Alltech’s Post

A little over three years ago, we kicked off a project we knew would be difficult. It was big, audacious and well beyond anything we had done previously. A full-length documentary tackling the biggest issue facing agriculture today: An existential question about the role of meat, milk and eggs in society, the economy and the environment. We explored this complex topic through the lens of two talented former journalists who went on a global journey to find the answer to this seemingly simple question, “Are we better off in a world without cows?”    This week in Brazil reaffirmed something incredible — our hard work creating this documentary, “World Without Cows,” is paying off. The response from our friends, colleagues and customers has been off the charts.      A big shoutout to our brilliant filmmakers, Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth, and the amazing teams supporting them. Thank you for all the energy and effort you have put in to get to this stage.     Now this is the real start for the rest of us. On Monday, we previewed just 19 minutes of the documentary to a small-but-influential group in Brazil. Their reaction? Blown away. They wanted to see more. They couldn’t wait to see the full film. That’s the excitement we’re generating!    Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking at an event for 350 producers representing two-thirds of Brazil’s beef industry, alongside André Luiz Perrone dos Reis, the owner of CMA Confinamento Monte Alegre Oficial, who is featured in the documentary. I shared the theatrical trailer for #WorldWithoutCows and the journey behind it. It was met with tremendous applause and a lot of emotion. You can sense the hunger that exists for having a tool to tell our story, the story of agriculture, in a more compelling and relevant way.  During the Q&A session, I was asked if we’ll see ROI from the documentary. My answer? “It has already paid for itself.”    In Maringá, we shared the film with our team. We had a full screening for them last night at a movie theater and continued the discussion today. The pride they feel to be part of this project is palpable.      This week reminded me of an audacious project my father took on, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. At that time, sponsoring this international event was a game-changer for us. It has been said that bringing the World Equestrian Games to Kentucky changed the way the world looked at Alltech and how Alltech looked at itself. The same is true now with World Without Cows. This film, the accompanying website (worldwithoutcows.com), and the many relationships and partnerships that have and will come from this project will have lasting impact for many years to come.      I couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved nor more excited to share our work with the world. And this is only the beginning!