David John Macedo, a high school sophomore, gave the speech at the LMA’s annual meeting and highlighted how livestock markets provide consumers around the world with safe and nutritious food.
Macedo said: “As part of a third-generation livestock operation and auction market, I’ve seen first-hand the high-quality care livestock receive and the value auction markets play in trading livestock between buyers and sellers. It’s a legacy I hope to continue when I get older.”
By detailing the positive steps livestock markets take to ensure the wellbeing of millions of head livestock, Macedo complimented the way hundreds of markets across the country work each year, but added: “There are organisations out there that don’t want this important industry to continue, which is why this issue is so important to me and others in this industry who help feed a growing world population.”
Macedo’s original speech, The Livestock Market Industry – Past Traditions, Present Challenges and Bright Futures Sold on Success, was given as part of the California FFA public speaking contest, which he won as a freshman last year.