Rachael Spiegel, Partner at Faegre Drinker, sits at the intersection of food, agriculture and law — a place where regulatory complexity, supply chain risk and the realities of feeding people all collide. She joins Agbioscience to unpack how companies are navigating an era of rising recalls, what drives the decisions made in the first hours of a crisis and how leaders can build resilience across the value chain.
Highlights include:
The path into food and ag law — how Rachael's background shaped her read on the food system and the challenges it faces
The view from Faegre Drinker — the hurdles food and ag companies are hitting right now, and how those issues have evolved
Prevention, crisis and regulation — how her time actually splits between helping companies head off problems, responding when they hit, and steering through a complex regulatory system, plus what that work reveals about where the food system is strongest and most vulnerable
How risk moves through the value chain — what she sees from working across the chain that others may miss
The recall trend — whether the upward swing reflects growing risk, better detection, stronger oversight, or all of the above
What's actually driving recalls — supply chain complexity, improved testing, traceability, regulatory pressure, litigation risk, consumer expectations, or something else entirely
Inside the decision-making — what companies and the public often misunderstand about how recall calls get made in the moment
The real cost of a recall — beyond the immediate financial hit, where companies feel it most, and how short-term damage differs from long-term fallout • Partners across the value chain — how recalls are changing the way companies engage with suppliers, customers and everyone in between
Looking ahead — how food and ag leaders should be working now to reduce risk and build resilience
