Bayer CropScience CEO Sandra Peterson gave one of the plenary addresses at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue on the topic of how to feed a growing population.

“The one gift that eludes every single one of us, and especially those who are hungry, is time,” she said. “We have to feed nine billion people by 2050. We need to ramp up food production by 70% while conserving resources and preserving the planet, that is really no mean feat. 2050 may be decades away but if we want to feed the hungry and the parched planet tomorrow, we need to accelerate our sense of urgency today.”

Peterson talked about three ways she believes can help increase sustainable food production worldwide – empowering small holder farmers to become “agri-preneurs,” increasing innovation investments in climate mitigation and agricultural production, and enhance efforts to work together in a meaningful way. She said helping small holder farmers is critical because it is “the small holder farmer who produces most of the food consumed in their own countries where hunger is most prevalent” even in countries like Brazil.

“The way to solve this problem is one small holder farmer at a time,” Peterson said.

We just got word that Peterson is actually leaving her position as Bayer CropScience CEO at the end of November. Her successor will be Liam Condon who has been Managing Director of Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen, and head of Bayer Pharma’s business in Germany since January 2010.

Listen to Peterson’s address at World Food Prize: Bayer CEO Sandra Peterson

View the World Food Prize Photo Album here.