Submitted by Bill Lesher, Executive Director, The Global Harvest Initiative
We can all learn from the small group of farmers that came together in 1928 and formed the Future Farmers of America under the goal of preparing future generations to address the challenges of a growing population, roughly two billion at that time.
Fast forward to 2011—the year that global population will hit seven billion—and this goal is more important than ever. The 2011 Ag Day events in Washington, D.C., are a unique opportunity for young people to demonstrate new leadership in agriculture, and look ahead to make a real difference that will improve people’s lives and help alleviate hunger and poverty worldwide.
Today, the challenges of feeding the growing global population are significant. In fact, in the next 50 years, agriculture will be called upon to produce more food than in the previous 10,000 years combined! On top of that, we must accomplish this goal while freezing or shrinking the environmental footprint of agriculture, because we can no longer increase our use of land, water and other resources.
We must grow two blades of grass where one once grew.
The Global Harvest Initiative believes that by focusing on the important issues and encouraging young people to get involved in the agricultural solutions of the future, we can meet these challenges and provide food, feed, fuel and shelter for the 9 billion people projected to inhabit the Earth by 2050.
The Global Harvest Initiative is proud to support the 2011 Ag Day events and the opportunities they provide. Visit us online at www.globalharvestinitiative.org to watch videos, see the latest news clips and resources, and sign up to receive our blog posts, E-newsletters and event updates. You can also follow the Global Harvest Initiative on Facebook and Twitter.
See you in Washington, D.C.!
