The State of the World 2011 report will be made public during a symposium livestreamed on the Internet on Wednesday, January 19th starting at 1:30PM EST in Washington DC.

The symposium panel will not only discuss the State of the Earth, but also a range of sustainable responses to current conditions. Agricultural development has come to a crossroads. Nearly a half-century after the Green Revolution a large share of the human family is still chronically hungry. At the same time, investments in agricultural development by governments, international lenders, and foundations are at historic lows.

Recently, a new generation of innovative approaches to food production and hunger alleviation has emerged from farmers groups, private voluntary organizations, universities, and agribusiness companies.

The free, online symposium features a lineup of speakers won the theme of environmentally sustainable agriculture practices. They will explore what they envision as the steps required to create a sustainable food system.  The speakers include :

-Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

-David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World

-Hans Herren, President, Millennium Institute

-Christopher Flavin, President, Worldwatch Institute

-Sara Scherr, President and CEO, Ecoagriculture Partners

-Edward Mukiibi, Co-founder and Project Coordinator, Developing Innovations in School Cultivation (DISC), Uganda

-Sithembile Ndema, Natural Resources and Environment Manager, Food and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), South Africa

-Meera Shekar, Lead Health & Nutrition Specialist with the Human Development Network at the World Bank

-Stephanie Hanson, Director of Policy and Outreach, One Acre Fund