Davos 2010 World Economic Forum: Rethinking how to Feed the World
World leaders and CEOs at the Davos 2010 World Economic Forum participated in a panel called “Rethinking how to feed the world.” The panel discussed the challenges facing global food production and possible solutions that will increase yield and support agricultural producers worldwide.
The panel was moderated by Prannoy Roy, Chairman, New Delhi Television (NDTV), India, and panelists included:
William H. Gates III, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
Jakaya M. Kikwete, President of Tanzania
Ellen Kullman, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, DuPont, USA
Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam; Chair, 2010 ASEAN
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, World Bank, Washington DC; Global Agenda Council on Corruption
Patricia A. Woertz, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), USA;
According to Tanzania President Kilwete, “…a combination of mechanization, irrigation, high-yielding seeds, getting the fertilizers and imparting skills to farmers” is needed for Tanzanian farmers to improve agricultural practices and food production.
The panelists agreed that science based solutions and better education for farmers will need to play a role in increasing food production. Please comment with your thoughts on this fascinating discussion.






Joel Kotkin of Forbes Magazine discusses the troubling “assault on mainstream farmers” that is slowly manifesting itself in policies that result in “cutoffs on water…and a growing movement to ban the use of genetic engineering in crops” at a time when the world population is multiplying rapidly. He reminds his readers that agriculture’s impact extends further than many assume, and a threat to mainstream agriculture and scientifically run farms will hurt the U.S. economy by adversely affecting growth in other sectors, including food processing, marketing, shipping and supermarkets.