Ag Issues Forum Addresses "What the World Needs"

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The role of science in agriculture, water security issues, consumer interest in food production practices, pollinator health and the emergence of farmer as CEO are just a few of the topics featured at the 9^th Annual Ag Issues Forum, sponsored by Bayer Crop Science.

The challenge facing agriculture is a formidable one: meet the food, fiber and fuel needs of more than 9 billion people by 2050, all while minimizing the environmental footprint of farming, explains Jim Blome, chief executive officer, Bayer CropScience North America.

"What's in play here is really a question of global food security," he says. "By convening this annual event with thought leaders from production, consumer and environmental organizations, our goal is to open a dialogue around the collaboration needed to drive true innovation."

Among those thought leaders is Julie Borlaug, associate director for external relations at The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. In her keynote address, Borlaug addresses the essential role innovation has played in the development of food production practices.

"It was the radical thinking of the leaders of The Green Revolution that led to the agricultural production breakthroughs that addressed global hunger issues in the 1960s," says Borlaug. "Once again, we're poised on the brink of a revolution, one that will allow us to meet the looming threat of food insecurity head on." She adds that finding solutions to current and future challenges will demand new approaches to innovation and collaboration.

Other speakers at the event include Dr. Lowell Catlett, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State; Dennis Dimick, executive editor, Environment, National Geographic Magazine; and representatives from MillerCoors, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, the National Cotton Council and The Pollinator Partnership.

More than 60 representatives from consumer, environmental and agricultural groups, as well as members of the media, are participating in the invitation-only, two-day event. Plans are currently underway for the ten-year anniversary of the event, which will be held February 24-25, 2015, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Join the conversation about Ag Issues Forum 2014 by using #AgIssues14 or #WhatTheWorldNeeds and following @Bayer4CropsUS.  And look for blog posts on the event at Bayer Connect and photos on AgWired.

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About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,383 million (2012) and is one of the world's leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 20,800 (Dec 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

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SOURCE Bayer CropScience