David Larson has been named the 2012 recipient of the American Feed Industry Association's Distinguished Service Award for his life-long contributions to the feed industry and to AFIA. He was honored last week at the Board of Directors meeting in Sausalito, Calif.
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The Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor AFIA bestows upon members. Since 1981, only 28 individuals have received this elite award for outstanding, long-term support to AFIA and the entire feed industry. Befitting its highly selective nature, the Distinguished Service Award is not necessarily presented annually.

Larson enjoyed a four-decade career with Cargill, Inc., until retiring in 2010. He first started with the company in 1966, holding several managerial positions before being elected a division vice president in 1981. He then became president of Cargill's feed division in 1983 and in 1995, was named president of the Animal Nutrition and Poultry Group.

AFIA Chair Al Gunderson (left) and CEO Joel Newman (right)
present the Distinguished Service Award to David Larson (middle).


In 1999, Larson was elected executive vice president and named to Cargill's Corporate Leadership Team, the core executive group in charge of Cargill's overall strategy, growth and funding. He was elected to the company's Board of Directors in 2006.

David Larson received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, where he is still active. He was elected to the university's Board of Regents in 2005 and is serving his second six-year term. He also serves on the Board of the University of Minnesota Foundation and the Minnesota Historical Society's Executive Council. An advocate of helping young people get a college education, he founded and serves as president of The David and Janis Larson Foundation.

Larson served as chairman of the AFIA Board of Directors from 1990-1991 and led the successful merger of AFIA and the National Feed Ingredients Association in 1992, receiving the AFIA Member of the Year Award that same year.

For his contributions to AFIA and to the feed industry, David Larson is a deserving recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.

11.01.2012