UC Davis Advances Global Food Security Innovation Through Landmark Summit
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) demonstrated its global leadership by convening distinguished international leaders for its inaugural Global Food Systems Research Day on October 24, 2024. The summit united World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Jan Low; U.S. Representative, Ami Bera, M.D.; USAID Chief Scientist, Dr. Rob Bertram; Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Dr. Appolinaire Djikeng; Director of Crops Research and Development at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Renee Lafitte; Director of the Center for International Programs at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Dr. Otto Gonzalez; and senior representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to address critical global food security challenges. A highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UC Davis and ILRI, further strengthening the University’s international ties and reach.
The summit, themed "Seeding Food Systems Resilience," was conceived and developed by Dr. Erin McGuire, Director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, in partnership with Dr. Ermias Kebreab, Associate Dean of the CA&ES Global Engagement Office and Director of the World Food Center. The theme complemented the 2024 World Food Prize Week's focus on "Seeds of Opportunity – Bridging Generations and Cultivating Diplomacy" and was attended by UC Davis faculty, staff, and students, along with external experts in agriculture. Dr. McGuire emphasized the summit's significance in addressing global nutrition challenges. "Access to a healthy and affordable diet remains a critical global issue," she noted, "and the University is uniquely positioned to approach this from a systems perspective through its partnerships around the globe."
Global Perspectives and Inclusive Solutions
UC Davis Chancellor Dr. Gary S. May and CA&ES Dean Dr. Helene Dillard opened the summit by highlighting the college's legacy of agricultural research. Dr. Jan Low delivered a powerful keynote on agricultural development and gender equity. "You have to set targets, understand your population, and then make adjustments in your training programs and your criteria because it depends on [who] you're working with," Dr. Low explained, describing successful program implementations that balanced market development with community needs.
Dr. Boitshepo "Bibi" Giyose, Senior Nutrition and Food Systems Officer at FAO, provided a crucial perspective on food sovereignty and the need to protect local food systems. "There's been more and more imposition of Western diets to the locals, to the disadvantage of their own existence," she pointed out that, "unless we engage with civil society, the foreign markets will forever be pushing their products."
U.S. Representative Bera underscored the urgency of current challenges facing global agriculture. "Food and water insecurity is rapidly displacing populations," he noted, calling for, "not necessarily more resources, but rather, how do we use the resources that we're already spending in a smarter way, while unleashing the academic power of science through global partnerships."
Dr. Ermias Kebreab led crucial discussions on global challenges, emphasizing that, "The shock of climate change will continue to test our systems," while stressing the need for "sustainable and scalable" solutions.
Throughout the day's sessions, speakers consistently highlighted the importance of inclusive, locally-adapted approaches and strong partnerships. This theme resonated from Dr. Low's emphasis on understanding local populations to the call for strengthened interdisciplinary partnerships.
Under the leadership of the Department Chair, Dr. Daniel Potter, the Department of Plant Sciences exhibited its commitment to nurturing the next generation of agricultural leaders. This was further emphasized by graduate student research poster presentations from the Department’s International Agricultural Development program.
Demonstrating Global Impact
UC Davis's leadership in international agricultural development was exemplified through panel discussions presented by two USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Labs: the Horticulture Innovation Lab–led by Dr. McGuire, and the Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk and Resilience (ILMRR)–led by Dr. Michael Carter.
ILMRR presented groundbreaking research demonstrating how combining drought-tolerant maize seeds with index insurance has increased farmer resilience in Mozambique and Tanzania. The Horticulture Innovation Lab's multi-continental network of Regional Hub Managers – Dr. Penina Yumbya (East Africa), Dr. Naalamle Amissah (West Africa), Julio López, Msc. (Central America), and Krishna Sapkota (South Asia), who ensure research responds to local needs through locally-led partnerships – shared insights on building capacity and strengthening collaboration. Krishna Sapkota captured the spirit of collaborative innovation: "Together we can do a lot. Alone, there's very little that we can do. When we think of an innovation, there needs to be an interdisciplinary team which combines both social considerations and science." Their collective expertise spotlighted how locally-led research strengthens agricultural systems across diverse global contexts.
Looking Forward
Dr. Rob Bertram's closing keynote synthesized the day's discussions into a hopeful vision for the future of global agriculture. He noted the significant challenges global agriculture faces, and brought attention to research collaborations that have led to impactful achievements such as the development of drought tolerant maize for East Africa. Through robust international collaborations, challenges can be surmountable.
The Global Food Systems Research Day reinforced UC Davis's position as a global leader in agricultural innovation and international collaboration. By bringing together world leaders, researchers, and next-generation scholars, the event demonstrated the power of diverse perspectives in creating resilient and sustainable food systems. Through this convergence of expertise, UC Davis showed how academic excellence can be transformed into practical solutions that strengthen food security–across generations and continents.
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