World Agri Forum’s 2009 Asia Roundtable

The event will focus on managing risks and exploring the options for securing the finance needed to sustain and grow agriculture in a global recession.“Agriculture needs to be seen as more than just the means of feeding an ever growing world population,” said Right Honorable James Bolger, ONZ, chairman of the World Agriculture Forum Advisory Board, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Ambassador to the US. “Agriculture is about how we sustain land and water resources and provide the infrastructure that sustains billions of people who live and work in agricultural dependent communities across the globe. Investments in agriculture are essential if we are to achieve thriving regional and world economies.”

This intimate discussion will strive to generate action plans to form effective partnerships between the participants, while attracting greater global attention to agriculture. Participants include heads-of-state and other government officials, corporate CEOs, leaders of non-governmental organizations and renowned academics.
“This is our most actionable meeting to-date,” said Bolger. “The issue of our global agricultural impact over this next year will mold our world, and lives, for years to come. We hope to leave this meeting with plans in place to create strategic alliances for better food supply, sustainable practices for future growth and a new archetype for consumer requirements and food demand.”

The Asia Roundtable will serve as the final meeting leading up to the World Agricultural Forum’s Sixth Biennial World Congress scheduled for 18-20 May, 2009, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.