Table of Contents
Beth Ford, the chief executive officer of Land O’Lakes, boasts a diverse career background spanning publishing, consumer goods, and the oil industry before taking the helm of the prominent American farming cooperative. During an interview with TIME for THE CEO MOMENT series, Ford discussed her unconventional career journey, the economic pressures currently facing agricultural workers, and broader national issues such as food security and immigration.
Early Career and Working Class Roots
Reflecting on her early employment history, Ford shared that she held various manual jobs, including teaching tennis, weeding bean fields, working as a house painter, and cleaning buildings as a janitor. She expressed gratitude for those roles, noting that they taught her the value of hard work. Later, while working for Mobil, she served as a night warehouse foreman and dock foreman in Boston, an experience she described as offering humorous insights into human nature and the realities of managing a workforce.
Challenges Facing Modern Farmers
Addressing the current state of American agriculture, Ford pointed out that producers are facing unprecedented financial strain. She explained that the current harvest season involves the most expensive crop investment in history, driven by surging prices for fertilizer, diesel, and steel, all operating amid severe market volatility.
Ford emphasized that urban populations often misunderstand rural communities due to a general lack of awareness in a country accustomed to an abundance of food. She argued that food self-sufficiency should be viewed not as a partisan political issue, but rather as a matter of business investment and national security. Highlighting the contributions of rural regions, she noted that while rural areas account for 19 percent of the U.S. population, they comprise 44 percent of the military.
Immigration and Dairy Consumption Trends
On the topic of labor, Ford noted that two-thirds of farm workers are non-citizen immigrants, calling for a sensible and clear immigration policy. She highlighted a company analysis indicating that comprehensive immigration reform could boost the U.S. Gross Domestic Product by 3.3 percent, or over a trillion dollars, over the next decade.
When asked about dietary trends, Ford confirmed that Americans continue to consume increasing amounts of butter and cheese. Although domestic dairy consumption is rising, she joked that Americans still trail Europeans in cheese consumption and encouraged the public to increase their intake.
