Hosted by Planet Forward*, the 2015 Feeding the Planet Summit (April 23-24) offered cross-curricular options to help foster sustainable solutions for feeding 9.6 billion by 2050.
Meeting Infographics feature key input and interactions from all participants. Topics include how research science, diversity breakthroughs, cross-cutting innovation, storytelling, and even parody (e.g. I’m Farming & I Grow It) can synergize varied expertise to end hunger before it’s too late.
Agency and Industry Leaders spoke passionately about resources and goals they hope the next generation will work to advance:
- “We feed people.” ~Krysta Harden, USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, relaying her father’s quote for why farmers’ devotion to agriculture is meaningful
- “Hunger is a political issue. We know how to solve hunger. Do we have the will?” ~Rep. Jim McGovern
- “Yes, we need transformative approaches….-omics, nanotech, new ideas. Just pick a niche and do it well.” ~Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA Director of the NIFA
- “It takes all forms of agriculture..as long as they are smart and sustainable for their location.” ~Julie Borlaug, Assoc. Dir. for External Relations, Borlaug Institute
- “We need to replace the concept of ‘not this’ with the attitude of ‘this AND this’ to unit conventional and technical farming.” ~Chris Policinski, Land o’Lakes President & CEO
Young Leaders were integral to the event. One example: Global Food Challenge winners shared clever and diverse projects. Mandi Egeland’s project video, Driving Acceptance of GMOs to Feed the World explains,
“If we are going to rely on GMOs as part of the solution to feed the world… [w]e must reduce the fear associated with GMOs to increase its use around the world.”
Internships Available for creative, motivated & skilled sustainability innovators interested in feeding the planet and able to work on Planet Forward goals. Contact:
- Krysta Harden, USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
- Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (@usda_nifa)
- Aviram Rozin, International Director Sadhana Forest (@SadhanaForest)
- Congressman Jim McGovern, especially the #endhungernow campaign (@RepMcGovern)
- NGO-oriented Andean Alliance has Volunteer Learning Experiences (@AndeanAlliance)
- Land O’Lakes Global Food Challenge funds 10 young leaders annually (@landolakesinc)
Campus Action Item
Planet Forward works with universities across the country to trade ideas and unify innovators, especially students, through Campus Consortia. To learn about setting up a university feature with Planet Forward, contact them. Preview their Consortium Toolkit.
*Planet Forward is part of the Center for Innovative Media at The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. They identify, celebrate and unify innovators and established policy makers, academicians, the private sector and the general public. Frank Sesno is the director of this creatively-staffed program.