In the demanding world of animal nutrition, ensuring food integrity requires a dual approach: rigorous scientific precision balanced with essential, on-the-ground expertise. This combination is key to translating complex technical data into practical, real-world solutions.
Sahera Nofyangri, Assistant Vice President for Nutrition & Research, embodies this balance. Driven by a commitment to optimize resources and data, she moves beyond a purely academic, ‘white-coat-and-data’ approach. Her work focuses on turning scientific theories into tangible, field-ready actions.
This Women’s Month, Sahera shared how empowering women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can shape the future of agriculture.
Q: Your journey began during a time of major industry transition in Indonesia. How did those early challenges shape your leadership?
Sahera: When I joined in late 2017, the industry was facing a historic shift with the government regulation on free antibiotics in animal feed. As a young woman in a leadership role, I also faced skepticism about my ability to work in the field. I had to rely on my own research and courage to make fast, data-driven decisions. It taught me that success means consistent growth and the willingness to challenge yourself every day.
I believe in leading by example with respect and care. I try things first and make sure I understand the process behind them before asking my team to do them. We spend more time at work than in our personal lives, so I strive to create a “family” atmosphere where everyone feels motivated and understood.
Q: You mentioned that there was skepticism because you were a young woman doing fieldwork. How did you navigate that, and what unique perspective do you believe women bring to the table?
Sahera: At the start, I felt looked down upon. There was this old-fashioned idea that the field was no place for a woman, especially when I started asking a lot of technical questions. But I’ve always believed that you don’t break stereotypes by arguing; you break them with results.
Women are meticulous “dot-connectors,” allowing us to view problems from every angle. We bring a unique blend of intuition and detail-oriented leadership. I often say that managing a feed mill is like managing a kitchen, but on a global, highly organized scale. It requires multitasking, precision, and a deep sense of responsibility for the end result, which are qualities that women have.
Empowering women in agriculture means empowering the future of food. When women thrive, agriculture flourishes.
Q: You’ve led significant technical innovations. How do you define “innovation” beyond the lab?
Sahera: In our industry, innovation isn’t just pure chemistry; it’s about how we quickly, boldly, and thoroughly identify the gaps before applying theory to make real-world solutions. For example, when corn prices skyrocketed, we didn’t just stay in the lab. We optimized the use of alternative raw materials. By combining technical expertise with large-scale farm trials, we improved livestock productivity while achieving massive cost savings. This hands-on approach led our team to develop the project called “Optimization of Liver Function to Boost Broiler Performance,” which eventually won the company-wide The Mill product innovation competition in 2025.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you want the “Gold Standard” of food integrity to look like because of the work you are doing today?
Sahera: For me, the “Gold Standard” is a system that ensures the safety of animal feed from mill to meal—from testing raw materials for nutritional stability before production, to implementing strict biosecurity protocols, to proper storage to prevent fungi and mold growth, to process automation and monitoring, to risk identification and mitigation, and lastly, to safe formulation. Every step of the process is critical in ensuring that every family can trust the food on their plate.
For Sahera, food integrity is a commitment that spans from the digital systems of the mill to the plates in millions of homes. Her journey demonstrates that with data, determination, and a focus on continuous improvement, women are not just shaping the future of food—they are creating it. Through her work and leadership, food integrity is judged not by formulas but by the safety and sustainability of the entire food supply chain.
“I am Sahera Nofyangtri, taking innovation beyond the lab and ensuring food safety happens at every step of the process – from mill to meal.”
