Water for Food Global Conference live streaming speakers through April 12

Tsegaye Tadesse of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the School of Natural Resources presents during a session Monday at the Water for Food Global Conference. | Courtesy IANR Global Engagement Office
Tsegaye Tadesse of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the School of Natural Resources presents during a session Monday at the Water for Food Global Conference. | Courtesy IANR Global Engagement Office

The 2017 Water for Food Global Conference welcomed a record 100 speakers and global experts to share ideas and help find solutions to the world’s pressing water and food security needs. Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, farmers, faculty, students, thought leaders and industry experts will explore “Water for Food Security: From Local Lessons to Global Impacts,” a theme inspired by the notion that global breakthroughs come from local action.

The flagship event of the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, held in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center, began April 10 and continues through April 12 at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. Many of the sessions will be streamed live.

The plenary sessions in the auditorium will be steamed live on our website and videos of the other sessions will be available on our YouTube channel by April 30. Please note: Many sessions will be broadcast April 11 and 12 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT.

Joining Heuermann Lecture and closing plenary speaker Arthur Gen “A.G.” Kawamura, former California Secretary of Agriculture, are:

  • Ann M. Bartuska, Acting Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Washington, D.C.
  • Robert Bertram, chief scientist, Bureau for Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development; Washington, D.C.
  • Mbogo Futakamba, Ministry of Water and Irrigation; Tanzania
  • Chandra Madramootoo, James McGill Professor, Bioresource Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, McGill University; Quebec, Canada
  • Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba, Climate Smart Agriculture Program Manager; Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network; Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Timothy Prewitt, CEO, iDE; Denver, Colorado
  • Jeff Raikes, co-founder, Raikes Foundation; Board Chair, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute; Seattle, Washington
  • Brian Richter, Director, Global Freshwater Strategies, Nature Conservancy; President, Sustainable Waters; Crozet, Virginia
  • Steven Schonberger, practice manager for Middle East and North Africa Region and global lead for Water in Agriculture, Water Global Practice, World Bank; Washington, D.C.
  • Timothy Williams, director for Africa, International Water Management Institute; Accra; Ghana


Topics include:
  • Creating and expanding farmer-led irrigation solutions in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Developing market-based approaches to drought management
  • Enhancing high productivity irrigated agriculture, highlighting challenges and opportunities from the Great Plains to sub-Saharan Africa
  • Improving water management and governance for food security in great river basins of the world
  • Transforming water policy to develop sustainable and equitable water management practices in local regions around the world
  • Understanding the view from the field — how farmers from different parts of the world are using technology and best practices to increase yields
  • Engaging students, stakeholders and future leaders through science literacy and citizen science to examine the relationships between water, food and energy, as well as agriculture and public health.


The Nebraska State Climate Office, National Drought Mitigation Center and faculty from the School of Natural Resources have and will serve as panelist, presenting their research during the three-day event.

The 2017 Water for Food Global Conference is a North American Regional Event for the 8th World Water Forum, the world’s largest water-related forum organized by the World Water Council.

Generous support for the 2017 conference is provided by the Robert. B. Daugherty Foundation, the University of Nebraska, Monsanto Co., Senninger Irrigation Inc., the Nebraska Corn Board and LI-COR Biosciences. Media partners include the Water Network and AgWired.

More details at: http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/2017-water-for-food-global-conference/