Following positive reviews from last year's inaugural event, McGill will host the second-annual Global Food Security Conference from October 5 to 7. The upcoming conference, which will host speakers from a wide range of fields, will be conducted under the theme of "Impacts of Global Financial Turmoil on Food Security."
Last fall, organizers were focussed mainly on the prevalence of the food crisis. However, as the world's attention shifted to the financial crisis, the hunger issue was not only overshadowed, but also re-contextualized.
"The financial crisis came along after the food crisis, which put a further dampened effect on the food crisis," said Chandra Madramootoo, dean of the faculty of agriculture and environmental sciences. "So that is why this year the theme revolves around how the global financial crisis has made the impact of the food crisis even worse."
Madramootoo identified two main effects of the financial downturn on the food crisis. First, as the economy drove into a worldwide recession, the price of food rose, increasing the number of impoverished people. As a result, these people are not able to buy the proper amount of food to achieve minimal nutritional standards. Secondly, Madramootoo points to a lack of funding for agricultural infrastructure.
"There has been a decline in investments in agriculture over the past 25 to 30 years and as a result of that decline countries were not boosting their food production capabilities despite the continued population growth," said Madramootoo, who also noted that the financial crisis has led to even less agricultural investment.
In addition to the underlying focus on the effects of the global recession, other conference topics include necessary investments for agricultural development, and the effects of climate change and biofuels on food security.
Don Smith, chair of the department of plant science, will be organizing the segment on biofuels in addition to chairing the panel on climate change. Having participated in last year's conference, Smith has a strong understanding of the potential in such a unique gathering.
"We want to look at different areas from around the world, bringing in people from Brazil, the United States, China, and Russia," said Smith. "We want to get a sense globally of what different jurisdictions are looking towards in terms of potential biofuel utilization and how they are going to achieve this not only without interfering with global food production but really, how they are going to use this to help global food production."
Smith and Madramootoo both emphasized the unique dynamic available given the structure of this conference, which draws on a range of academics, industry officials, government representatives, large businesses, and students alike.
"[The conference] really does bring together key players from around the world in this area of thinking and it does so at a time when we really need to be looking at this," said Smith. "It brings together not just government representatives, but people from all sectors and I don't think that happens very often."
One criticism that arose from last year's conference was that students had very few chances to interact with the speakers. To facilitate communication this year, Madramootoo and the conference organizers have instituted a student networking reception to provide the opportunity for students to interact with speakers.
In addition to greater student participation, select student groups are taking a active role in this year's conference. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) will host a table at the conference aimed at promoting both the organization and its projects fighting the food crisis. The group will also compile video of conference speakers engaged in discussion and broadcast it through the EWB national office.
"We do have a big focus on food security and agriculture, even though our scope is quite broad," said Aline Bennett, EWB vice-president member education, and current junior fellow. "In Canada, our programs are really about social change and creating awareness, but food security is one thing that our chapter at MacDonald campus has really taken hold of."
To register for the McGill Conference on Global Food and Security, visit www.mcgill.ca/globalfoodsecurity.
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