Beth Ford, the 2015 recipient of the AWESOME Legendary Leadership (ALL) Award and now the CEO of Land O’Lakes, was interviewed on CBS 60 Minutes about what her company is doing to help farmers. A Fortune 500 company, Land O’Lakes is one of the country’s largest farmer- and retail-member-owned cooperatives, and its supply chain goes all the way from the farm to the retail shelf.
Prior to being named CEO in mid-2018, Beth was Land O’Lakes’ EVP, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer.
The 60 Minutes interview explained that half of the nation’s farmers lost money last year and many are at risk of losing their farms. As farmers’ livelihoods are threatened by the effects of weather, trade tensions and tariffs, Land O’Lakes is helping them manage production with cutting edge ag technology that analyzes and prescribes planting and fertilizing – and monitors cows’ health with “fitbits.”
Land O’Lakes also has produced a music video featuring farmers who are women to raise awareness that one-third of America’s farmers are women.
As described by 60 Minutes, Beth has “become the farmers’ advocate.” Earlier this year, Beth published an article in Fortune titled “Farmers Are in Crisis and America Isn’t Paying Attention.”