The World Affairs Council of Atlanta Young Leaders will present its ninth annual conference, “Agricultural Solutions for Tomorrow: Biotechnology, Agribusiness and Climate Smart Agriculture” on Saturday, Feb. 25. The program will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

The conference will focus on challenges and opportunities facing global agriculture. From seed development to international commodity markets, innovations are transforming the way crops are grown, transported and consumed. Topics to be addressed include the business of agriculture, financing and commodity prices, balancing the need for food security with adapting to and mitigating climate change, and the ethics of agricultural development.

Confirmed speakers and panelists from business, community, education and government institutions include the following.

· Alec Asbridge, director, regulatory compliance and budget, Georgia Department of Agriculture

· Mario Cambardella, director, urban agriculture, City of Atlanta

· Robin Chanin, executive director, Global Growers Network

· Roderick Gilbert, senior agribusiness manager, Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, Georgia Department of Economic Development

· Susan Knowlton, senior research manager, Dupont Pioneer

· Samuel Pardue, dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia

· Matt Rushing, vice president, product management, technology solutions, AGCO Corporation

Additional panelists and conference updates will be shared on Twitter with the hashtag #AgSolutions17.

For the complete program and to register for the event, please visit http://bit.ly/AgSolutions17.