Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments
Third Annual International Food Security Symposium
Monday, April 3 – Tuesday, April 4, 2017
ACES Library, Information, and Alumni Center
The tropics contain some of the most important biomes for managing a variety of environmental challenges from
biodiversity to climate change. But at the same time, agricultural expansion in South America shows that the tropics
can be highly productive in terms of grain production. Additionally, agricultural intensification holds promise to reduce
poverty and malnutrition among the many rural poor residing in tropical zones. This symposium addresses the complex tradeoffs between environmental stewardship and agricultural intensification in the tropics.
***Special Notes***
The Journal of Tropical Conservation Science ()
Will Publish a Special Issue on the Symposium
This Symposium Will be Webcast to a Global Audience
Monday, April 3rd
4:00-5:00 pm???Webcast???Keynote Talk – Heritage Room
Dr. Pedro Sanchez, Research Professor of Tropical Soils, University of Florida
5:00-6:00 pmReception – Heritage Room
Tuesday, April 4th
8:00-9:00amBreakfast with the Next Generation of Thought Leaders – Sims Room
(byinvitation only)… room holds 24
Moderator: Dr. Peter Goldsmith, Soybean Innovation Lab, ???University of Illinois???
Speakers:Louise Iverson, Assistant Director, Global Food and Agriculture Program, Chicago
Council for Global Affairs
Name TBD(Earl ???,Bob Easter, or Land O’Lakes Person or maybe an academic
from GMO World)
(title)
8:30-9:00 amRegistration and Coffee, Tea, and Pastries– Heritage Room
9:00-9:10 amOpening Remarks (by Pete or Alex)
9:10-10:30 amSession 1 – Current Status and Trends, and Environmental Impacts – Monsanto Room
Moderator: Dr. Michael Coe, Woods Hole Research Center
Speakers:Stephanie Spera, Marcia Macedo and Jack Mustard
Land Use:Satellite Analyses of Where Land Use Change is Occurring Associated With
Commercial Agriculture
Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments (Page 2)
Peter Richards and Glenn Bush
Land Use:Current Status of Intensification and Expansion in East Africa Based on
Social-Political Data
Avery Cohn andMeha Jain
Crop Production: What are Environmental Constraints on Increased Production in
Currentand Future Climate?
Jonathan Hickman and Gillian Galford
Environmental Implications 1: GHG Fluxes from Commercial Production and Land
Conversion
Michael Coe
Environmental Implications 2:Direct Climate Impacts of Commercial Agricultural
Expansion
Chris Neill
Environmental Implications 3: Changes to Water Resources and Water Quality: Impacts
andMitigating Circumstances
10:30-12:00 pmSession 2 –Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments: The University of
Illinois Perspective – Monsanto Room
Moderator: Dr. Jeffrey Brawn, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois
Speakers:Dr. Jeffrey Brawn, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois
Ecological and Biodiversity Implications of Agricultural Development at Tropical Latitudes
Dr. Ximing Cai, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois
Food-Energy-Water Nexus: Opportunities for the Tropics
Dr. Kaiyu Guan, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois
Crop Yield Estimation from Satellite for Tropical Agriculture: ACase Study of Paddy
Rice in Viet Nam
Dr. Daniel Miller & Pushpendra Rana, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois
Crops vs. Trees: Analyzing the Social-Ecological Effects of Farmer Decision-Making in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
Dr. Jeremy Guest, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois
Local Environmental Contamination Can Diminish Health and Nutritional Gains from Intensified Agriculture
Dr. Hope Michelson, Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois
Small Farmer Agricultural Productivity: Soils, Supply Chains, and Commercial Prospects
Dr. Peter Goldsmith, Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois
The Economics of Tropical Soybean
Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments (Page 3)
12:00-1:30 pm???Webcast???Lunch – Heritage Room (Lunch by previous registration only)
Speaker:Mark Edge, Director of Collaborations for Developing Countries, Monsanto Company
An Industry Perspective
1:30-2:30 pmSession 3 – Tropical Agriculture and the Environment: Europe’s Role – Monsanto Room
Moderator: Bryan Endres, European Union Center, University of Illinois
Speakers:Dr. David Laborde, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Land Use Changes and International Trade: Lessons Learned From the European Biofuel Mandates
Dr. Luca Salvatici, Department of Economics, Universitàdeglistudi Roma Tre
Agricultural Trade Impacts of EU Policies
Dr. Jo Swinnen, KU Leuven (invited)
(title)
2:30-4:00 pmSession 4: Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments: Looking Forward – Monsanto Room
Moderator: Dr. Michael Coe, Woods Hole Research Center
Speakers:Rachel Garret
Leakage: Where and Why Does Deforestation Leakage Occur and What Role do Political Incentives and Constraints Play?
Cheryl Palm
Environmental Sustainability: Where are Climatic and Edaphic Conditions “Right” for Commercial Agriculture and how do They Compare with Current Trends?
Ruth DeFries
Political Sustainability 1: What Political Structures are Required to Initiate, Sustain and Constrain Cropland Expansion?
Tiago Reis, Andrea Azevedo, and André Guimarães
Political Sustainability 2: What Mechanisms Exist to Simultaneously Drive Increased Commercial Production and Strengthen Environmental Protections?
Name TBD
Economic and Political Realities 1: Who Are Winners and Losers in Changing Land Use?
Meagan Schipanski, Elena Bennett, and Stephen Porder
Economic and Political Realities 2: Interactions of Tropical Cropland Expansion with
Global Phosphorus Fertilizer Demand and Supply
André Aquino
Economic and Political Realities 3: Mozambique’s Experience
Commercial Agriculture in Tropical Environments (Page 4)
4:00-5:00 pmReactions, Final Thoughts and Opportunities for Collaborative Research –
Monsanto Room
Moderator: Dr. Peter Goldsmith, Soybean Innovation Lab, ???University of Illinois???
Speakers:Dr. Robert A. Easter, President Emeritus
Dean Emeritus, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Professor Emeritus,Animal Sciences
University of Illinois
Dr. Montague Demment, Vice President of International Programs, Association of Public
and Land-grant Universities (APLU)
Dr. Robert Jones (invited), Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Mark Edge (invited), ??? (Alex will ask)
??? Land O’Lakes Person ???
5:00-6:00 pmReception – Heritage Room