AgTech NEXT 2021 Concludes with a Focus on the Impact of Climate Change on Food Security

CEO of Gates Ag One and panel of international leaders address the consequences of coming up short on climate

ST. LOUIS, MO, October 11, 2021 - Climate changes are occurring in every region of the world according to the recent UN report. The developing world has been disproportionately impacted and the effects of a changing climate are creating greater food and water insecurity and economic instability. With this in mind, AgTech NEXT 2021 CLIMATE CHANGE: Seeing Things Differently, will continue on November 18, at 1PM CST featuring a keynote address by Joe Cornelius, PhD, CEO, Gates Ag One, followed by a panel discussion with leaders of organizations working to advance new technologies to ensure food security in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. AgTech NEXT is complimentary to attend. To register, please visit agtechnext.org/register.

As CEO of Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations (also known as Gates Ag One), Cornelius guides the organization’s efforts to champion innovations and cultivate global networks that prioritize the needs of smallholder farmers. Cornelius began his career on a small, diversified family farm and has dedicated his professional life to improving the world through agricultural advancements. Most recently, he led efforts to strengthen agriculture’s adaptive capacity to climate change at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he served as a director for its Global Growth and Opportunity Division. Cornelius has more than 30 years’ experience developing and launching new product inventions and has led breakthrough life-science research at multiple organizations including the Advanced Research Projects Agency in the U.S. Department of Energy. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Sci. in plant, soil and environmental science, as well as an MBA in technology entrepreneurship.

“The people most at risk from the consequences of climate change are those in the least developed parts of the world. That’s why the priorities of smallholder famers in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia need to be at the top of our agenda,” shared Dr. Cornelius. “It’s only when we understand and focus on their priorities that we can develop the tools needed for the world to effectively adapt.”

“Limiting the negative impact of climate change requires bold and creative action coupled with focused and sustained collaboration, especially in regions of the world that are most at risk,” said Stephanie Regagnon, Executive Director, Innovation Partnerships at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. “Gates Ag One’s presence in St. Louis amplifies the impact the Danforth Center and our local collaborators can have to address these urgent challenges.”

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 - St. Louis, MO

1:00-2:00 PM AGRICULTURE INNOVATION FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE
KEYNOTE: Joe Cornelius, PhD, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations, LLC

PANEL SESSION COLLABORATION AND CO-DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINED IMPACT
Dr. Rose Gidado, PhD, Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency & Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology in Africa, Nigeria Chapter
Dr. Catherine Taracha, PhD, Head, Crop Biotechnology at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization
Dr. Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur, PhD, Theme Leader-Cell, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India and Cluster of Activities Leader on Enabling Technologies, CGIAR Research Program on grain Legumes & Dryland Cereals
Dr. Don MacKenzie, PhD, Executive Director, Institute for International Crop Improvement, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

MODERATOR: Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Journalist, Joy FM and Joy News TV, Ghana