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USDA Secretary Headlines First-Ever BIO IMPACT Ag & Environment Digital Conference

Formerly the BIO World Congress, BIO IMPACT will showcase biotech’s role in building a more resilient economy

September 9, 2020
Media Contact
Connor McKoy
202.312.9288

Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2020) – U.S. Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue will join leaders across the bioeconomy—in agriculture, sustainable fuels, and biobased manufacturing— for discussions on the role of biotechnology in protecting our planet’s resources, driving a strong economy and improving people’s lives.

Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the BIO IMPACT Agriculture & Environment Digital Conference will be held virtually September 21-22, 2020. The event builds on the legacy of the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Agriculture—the world’s largest conference on industrial biotechnology—which convened for more than a decade.

Secretary Perdue will join Brian Brazeau, Vice-chair of BIO’s Food and Agriculture Section Governing Board and President of Novozymes North America, for a fireside chat on USDA’s Leadership in Driving Innovation in Agriculture on September 22, 10:00 am (ET).

USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda was announced earlier this year and aims to cut the environmental footprint of agriculture in half while increasing production by 40 percent. This session will highlight how biotech applications on the farm and in food production are supporting these goals by combatting climate change and driving sustainability.

Other notable speakers include:

  • Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, BIO’s President and CEO
  • Barb Glenn, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture(NASDA)
  • Greg Jaffe, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
  • Jason Kelly, Ph.D., Gingko Bioworks
  • Christophe Schilling, Genomatica
  • Joshua Hoffman, Zymergen
  • John Melo, Amyris
  • Sylvia Wulf, AquaBounty

The full program can be found here.

Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working for print, broadcast, or web publications with valid press credentials.

For more information on the conference, please visit bio.org/bioimpact. Please contact Connor McKoy (CMcKoy@bio.org) if you have any questions.

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