Significant issues influencing California’s food and agriculture industry will be explored at the 2^ndannual California Ag Summit Jan. 27 at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).

The summit is intended for farmers, ranchers, and other individuals affiliated with food and agriculture. It will feature thought-provoking presentations on global food trends, energy, and social media.

The keynote speaker is John Hofmeister, retired president of Shell Oil Company, founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy, and author of the book “Why We Hate the Oil Companies.”

A global food trends panel will include: Army Col. Cheryl Smart, assistant professor of national security studies at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces; Alex McCalla, professor emeritus of the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics; and Daniel Sumner, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center.

Speakers on the energy in agriculture panel will be:Duane Larson, director of energy efficiency strategy at Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Grant Lundberg, chief executive officer of Lundberg Family Farms; and Suzanne Minter, account executive at Bentek Energy.

A session on social media will include:Miriam Lueck Avery, research manager at the Institute for the Future; Ira Brill, director of marketing services at Foster Farms; and Rawn Shah, a strategist with the IBM Worldwide Sales Enablement Team.

The summit is coordinated and sponsored by agricultural organizations and businesses.

Net proceeds from the event help support designated non-profit agricultural education and agricultural leadership programs in California.

Registration and event information are available online at http://calagsummit.org/.