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The World Agricultural Forum’s (WAF) Sixth Biennial World Congress, “Our Global Priority: Food Security—Financial, Trade and Technical Services,” will take place May 18-20, 2009 at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The World Congress provides one of the world’s largest biennial gatherings of agricultural leaders in government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses and academia to discuss the world’s growing population and the impacts on food, fuel, fiber and water in both emerging and developed markets.
Keynote speakers for the 2009 World Congress include: Right Honorable James Bolger, ONZ, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Ambassador to the United States, and current chairman of the WAF advisory board, Honorable Raghuveera Reddy, the Minister of Agriculture for Andhra Pradesh, India and Paul Collier, author of The Bottom Billion and professor at Oxford University.
“The World Congress is particularly important as this year’s agenda is designed to encourage world leaders to discuss what financial, technical and trade strategies need to be developed, adopted or enhanced for a food-secure world,” said Ambassador Bolger. “Progressive, far-reaching solutions to global problems are needed now more than ever, with the expansion of the agribusiness industry beyond food and into innovative energy sources, industrial products and pharmaceuticals. This World Congress will seek solutions to issues concerning agricultural production and supply, the crucial resource of water and the impact on agricultural economies and resources during a period of economic uncertainties.”
“Each participant in the Congress will have an active role in developing plans for change,” said Kathleen Moldthan, executive vice president and chief operating officer, WAF. “The World Congress is one of the only opportunities where government, NGOs and the private sector can share an equal voice. We have seen many partnerships emerge from these gatherings that would have never come to fruition in a different setting. Its these partnerships that illustrate the value of WAF and initiate the actions for change.”
In addition to the announcement of collaboration between world leaders in support of food security, WAF is pleased to announce the establishment of The Syngenta Award—Recognizing Contributions to Global Challenges, which will be presented at the World Congress in May.
About the World Agricultural Forum (WAF)
The World Agricultural Forum (worldagforum.org) is at the forefront of the evolving agricultural industry and it serves as a catalyst for innovation and positive changes in agribusiness. On a global stage, the WAF produces one of the largest biennial gatherings of leaders concerned about the world’s growing population and the respective shortages of food, fuel and fiber in both developed and developing nations.
The WAF also conducts regional Congresses that, through the use of reliable and timely information, address emerging trends and key industry issues such as sustainable agriculture, fair trade policies and biotechnology. Its focus is to identify solutions to current problems facing poorer nations, particularly in overcoming hunger and poverty.
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