The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) will host Research and Innovation: Accelerating the Path from Discovery to Impact, the second session of The Future of American Agriculture, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT. The webinar is free and open to the public.
The session will feature Elizabeth Stulberg, ClearPath; Karen Ellis Carr, ArentFox Schiff; and Ronnie Green, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CAST, will host the discussion.
Scientific discovery alone is not enough. The future of agriculture depends on how effectively promising ideas move from research to real-world application. America possesses one of the world’s strongest agricultural research enterprises, yet innovation often encounters barriers related to funding, regulation, commercialization, adoption, and institutional coordination.
Improving how ideas move through the system may be one of the most important opportunities available to agriculture. Improving innovation systems is not simply about accelerating discovery. It is also about ensuring that scientific advances ultimately reach producers, food companies, supply chains, consumers, and other end users.
The discussion will be guided by the question: How can the United States strengthen the innovation systems needed to move faster and deliver greater impact?
About the Series
The Future of American Agriculture is a public leadership dialogue series that brings together leaders from across agriculture to explore the opportunities, challenges, and capabilities likely to shape the future of the agricultural enterprise.
American agriculture faces extraordinary opportunities but also increasing complexity and diverse challenges. Technological change, global competition, workforce pressures, evolving consumer expectations, regulatory challenges, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and food and national security concerns are reshaping the agricultural landscape at a pace few institutions were designed to address.
Through a series of public dialogues, participants will explore the investments, innovations, partnerships, and institutional capabilities that will shape the future of American agriculture. The conversations are intended to inform the ongoing work of CAST’s Strategic Advisory Council as it considers how CAST can grow its impact as a trusted source of science-based expertise, strategic foresight, and cross-sector dialogue.
“American agriculture faces challenges that are increasingly interconnected, from research and innovation to competitiveness, resilience, and public confidence. For more than 50 years, CAST has helped convene experts from across agriculture to examine complex issues through credible, science-based dialogue. This series builds on that tradition by bringing together leaders with diverse perspectives to explore the opportunities, challenges, and capabilities that will shape the future of agricultural science, technology, and innovation. CAST believes agriculture is strongest when science, expertise, and collaboration help inform long-term thinking and action,” said Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CAST.
The series launched Sept. 30 with Investment and Competitiveness: Aligning Capital with Agricultural Priorities, featuring Paola de Almeida, Natural Systems Capital, Inc. The recording is available on CAST’s YouTube channel.
Upcoming Sessions
All sessions take place on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT and are free and open to the public.
- Oct. 14: Resilience and Security: Building the Capacity to Thrive in a Changing World, featuring Duane Simpson, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Jeremy Jack, Silent Shade Planting Company; and Michaela McGinn, United Soybean Board. Register
- Oct. 21: Trust and Leadership: Building Confidence in Food and Agriculture, featuring Jack Bobo, University of California, Los Angeles Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies; and Julie Borlaug, Borlaug Consulting. Register
- November (TBA): American Agriculture 2040: From Vision to Action, a Strategic Advisory Council Roundtable featuring Dan Robison, Iowa State University; David Crass, Michael Best; and Janie Hipp, Native Agriculture Financial Services. Co-hosts: Ray Starling, NC Chamber, and Chris Boomsma.
Full series details are available at cast-science.org/the-future-of-american-agriculture.
