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Global Harvest Initiative: Taking down fences to meet future needsOn March 17, the Global Harvest Initiative, a not-for-profit group whose mission is to sustainably double agricultural output and improve storage and distribution to eliminate the global productivity gap, will host a symposium in Washington, D.C. to discuss the group's science-based blueprint for meeting long-term increases in global demand for agricultural products. The blueprint, a four-chapter study, was commissioned to provide groundwork to shape the policies necessary to sustainably close the projected gap between agricultural supplies and demands. The symposium "Closing the Gap: Examining an Alternative Future" continues the Global Harvest Initiative's quest to develop specific policies with a global perspective and supporting those policies with changes in the global agricultural system. As part of the symposium, The Center for Strategic and International Studies, one of the world's preeminent international policy institutions, will conduct an expert panel discussion on the link between adequate food supplies and global security. "This symposium brings together a prominent group of industry experts to find solutions and suggest policies for addressing one of the world's most fundamental issues," said William G. Lesher, Ph.D., executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative. "We are coming together to share ideas to achieve a common goal of sustainably feeding the world in the future." The authors of the study will discuss their findings: Michel Petit of the Institut Agronomique Mediterraneen in Montpelier, France, will quantify the benefits of an efficient global agriculture system; John Kruse, Ph.D., Global Insights, will detail the expected global demand for agriculture products in 2050; Jason Clay, Ph.D., World Wildlife Fund, will predict the condition of the global population if agriculture is limited to its current rate of production improvement; and Sen. Richard Lugar will identify specific goals that must be accomplished today and in the future to achieve the goal of doubling agricultural output by 2050. This chapter was written by Lugar and the late Dr. Norman Borlaug. After his passing in September 2009, it was completed with the help of Borlaug's team. "The studies describe the progress that's already been made and underscore the tremendous amount of work that still needs to be done. With continued innovation, cooperation, and new technologies, we will sustainably feed the world," said Lesher. The Global Harvest Initiative is dedicated to spurring the development and sharing of agricultural innovations with those that need it most. Members include Archer Daniels Midland Company, Conservation International, DuPont, International Conservation Caucus Foundation, John Deere, Monsanto, TransFarm Africa Corridors Network, and World Wildlife Fund. Further support is welcome from public and private sectors entities sharing the goal of closing the global productivity gap. For more information, visit www.globalharvestinitiative.org.
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