The Sather Tower or Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus
David Zilberman, professor and holder of the Robinson Chair in the Agriculture and Resource Economics Department at UC Berkeley and one of the most cited scholars in the field, will lead an incredible line-up of speakers from academia, industry and civil society. The speakers will present insights on global trends in supply chain innovation, processes, challenges and success factors.
Executive Director of the Solidaridad Network Nico Roozen, arguably the father of the fair trade movement and a pioneer in advancing sustainable agriculture through market-based approaches, will explore the growth of sustainability movements from its beginnings to the present and share his thoughts on future priorities for the sector.
Thomas Reardon, professor of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics from Michigan State University will address the global transformation of agrifood systems and their effects on technology, rural employment and innovation in agrifood business strategies via the design of supply chains.
Dean Julia Christensen Hughes of the College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph will present insights on food and agribusiness from a Canadian viewpoint.
Johan Swinnen, professor of Economics from University of Leuven, speaking about innovation in global beer and wine value chains at the 2016 workshop
John Scharffenberger, recognized as a “legend of chocolate” (and of wine and tofu, amongst other things) will draw on his experiences as a food entrepreneur to provide his vision on the future of agriculture. Naty Barak, drip irrigation evangelist and chief sustainability officer of Netafim, the leading global drip irrigation company, will talk about the impact of incorporating innovative water conservation technologies in agrifood supply chains.
Michael Boland, professor and director of the Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the economic factors that influence the business decisions of agribusiness and food industry managers. Chad Sokol of Costco Wholesale and Stuart Woolf of Woolf Farming and Processing will offer retail and producer perspectives.
Jim Lugg, president of J. Lugg & Associates in California, will draw on his career with companies such as Fresh Express and Chiquita Brands International, and provide examples of relentless innovation to deliver top quality food products to consumers.
Stay tuned for further updates as Solidaridad confirms more speakers who will address economic, environmental, social and technological innovation in supply chains.
Chad Sokol of Costco Wholesale during the Q&A session of his talk in 2016
The two-day event will offer concepts, strategies and practical case studies. Hands-on case working sessions to facilitate shared problem-solving and consolidation of concepts covered in the programme will also be included. A certificate of completion from the University of California, Berkeley, will be provided at the end of the programme.
The workshop is being sponsored by the College of Business and Economics, at the University of Guelph in Canada, and the Giannini Foundation in California. The event is part of the Global Food Summit, Germany.
Early bird discounts are available until 15 January 2018. For more details and registrations, visit the programme website.
Learn more about Solidaridad programmes in North America.