In this modern age, one thing is impossible to deny – the population of our planet is exploding at an unprecedented, exponential rate, faster and farther than ever before in history. Of course, this suggests an overwhelming increase in demand for many things, namely the survival necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Confronting these great challenges is one of the most important dilemmas of our time. It is a noble but often intimidating task, given its size and complexity. But people like Joe Taets see hope in an otherwise uncertain future, and he is taking the necessary steps to inspire change across the world.

As Senior Vice President at Archer Daniels Midland Company, and proud ISU alum, Taets is responsible for overseeing the commercial activities of a multi-billion dollar agricultural business. His company, ADM, provides many different agricultural services to over 134 countries, ranging anywhere from corn processing to biofuel production. The size of and scope of ADM is impressive – every day the company produces over 6,000 metric tons of corn, enough to create 99 million boxes of cornflakes. Among the company’s other core products are wheat, soy, and cocoa. As Taets puts it, “we are that key link between supply and demand, an agricultural global shock absorber… a key component between crop origination and distribution”. This enormous power of agricultural companies like ADM has only recently become prominent on the global stage.

With a booming population, Taets argues, there is an inherent need for bigger and better systems of agriculture. Current projections set the world population to exceed 9.3 billion people by 2050, particularly in developing nations. Taets proclaims, rather boldly, that global agricultural output will have to at least double to meet this frightening new demand. An equally concerning issue of the modern agricultural system is its extreme inefficiency. Approximately one-third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, which equates to 1.3 billion tons per year. World hunger is an obvious issue of inefficiency – without these systematic loopholes, providing food for everyone on the planet may be a realistic and attainable goal.

The massive undertaking of solving the world’s food problems ultimately falls onto us, the younger generation. Taets expresses a great deal of confidence in the field of agriculture in the coming years. Agribusiness jobs are not only becoming more available, but are also becoming increasingly relevant in a globalized world economy. To overcome a potentially devastating food crisis, we must take innovative action, to take a step in the right direction.