Annual International Conference

An Open Invitation to the Crawford Fund's 2009 International Conference

I am pleased to invite you to another of the Crawford Fund’s innovative and provocative annual international conferences on vital aspects of global development. Our 2009 event, titled "World Food Security: Can Private Sector R&D Feed the Poor?" will be held in Parliament House over 27 and 28 October 2009. The conference brochure is attached.

Last year’s world food price crisis activated much-needed international and Australian attention, action and funding to improve world food security. Fundamental to these efforts is the application of agricultural research and development. But what is the private sector’s role in this vital task?

We have brought together the best thinkers on the intersecting roles of the private, the not for profit and the public sectors in global food security to inform corporate and public decision-making. Now is the time to encourage the private sector - from large multi-nationals, to smaller companies and individual farmers - to make a significant difference to food production in developing countries, in partnership with governments and the not for profit sector.

Read the full invitation in PDF format

Yours faithfully,

The Hon Neil Andrew AO

Background and Context

Some technologies produced for the developed world flourish in the developing world. The most obvious recent example is the mobile phone which has been readily adopted around the world with such significant impact. But agricultural technologies that have taken hold in wealthier economies often don’t find their way to poorer countries.

Given that the private sector now does half of the world’s agricultural research and development, and some innovations like Roundup and cheap power sources are rapidly spreading to the small farmers of poorer nations, why isn’t more private agricultural R&D reaching them?

This year’s Crawford Fund Annual Conference seeks to explore ways in which the private sector can engage in international agricultural research, development and extension to the benefit of the rural poor. It tackles the longstanding problem of the persistent failure of the private sector to develop and introduce agricultural products, technologies and services so badly needed in the poorest developing countries. This failure is magnified when you consider the benefit that could flow to poor farmers if there was a shift to poorer nations in the overwhelming emphasis of private R&D investment in seeds, animal health products, fertiliser and other technology inputs from developed country markets.

New Conference Structure

After some 15 years of Crawford Fund conferences and following feedback from previous years’ events, the program for the 2009 Crawford Fund conference has been changed to provide opportunities for additional delegates, networking and impact.

The event will involve the traditional Parliamentary one-day conference, a conference dinner and a Parliamentary breakfast. Each will involve new speakers and additional opportunities for knowledge, feedback and networking.

The one day event will include an extended panel session which will be structured along the lines of a "QandA" with a strong chairing role being envisaged, to allow for additional opportunities for questions and discussions.

The year 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the death of Sir John Crawford. Accordingly, the event will be marked by a Memorial Address by a leading figure in international development prior to a conference dinner. The subject and content of the lecture is left to the discretion of the chosen speaker but it is expected that it will be on a major issue of international development. In this inaugural year, The Hon. Bob McMullan MP, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, has kindly agreed to present the Address.

Our usual invitation-only speakers’ breakfast for MP’s will be opened to the conference delegates and involve speakers who are not part of the one day Parliamentary conference.

After three years of surveying delegates on the introduction of a charge to go towards covering the increasing venue and catering costs at Parliament House, a modest charge will be introduced to cover some of these costs and the additional dinner and breakfast events which are part of the 2009 conference. Delegates can sign up for all or any of the program of events. Registration costs are set out in the conference brochure. Students will be granted free admission to the one day Parliamentary Conference and a 50 percent reduction in the registration fee for the same event will apply for pensioners or concession card holders. Students, concession card holders or any people who will face difficulty in meeting the full costs are invited to approach the Executive Director, Dr Denis Blight, by email at moostende@crawfordfund.org

Speakers

Biographical details for speakers and abstracts for their presentations are available under 'Downloads' in the left column on this page.

We have called on a group of outstanding international and national specialists who come from the private, not-for-profit, philanthropic and public research sectors to consider ways in which the private sector can engage in international agricultural research, development and extension to the benefit of the rural poor, the key issues across agriculture and what it means for international agricultural research.

In addition to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Stephen Smith MP, whom we hope to have in our program, and the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, The Hon Bob McMullan MP, we have the following on our program

International speakers:

• Dr Marco Ferroni, Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture in Switzerland
• Dr Prabhu Pingali, Head of Agricultural Policy and Statistics, Agriculture Development Division, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Dr Namanga Ngongi, President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
• Dr William Niebur, Vice President, DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development and a member of Private Sector Committee for the CGIAR
• Dr Amit H. Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, IFDC
• Dr Thomas Lumpkin, Director General, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
• Ms Janice Armstrong, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific & China, Monsanto
• C L Laxmipathi Gowda, Global Theme Leader-Crop Improvement and Management, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
• Dr Dyno Keatinge, Director General, AVRDC - The World Vegetable Centre

Australian speakers:

• Professor Philip Pardey, Professor of Science and Technology Policy in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota
• Dr Joanne Daly, Group Executive, Agribusiness, CSIRO
• Dr Doug Gray, ACIAR Research Program Manager and formerly Regional Coordinator for the International Livestock Research Institute
• Dr Peter Horne, Research Program Manager, ACIAR and formerly at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
• Dr Jeff Tullberg, Director CTF Solutions; Hon. Research Consultant, University of Queensland

Conference Program

For a downloadable version of the program see the sidebar.

8:45-11:00 OPENING AND SETTING THE SCENE
8:45	Welcome and Introductions The Hon Neil Andrew AO, Chairman, The Crawford Fund
8:50	Opening Address The Hon Stephen Smith MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Aff airs (TBC)
9:05	Private Sector R&D and Small Farmers: What Is and What Can Be? Dr Marco Ferroni, Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture
9:30	Reassessing Public-Private Roles in Agricultural R&D for Economic Development Professor Philip Pardey, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Applied Economics and Director of the University of Minnesota’s International Science and Technology Practice and Policy Center
9:55	Press conference (Theatrette)
10:00	MORNING TEA in Mural Hall

11:00-1:00THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
11:00	Introductions by Chair Dr Nick Austin, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
11:05	Soil Fertility and Fertiliser Research and Development Dr Amit H. Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, IFDC – An International Centre Creating Food Security and Agricultural Sustainability
11:20	Livestock and Their Health Products and Services Dr Doug Gray, ACIAR Research Program Manager and formerly Regional Coordinator for the International Livestock Research Institute
11:35	Agricultural Machinery - Problems and Potential Dr Jeff Tullberg, Director CTF Solutions; Hon. Research Consultant, University of Queensland
12:00	LUNCH in Mural Hall

1:00-3:30THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS
1:00	Introductions by Chair Dr Peter O’Brien, Managing Director, Rural Industries R&D Corporation
1:05	A Private Sector Perspective Dr William Niebur, Vice President, DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development and a member of Private Sector Committee for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
Partnership Case Studies from Agricultural Research Centres
1:30	Staple Crops, Smallholder Farmers and Multinationals Dr Thomas Lumpkin, Director General, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Ms Janice Armstrong, Vice President, Corporate Aff airs, Asia Pacifi c & China, Monsanto
2:00	Private Sector Partnering on Crops for the Poorest of the Poor C L Laxmipathi Gowda, Global Theme Leader-Crop Improvement and Management, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
2:20	Vegetables and Small Private Sector Interests Dr Dyno Keatinge, Director General, AVRDC - The World Vegetable Centre
2:40	AFTERNOON TEA in Mural Hall

3:30-4:15ENCOURAGING CREATIVE CAPITALISM IN AFRICA AND ASIA
3:30	Introductions by Chair Mr Peter Baxter, Acting Director-General, AusAID
3:35	The Private Sector and ‘A Green Revolution for Africa’ Dr Namanga Ngongi, President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
3:55	Linking Asia’s Farmers to the Global Economy Dr Peter Horne, Research Program Manager, ACIAR and formerly at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) based in Asia

4:15-5:00PANEL "QANDA" SESSION
4:15	Chair of Q&A panel session of a range of speakers Mr Michael Taylor, Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority and former head of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
5:00	Close for Dinner The Hon Neil Andrew AO, Chairman, The Crawford Fund

THE CONFERENCE DINNER

Sir John Crawford

SIR JOHN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL ADDRESS

2009 is the 25th anniversary of the death of Sir John Crawford, a remarkable Australian who contributed at the highest levels to the development of Australia and other countries, and was a passionate supporter of international agricultural research for development.

From 2009, the Crawford Conference will include a Memorial Address by a leading figure in international development. In this inaugural year, the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, The Hon Bob McMullan MP has kindly agreed to give the address. The subject and content of the lecture is left to the discretion of the chosen speaker but it is expected that it will be on a major issue of international development.

6:30	Guests to arrive at the Mural Hall, Parliament House, to be seated for the address at 7.00pm. Dinner to follow from 7.30pm – 9.00pm

THE PARLIAMENTARY BREAKFAST

CONCLUSIONS AND THE WAY FORWARD
7:00	Registration
7:30	Welcoming Remarks and Introductions The Hon Neil Andrew AO, Chairman, The Crawford Fund
8:00	Reflections, Conclusions and the Way Ahead Dr Prabhu Pingali, eminent agricultural economist, Deputy Director of Agricultural Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; formerly, the Director of the Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
8:20	Australian Private Sector Investment in Australian and International Agriculture Dr Joanne Daly, Group Executive, Agribusiness, CSIRO
8:40	Questions and Answers
9:00	Closing Remarks The Hon Neil Andrew AO, Chairman, The Crawford Fund