Upcoming Events
Food Security & Climate Change
Harvard Alumni for Agriculture & Food invites you to our Earth Day 2023 celebration. Dr. Felicia Wu, Harvard AgriFood’s Board Member, will discuss food security and climate change.
Dr. Felicia Wu is the John Hannah Distinguished Professor of Food Safety, Toxicology, and Risk Assessment at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on estimating national and global burdens of foodborne diseases, the risk of in utero chemical exposures on infant health, and the cost-effectiveness of strategies to improve global food safety. For her research on how aflatoxin regulations affect global liver cancer risk, Dr. Wu was awarded a US National Institutes of Health EUREKA Award. She served as a Resource Advisor to the first World Health Organization (WHO) Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) in estimating global disease burdens of aflatoxin and arsenic. Dr. Wu serves as an expert advisor to the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the FAO Scientific Advisory Committee on Livestock Nutrition and Health. She is an area editor for the journals Risk Analysis and World Mycotoxin Journal. Recently, she served on the US National Academy of Sciences panel on the future of animal sciences research. She was an invited reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report on land use change and food security. In 2020, Dr. Wu was elected a Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis. In 2023, Dr. Felicia Wu will also be the incoming president for the Society for Risk Analysis. In 2023, Dr. Wu was appointed to the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Dr. Felicia Wu received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Applied Mathematics & Medical Sciences from Harvard University in 1998. She completed her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2002.
Earth Day Special Event | Experiences from Implementing Nature-Based Solutions
This panel discussion will explore the experiences of speakers from a range of organizations on developing, implementing, and financing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects across different scales and highlight challenges of and lessons learned from the adoption of NbS both for climate mitigation and adaptation.
Food security in an age of disruption
Harvard Ag hosts Professor Tim G. Benton who leads the Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House.
Advances in Plant Science, Biotechnology, and Agriculture
Harvard Alumni event that will feature an exciting panel of leading plant scientists to give an overview of the rapid advances and new technologies changing the face of plant science and the future of agriculture.
Click to register.
Future of Farming: Insects
Join the Harvard Alumni for Agriculture and Food Association for a discussion on the future of insect farming, a longstanding industry that has received renewed attention in recent years due to its reputed positive effects on the environment, in terms waste reduction and carbon efficiency, as well as its potential to shape the development and consumption of new proteins among livestock and people.
Regenerative Agriculture: Transforming Our Farming & Food System
Featuring Professor Robert Paarlberg (Harvard Kennedy School), Shari Rogge-Fidler (Farm Foundation, HBS ‘90), Professor Tim LaSalle (Center for Regenerative Agriculture & Resilient Systems), and David Chan (FarmTogether, HBS ‘18). In honor of Earth Day 2022, join us for a lively discussion about the potential for regenerative agriculture practices to create a more sustainable, nourishing, and resilient food system. The 1-hour panel discussion will be followed by a 30-minute breakout session. Co-sponsored with Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment, Harvard Alumni Architectural and Urban Society, and Harvard Business School Business & Environment Initiative.
Technology for Sustainable Agriculture in China
Join Harvard Alumni for Food and Agriculture for an interactive panel and discussion about agricultural technology and sustainability in China. This event will include a 40-minute panel discussion, a 20-minute Q&A session with panelists, and an optional 20-minute interactive breakout room discussion for participants who would like to discuss the material in greater depth and meet other event attendees. Non-technical audience members and non- Harvard affiliates are welcome and encouraged to attend. This event will not be recorded.
Climate Change & Sustainability: The Illy Case in Conversation with Andrea Illy – Chairman Illy Caffè
In conversation with Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè. Founded in 1933 with the mission of offering the greatest coffee to the world. For 22 years, until 2016, he served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. He is co-founder of the Ernesto Illy Foundation and Chairman of the Ernesto Illy Foundation USA. Organized with the HBS Club of Italy.
Stories from the Field, Making an Impact in the Public and Private Sector
Featuring Sara Eckhouse, Executive Director at Foodshot Global. Stories from the Field is a set of intimate, leadership-oriented events where people in the Harvard AgriFood community can hear career learnings, personal stories, and industry insights from pioneers making an impact in the agri-food sector. Our fourth installment features Sara Eckhouse, Executive Director at Foodshot Global.
Frontiers of Smallholder Farming
Featuring Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore, and Jonathan Lehe, Chief Development Officer at Precision Development. Join us to learn about the latest innovations and future directions in emerging market agriculture. The hour-long panel will be followed by a half hour networking session where participants will have a chance to talk to panelists in a more informal setting.
Stories from the Field, A Global Perspective on Agrifood
Featuring Professor Reid Whitlock. Stories from the Field is a set of intimate, leadership-oriented events where people in the Harvard AgriFood community can hear career learnings, personal stories, and industry insights from pioneers making an impact in the agri-food sector. Our third installment features Professor Reid Whitlock.
Stories from the Field, An Agrifood Investor Perspective: Funding Companies and Technologies to Improve Agricultural Sustainability and Efficiency
Featuring Thomas Janes, Founder, CEO Kerry Capital Advisors
Stories from the Field, An Agri-food Investor Perspective: Investing in Wine, Fruit, and Genetically-Engineered Salmon
Featuring Richard Huber, President of Invina. As part of the mentorship program, we are also launching our "Stories from the Field" series. These intimate, leadership-oriented events will be a chance for people in our Harvard AgriFood community to hear career learnings, personal stories, and industry insights from pioneers making an impact in the agri-food sector.
Alternative Proteins and the Future of Food
Featuring Nick Hazell, CEO V2Food and Albert Tseng, Co-Founder Dao Foods.
The Role of Agriculture in Carbon Sequestration
Featuring Robert Paarlberg, Adjunct Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University and Aldyen Donnelly, Co-founder and Director of Carbon Economics at Nori.
A Conversation with Marcel Smits, CFO of Cargill
Cargill, Inc. is a multinational corporation and the largest private corporation in the United States. The company provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to farmers, customers, governments and communities in 70 countries. The global food supply chain and commodity markets have undergone much change recently, and Cargill continues to evolve to find market opportunities and serve customer needs. Marcel Smits is responsible for Cargill’s economic strategy and forecasting, financial performance and investment and has been very involved in the company’s recent evolution.