RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 7, 2010 – A new advisory council has begun to explore the sky-high possibilities of North Carolina’s most down-to-earth business sector.
Agricultural leaders who are members of the North Carolina Agricultural Biotechnology Advisory Council have met for the first time at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The 21 leaders from across the state came together to explore ways to develop valuable new opportunities that can be harvested from North Carolina’s fertile agriculture and biotechnology fields.
Co-chairing the new council are:
- Billy Ray Hall, president of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and
- Harold Martin, chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
The Advisory Council connects farmers and crop specialists, corporate executives, researchers, economic development experts and policy professionals.
“We’re truly fortunate to have this level of leadership coming together to help guide the future of North Carolina’s $74-billion-a-year agricultural inheritance,” said Norris Tolson, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Center.
Work Groups to Focus on Topics of Interest
Gwyn Riddick, the Biotechnology Center’s vice president of Agricultural Biotechnology, said the council will meet periodically as a full group but will also conduct much of its activity in smaller work groups of six to 10 members. Those groups’ specialties include:
- Innovation (agribusiness, entrepreneurship, science and education)
- Issues (education, communication, legislative and policy)
- Animals (health, diagnostics and related issues)
- Crops (new, repurposed and related issues)
“The various tools of biotechnology are keys to feeding, to fueling and even to healing our state and our world,” said Riddick. “The innovative thinkers and business leaders on this council bring unmatched wisdom, insight and experience to the table. They will help us maintain agriculture’s prominence going forward and use the power of cells to drive our exciting future in farming.”
Riddick noted that agricultural biotechnology is being used in the state to
- Produce medicines
- Increase yields and nutritional content of foods
- Develop new products to fight diseases and pests of crops and animals
- Produce renewable energy
- Commercialize marginal land
- Increase opportunities and income for people who choose to live and work in rural or coastal areas
The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy statewide.
Contact: Robin Deacle, senior director of corporate communications, at robin_deacle@ncbiotech.org or 919-541-9366. Visit the Biotechnology Center’s Web site at www.ncbiotech.org, and the AgBiotech Initiative at www.ncbiotech.org/agbio
THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Billy Ray Hall, Co-Chair President, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
Harold Martin, Co-Chair Chancellor, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Warwick Arden Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, North Carolina State University
Jonathan Bryant Managing Director, BASF Plant Science
Bill Buckner President and CEO, Bayer CropScience
Steven Burke President and CEO, Biofuels Center of North Carolina
Ruben Carbonell Director, Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing
Dan Gerlach President, Golden LEAF Foundation
Charles Hall CEO, North Carolina Soybean Producers Association
Joe Landino Owner, Joe Landino Farms
Steven Leath Vice President for Research, University of North Carolina
Mike Luther President, David H. Murdock Research Institute
Buddy Murrow Vice President, The North Carolina Green Industry Council
David Peele President, Avoca
Gwyn Riddick Vice President, Agricultural Biotechnology, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Sam Taylor President, North Carolina Biosciences Organization
Norris Tolson President and CEO, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Steve Troxler Commissioner, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
William Upchurch Executive Director, Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Larry Wooten President, North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation
Johnny Wynne Dean and Executive Director for Agricultural Research, North Carolina State University
