ST. LOUIS, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) announced today that CEO Erin Fitzgerald will speak at the 2022 World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos Summit. Davos, which will run from Sunday, May 22 to Thursday, May 26, gathers world leaders to focus on pandemic recovery, tackling climate change, building a better future for work, accelerating stakeholder capitalism and harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For the first time, agriculture will play a leading role throughout all of the conversations and Fitzgerald will speak at four sessions throughout the conference. As secretariat of the Decade of Ag, a shared vision for 2030 for US food and agriculture, USFRA and Fitzgerald are leaders in the field.
“Agriculture is a prominent part of the Davos agenda this year because of the increasing recognition of the critical role the farming community plays in achieving a net zero economy and assuring food security,” says Fitzgerald. “I’m excited to be engaging with these world leaders to discuss investment in the agriculture sector and its role in global food systems and climate solutions. Now more than ever, we need corporations and funders to invest in our farmers and in their work – out in the fields, literally solving for climate change.”
Fitzgerald will be speaking at two of YARA’s Knowledge Café sessions that are focusing on soil health:
- “Farmer’s Voice - Putting Farmers at the Centre of Climate Action” on Monday, May 23 from 15:00 to 15:30 p.m. CEST
- “Soil is Unique” on Wednesday, May 25 from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. CEST
The first session will look at carbon farming and the key elements needed to overcome challenges to decarbonizing agriculture and the global food system. The second will delve into the importance of soil and how it connects all farmers on a global scale.
She will also be presenting as part of the following group sessions:
- “Restoring Soil: Scaling a Regenerative Food System” panel on Tuesday, May 24 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. CEST.
- “Building Resilient Food and Land-Use Systems” stakeholder dialogue on Tuesday, May 24 from 17:30 to 18:15 p.m. CEST
The panel will address how to scale a regenerative global food system so that by 2030, half of the world’s agricultural land is farmed in a way that delivers positive outcomes for climate, nature and people. The stakeholder dialogue will explore ways industries, farmers, and governments can work together to find solutions to global food supply and climate security challenges.
“As a dairy farmer, I've seen farmers' longstanding commitment to climate-smart approaches to agriculture firsthand,” said Marilyn Hershey, chair at Dairy Management, Inc. and USFRA board chair. “However, farmers cannot overcome barriers to adoption and mobilize without investment. I'm thrilled to see agriculture at the forefront of discussions at WEF and hope investors and the finance community come together to support farmers and ranchers.”
More information about the WEF and Davos can be found here.
ABOUT USFRA
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) is a 501(c)(3) that is comprised of 44 organizations representing more than 1.6 million farmers and ranchers across the country. USFRA cultivates a shared vision of co-creating sustainable food systems and a belief that bold action is needed. USFRA drives a broad range of projects that advance meaningful action and results in the co-creation of solutions for sustainable food production, climate change, and economic sustainability. USFRA is serving as the secretariat for a Decade of Ag, a shared vision for the food and agriculture sector, now endorsed by 160 leaders. Fitzgerald is also recognized as a White House Champion of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture and an Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow.
Learn more at www.usfarmersandranchers.org.
