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Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) hosted an interactive discussion on how partnering with the private sector will play an increasing role in global economic growth and agricultural development on October 27, 2015. Our Panelists: Dr. Vasile Bumacov Vasile Bumacov, who served as the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry for the Republic of Moldova from 2011 to 2015, is one of Europe’s foremost authorities in agriculture. In the past, Bumacov’s expertise in Moldova’s high-value agriculture (HVA) sector proved an invaluable asset to CNFA throughout the implementation of our Agribusiness Development Project, a $12.5 million USAID-funded program that improved the international competitiveness and trade performance of the country’s HVA sector, ultimately increasing rural incomes and employment. Bumacov is also a prolific agricultural engineer, having authored 56 scientific publications and developed numerous advancements in agricultural technologies. He holds a PhD in Technical Sciences and a PhD in Agricultural Engineering, both from the Agrarian State University of Moldova. Presently, Bumacov is acting as the Technical Director for a Japanese-funded project that aims to increase food production in Moldova by using modern agricultural machinery, lowering the production costs and improving growing technologies. Learn more about the project here: http://www.2kr.md/. Jason Huffman Jason Huffman is the agriculture and trade editor for POLITICO Pro. Huffman joined POLITICO Pro in July 2013 after serving five years as the editor in chief of Food Chemical News. Previously he worked more than 17 years at United Communications Group, serving at the helm of more than a dozen award-winning information services, including those covering bank regulation, home health care and telecom. He started his journalism career by working about five years as a beat reporter for community newspapers in the Baltimore area. Huffman grew up in a rural part of Pennsylvania, not far from the Maryland line, working summers for his grandfather and uncles in their respective hay, straw and fertilizer businesses. He is a Lycoming College graduate, married and has two children. You can read POLITICO Pro here: https://www.politicopro.com/ Dr. Rob Smith Rob Smith is AGCO’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe, Africa and Middle East. In this role, Smith is responsible for reinforcing AGCO’s leading market position and further expanding the company’s manufacturing footprint in those regions. Smith has extensive international management experience and most recently was the Vice President & General Manager of the global Engine Components Division for TRW Automotive – one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers. He also was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TRW Automotive GmbH. Prior to this, Smith served as Vice President of the Global Automotive Division at Tyco Electronics, and Vice President & General Manager of the Aftermarket Parts and Material Repair and Overhaul business at Bombardier Transportation. Smith earned his MBA from the University of Texas at the Austin Graduate School of Business. He received German Diplom-Kaufmann and Doctoral degrees in International Operations Management from the WHU – Graduate School of Management in Koblenz, Germany. Learn more about AGCO here: http://www.agcocorp.com/. Jay Vroom Serving as the president and chief executive officer of CropLife America (CLA) since 1989, Jay Vroom is a longstanding leader and advocate for the agribusiness industry. Under his guidance, the CLA trade association based in Washington, D.C., has been a driving force behind crop protection regulation as well as a strong proponent of crop technology in enhancing food, fiber and renewable fuel production. Vroom is also a founding member and original chairman of the CropLife Foundation, an affiliate organization which he currently serves as Vice-Chair. Prior to joining the CropLife staff, Vroom has held various positions in executive capacities with the Fertilizer Solutions Association (now the Ag Retailers Association), the Merchants Exchange of St. Louis and The Fertilizer Institute. Vroom was a member of the youth organization, Future Farmers of America, and graduated with honors from the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He still owns the grain and livestock farm that he grew up on, located in north-central Illinois. Learn more about CropLife America here: http://www.croplifeamerica.org/#section-1.