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Kentucky State University President M. Christopher Brown II was recently appointed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to the new Governor’s AgriTech Advisory Council.

According to a news release from the Office of the Governor,  the council is part of governor’s continued push to make Kentucky a global leader in the AgriTech industry. Gov. Beshear will chair the council.

Last week, Gov. Beshear signed an international agreement with 16 other partner organizations, including the Dutch government, to grow Kentucky’s AgriTech footprint, according to a news release from the Governor. The Governor has established the AgriTech Advisory Council to guide the Commonwealth’s increased focus on this industry, which will expand the state’s economy and create jobs for Kentuckians.

The council will include leaders in state government and local government, education and the business and labor sectors in Kentucky. Members will convene periodically to meet with the Governor and advise him on matters relating to the AgriTech industry.

“Being the global leader in the AgriTech industry will not only make Kentucky’s farms more productive and efficient, but will also benefit every citizen and every region of the Commonwealth in creating industry and jobs,” Gov. Beshear said in the news release.

According to the executive order, the United Nations estimates farmers will have to increase its food supply by 70 percent over the next 30 years to feed the world’s growing population.

With its strong agricultural and manufacturing history, Kentucky has the potential to be the center of the agritech industry in the production of food and the production of technology that will help farmers manage their crops, according to the executive order.