Release No. 0039.10
Contact:
Brenda Chapin (202) 720-5447
ROGER BEACHY TO DELIVER DINNER SPEECH AT USDA'S 2010 AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK FORUM
Speech to Highlight How Research Helps Solve Sustainable Agriculture Issues
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2010 - USDA's Office of the Chief Economist announced today that Roger Beachy, director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and USDA chief scientist, will be the dinner speaker at the 2010 Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 18, at 6:30 p.m., in Arlington, Va.
Beachy's speech, "The New Consensus: Science, Sustainability and Society" will address how research and advanced technologies look to solve issues of sustainable agriculture in relation to environmental, economic and trade competitiveness.
As Director of NIFA, Beachy oversees awarding extramural funds for research, extension and education for the U.S. Department of Agriculture; as chief scientist, he is responsible for coordinating science activities across the department. Beachy joined the Obama Administration on Oct. 5, 2009.
Beachy was the founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science, in St. Louis, Mo. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and internationally known for his groundbreaking research on developing virus-resistant plants through biotechnology.
>From 1991 to 1998, Beachy headed the Division of Plant Biology at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. He was also Professor and Scripps Family Chair in Cell Biology and co-director of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology at Scripps.
The theme of this year's Outlook Forum is "Sustainable Agriculture: The Key to Health & Prosperity." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver the Forum's keynote address.
The Forum will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. It begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. A full roster of speakers, topics and registration is available at www.usda.gov/oce/forum. Registration is $375. Plenary speeches will be Webcast after 6 p.m. EST on Feb. 18, and speech and PowerPoint presentations will be posted online after 6 p.m. on Feb. 19.
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