Shaping science for tomorrow's food production

A line-up of international experts in agriculture and food production, from climate-impacted regions of the world, will gather at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 11 to 13 November for the TropAg conference.

From protecting beer production against climate variability to boosting food production using gene editing and nanotechnology, the  conference will investigate shaping the science of tomorrow for agricultural and food production systems for both advanced and developing economies.

“With the global population expected to reach over nine billion by 2050, the greatest pressure will likely be experienced in the world’s tropical and sub-tropical zones — which is home to half the world’s population and fastest growing economies,” said conference chair Professor Robert Henry.

“TropAg brings leading scientists and innovators together to address climate challenges such as heat, drought and floods — and increase production of nutritious and safe food by 70% in the next 30 years.”

Keynote speakers confirmed include:

• Mr Alfred de Vries — Senior Program Officer, Animal Production – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Dr Lawrence Haddad — Executive Director – Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
• Professor Mark Howden — Director, Climate Change Institute – Australian National University
• Ms Birgitte Skadhauge — Vice President, Carlsberg Research Laboratory – Carlsberg Group
• Mr Derrick Thompson — Senior Manager, Key Accounts & Business Development – Hitachi Australia
• Professor Pamela Ronald — Founding Director, Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy – UC Davis
• Dr Usha Zehr — Director and Chief Technology Officer – Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco)

“The TropAg program includes five themes across field crops, horticulture, livestock, nutritious food and an AgFutures stream showcasing Queensland’s latest technology and innovations in digital and data platforms, robotics, satellites and biotechnologies,” Professor Henry said. 

A key feature of the conference is an alliance of northern Australia research providers — including The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University, Central Queensland University and University of Southern Queensland — to deliver 40 scientific symposia sessions to be presented over three days.

TropAg2019 will feature 300 speakers presenting in plenary and symposia, and a number of networking and social events run throughout the week. For more information, visit: www.tropagconference.org.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Jenifoto