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| World Grain Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | World Grain Forum |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | International conference |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Region served | Global |
| Leader title | Founder |
| Leader name | Bill Gates |
World Grain Forum The World Grain Forum is an international gathering focused on grain production, agriculture supply chains, food security, and trade policy. It convenes leaders from United Nations agencies, multinational agribusinesses, national ministries such as United States Department of Agriculture, research institutes like International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and CGIAR, and financial institutions including the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund. The Forum addresses global challenges linked to climate change, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical crises that affect staple crops such as wheat, maize, and rice.
The Forum serves as a platform for dialogue among stakeholders from United States, Brazil, European Union, China, India, Russia, Ukraine, Argentina, and Canada; participants include representatives from FAO, World Food Programme, UNCTAD, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and private firms like Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge Limited, and Louis Dreyfus Company. Sessions feature experts from Cornell University, University of California, Davis, Johns Hopkins University, London School of Economics, and think tanks such as International Food Policy Research Institute and Chatham House. The Forum links scientific research from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and European Space Agency with policy debates at venues like World Economic Forum and summits including the G20.
The Forum originated amid rising global attention to the 2007–2008 World food price crisis and subsequent policy responses by institutions such as the Group of Twenty (G20) and WTO negotiations. Early gatherings drew officials from the European Commission, Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and national research agencies like INRAE and CSIRO. Over time, the event incorporated lessons from crises including the 2010 Russian grain export ban, the 2012 US drought, and disruptions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Key moments included panels featuring leaders from Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, and speakers from USDA Secretary offices and delegations to the United Nations General Assembly.
Governance typically involves a steering committee composed of representatives from intergovernmental bodies such as FAO and WFP, national ministries from Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, and private sector chairs from Cargill and Bunge. Advisory councils include scientists from CGIAR centers like IRRI and CIMMYT and economists from institutions like OECD and IFPRI. Funding sources have included development banks such as Asian Development Bank and philanthropic organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; partnerships have extended to trade associations like International Grain Council and certification bodies including GlobalG.A.P..
The annual Forum features plenary sessions, technical workshops, and side events co-hosted with organizations like United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Trade Organization, and university consortia from Iowa State University and Kansas State University. Topics have spanned commodity market forecasts produced with Chicago Board of Trade, risk management seminars with International Finance Corporation, and innovation showcases with companies such as John Deere and Bayer. The calendar includes targeted meetings—policy roundtables, training led by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations experts, and investor briefings involving BlackRock and sovereign wealth funds like Temasek.
Recurring themes include resilience of supply chains to shocks from climate change and conflict, adoption of digital agriculture and remote sensing with partners like Planet Labs, sustainable intensification promoted by CGIAR research, trade facilitation through WTO frameworks, and risk financing mechanisms developed with World Bank Group and African Development Bank. Sessions address regulatory topics tied to standards from Codex Alimentarius Commission and investor concerns aligned with Principles for Responsible Investment.
Participants range from heads of state delegations from Ukraine and Brazil to CEOs of firms like Cargill, ADM, and Bunge Limited; NGOs include Oxfam, CARE International, and Save the Children. Research partners include University of Minnesota, Purdue University, ETH Zurich, and laboratories such as Rothamsted Research. Multilateral partners have included European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Islamic Development Bank; private sponsors have ranged from commodity exchanges like Intercontinental Exchange to insurers such as Munich Re.
Advocates cite the Forum's role in shaping policy responses during crises, fostering collaborations among CGIAR centers, influencing G20 agricultural communiqués, and enabling technology transfer between firms like John Deere and research institutes. Critics argue the Forum privileges large agribusiness and finance actors such as BlackRock and Cargill over smallholder groups represented by Via Campesina, raises concerns about market concentration discussed in forums like United Nations Conference on Trade and Development analyses, and may underemphasize agroecological approaches favored by organizations like Friends of the Earth. Debates mirror controversies in arenas such as Codex Alimentarius and WTO agricultural negotiations.
Category:Agricultural conferences Category:Food security