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McGill.CA / Margaret A Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security / Events

For the past few years, the Institute has hosted a special lecture to recognize World Food Day, bringing notable speakers to address topics of global concern.

The Margaret A. Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security

presents

Transforming Global Food Systems through
Diversification, Innovation and Gender Inclusion

October 25, 2024  |  16h00 to 19h00

2001 McGill College, Room 1140 (11th floor)

RSVP to this event

Dr. Ismahane Elouafi

Executive Managing Director of the CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

Abstract

The global food system faces significant challenges from environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable agricultural practices, increased inequities, leading to food insecurity and poor nutrition. Additionally, as agents of change women and other excluded groups often face exclusion from decision-making and access to resources, limiting their ability to contribute to agricultural innovation. This address will highlight the importance of transforming food systems through diversification, regenerative agriculture, the integration of science and innovation, and by being gender inclusive. By showcasing innovations in sustainable practices and research, this address will emphasize the need for collaborative action to build resilient, diverse, and equitable food systems that drive sustainable development and ensure no one is left behind.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Elouafi is the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, the preeminent global agricultural and food systems research network. She was previously Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and Director General at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).

Dr. Elouafi also served as Senior Adviser to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Branch (AAFC), the National Manager of Plant Research Section; and Director of Research Management and Partnerships Division at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

She has served on expert panels and advisory groups, including the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA), and HarvestPlus; and on the boards of CGIAR, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), and Canada’s Professional Development Institute. She was member of the Scientific Group for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.

As a geneticist, Dr. Elouafi’s work contributed to enhancing wheat breeding. She has advocated for the diversification of food to improve food system resilience, including work on halophytes that had significant impact in countries facing salinity issues. A prolific scientific author, she has contributed to many major publications – including Nature, on Foodomics, the Gaza food crisis and biodiversity.

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2021

 

World Food Day

October 15th, 2021

Measuring Food System Transformation and Performance Post-Summit

Dr. Jean-Charles Le Vallée is the country Representative for the IICA Delegation in Canada. Prior to joining IICA in 2019, Jean-Charles was the former head for food research at The Conference Board of Canada and a former World Bank Food and Commodity Economist. Jean-Charles has also coordinated Canada's Food Security Bureau at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and managed the world's largest online food security community for the Development Gateway in Washington, D.C. He has extensive teaching and research experience in a dozen countries with the United Nations FAO, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the World Food Prize, USAID, Global Affairs Canada, and numerous universities such as Cornell, Laval, Michigan State, and Ryerson. Jean-Charles has written extensively on food issues including a book on fostering food system resilience in Belize, and book chapter in India on political will for food security. He helped produce the 2014 Canadian Food Strategy and published various world rankings (over 100+ million media impressions) across 17 OECD countries on food industry performance; agri-food trade; food safety; public trust; food security; healthy foods, nutrition, diseases & diets; food waste & environmental performance. He helped train agri-food SMEs in Colombia, Senegal and Vietnam to grow their business and increase trade, as well as developed agriculture market information systems in Ethiopia, Mali and Mozambique. He brings thought leadership to food policy, industry and sector issues, is a regular speaker and media guest in print, TV and radio, and a frequent witness at agri-food and trade senate standing committees.

 

2020

World Food Day 2020

2019

October 16, 2019

Guest speaker: Stephen Potter, Director of Agriculture and Food Systems, Global Affairs Canada

2018

16 October 2018

The fuel of tomorrow: How nutrition can drive countries, economies and a brighter future
Keynote speaker: Lauren Landis, Director of the Nutrition Division at the World Food Programme, Rome

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Ms. Landis has spent her career working in the field of relief and development, beginning at OCHA (then UNDRO) in Geneva in 1985. She then moved to the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance within the Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1986 to 1993, taking on assignments in Washington and in Africa as Disaster Operations Specialist and Emergency Operations Coordinator. 
In 1993, Ms. Landis turned her efforts to the NGO sector, working at InterAction from 1993 until 1995. She later moved to Save the Children, serving as both Director of Humanitarian Response and Director of the Food Security Unit. In 2002, Ms. Landis returned to the U.S. Government as Director of USAID’s Office of Food for Peace, and in 2006 she transitioned to the U.S. Department of State to serve as the Senior Representative on Sudan.
Ms. Landis joined the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as Chief of Staff in 2009, and two years later she became Director of the WFP Geneva Office. From 2013-2016, Ms. Landis served as the WFP Country Representative and Director in Chad, and in mid-2016 she returned to Rome, Italy to take up her current role as WFP’s Director of Nutrition.

 

2017

10 October 2017

Towards a World with Zero Hunger
Keynote Speaker: Chris Kaye, Director of the Government Partnerships Division for the World Food Program

  • The history of World Food Day
  • Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Chris Kaye is the Director of the Government Partnerships Division for the World Food Program based in Rome. Prior to joining WFP in 2006, Chris served with OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) for over 12 years. He joined OCHA in 1994 and supported humanitarian efforts in Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide. During a period between 1995 and 1999 he worked in Geneva where he led the development of the Consolidated Appeal Process and supported humanitarian efforts on short-term missions in Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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global food security
world food day
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