WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 – Ambassador Kip Tom, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, will speak at the annual dinner of USDA’s 96th Agricultural Outlook Forum, USDA’s largest annual meeting, slated for February 20-21, 2020 in Arlington, Va. Tom, of Leesburg, will address the role of science and innovation in enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring global food security. Tom was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 11, 2019. He is a business leader who transformed his family farm into a substantial family agribusiness in the Midwestern United States, while launching international operations and deploying new technologies. Ambassador Tom also served as a member of the board of the Indiana Economic Development Corpora-tion. The 2020 Forum, themed “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture,” will feature a plenary panel on innovation as a solution for farmers and more than 30 sessions covering a wide range of topics relating to commodity outlooks, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. Visit the Agricultural Outlook Forum website to register. Follow the conversation at #AgOutlook on USDA’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
