U of A Professor Named to World Agriculture Forum's U.S. Country Council for Work on Food System Resilience

Marty Matlock, a professor in the U of A's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, has been named a founding member of the World Agriculture Forum's U.S. Country Council, joining a national group of leaders tasked with translating global agricultural solutions into local action.

The U.S. Country Council was launched June 10 in Washington, D.C., bringing together stakeholders from government, business, academia and agriculture to establish a national platform for agricultural leadership and policy dialogue. Matlock's nomination recognizes his instrumental work on agricultural and food systems resilience and his collaboration with other experts in the field.

"I worked with many of the folks who founded the World Agriculture Forum on global food and agriculture issues, especially health and nutrition connections to regional ecosystem stressors and extreme weather," Matlock said. "I reviewed an agricultural policy document for the World Economic Forum some years ago and got to know many of the organizers then."

As a founding member, Matlock will help establish the council's governance structure, including bylaws, committees and leadership selection. The council meets eight times a year, roughly every six weeks, with two in-person sessions.

"The purpose of the WAF U.S. Council is to translate solutions for global agricultural and food challenges into local actions and policies," Matlock said.

The council was formed to ensure agricultural policy receives dedicated attention alongside broader economic discussions in venues like the World Economic Forum.

The council unites governments, farmers, agribusinesses and development institutions to address gaps across the food supply chain, from producers to consumers, in pursuit of a more resilient, food-secure future.

Matlock's work advances food systems, one of the five priority research areas identified in the university's 150 Forward Reaching Higher plan, supporting its goal of expanding research and innovation with meaningful impact in Arkansas and beyond. 

Matlock's appointment draws on more than two decades of work in agricultural and food systems resilience, including his prior service as a senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

"I have spent the past 20 years working on agricultural and food systems security and resiliency," he said. "My experience as a senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, as well as my expertise in metrics and analysis of complex systems, fits within the mission of WAF."

He pointed to a defining challenge facing the council and the broader agricultural community: feeding a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.

"That means increasing food production by as much as 50% without one hectare more of land, one drop more of water and one liter more of petrochemical fuel," Matlock said. "This is not an imaginary challenge. It is a demographic certainty. This is the challenge of our generation."

Matlock said that challenge closely mirrors the mission of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

"The Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas has identified this challenge as our guiding mission," he said. "We focus on understanding and driving innovations in sustainable food, water and energy systems."

Looking ahead, Matlock said he's eager to collaborate with an international network of experts working toward shared solutions.

"I am excited for the opportunity to engage with a global community of scientists, engineers, policy makers and experts to provide targeted solutions to the complex and ever-changing problems of feeding humanity," he said.

Learn more about the World Agriculture Forum here.

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, online studies and interdisciplinary programs. It enrolls more than 4,700 students and employs more than 150 faculty and researchers along with nearly 200 staff members. Its research enterprise generated $47 million in new research awards in Fiscal Year 2025. The college's strategic plan, Vision 2035, seeks to build the premier STEM workforce in accordance with three key objectives: Initiating lifelong student success, generating transformational and relevant knowledge, and becoming the destination of choice among educators, students, staff, industry, alumni and the community. As part of this, the college is increasing graduates and research productivity to expand its footprint as an entrepreneurial engineering platform serving Arkansas and the world. The college embraces its pivotal role in driving economic growth, fueling innovation and educating the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to address current and future societal challenges.