Adapting Agriculture to Climate Variability: Executive Summary

These paired conferences were an outgrowth of a joint meeting of Canadian and American agricultural leaders at Fargo, N.D., on Sept. 30, 2009, to explore the potential impacts of increased climatic variability on agriculture. A committee was formed to bring together agricultural leaders from the prairie provinces of Canada and the Northern Central Region of the United States of America to increase awareness of the importance of a proactive approach by the agricultural sectors in addressing the research, education, public policy, and technology transfer challenges associated with climate variability on the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Paired conferences were conducted in Winnipeg and Kansas City in March 2010. A key outcome of these meetings was the recognition that a collaborative effort is required for agriculture to respond to weather variability. The implications to regional economic sustainability, national food security, and the viability of the bio-fuel industry motivated participants to support immediate action