Brussels, Belgium
16 October 2012

In honour of World Food Day, the plant science industry calls for continued collaboration between the public and private sectors to help farmers sustainably meet the world’s growing demand for food. CropLife International will host the panel discussion, Collaborations for Growth, on 17 October at the World Food Prize to highlight the positive impacts partnerships have on global agricultural challenges.

“Public-private partnerships are essential for delivering innovative solutions to farmers,” explained Howard Minigh, President and CEO of CropLife International. “The public and private sectors possess a broad range of complimentary resources and expertise that, when combined, can create additional opportunities for new technologies and best practices to emerge.”

Collaborations for Growth will take place as part of the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa; an event which celebrates efforts to achieve Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug’s vision of improved global food security and nutrition. To make significant impacts in these areas, collaboration from multiple stakeholders is often required. Joint ventures that combine the public sector’s understanding of local needs, with private sector innovations, can provide farmers with new tools and technologies; enabling them to improve their agricultural practices. CropLife International’s panel session will highlight three partnerships that are using this model to mitigate climate change, address nutrition needs in Africa and amplify the voice of smallholder farmers.

To demonstrate the breadth of public-private partnerships worldwide, CropLife International has created a new, interactive map at www.ActionforAg.org to showcase partnerships and collaborative projects where the plant science industry is engaged. Online visitors can learn how the public and private sectors are working together to help farmers sustainably increase yields, grow more nutritious crops, adapt to climate change and improve their livelihoods.

“Throughout the evolution of farming, all types of partnerships have contributed significantly to the advancement of global agriculture,” adds Minigh. “But new global challenges call for increased innovation. One of the most effective ways to answer this call is through continued collaboration between the private sector, governments, academia, public sector researchers and, most importantly, farmers. Today more than ever, the agricultural industry must have greater access to, and the ability to share, the information and technologies needed to effectively address the food security challenge.”

To learn more about public-private partnerships in the plant science industry, please visit http://actionforag.org/partnerships .
 

Website: http://www.croplife.org

Published: October 16, 2012