UC Berkeley hosts training program on agrifood innovation

From April 19 - 21, 2016, the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley will be hosting an executive training program on “Strategic Perspectives on Innovation in Agrifood Supply Chains in Emerging vs Developed Markets”. Creative design of supply chains is crucial to effectively introduce new products, rejuvenate existing ones and enter new markets, given the ever evolving global socio-economic, political and market realities and consumer preferences. Held in UC Berkeley, the 3-day training will bring together a diverse lineup of speakers spanning both industry and academia from North and South America, Asia and Europe to present concepts, strategies, and practical case studies in building innovative, profitable and sustainable agrifood supply chains.

Over 30 speakers from a wide spectrum of the agrifood industry including farming, input supply, processing, logistics, wholesale, retail, agricultural technology and finance will be presenting at the workshop. Representing a range of commodities such as fruits and vegetables, cocoa, food grains, oil seeds, seafood, and alcohol, they will focus on innovation and research in the downstream, midstream and upstream segments of supply chains.

Representatives from companies such as Costco, Mars, Bunge, Fresh Express, Shuanghui and Woolf Farming will present ideas and insights, based on innovating for customers and retailers, navigating global markets and policy environments, and addressing sustainability and climate change. Executives from Bank of America Merril Lynch and Rabo Bank will present on financial and technical support services to supply chains. Experts from UC Berkeley and Alibaba will focus on opportunities that data processing and operations research offer for logistics of modern supply chains. The role of biotechnology and public-private partnerships are other areas that will be explored. The complete program agenda is available here.

The program is the brainchild of Dr. David Zilberman, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley, Dr. Tom Reardon, Berkeley Alumnus and Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Fellow from Michigan State University and Dr. Justus Wesseler, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Each of them brings research, consulting and field experience in the areas of value chain development, innovation, agriculture technology, and sustainable agriculture. The program is being organized by International and Executive Programs (IEP) at the College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley.

The program is targeted at senior leaders, researchers and professionals associated with the agrifood sector. Punctuated with interactive panels and networking breaks, the program will offer multiple opportunities for idea exchange and mutual learning.

For more information:
UC Berkeley
Mio Katayama Owens
+1-510-643-4200
iep@berkeley.edu
iep.berkeley.edu/agrifoodbusiness