Andy Curliss, a leader in the pork industry for the past five years working for the North Carolina Pork Council and Smithfield Foods, recently left the industry for a new opportunity at SAS, a technology company that specializes in analytics. Farm Journal’s PORK caught up with Curliss, a popular keynote speaker and presenter at pork events, and asked him to reflect on his time in the pork industry and to offer insights on what’s ahead.
Q. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your time in the pork industry?
A. Relationships matter, and it’s critical that we all get better at working together, in a unified fashion. I’m thinking mostly from an external viewpoint – where there are many currents and cross-currents at play. We have good coalitions and partners, but we must continue to extend our reach and think creatively about where allies and mutual interests are, while maintaining the strong relationships we do have. Iteration and innovation should be a constant state and celebrated.
Q. Do you have any examples of what you mean?
A. Well, in terms of coalitions… look at Prop 12 in California and the Food Equity Alliance that has formed. It’s a growing alliance of groups engaged on that issue – an important one for pork producers across the nation – and it’s not just the California Pork Producers. The alliance is grocers and restauranteurs, the Latino Restaurant Association, Latin Business Association, National Asian American Coalition, Asian and Hispanic chambers of commerce and so on. They realize how harmful that regulation can be to farmers and their businesses. Those types of alliances are important moving forward as well. We must continue to form new partnerships and alliances.
In terms of thinking differently, many know that I have been an advocate for becoming much more agile in how we spend our research funds collectively, with an eye toward allocating more against issues we all face in terms of sustainability and, if you will, the full suite that falls under the We Care principles. There’s plenty more work to be done there.
Q. If you could sit down across the table from a producer today, what advice would you give?
A. You have hired people like me to help manage the myriad of external threats and opportunities – particularly in the legal, government affairs, strategic communications, regulatory and related spaces. The world is a dynamic and changing place, and it’s important that these areas of focus continue to adapt and change as well. It’s never-ending work. There will continue to be a lot of noise and action focused against agriculture, particularly animal agriculture.
But also never forget that at the end of the day, we produce food and great products that are beloved, that bring families together around the dinner table, that nourish our society. There is nothing more noble than being in the business of providing food for others. Don’t let the loud advocates crowd out that fundamental truth.
Q. What will you miss the most?
A. I suppose the standard answer to a question like that is the people. And that’s certainly true. But more than that, I will miss working with so many great people across the industry on complex problems and working together shoulder-to-shoulder in finding solutions that are successful ones. Having faced issues with so many good people, and achieving some good outcomes, but knowing that more issues are on the horizon, does make it difficult to leave for a new opportunity. I do hope to stay involved in some way through my new role.
Q. What will you be up to?
A. I’m really glad to be joining SAS (pronounced sass) because it is the founder of what we know today as “analytics,” which is a critical area for all of business moving forward. SAS is the true leader in taking data and turning it, quickly and easily, into actionable information and insights in so many different ways. SAS works with most of the largest companies and governments in the world, but also spends time with small business and local governments. Businesses that are still using spreadsheets are really missing out on some advantages that analytics will bring – and in agriculture there is untapped potential across the spectrum, from animal nutrition and health to sustainability and compliance to HR/workforce to downstream production and processing.
What’s pretty neat, from my perspective, is that the roots and foundation of SAS are in agriculture. It was formed in the 1960s to analyze and gain insights from research and data in livestock and crops, and there is a strong interest to this day in continuing to meaningfully serve those who work in agriculture.
My role for the company is more broad than agriculture but certainly many know by now how passionate I am about the pork industry and that won’t change. If I can help, I will find ways to help.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Curliss: Embarrassed to Feed People? Not Us
When Animal Activists Strike: Stay Grounded in Your Convictions
