< Go Back

Stanford Blade

Senior Dean, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences
University of Alberta

Dr. Stanford Blade is Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences (University of Alberta). The University of Alberta is a top-100 university with 44,000 students and a $2B operating budget.

In 2018 Dr. Blade was named an International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2022 Dr. Blade was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. Dr. Blade’s PhD was awarded by McGill University for grain legume plant breeding/cropping systems research (conducted at IITA) supported by a Government of Canada Doctoral Scholarship. As a research scientist, Dr. Blade released “Cutlass” a top-yielding field pea cultivar for western Canada.In July, 2024 Dr Blade will join the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) as Deputy Director General-Research. ICRISAT (a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) addresses the food security challenges confronted by 2+ billion people living in the dryland tropics across Asia and Africa. ICRISAT has the global mandate to improve key pulse crops.”

He is a 2012 graduate of the Wharton Business School’s Executive Development Program (University of Pennsylvania). He served as a Trustee on the Board of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and also served two terms as Vice-Chair for the Board of Trustees of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation a Nairobi-based agency supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Blade completed the Wharton Executive Development Program in 2012. Dr. Blade has been an invited discussion leader at Harvard School of Business Agribusiness Seminars and he has participated in the University of Oxford Scenarios Programme.

Dr. Blade was founding Chief Executive Officer (2008-2014) of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. Dr. Blade previously served as the Deputy Director General (Research) for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Dr. Blade’s expertise has been recognized through his many invitations to speak at international fora on the role of innovation in creating prosperity in the agriculture, food sectors & bioeconomy sectors and through his participation in research reviews conducted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, European Union, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Food and Agriculture Organization, Qatar National Research Fund, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Stanford Blade small

Don’t Miss Out.

Plant Forward has gathered one of the most concentrated groups of leading decision-makers in one room. With increased networking opportunities, Plant Forward will again be one of the best places to build relationships with key industry stakeholders.

Rates:

General Admission

Access to all Plant Forward sessions in-person, including networking opportunities and breakout rooms. Seats are limited.

Important Registration Information:

  • Members of Protein Industries Canada, Pulse Canada, Plant-Based Foods of Canada and Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Trade Association receive an exclusive rate. Host member rate is applied at checkout.
  • Students and delegations can contact us to request applicable rates. Exclusive rates cannot be guaranteed.
  • Admission purchases are subject to applicable HST.
  • There will be no on-site registrations for Plant Forward. Attendees must be registered prior to coming on-site.
  • View the cancellation policy here
  • See who attended Plant Forward in 2022
April 16-18, 2024