American farmland and ranchland are rapidly disappearing, threatening our food security, undermining the agricultural economy, and making us vulnerable to climate shocks. What can be done? That question is at the heart of an upcoming June 29 Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. webinar, "Farms under threat 2040: Choosing an abundant future."
“With the war in Ukraine, drought in the Western U.S. and ongoing supply chain disruptions, there is grave concern about our ability to produce adequate amounts of food – both in the U.S. and round the globe,” says Agri-PulseFounder and Editor Sara Wyant, who will moderate the event. “This is a great opportunity to discuss those challenges and options for conserving and preserving our precious farmland.”
The webinar will take place at 12 p.m. ET and is sponsored by the American Farmland Trust. Speakers will address a new report from American Farmland Trust, which maps three alternative futures out to the year 2040, which will be released earlier that day. This webinar will highlight findings and what they mean for the future of agriculture.
Speakers include:
USDA Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Terry Cosby's career has spanned more than 40 years with NRCS. He has held numerous leadership and staff positions. Most recently, he served as NRCS State Conservationist in Ohio for 16 years. His other leadership positions include Deputy State Conservationist in Idaho, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations in Missouri, and Area Resource Conservationist in Iowa. Cosby's conservation and agricultural roots run deep. He grew up on his family's cotton farm that his great-grandfather purchased in the late 1800s. Cosby earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education from Alcorn State University in Alcorn, Mississippi, the nation's first Black land grant college.
Ambassador Kip Tom is CEO of Tom Farms LLC in Leesburg, Indiana. In addition to his activity in the Indiana agribusiness community for four decades, he served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and chief of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome from 2019 to 2021. He oversaw the largest contributions to UN food programs and dealt with emergency assistance, safety standards, agriculture, fisheries, forests, and rural development financing. Tom’s diligent efforts to modernize agriculture and increase sustainability have enhanced U.S. objectives in foreign policy and agriculture priorities. Kip also is Chairman of GlobalAg an Ag Consulting Firm.
John Piotti is the president of American Farmland Trust (AFT). Under his leadership, AFT has engaged in the most comprehensive study of American land use ever conducted, helped secure an additional $200 million/year in Federal funding for agricultural conservation easements, and launched new initiatives that advance environmentally-forward farming practices, combat climate change, and support next generation farmers. Previously, Piotti served as president of Maine Farmland Trust. He has also served in the Maine State Legislature, where he chaired the Agriculture Committee and was later elected House Majority Leader. Piotti holds three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: engineering, public policy, and systems management.
Katharine Burgess is the vice president of land use and development at Smart Growth America (SGA). She oversees SGA's Land Use programs, including LOCUS, the Form Based Codes Institute and the National Brownfields Coalition. Previously, she led the Urban Resilience Program at the Urban Land Institute. An urban planner, Burgess has 15-years' experience practicing in the US, UK and Germany. Her research has included landscape performance research for the Landscape Architecture Foundation and international urban policy research for the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship program. Burgess holds an MSc in Regional and Urban Planning from the London School of Economics and a BA from Williams College.
The webinar will be at 12 p.m. ET on June 29. Registration is free.
About Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.: Agri-Pulse is the most trusted source for farm and rural policy information. With offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, Calif., and Camdenton, Mo. We provide a balanced perspective on a wide variety of issues, including the farm bill, nutrition, trade, labor, food safety, water, environment, biotechnology, organic, conservation and crop insurance. Agri-Pulse publishes a subscription-only e-newsletter, the Agri-Pulse Daily Harvest early morning news summary, Agri-Pulse Daybreak, Agri-Pulse DriveTime podcast, Agri-Pulse Newsmakers and breaking news on www.Agri-Pulse.com.