm for resistance to significant plant pathogens and herbicide tolerance. As a graduate student, Dr. Klarquist successfully led and co-authored a $500K grant proposal, funded by NIFA-FAS (PI Mike Pumphrey), to enhance the mineral density of wheat and durum. Her recent work includes methodology development for phenotyping grain mineral content in cereals, legumes, and pseudocereals. She continues to focus her research on consumer-oriented traits in her current position, with a particular interest in whole wheat end-use quality.
Dr. Rod Wallace
President, Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Foods
With a background combining international business, economics, and technology, Dr. Wallace leads teams integrating diverse expertise into a coherent purpose that benefits society while delivering stakeholder value. Wallace received his PhD from the University of Michigan and was a Fulbright Fellow researcher for the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. He then worked in corporate strategy and frontline business leadership with global food company Cargill. In the US and Europe, Wallace led multi-organization, billion-dollar business initiatives in flour milling, oil refining, cocoa and chocolate, pharmaceutical distribution, and other industries. Wallace co-developed the concept for the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food, based on ideas introduced in his TEDx presentation. He believes that pragmatic innovation is critical for society to flourish in this generation and the next.
Dr. Katherine Frels
Assistant Professor - Small Grains Breeding and Genetics, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Since joining the the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2021, Dr. Frels has led research focused on developing improved varieties of winter wheat, barley, and triticale, with an emphasis on traits that address biotic and abiotic stress challenges, such as wheat stem sawfly, rust diseases, Fusarium head blight, winter hardiness, and drought tolerance.
Her work, recognized for its dedication to both enhancing the nutritional benefits of wheat-based foods and creating value-added products for Nebraska wheat growers, continues the long-standing tradition of wheat research at UNL. Dr. Frels also actively manages research objectives, supervises peer-reviewed publications, and leads efforts to secure funding for small grains breeding programs. She frequently shares her findings at scientific conferences, grower meetings, and other educational forums.
Dr. Sean Finnie
Director of Research, USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Lab
Sean Finnie is the Director of Research at the USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Lab. He received a B.S. and M.S. in Food Science from the University of Idaho and a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Industry from Kansas State University. Sean’s training continued as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at KU Leaven, in Belgium. Before joining the USDA, Sean was the Senior Manager of Cultivar Development and Research at Bay State Milling Company within the Varietal Solutions business unit. In this role, he led cultivar development initiatives with an emphasis on nutrition and quality traits. This included commercializing the first wheat varieties with elevated Total Dietary Fiber content by increasing the levels of resistant starch in the grain. Sean has held leadership positions in the Cereal and Grains Association as Director, Associate Editor of Cereal Chemistry, Chair of the Professional Development Panel, Chair of the Milling and Baking Division, Member of the Scientific Advisory Panel, and Program Chair for the 2019 Annual Meeting.
Dave Green
Executive Vice President, Wheat Quality Council
Dave Green has been a cornerstone of the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) for many years, known for his expertise and dedication to advancing the quality of U.S. wheat. In 2017, he succeeded Ben Handcock, who led WQC for 25 years, as Executive Director. Green’s leadership builds on his extensive experience in wheat quality and milling, ensuring the Council’s continued role in fostering collaboration among producers, millers, and bakers.
Before taking the helm at WQC, Green served as Director of Quality Control and Laboratory Services at ADM Milling Co., where he managed crop surveys, wheat blending, customer specifications, and quality assurance. He also worked as a crop scout, flour miller, and mill technician with International Multifoods Corp. Green’s contributions extend to his roles as past chairman of the Kansas City section of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCI), former board chairman of the Wheat Foods Council, and a 25-year member of the American Society of Baking.
Fernando Arias
Former Commercial VP, NA at Roquette and CEO of Leading Food Companies
Fernando Arias is a global commercial executive with expertise in driving profitable growth and transforming commodity businesses into high-value specialty markets in the Health, Nutrition, and Food Industries. He has held leadership roles at Roquette America as Commercial Vice President, Cargill, and FMC, leading sales, marketing, and business development initiatives.
A visionary leader with a strong track record in international expansion and high-performance team building, Fernando holds a Master of Management from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Schedule
Time
Agenda
Speaker
11:30am - 12:00pm
Registration
12:00pm - 12:30pm
Lunch
12:30pm - 12:35pm
Overview of the Day's Program and Introduction
Dr. Kathrine Frels
Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
12:35pm - 12:50pm
Opening Remarks and Speaker Introduction
Dave Green
Executive Vice President, Wheat Quality Council
12:50pm - 1:30pm
Wheat as an Engine for Public Health
Dr. Sean Finnie
Dr. Kathrine Frels
Dr. Rod Wallace
Dr. Kathrine Frels
Dr. Rod Wallace
1:30pm - 1:55pm
Arabinoxylan Fiber Variation in Elite US Germplasm
Dr. Emily Klarquist
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Discussion Panels
Perspectives on Consumer - Oriented Trait Introductions
1:55pm - 2:40pm
Consumer-Oriented Trait Introductions
Farmers Perspectives
Justin Gelpin
Ron Suppes
Brad Erker
Ron Suppes
Brad Erker
2:40pm - 3:25pm
Wheat Value Chain - US Wheat Processing Perspectives
Dr. Ed Souza
James Bowling
Dr. Deirdre Ortiz
James Bowling
Dr. Deirdre Ortiz
3:25pm - 3:40pm
Break
3:40pm - 4:25pm
Beyond Wheat - Non-Wheat Perspectives
Dr. Natalia Palacios Rojas
Juergen Keil
Fernando Arias
Juergen Keil
Fernando Arias
4:25pm - 4:35pm
Break
4:35pm - 5:20pm
Key Takeaways for the Coalition of Grain Fiber
Bringing It All Together: Groups Discussion
Dr. Sean Finnie
Dr. Kathrine Frels
Dr. Rod Wallace
Dr. Kathrine Frels
Dr. Rod Wallace