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Mark Lyons

@thelyonstale

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President & CEO of Alltech | 7th-Gen Brewer & Distiller | Dedicated to Shaping a World of Abundance for Future Generations. #PlanetofPlenty 🍀🥃⚽🏃‍♂️

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One of the questions I have heard most often about World Without Cows is: “When can I see it?”

The answer is now!

World Without Cows has landed in select U.S. markets, with tomorrow being the first big release in theaters. Tickets are on sale and can be found at worldwithoutcows.com.

After sharing it with audiences in Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York and, last week, Chicago, I am excited for more people to experience these stories and form their own perspectives.

Every ticket purchased helps demonstrate the interest in bringing this conversation to more communities. I would love to see these theaters filled with people who are curious about where their food comes from.

Find your screening and reserve your seat at worldwithoutcows.com.

Don’t see a screening nearby? You can also register your interest in bringing the film to your community.

See you at the movies! by @thelyonstale

It was great to be back in Chicago, where I spent my undergraduate years.

Beyond the concrete and skyscrapers, this city has deep roots in agriculture. Even its most famous cow has a place in the story, although the tale of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow (who was exonerated!) and a lantern is more legend than history.

Chicago was once the nation’s flower capital and a major center for growing celery and cucumbers for pickles. Its central location and rail network also made it a hub for meatpacking. The river moved goods through the great lakes to the East coast and up & down the Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Those agricultural connections live on in its signature foods. Iconic foods like Chicago-style all-beef hot dog are made different also by their pickles and a dash of celery salt? It’s unimaginable to think of deep-dish pizza without cheese. In short, what would the American food be without Chicago and Chicago without the agriculture that built it.

From its historic stockyards, which once employed more than 50,000 people, to the iconic food companies that call it home today, Chicago has long been the connector of food and its consumers.

The city also has a special connection with Alltech: our first customer, ADM and recency JV partner, has its headquarters here. Further along the food value chain, McDonald’s also calls Chicago home.

Returning to the windy city reminded me how closely agriculture is woven into our everyday lives, even where the skyline might suggest otherwise. Yet the connections between those who produce our food and those who enjoy it can be easy to overlook.

That is part of what we hope to explore through World Without Cows: the people, places and animals behind our food, and the connections we all share.

As the Q&A following our screening reminded me, keeping that conversation going takes advocates in rural and urban communities alike. Wherever we live, we all have a stake in the future of our food.

Click the link in my bio to get tickets and join the conversation. by @thelyonstale

After 200 miles of Kentucky backroads, our team crossed the Bourbon Chase finish line at Town Branch Distillery feeling deeply grateful.

This year’s race gave us an even greater appreciation for what it means to be part of a team. When an unexpected setback meant we needed someone to step in, Paulo answered the call. Despite Keeneland’s opening weekend calling his name, he laced up his running shoes and helped carry our team to the finish.

Paulo’s willingness to show up reflected the spirit we saw throughout the weekend: encouraging one another, looking after each other and remembering that the people beside us matter far more than the miles or the finishing time. With that support, we finished first in the mixed corporate division and 19th overall in a field of 220 teams.

Thank you to our runners, our extraordinary drivers and everyone who supported us along the way.

That sense of community is also at the heart of our 2026K Charitable Challenge, bringing people together to support the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation and the communities it serves.

If you would like to get involved, you can learn more through the link in my bio. by @thelyonstale

It’s finally countdown time! The ONE is back — we cannot wait to welcome the world to Kentucky in May next year, and I couldn’t be more excited.

The #AlltechONE Conference has been a mainstay of the agri-food industry for over 40 years and will be returning home to Lexington, Kentucky, May 24–26, 2027. Registration is now open!

Our belief is that the most important breakthroughs begin with conversations. ONE brings together scientists, food producers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and storytellers to explore the ideas shaping the future of agriculture — and how we can turn those insights into action. There simply isn’t another event like it.

With 11 immersive content tracks, we’ll explore everything from artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to sustainability, food security, global markets and workforce transformation. Through expert-led sessions, panel discussions and real-world case studies, attendees will discover new approaches to strengthening their businesses and meeting the world’s growing food needs.

The conversations will continue beyond the stage, with evening gatherings, a music and food festival at @LexingtonBrewingCo, and post-conference tours offering a closer look at U.S. agriculture.

I look forward to welcoming you to Lexington for the ideas, connections and conversations that will help shape what comes next.

Early-bird registration is available for a limited time. Explore the program and register at the link in my bio. by @thelyonstale

Five years ago, we asked a question. This week, we put it in Times Square.

Seeing World Without Cows on a billboard in New York City, alongside bringing the film to the Roxy for our premiere, is one of those moments that makes you pause and appreciate just how far an idea can travel. The story is about the future of our food. The story behind the film is about belief, resilience, and determination.

I have spent years wearing a World Without Cows hat or shirt and explaining what we were working on. Having a billboard now brings us a new way to start that conversation. Soon, everyone will be able to see the film and start their own.

But what makes this moment so meaningful is thinking about the people whose stories brought us here. Farmers who welcomed Michelle and Brandon onto their land. Scientists who shared their research. Families who helped us understand what cows mean to their livelihoods, their culture, and their future.

Now, those stories have reached a screen in The Big Apple, with an invitation in Times Square for many more people to discover them. My father would have loved it, likely encouraging everyone to drive to New York to get their photo.

I am grateful to Emily Orozco, who did an amazing job guiding such a thoughtful conversation about the film and the importance of storytelling, and to Michelle, Brandon, Josh Tickell, and Dr. Frank Mitloehner for joining me in reflecting on why this project matters.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Roxy, to Michelle and Brandon, and to the remarkable network of colleagues, partners, and friends who have helped bring this project into the world.

Dublin, London, Los Angeles, and New York. Four very different places, each part of a journey we had imagined for so long.

These premieres are the beginning of a much bigger ambition: bringing World Without Cows to communities around the world and giving people a reason to come together, create curiosity, and talk about the future of our food.

Now, where should we take it next? Details are coming together, but the short answer is closer to you. by @thelyonstale

A pinch-me moment in Times Square. 
World Without Cows can be found in the heart of New York City through Climate Week NYC. If you’re near Times Square, look up, grab a photo or video, tag @WorldWithoutCows and share it with us. 
After an incredible Los Angeles premiere, we’ve landed in New York for the final leg of our global premiere tour — but certainly not the final stop for the film. Stay tuned for what’s next as the film comes to a theater near you.  
Tonight, we bring World Without Cows to Tribeca for another special screening, conversation and dinner with an incredible group of guests. 
New York, here we go! by @thelyonstale

Hollywood has been talking about cows for years. This time, we brought the real thing.

After Dublin and London, it was incredibly exciting to bring World Without Cows to The Avalon Hollywood for our Los Angeles premiere.

I am especially proud of Michelle and Brandon. For five years, they have been the people behind the camera, asking questions, earning trust and finding the stories that might otherwise go untold. Now they are on the other side of the lens, sharing what it took to bring this film to life.

What audiences see on screen represents an enormous amount of persistence. The travel and filming were only part of it. There were years of shaping the story, asking more questions and continuing to push the project forward alongside work and family life.

To see their names attached to a film premiering in Hollywood is a tremendous moment.

My father always encouraged us to tell the story. I have thought about that often throughout this journey. Agriculture has extraordinary stories to share, and we have a responsibility to help people discover them.

Following the screening, Dave Holmes, Editor-at-Large at Esquire, joined Michelle, Brandon and me onstage to reflect on the five-year journey behind the film and what it took to bring these stories to the screen. Dave then continued the conversation with Michael Dimock, Executive Director of Roots of Change, and me, exploring some of the larger questions raised by the film and the importance of creating space for thoughtful dialogue around the future of food and agriculture.

I am grateful to Dave for guiding both conversations so thoughtfully, and to Michelle, Brandon and Michael for sharing their perspectives and helping us continue the discussion beyond the screen.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Los Angeles, and to the team and partners whose creativity and hard work made this evening possible.

One more stop on this opening leg of the tour. New York, here we come! by @thelyonstale

If you are near Times Square, look up. Our cows have made it to the big city.

World Without Cows is on a billboard in the heart of the Big Apple starting today and will be up throughout Climate Week. After five years of working to bring this story to the world, this is a pretty remarkable place to see it — and an important moment to bring cows into the conversation about our planet’s future.

Go take a look, snap a photo or video and tag @WorldWithoutCows. I would love to see you there!

P.S. You don’t have to be in New York to join the journey. Watch the trailer, share it with someone who is curious about our food and our planet, and sign up for updates at worldwithoutcows.com. by @thelyonstale

Two premieres in two nights, and London gave us another evening I will not soon forget.

At the Ham Yard Hotel last night, I had the opportunity to share why I am so committed to World Without Cows and the belief behind our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. For us, progress means advancing three interconnected priorities: providing nutrition for all, replenishing our planet’s natural resources and revitalizing local economies.

Progress in each depends on progress in the others. I believe business leaders have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help move all three forward. But realizing that potential takes commitment, curiosity and a willingness to bring people into the conversation who may see things differently. To me, that’s also how we learn, the critical factor in how we will overcome the challenges we share.

That belief is why, five years ago, I challenged Michelle and Brandon to explore one question: Are we better off in a world without cows? I also asked they do so openly without any limitations, with the simple guide to follow the science. And it is also why I am so committed to helping the stories they discovered reach people around the world.

Our moderator, farmer and BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, offered me a “verbal hug” in response. (A first for me on a panel, I think.) He also expressed a wish that more company leaders would take a purpose-led approach.

My response was that I am optimistic many already are. And I believe the companies that continue to thrive will be those that lead with purpose, making it part of how they make decisions, invest and work with others.

Professor Mizeck Chagunda brought another important perspective, earning a round of applause for his call to introduce agriculture into education at a younger age. We need young people to see the possibilities in this extraordinary field and choose it as their first choice, rather than a last resort.

(Continued in the comments.) by @thelyonstale

After five years of waiting, we finally got our chance to walk the green carpet. And we did so in such a special place for my family; the Pearse Lyons Distillery.

It has been an incredible journey to reach this moment. This was a night we had imagined from the very beginning — the kickoff of a global tour and the next leg of the World Without Cows journey. And it was even more meaningful than we could have imagined. As we welcomed almost 200 special guests, I remembered the early days of my parents’ plan to restore the St. James Church, a place full of stories, including my visits there with my sister to see my mother’s work develop, and my uncle’s passion for the place and the product. I felt my sister my father and my uncle were with me last night as I told our guests about the story we had to tell and the question we asked: “Are we better off in a world without cows?”  I am incredibly proud of filmmakers Michelle and Brandon, and the extraordinary network of people who have supported this film along the way. The list extends far beyond the credits. From making the film itself to bringing this premiere to life and mapping the road ahead, an enormous amount of work has gone into reaching this point.

Thank you to everyone who made our first night in Dublin so special — including our guest of honor, Twizzle the cow. What a special moment to bring the star of the show to the center of the stage.

I am also grateful to our moderator, Sean O’Rourke, and our thoughtful panelists: Simon Coveney, former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Professor Alice Stanton, Professor of Cardiovascular Therapeutics at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and clinician-scientist; and Michael Berkery, former Chairman of FBD Holdings and former Chief Executive of the Irish Farmers’ Association.

Their conversation was exactly what we hoped this film would inspire: curiosity, thoughtful discussion and a willingness to engage with a complex subject from different perspectives.

Finally, thank you to our hosts and partners who helped make the evening possible: FBD, IFP Media and Pearse Lyons Distillery. by @thelyonstale

Tonight, @worldwithoutcows comes to the Pearse Lyons Distillery in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties. This place was my father’s inspiration and my mother’s labor of love. It’s so special to have another chapter of this story told here first.

Those who visit the Pearse Lyons Distillery are greeted by a wonderful video of my father doing what he loved most: telling a story. This film embodies that same spirit of curiosity and courageous thinking.

I cannot wait to welcome our guests and finally share this remarkable film with them.

This is only the beginning. Dublin is the first stop as World Without Cows begins its journey into the world. by @thelyonstale