Agricultural News
Bayer Crop Science R&D Head Believes We Are in the Golden Age of Science and Technology
Thu, 02 Mar 2017 07:44:45 CST
Dr. Adrian Percy, global head of Research and Development for Bayer's Crop Science division, addressed attendees at the Bayer AgVocacy Forum, offering an outlook on the innovation that's taking place within the agricultural sector. He took a moment to speak with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn about his thoughts regarding the ag industry of today and where it's headed for the future. You can listen to their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
"We firmly believe we're in a golden age of science and technology right now. There are so many areas that are advancing together," Percy said, listing things like self-driving tractors, drones, robotics and advancements in biotechnology. "This is going to be transformational for all of our lives in many areas but also for agriculture. We feel this is really important because we have an incredible mission to feed 10 billion people by 2050 in a sustainable manner and we're going to need that technology to do that."
As global head of research and development for Bayer, Percy says his job is to help farmers achieve this mission set before them.
"First of all we listen to farmers," he said. "It's really important that what we do is we try to tap into what are their unmet needs. Then we're trying to develop products that help them in their operations.
"But we're also looking ahead to thinking about how are these technologies going to be accepted by consumers. We can't develop products and ignore that they need to be socially accepted otherwise all this work we're doing is really for nothing."
Percy insists events such as Bayer's AgVocacy Forum, that generates media activity on the subject and equips everyday advocates of agriculture, is integral in creating understanding with the consumer base. He believes that by bridging the gap between agriculture and the majority of the population that is growing increasingly divorced from the industry, by sharing agriculture's story, will build trust and increase acceptance. He insists this is all part of the agriculture's goal to become more sustainable as an industry.
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