Organisation
Members
History
FAQs
Members
History
FAQs
| The World Agricultural Forum is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation established for charitable,educational and scientific purposes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. |
Updated: 19 April 2012
| WAF Involvement in Upcoming Events: Organisation (ELO) and Syngenta in Brussels on the 27 March The Forum for the Future of Agriculture hosted the European Land
|
| Board News & Events The Board of the World Agricultural Forum held it’s first meeting of 2012 by teleconference on the 29th February. Subjects discussed included arrangements for the 2013 Congress, the implementation of recommendations to re-invigorate the Main Board by greater involvement of supportive individuals and funders and naturally, budgets. The composition of the Advisory Board will also be examined as many members have now retired or moved to other roles. The next Board meeting will be held in St Louis on the 24th May when our Chairman, Ken Baker, will be travelling in the US. Leonard Guarraia and Janet Brooks are coordinating this visit and so any ideas for meetings should be channeled through them. The Last Word Jim Bolger reflects on a speech he gave at Columbia University, N.Y. on 26 March 2012 A few weeks back I gave an address at Columbia University in New York in which I noted that noble visions without a strategy, a set of actions to deliver the desired outcome, don’t work. In a similar vein, if we are to feed a world of nine billion in a sustainable manner by 2050 then we, the world, need a strategy and a set of actions to achieve that goal. We must avoid the temptation of offering simplistic solutions; if it was simple far fewer would now go to bed hungry every night. In setting out plans for future food production we must work in sympathy with the tradition and history of different countries but of necessity we must also look at newer technologies and options to meet ever growing demands. President John F Kennedy in 1962 brilliantly made the point on the necessity of facing the truth to make progress when he observed that, ‘the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived, dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.’ He went on, ‘too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears, we subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.’ How true, too often when how to produce additional food is discussed we hear ‘myths and legends’ when what is needed is calm research, realistic science and the utilisation of modern technologies to deliver new options to farmers and the whole of the food chain. To succeed it is essential that political leadership in all countries is also supportive of the changes required. This won’t happen overnight as policy changes are needed in virtually every country. This necessity will challenge many as often it will require the redirection of resources from other areas of expenditure to expenditure on food production. Those difficulties acknowledged, if the world is serious in its intention to feed the world’s population then the reality is that today’s expenditure patterns must change. We must reject the myth that serious progress can be achieved without change. We at the WAF aim to keep these issues up front by discussion and debate |
The Rt. Hon. Jim Bolger,
Chairman of the WAF Advisory Board
Chairman of the WAF Advisory Board
April 2012 WAF - update Page 3
The general public’s misunderstanding and lack
of knowledge about modern agricultural practices
has been accelerating over the past century as
those engaged in food production plummeted
from half the population to its present 2%.
Misled by myths from scare-mongering authors,
lecturers, film producers, activists groups,
general media, even farmers overpromising the
benefits of organic and natural, it’s no wonder our
customers are confused. It is up to us to help
them understand the importance of the modern
ag industry and how they benefit
of knowledge about modern agricultural practices
has been accelerating over the past century as
those engaged in food production plummeted
from half the population to its present 2%.
Misled by myths from scare-mongering authors,
lecturers, film producers, activists groups,
general media, even farmers overpromising the
benefits of organic and natural, it’s no wonder our
customers are confused. It is up to us to help
them understand the importance of the modern
ag industry and how they benefit
SPREADING THE GOOD WORD
Lynn Henderson, Publisher, www.AgriMarketing.com |
from it.
In his acceptance speech as the 2008 NAMA Agri-Marketer of the Year,
Monsanto’s Dave Rhylander told of an encounter he had on an airplane with
a fellow passenger. When asked his profession, he said he worked for
Monsanto which helps provide farmers with the tools they need to grow our
food. That, he said, opened the door to a long and productive conversation
with someone who knew absolutely nothing about today’s agriculture.
So, one-on-one is a great place to start. Another is via online and social
media. The Kentucky Corn Growers Assn recently released the paper “10
Ways to Advocate For Agriculture.”
Here are a few of them:
Farmers& Ranchers Alliance.
In his acceptance speech as the 2008 NAMA Agri-Marketer of the Year,
Monsanto’s Dave Rhylander told of an encounter he had on an airplane with
a fellow passenger. When asked his profession, he said he worked for
Monsanto which helps provide farmers with the tools they need to grow our
food. That, he said, opened the door to a long and productive conversation
with someone who knew absolutely nothing about today’s agriculture.
So, one-on-one is a great place to start. Another is via online and social
media. The Kentucky Corn Growers Assn recently released the paper “10
Ways to Advocate For Agriculture.”
Here are a few of them:
- • Respond to misinformation.
• Never shout, always be positive.
• Pose questions to your friends.
• Share your story.
Farmers& Ranchers Alliance.
| Lynn Henderson, Member of the WAF Board and Publisher, AgriMarketing magazine |
| Our Thanks The World Agricultural Forum wishes to thank the many voluntary supporters and contacts who provide of their personal time, funds, effort and enthusiasm to support the WAF in its mission to provide a neutral space to allow corporations, governments, academe, independents and non-government agencies to come together to discuss solutions to ensuring food security for all. There are too many to name and we are grateful to them all. |
| Editors Final Note: Each newsletter headline will feature a landscape to show the variety in global countrysides |
| Home Newsletter Contact us December 2012 September 2012 |
| About us Events Media |