18/01-12   -   Press releases

How can we feed the world? Economist Conferences to address food crisis at inaugural summit.

January 18th 2012. Currently, over one billion people lack access to adequate food and nutrition. By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion people and agricultural systems will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity, climate change and volatility. The question is: will we be able to produce enough food for all?

With so much at stake, the need for cross-stakeholder engagement is critical and on February 8th 2012 in Geneva, Economist Conferences are hosting Feeding the World, assembling the most respected names from agribusiness, policy, international agencies, science and the NGO community, including: Graziano da Silva, new FAO Director General, David Nabaro, the UN´s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé, Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fishing and Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina, Nigeria´s Federal Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Summit will be a forum for progressive debate and a catalyst for constructive outcomes. "Feeding the world poses a significant challenge, as the population reaches 9 billion. It’s evident that new approaches, science and partnerships will be essential," says Jim Borel, executive vice president of DuPont. "Bringing industry leaders together will help us really begin to address global food security in an impactful way."

Key topics under debate include the challenge of increasing agricultural productivity while using less water, chemicals and land, how to tackle the growing problems of malnutrition and obesity, and new approaches to more sustainable agricultural production systems.

“Are we actually going to be able to reach 9 billion people on our planet? What is the role of companies in helping to find a solution?" asks Andrea Illy, chairman and chief executive officer of illycaffe. “This conference is a unique occasion for institutions, scientists and the private sector to get together in order to redefine tasks and goals for sustainable development."

The summit will bring together over 200 senior executives from around the world representing agribusiness, food manufacturing, policy, international agencies, science and the NGO community. They will debate next steps, generating fresh solutions to critical food security challenges.

Feeding the World is organised by Economist Conferences, part of The Economist Group. The summit will be chaired by The Economist’s New York Bureau Chief, Matthew Bishop.

Premium sponsors are BASF and Rabobank, with DSM and Nestlé as Executive sponsors.

More information is available at: www.economistconferences.com/food and through social media: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2737306, Twitter: #feedingtheworld