[Sci-tech-public] Upcoming Symposium: Sustainable Agriculture and Biofuels April11

[Ian Finlayson]

Apologies for cross-posting: This looks like a good collection of 
speakers on these topics.
For more information please contact: wendy.johnecheck at tufts.edu

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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