Fri, 26 Oct 2018
Farmers need to produce 70% more food by 2050 to feed the population, and agricultural biotechnology companies are working with farmers to achieve this. Biotechnology innovations give farmers the capability to increase plant and animal production yield, whilst decreasing the costs. Biotechnology advancements are also allowing farmers to grow more food on less land, advocating farming practices that are more environmentally sustainable.
Below are six leaders in biotechnology that are making meaningful changes within the agribusiness industry.
Jim Pantaleo is the VP of Strategic Business Development & Government at Sananbio U.S. His responsibilities are in establishing a new grow division within Sananbio U.S. for plant-made pharmaceuticals. He also engages with government agriculture entities (USDA) and credible horticulture universities on behalf of Sananbio U.S. North American facilities and grow operations. Jim was the former General Manager of the landmark grow operation, Urban Produce, a commercial indoor vertical farm located in Irvine, CA. He was involved in all areas of production, sales and operations since company inception in 2014. Jim has also hosted several international conferences and written extensively on the subject of indoor vertical farming for the online magazine, Urban Ag News.
The name Clark T. Bell has become synonymous with nanotechnology in agriculture. In 2014, Clark co-founded Aqua-Yield® – a liquid fertilizer company using patented nanotechnology delivery systems. As Aqua-Yield’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bell oversees the day-to-day management, sales & distribution and product development. The company has won numerous awards for its growth, research and positive impact on the environment. Mr. Bell is the Past-President of the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association.
Peter Blezard is the CEO and founder of Azotic Technologies Ltd. He is responsible for commercial issues, business development and sales. His prime objectives are to successfully commercialize N-Fix, a unique technology that enables all crop species to fix nitrogen directly from air, and achieve Azotic’s corporate milestones. Peter has extensive experience in pioneering new products into new markets and in working with major companies on a global basis at board level. He has a strategic focus on new technologies for sustainable agriculture and is highly experienced in pioneering products into new markets. Peter Blezard is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a 20 year member of the IoD.
Dr. Kruse is the CTO for PlantResponse Biotech, a company focused on providing products and solutions that enhance plant innate immunity, abiotic stress tolerance and plant nutrient use efficiency. John joined PlantResponse just over a year ago, with responsibilities that include coordinating the company’s R&D efforts, field trial programming, intellectual property strategies, and strategic planning. John is an agronomist by academic training, earning his doctorate from the University of Georgia in soil fertility and fertilizers. He served as Assistant Professor for the LSU AgCenter as a crop specialist, and then joined Koch Agronomic Services, serving as a Research Agronomist in nitrogen use efficiency and the biologicals sector.
Jeff Nunes is a consultant at ZOI Ag Consulting. He has been studying and practicing alternative farming techniques for over 25 years. Jeff is a well regarded specialist in crops that yield oil, as well as, pulp, herd, fiber, and seed for industrial and agricultural purposes. He is also known for advocating the importance of biotechnology and bio intelligence. Using alternative farming techniques, Jeff and a team of companies work together, to use advanced technology to accumulate data needed to increase the beneficial bacteria and fungi to elevate the absorption of Elements and Minerals that would boost production in Orchards and field crops.
Jamie has been at a number of biotech startups over the last decade, as well as large companies working closely with startups. He co-founded Boost Biomes to continue his efforts to bring together novel technologies and amazing people to solve big problems – in this case, food security and sustainability. He previously founded Pareto Biotechnologies, a synthetic biology company, to enable bioproduction of an undervalued class of chemicals. He secured initial funding to launch the company and closed the company’s proof of concept partnership. Prior to Pareto, Jamie joined Total, the French energy company, to commercialize alternative energies.
Join these Biotechnology experts at Ag 4.0, a workshop aimed at improving the understanding of modern agriculture practices and creating interoperable solutions. Jim Pantaleo, Clark Bell, Peter Blezard, John Kruse, Jeff Nunes, and Jamie Bacher will be speaking on the panel – Biotechnology: Challenges and Opportunities.
The Biotechnology panel will focus on evaluating its effectiveness in modern ag. There will also be conversation on how biotechnology can contribute to global food security and the current regulations on biotech and GMOs. The panelists will discuss biotechnology’s potential harm to the environment and the strategies to tackle adoption challenges.
Join us at Ag 4.0, to be part of a workshop where farmers will be given the opportunity to tell AgTech companies what they need, rather than the other way around. If you are a farmer or grower – secure your FREE ticket here.
Rebecca Lam
Rebecca Lam