Dear editor,
At its very roots, Kansas State University has existed to provide information and education on issues important to people in Kansas and beyond. That’s what land-grant universities do, and we’re pretty good at it.
Next Monday, Oct. 12, Kansas State University is hosting the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture. Greg Page, the executive chairman of Cargill, Inc., will present “Climate Change and the Future of Food Production” at 7 p.m. in McCain Auditorium, focusing on the potential impact of climate change on the world’s food production.
The event is free and open to the public.
The challenges that we will face due to climate change threaten to affect agriculture. Page, as a member of the national-level Risky Business Project, is helping to get American businesses and government leaders talking about future climate change scenarios, so that we’re ready if and when change comes.
The bottom line is that we must adapt to the challenges we may face due to climate change in order to remain the world’s most productive food system. Kansas State University can serve a vital role in addressing this challenge; it’s one of the things we can do as we continue working toward becoming a top 50 U.S. public research university.
As many know, the world’s population is expected to balloon to 9.6 billion people by the year 2050. The world’s farmers will have to produce as much food in the next 35 years as they have in the entire history of the world.
In January 2014, I authorized the Global Food Systems initiative at Kansas State University. In light of that and our rich history in agriculture, we’re proud to host this type of discussion. I invite you to join us next Monday.
Sincerely,
Kirk Schulz, President
Kansas State University
