Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, to keynote GAI AgTech Week

SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlighting the inaugural Global AgInvesting (GAI) AgTech Week, June 22-24, will be a keynote address and town hall Q&A by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who will speak to the current strengths, innovations and outlook for the agricultural economy.

This featured keynote will take place on Wednesday, June 24 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.

Vilsack has served in the Obama cabinet since 2009 as the nation's 30^th Secretary of Agriculture and chair of the first-ever White House Rural Council, where he is taking steps to strengthen services for rural businesses by finding new ways to partner with the private sector to spur investment.

GAI AgTech Week will provide 2.5 days of networking, engaging presentations, and panels and interactive workshops, all designed to educate and inspire investors and entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture technology sectors worldwide.

"We are thrilled that Secretary Vilsack will be addressing our audience of investors and innovators who are working to change the trajectory of the global food system," said Event Director Kate Westfall. "We look forward to exploring the role that the USDA can play in funding research, supporting entrepreneurs, creating new revenue sources for producers, and enabling continued innovation in the agricultural sector at home and abroad."

Joining Vilsack on the AgTech Week speaking faculty will be more than 75 sector-focused thought leaders, including Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources board, who will discuss the realities of the California drought, and Jack Bobo, senior advisor for biotechnology at the U.S. Department of State.

Additionally, representatives from Bayer CropScience, Monsanto, Syngenta Ventures, and Dow AgroSciences will discuss trends in research and M&A, while leading venture investors will discuss the evolution of agtech as an asset class. Top producers will share the farmer's perspective in "A View from the Field." 

Presenting big data solutions to increase efficiencies and yield will be top innovators in farm management, including Conservis, Farmers Edge, FarmLink, and Farmers Business Network. Attendees also will hear of investment opportunities in agtech advancement hubs such as Israel and the Netherlands.

Visit www.agtechweek.com for the full agenda, or to register and save 10% with this code: ATW-PR3.

Global AgInvesting, a brand of HighQuest Group, is the world's most well attended agriculture investment conference series.

CONTACT: Michelle Pelletier Marshall
[email protected]

SOURCE HighQuest Group