War, geopolitical pressures, devastating climate disasters and the highest inflation the U.S. has experienced in 40 years is causing enormous strain on supply chains, consumers and our global food system unlike any in recent history.
This year’s AgTech NEXT hosted by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will examine these pressing issues and delve into how technology, talent and trade can be leveraged to secure a better food system for the future.
“While bringing game-changing technology to market is certainly the Danforth Center’s sweet spot as it relates to the future of food, we feel it’s imperative to have a holistic conversation about the challenges we are facing and, most importantly, the opportunity we have to reinvent and reimagine our global food system,” said Stephanie Regagnon, executive director of innovation partnerships at the Danforth Plant Science Center. “To be successful, that will require innovations in technology, a more diverse talent pipeline and a more equitable trade system.”
St. Louis is considered by many to be the nation’s heart of agriculture innovation, leading the development of new tools and strategies that could be applied around the world, and is well positioned to host such an important gathering. The region is home to 39 North, more than 1,000 plant science Ph.D.s and leading companies across the agrifood tech value chain, including Bayer CropScience, Benson Hill, CoverCress, Bunge and Post Holdings. Roughly half of all U.S. agriculture is produced within a 500-mile radius of the region, including 80% of corn and soybeans.*
The Danforth Center is a key player and research anchor in 39 North, a 600-acre innovation district that’s also home to early and mid-stage startups, the U.S. headquarters of international companies, The Yield Lab, the St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Science lab technician training program located at BRDG Park and the Helix Center Incubator.
“For more than 20 years, civic, business and academic leaders have worked together to steward the region’s development as a center for research and commercial activity in plant science and agrifood tech,” said Regagnon. “Today we have a thriving ecosystem and critical mass of individuals and organizations who share a vision of improving human health while preserving the environment.”
Cultivating collaboration between agrifood and geospatial tech
The region’s growing geospatial cluster led by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency West, has joined the effort and is intentionally increasing collaboration between the two sectors to develop precision ag tools that will enable farmers to better understand and more efficiently measure elements like soil health, nutrient availability and water-use efficiency of crops in their fields. Carbon farming is another area where geospatial technology can help farmers verify the carbon they are claiming in order to access credits and garner new revenue from organizations that want to offset.
“Today, we’re accelerating our commitment to agrifood tech and innovation by applying our regional strength in location science, GIS, smart devices, remote imaging and sensing, AI and machine learning to accelerate the pace of innovations that make the agrifood industry more secure, agile and sustainable from farm to fork,” Regagnon said.
The AgTech NEXT lineup of keynotes, spotlight presentations and panels is designed to share insights that will engage, inspire and catalyze action between innovators, investors, industry leaders and producers who are shaping the future of food.
The event kicks off Oct. 11 with an opening reception at the new headquarters of Benson Hill at EDGE@BRDG on the Danforth Center campus. Optional tours of the state-of-the-art facility will be offered that evening.
Creatively curated sessions during the next two days of the event will be divided into themes: a call for creative capital, examining the equity and efficacy of trade policy, and inclusion and intentionality in building an innovation talent pipeline.
On Oct. 12, keynote presentations include Sunayna Tuteja, chief innovation officer of the Federal Reserve System, who has more than 10 years of global experience leading change and innovation at the nexus of finance, technology and policy; and long-time leader in international agriculture development Julie Borlag, who will share her perspective on how we can better develop talent in agrifood tech. Spotlights and panels featuring thought leaders from industry and academia will take a deeper dive into both topics.
On Oct. 13, the 2022 World Food Prize Laureate, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Ph.D., who is a senior research scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and co-located Columbia University Earth Institute’s Center for Climate Systems Research, will give the keynote followed by sessions spotlighting cutting-edge technology featuring scientists and panelists from the Taylor Geospatial Institute, the Danforth Center and Impossible Sensing.
Numerous networking opportunities are built into the schedule to allow attendees to connect and identify new partnership opportunities.
The first two years of AgTech NEXT were held virtually due to the pandemic and attracted an impressive global following. To engage with those who can’t make it to in-person event, AgTech NEXT will offer a free online option to view keynotes and panels.
This year, the event is also offering a limited number of discounted tickets for grassroots nonprofits, students and community organizers.
Register today and reserve your spot.
AgTech NEXT is hosted by the Danforth Plant Science Center in 39 North. Through our annual gathering of producers, innovators, investors and industry leaders, who are shaping the future of food, we seek to inspire our global community, increase collaboration and accelerate action to create a more sustainable global food supply.
* According to 39 North
