The World Conservation Congress for Agriculture is being held for the first time in North America this week in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The event started on Sunday with David Montgomery, author of Dirt, who sees no-till farming as “the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.

Monday featured Howard G. Buffett, Central Illinois farmer, philanthropist and author, who operates a 1,500-acre family farm and oversees three foundation-operated research farms. Buffett travels the world documenting the challenges of preserving biodiversity and providing resources for the growing population.

Today the keynote was Dwayne Beck who manages the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, a unique cooperative arrangement between South Dakota State University and farmers demonstrating how producers can profitably adopt conservation practices.

The event is sponsored by platinum sponsors Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto, Mosaic, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Seed Hawk. Gold sponsors include Agrium, Syngenta, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.