Virtual forum broadens institute's reach

With international travel remaining a challenge in Fall 2021, DWFI pivoted plans away from a 2-day, in-person Water for Food Global Conference. The institute demonstrated its adaptability and capacity in the digital space by hosting a free, fully virtual alternative spanning the four weeks of October. The typical conference format was adapted into a virtual forum, which remotely convened leading international experts, growers and organizations to tackle issues related to achieving global water and food security.

The Forum featured 22 sessions with more than 80 speakers sharing their expertise. University of Nebraska and DWFI partners and stakeholders from both the U.S. and abroad were involved, including those from the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action, the International Water Management Institute, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Finance Corporation, CGIAR, USAID, FAO, the World Food Programme, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Districts and other universities and state agencies.

The month-long Forum was a new initiative for the institute and included nearly 900 registrants, representing 87 countries and 40 U.S. states. Strategically held between the United Nations Food Systems Summit and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Forum focused on integrating knowledge and practice in four topic areas: climate change and extreme events; water and nutrient management; food systems and nutrition; and innovations and entrepreneurship in agriculture and water management. The Forum provided an opportunity for individuals with varied areas of expertise and interest to learn about, collaborate and strategize solutions to pressing issues related to water and food, including those exacerbated by the COVID pandemic.

The virtual Water for Food Global Forum broadened the institute's reach, allowing those who were not able to join the in-person Global Conference in the past the ability to contribute without barriers of travel or financial constraints. This is evidenced by the more than 450 registrants who opted in to being new subscribers of the institute's monthly Digest newsletter. Following the Forum, session recordings were archived on the DWFI YouTube channel.

The institute built on the Forum's momentum with a Water for Food from the Field event hosted in August 2022 at a working farm in Western Nebraska. The conversation will continue at the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference, planned for May 8-9, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. With travel having further opened up, it is planned to be held in-person, but will aim to build on 2021's success and capture a wider audience with hybrid virtual components.