About Us
About 9th IAC2024
The International Agriculture Congress (IAC) was first organized in 2004 by the Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Ever since this international conference has been conducted biannually in Malaysia.
The global population, projected to reach 9 billion by 2050, presents a pressing challenge for agriculturists to ensure sufficient food supply while mitigating the negative environmental impacts of expanding food production. With nearly half of the world's forests lost and dwindling groundwater sources, alongside biodiversity loss and escalating greenhouse gas emissions, urgent action is needed. By embracing sustainable farming practices, leveraging technology, and implementing climate-smart approaches, a resilient and environmentally conscious agricultural system can be built. Collaborative efforts and innovative thinking are crucial to addressing the regional and ecological disparities caused by climate change. Having the theme “Revolutionizing Agriculture for a Sustainable Future”, the 9th International Agriculture Congress 2024 will explore sustainable agricultural practices and frontier farming technologies to address food security and safety, preserve natural resources, and safeguard our planet for future generations.
About UPM
UPM, a leading research university in Malaysia is located in Serdang, next to Malaysia’s administrative capital city; Putrajaya. As a world-renowned center of learning and research, UPM has attracted students and staff from all around the world making it a well-respected global entity. Universiti Putra Malaysia was first established as the School of Agriculture in 1931. The establishment of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia came about when the College of Agriculture in Serdang merged with the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Malaya. Dr. Mohd. Rashdan bin Haji Baba, the then principal of the College of Agriculture Malaya, was appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor by the provisions of Section 18 of the Universities and University Colleges Act, 1971. With the first intake of 1,559 students, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia had its first academic session in July 1973 in the three central faculties and one basic division: the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, and a Division of Foundation Studies. In 1997, the name Universiti Pertanian Malaysia was changed to Universiti Putra Malaysia as a strategic gesture to portray the status of UPM as a centre of higher education capable of providing various fields of studies, especially in science and information technology, which facilitate national development in the new millennium.
About the Faculty of Agriculture
Faculty of Agriculture is one of three Pioneer faculties that made up the establishment of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (currently Universiti Putra Malaysia) in 1971.
Beginning with seven departments under this faculty, most of these departments were later developed to become several other faculties. At the end of 1998, the Faculty of Agriculture had three academic departments that are Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Department of Plant Protection, and Department of Soil Science.
From 1st January 1999 onward, the restructuring process at Universiti Putra Malaysia also affects the Faculty of Agriculture. The restructuring is based on the concept of uniting or integrating the main elements in the agricultural systems comprising crop, animal, soil, technology, and management. On this basis, the Faculty of Agriculture now has seven departments - Crop Science, Animal Science, Plant Protection, Land Management, Agribusiness and Information System, Agriculture Technology, and Aquaculture.
As a foremost agriculture faculty in this country, the Faculty of Agriculture plays a major role in finding solutions to the current agriculture problems faced by the nations and enhancing the prospects of development of the agriculture industry in the long term, especially in the training programs of human resources for producing trained individuals comprising of graduates who are visionary and competitive in the industrial arena. Using the country's education system as the base, the Faculty of Agriculture will strive to produce trained agriculture experts characterized by their entrepreneurship and capability to provide consultations at any place, besides contributing to new and high agriculture technology resulting from research and commercialization programs.