[Env seminars] Tufts Symposium: Sustainability in the Balance, April 11, 2006

[Margo Collett]

>
>
>Sustainability in the Balance:
>Juggling Environmental Health, Economic 
>Profitability, and Social Equity in the Global Food System
>
>April 11, 2006
>2:30 – 7:00 pm
>Reception to follow
>
>Presented by FOOD: A Student Initiative of the
>Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
>
>Tufts University
>150 Harrison Avenue * Boston, MA
>Behrakis Auditorium
>
>
>
>2: 30 pm KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Ecologically Sound 
>Agriculture: Principles, Practices, Constraints
>
>Dr. Fred Magdoff, Professor of Soils, Department 
>of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont 
>and Northeast Region USDA SARE Coordinator
>
>Professor Magdoff will discuss the 
>agro-ecological principles necessary for 
>‘sustainable’ agriculture. He will contrast the 
>inputs and practices needed for 
>ecologically-based agriculture with those used 
>in conventional agricultural systems. He will 
>also address some of the political, social, and 
>economic stumbling blocks to promoting 
>sustainable agriculture in the U.S. and in developing countries.
>
>
>4:00 pm PANEL I: Changing Trends in the Global 
>Food System: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture
>
>
>Sustainable agriculture rests on the principle 
>that present-day food needs can be met without 
>compromising the food security of future 
>generations. As the global demand for food 
>mounts and the fragility of the natural 
>environment becomes ever more apparent, farmers, 
>communities, and governments must identify ways 
>to ensure agricultural sustainability without 
>sacrificing productivity.  In light of the 
>challenges facing world agriculture, each 
>panelist will sketch their vision for an 
>agricultural system that can balance the three 
>pillars of sustainability: environmental health, 
>economic profitability, and social equity.
>
>
>Panelists:
>
>Dr. Richard Levins, John Rock Professor of 
>Population Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health
>Dr. Robert Paarlberg, Betty Freyhof Johnson 
>Class of 1944 Professor of Political Science at 
>Wellesley College and Associate Professor at the 
>Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
>Dr. Molly Anderson, Consultant on Science and Public Policy
>
>
>5:45 pm PANEL II: Biofuels: Friend or Foe of the Food System?
>
>
>Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are 
>often portrayed as the next great wave in green 
>energy and a potential savior of the U.S. farm 
>sector.  Opponents argue, however, that biofuels 
>should not be viewed as a sustainable solution 
>because at least for the most industrial crops, 
>like corn and soy, more energy is used in the 
>production of the biomass than is generated by 
>the fuel.  Also to be considered are the 
>environmental, livelihood, and food security 
>issues involved in a large scale transformation 
>of the industrial agricultural sector from a 
>food industry to an energy industry.  This panel 
>will explore the science underpinning the debate 
>and the implications of using increased 
>crop-based energy sources in the context of 
>decreasing fossil fuel availability.
>
>
>Panelists:
>
>Jim Kleinshmit, Senior Associate, Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy
>Dr. William Moomaw, Director, Center for 
>International Environment and Resource Policy, 
>The Fletcher School, Tufts University
>Dr. Daniel De La Torre Ugarte, Associate 
>Director, Agricultural Policy and Analysis Center, The University of Tennessee
>
>
>Symposium Sponsors
>Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
>Tufts Institute of the Environment
>Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University
>Tufts University College of Citizenship and Public Service
>Tufts Food and Awareness Project.
>
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