Symposium // Navigating Agriculture through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Symposium

Join us for this unique opportunity to hear from a distinguished panel of experts as they discuss these and other issues facing agriculture and the rural communities that support this vital industry. Learn how 'nexus hinking' can be used to assess risk and identify externalities associated with natural resource challenges. 7:30 am - Registration and coffee 8:00 am - Introductions David W. Smith, Extension Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 8:10 am - Welcome & keynote address Dr. Saqib Mukhtar, Associate Dean & Ag. Program Leader, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; Keynote: TBD 8:30 am - Water-energy-food nexus - applications for agriculture communities Dr. Rabi Mohtar, Texas Engineering Experiment Station Endowed Professor, Texas A&M University; Founding Director of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute 9:10 am - Water supply & demand-trends and challenges for the Southwest Dr. Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Water Development Board 9:50 am - Value of water to agricultural communities Jason Coleman, P.E. General Manager, High Plains Water District 10:30 am - Break 10:40 am - The shale boom-Impacts for agriculture production and producers Dr. Thomas Tunstall, Research Director, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Institute for Economic Development, 11:20 am - How can renewable energy benefit agricultural production? TBD noon - Lunch provided 1:00 pm - Global market impacts and implications for local farms and ranches Dr. James W. Richardson, Regents Professor & AgriLife Research Senior Faculty Fellow, Co-Director Agriculture & Food Policy Center, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University 1:40 pm - Innovation and technology applications for agriculture production Dr. Reza Ehsani, Associate Professor of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Citrus Research & Education Center 2:20 pm - Break 2:30 pm - Turning climate change into opportunities for agricultural producers Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M Uni- versity, Texas State Climatologist 3:10 pm - Policy alternatives for promoting sustainable agriculture Steven Rhines, Vice President, General Council and Director of Public Affairs, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmre, Oklahoma 3:50 pm - Legal issues facing agriculture producers James D. Bradbury, PLLC, Austin, Texas 4:30 pm Panel discussion - How can 'nexus thinking' take root in agriculture? TBD 5:20 pm Adjourn