News Media Conference Invitation
Contact:
Molly C. Nance, director of communications and public relations
Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska
(+1) 402.472.5512 or
mnance@nebraska.edu
10 a.m. CT, April 11, 2017
Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, Room 118D
2201 Transformation Dr.
Lincoln, Nebraska
(Free parking in the north lot. See
map
.)
Global conference in Nebraska addressing ways to increase agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa through irrigation
Remarks by:
- Peter McCornick, executive director, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute
- Tim Williams director for Africa, International Water Management Institute; Accra; Ghana
- Meredith Giordano, principal researcher and U.S. representative for the International Water Management Institute; Washington, D.C.
Without a transformative leap forward in high productivity irrigated agriculture, countries in sub-Saharan Africa will never be able to feed their growing populations, improve their people’s nutrition, grow their economies, and eliminate poverty as documented in a recent
report by Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellows Kenneth Cassman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor emeritus; and Patricio Grassini, UNL assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture.
Finding ways to increase access to sustainable irrigation in this region is the focus of an international coalition of public, private, academic and government agencies convening at the 2017 Water for Food Global Institute April 10-12 at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. The session, “Upscaling Solutions: Expanding access to irrigation for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa,” is part of the conference schedule focusing on local to global solutions for water and food security.
News media are invited to hear from the session leaders at
10 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, in Room 118D of the NIC Conference Center to learn about the complex and interconnected factors involved with improving agricultural productivity and raising the quality of life for millions of African families.
Organized by the Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska, the international conference will include plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, keynote speakers, side events and workshops.
The event will bring together more than 400 world experts working to develop new approaches to producing more food with less stress on water resources. The event includes leading academic researchers, business executives, government leaders, NGO managers, farmers and policy makers.
Media may register for the conference on-site at no charge. Media room is 118D at Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center. Plenary sessions will be available via live streaming at
http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/ and archived shortly afterward on
https://www.youtube.com/user/WaterForFood.
About the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute
The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska was founded in 2010 to address the global challenges of achieving food security with less stress on water resources through improved water management in agricultural and food systems. The institute is committed to ensuring a water- and food-secure world while maintaining the use of water for other human and environmental needs.
The University of Nebraska has invested in four interdisciplinary, university-wide institutes – including the Water for Food Institute – that leverage talent and research-based expertise from across the campuses to focus on complex state, national and global challenges.
