Program

McGill Conference on Global Food Security

September 24-26, 2008

Conference Co-Chairs

Right Honourable Joe Clark, McGill Centre for Developing-Area Studies

Mr. Richard Pound, Chancellor, McGill University

Wednesday, September 24

Salon Cartier, Centre Mont-Royal 2200 Mansfield Street

The global food crisis also affects people locally. A collection of non-perishable food items will be taken at the door and will be donated to the Sun Youth Organization for distribution to Montreal’s needy.

Thursday, September 25

Salle Prince Arthur, New Residence Hall, McGill University 3625 Avenue du Parc

Voices from the Field

Co-Chairs: Donald L. Smith, McGill University and Tim Ogilvie, University of Prince Edward Island

Participants from developing countries will speak on their specific country experiences, impacts on food accessibility and various socio-economic impacts.

Open discussion

12h00 – 13h00 Lunch

The World Food Situation

Co-Chairs: Anwar Naseem and Caroline Begg, McGill University

Rising fuel prices, increased demand for meat and other food products in large countries such as China and India, high input costs, poor harvests due to climatic factors, population growth, and use of food products and food producing lands to produce biofuels are among some of the major factors that have led to the current global food crisis. The result has been the inability, particularly by over 700 million rural poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to secure food at traditionally lower prices. There has been hoarding of rice in Asia which has cause a sharp rise in rice prices. All these factors have led to food riots, political and socio-economic instability, and to malnutrition and hunger. It is estimated that food stocks are at their lowest levels in 30 years. Speakers will present information and data on the current world food supply and demands.

Responses from the Panel

Douglas Hedley, Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine; Ken Ash, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; John Scott, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers

Open discussion

15h00 – 15h30 Break

Underlying Factors

Co-Chairs: Grace Marquis and GSV Raghavan, McGill University

Speakers will discuss the impacts of biofuels, commodity prices, world markets and trade, climate change, energy, and market speculation on the global food crisis.

Responses from the Panel

Gordon Bacon, Pulse Canada; Gaétan Lussier, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute; John Galaty, McGill University

Open discussion

17h30 – 19h00 Dinner break (on your own)

The International Response

Co-Chairs: Philip Oxhorn, McGill Centre for Developing-Area Studies and Mohammed Ait Kadi, General Council of Agricultural Development, Morocco

International agencies have been asked by political leaders to help find solutions to the food crisis, and to develop short and long term strategies to help meet the food needs of the developing countries. Representatives of these organizations will speak on the responses to date and their strategies for helping curb the crisis.

Responses from the Panel

Caroline Pestieau, International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics; Mark Curtis, McGill University; Sandra Polaski, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Open discussion

Friday, September 26

Salle Prince Arthur, New Residence Hall, McGill University 3625 Avenue du Parc

Getting Food to the People – Success Stories

Co-Chairs: Gaétan Lussier, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute and Daniel Gustafson, Food and Agriculture Organization

Non Governmental Organizations and the private sector have had to rise to the urgent demands for delivering food to communities in need. Some countries have also had success stories in meeting food demands. Speakers will describe their various efforts and provide personal insights as to what lessons can be learned from some of the success stories.

Responses from the Panel

Jean-Paul Laforest, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval; Tim Ogilvie, University of Prince Edward Island; Sheri Arnott, CHF-Partners in Rural Development, on behalf of the Canadian Food Security Policy Group

Open discussion

11h30 – 12h00 Break

12h00 Lunch

The Way Forward: Elements of a Framework for Managing the Crisis and Concluding Remarks

Convenors: Nicholas Kasirer, Dean of Law and Chandra Madramootoo, Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University

This concluding session will take the key points from each session to build a Framework for Canadian Action. The goal is to make use of the presentations and discussions of the entire conference, in order to identify a way forward for managing the global food crisis in the longer term.

Guest Speaker: Hon. Michael Chong, MP for Wellington-Halton Hills

Funding