Two simultaneous events of importance to the nation’s and the world’s top agricultural and plant-science leaders are taking place during May in St. Louis.
In addition to the 2009 World Congress of the World Agricultural Forum taking place May 18th through the 20th at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton Hotel, the first-ever Ag Innovation Showcase will be held May 18th and the 19th at the new Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
World Agricultural Forum
The 2009 World Congress of the World Agricultural Forum will focus on issues surrounding agricultural production and supply, rising food costs, water management, and agricultural economics. “The Agricultural Challenge: Our Global Priority: Food Security —Financial, Trade and Technical Strategies,” is the theme for this year.
“It is really looking at issues confronting the world right now, which is food security and what are the strategies that can be used,” said Kathleen Moldthan, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the World Agricultural Forum.
CEOs from around the world, along with executive directors of non-governmental agencies, academics and government ministers are expected to attend. The World Agricultural Forum produces one of the largest biennial conferences in agriculture.
“There will be new networks formed, new partnerships formed, and new relationships formed” at the forum, Moldthan says. “It is a great avenue, particularly in this economic climate, for people to be able to meet with customers, to be able to meet with policy makers, and see policy influencers all in one place at the same time.”
The forum, which historically is always held in St. Louis, boosts the prestige of the region, Modthan says. “It highlights St. Louis as the capital of global agriculture.”
Ag Innovation Showcase
The Ag Innovation Showcase is designed to spotlight cutting-edge entrepreneurs from around the world who are driving innovation in agricultural technology across various agricultural sectors, including crops, sustainable materials, and biofuel.
The theme of the two-day program is “Ag Innovation Showcase: Harvesting Innovation and Commercial Breakthroughs.” The conference is a joint enterprise between Bio-Research and Development Growth Park (BRDG Park) and the Danforth Plant Science Center, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, Missouri Biotechnology Association and Missouri Technology Corporation.
“We hope that the Showcase becomes an annual event, bringing together key agricultural industry players from all over the world to make connections and share developments that will help stimulate deals,” says Sam Fiorello, president of the
BRDG Park, which is being developed by Wexford Science+Technology and is set to open the first of three buildings in June of this year on the campus of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
In addition to providing a preview of the 110,000-square-foot facility before its grand opening, the conference will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors to meet and see the latest in agricultural and plant-science technology, Fiorello says.
“For the region, it is a great way to show the world that St. Louis really is THE place to be in the agriculture business,” Fiorello says. “If you are an investor or entrepreneur from anywhere working to build an ag company, the first place to look is the St. Louis region.”
BRDG Park is designed to help fledgling plant-and-life-science companies achieve commercial success. In addition to providing world-class wet laboratories, office space and a prominent incubator, BRDG Park’s location on the Danforth Center’s campus will provide companies access to the greenhouse, growth chambers, microscopy facilities and other vital resources.
St. Louis to Host
Plant Molecular
Biology Conference
A five-day symposium will bring together leading plant scientists from around the world to St. Louis to chronicle the latest advances in plant molecular biology this fall.
The 9th International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology will be held at the America’s Center convention complex in downtown St. Louis October 25th through the 30th . The congress is held every three to five years and the last one to be held in the United States was 18 years ago. The last conference was held in Adelaide, Australia.
“We’ve got the best plant research in North America within a very short distance of St. Louis,” says Perry Gustafson, chair of the congress and a research geneticist with the Agriculture Research Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is also an adjunct professor in the divison of plant sciences at the University of Missouri.
“This is truly going to be an international event. It is going to be the largest collection of international plant biologists over the past five years,” Gustafson says.
Speakers at this year’s symposium will address a broad range of topics from agricultural productivity and phytotherapy for human health to generating biofuels.
The congress “offers a unique opportunity to interact with scientists from around the world working across a broad range of fields with a focus on molecular aspects of plant biology,” says Phil Benfrey, professor and chair of the biology department at Duke University. “In the fast-paced world of modern plant science it plays an important role in allowing scientists to hear the latest results and create new collaborative projects.”
