Ag Dean Outlines Tall Task for Indiana Farmers

By Courtney Lipply

The Purdue Alumni Club of Marshall County held their annual spring dinner last Wednesday evening at Christos Banquet Center in Plymouth.

The featured guest speaker was Jay Akridge, the dean of the College of Agriculture at Purdue University. Purdue's College of Agriculture is internationally known for strong academic, research and extension programs that are at the forefront of sustainable and dynamic agricultural, food and natural resource innovations.

Akridge's speech was titled, "Helping Feed a Hungry World." He expressed his views on how Indiana can begin to help reach new levels of food production in order to feed the estimated 9 billion people that will be living on planet Earth by the year 2050.

"More people that live in rural settings are starting to migrate towards city life," he said. "By 2050, 70 percent will live in cities."

Land use and how Indiana farmers and producers are using their land in both economical and sustainable ways was also discussed.

With the 9 billion people by 2050 concept, Akridge said that Indiana will have to increase its corn production by 50 percent to help feed the hungry nation.

Purdue has a variety of research being performed daily and are researching ways to strengthen the ecological and environmental integrity in agricultural landscapes.

Akridge brought with him an ear of "orange corn," which has been proven to have high levels of beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A to help eyesight.