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Today, Monsanto’s CEO, Hugh Grant, along with Dr. Nick Goeser (Director of Soil Health and Sustainability at the National Corn Growers Association’s Soil Health Partnership) and Pradip Das (Principal Researcher of Experimental Science at the Climate Corp.), came together for a Twitter Chat at #Ag4thefuture. This conversation looked at the tools in a modern farmer’s toolbox for mitigating climate change, preserving our resources and feeding our growing population. Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face in agriculture, as well as one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. Year after year, farmers have to adapt to severe droughts, unpredictable temperatures, and more erratic precipitation and weather patterns. Farmers have been, and will continue to be, a positive force in adapting to and mitigating climate change. Great progress has already been made to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint. But, to sustainably feed 9.6 billion people by 2050, we must work collectively to do even more. Monsanto's goal is to drive carbon-neutral crop production through a variety of approaches including breeding, data science and soil-health management. The company ultimately aims to eliminate the carbon footprint of its seed production entirely. Topics of conversation during #Ag4thefuture included:- What innovations allow crops to be grown in a way in which soil absorbs and holds greenhouse gases equal to or greater than the total amount emitted from growing those crops.
- How science and technology can support farmers and international efforts to increase yields and reduce the environmental impact of farming. Techniques include: the use of satellite imagery to precisely target emerging pest problems and the development of sophisticated algorithms that model the exact fertilizer needs of each field.
- How Monsanto is collaborating with outside experts in data science on extensive modeling of soil conditions and micro-climates.
- How we are going to sustainably feed 9.6 billion people by 2050.
- And much more!
Marissa RosenMarissa is the Owner of Climate Social, LLC. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Mizzou and a master's in environmental studies from UPenn.