Global Ag Economic Forum Opens Third Annual Ag Innovation Showcase at Danforth Plant Science Center

Online, April 20, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Alternative scenarios for international agricultural supply and demand in the future, and country-specific insights will be examined during the Global Ag Economic Forum, the kick-off session for the third annual Ag Innovation Showcase, May 23-24, at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, the largest independent plant science research institute in the world.

Featuring a panel of prominent international experts, the Ag Economic Forum plenary session will focus on innovative approaches to financing and implementing agriculture to help alleviate tight markets by increasing investment in agricultural research, science and technology. It will include insights on future developments in Brazil and China, which are beginning to play a large role in driving future agriculture trends.

The Economic Forum, presented on Monday, May 23, from 10 until 11:15 a.m., is open to all registered attendees for the Ag Innovation Showcase. More information is available at www.agshowcase.com.

In addition to keynote remarks by Dr. Mark Rosegrant, Director, Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Dr. Alex F. McCalla Professor Emeritus, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California-Davis, will moderate a panel discussion highlighting policy options that can deliver a more winning scenario - especially for the world's poor and the ag stakeholders serving those complex, interdependent markets.

Dr. Rosegrant, a food security expert committed to seeking sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty, will present a broad overview on the global food system through the lens of alternative future scenarios for agriculture supply and demand. His presentation will demonstrate how continued growth in demand for meat, milk, and biofuels amid the simultaneous occurrence of droughts and floods are putting pressure on prices for coarse grains, including maize and meals, straining already-stressed land and water resources.

Following Dr. Rosegrant's presentation, distinguished panelists will assess water scarcity and quality issues as they impact agriculture and food in countries that will play a pivotal role in future global agricultural trends, as well as the need for increased investments and innovative policies to build natural, human and physical capital for social and environmental sustainability.

Panelists include Brazil expert, Dr. Elisio Contini, Deputy of Strategic Studies and Training Center, EMBRAPA (Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research); China expert, Dr. Scott Rozelle, Helen F. Farnsworth Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; and agribusiness investment economist, Dr. Joyce Cacho, Chief Sustainability Officer, Novus International, a global leader in animal nutrition and health, serving 90 countries worldwide.

In addition to the Global Ag Economic Forum opening session, the two-day Ag Innovation Showcase will feature two keynote addresses and three additional panel programs, as well as networking and social events. Held in St. Louis, the heartland of American agriculture, the Showcase attracts hundreds of ag leaders from across the globe. It offers participants a platform for dialogue, discussion and deal-making in the full range of agricultural sectors, including ag-bio, food and nutrition, biofuels, sustainable materials, equipment, clean-tech, information technology and animal protein.

The Ag Innovation Showcase has already established a reputation as the leading event for agriculture's industry leaders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and investors from around the world. Attendance at the second annual Showcase in 2010 increased 28% over the first hugely successful event, with attendees from India, Malaysia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and across North America.

About the Ag Innovation Showcase
Established in 2009, the Ag Innovation Showcase is the leading annual global event for agriculture's industry leaders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and investors. It promotes emerging technologies in ag-bio, food and nutrition, biofuels, sustainable materials, clean-tech, information technology and animal health. Held at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO, the largest independent plant science research institute in the world, the Ag Innovation Showcase is a joint effort of BRDG ("bridge") Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center and the Larta Institute, as well as a number of sponsors. More information is available at www.agshowcase.com