This event has been cancelled. For further information, contact Ron Hohenhaus, QAAFI Communications, 07 3346 0553 or r.hohen@uq.edu.au
Young Queenslanders will debate the future of the world’s food alongside leading agriculture scientists from The University of Queensland and CSIRO, at an upcoming global forum in Brisbane.
The Global Food Forum will be held at St Laurence’s College, on Thursday 27 February.
Professor Robert Henry, Director of UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), and Dr Brian Keating, Director of CSIRO’s Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, will address Food in the Future – Opportunities and Challenges as part of a panel discussion with students from years ten, 11 and 12.
Professor Henry and Dr Keating are both UQ graduates.
“The question of how to feed the global population is a challenge that today’s young people will inherit from the current generation of agriculture scientists,” Professor Henry said.
“However young Australians have a tremendous opportunity to play a major role in determining how the global community addresses these complex problems.”
The Global Food Forum is an opportunity for senior secondary students to engage with one of the major challenges of the modern era – feeding nine billion people by the year 2050.
Already two-in-seven people are undernourished and many developed countries are excessively wasteful with food.
Hosted by St Laurence’s College, the forum will discuss the issues and opportunities for Australia’s agriculture industry that will arise from both the global population growth and the changing dietary habits of an expanding Asian middle-class.
The forum has been designed to support curriculum for students studying science, economics, geography, biology, earth and environmental science. The forum will also address cross-curriculum priorities including ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Australia’s engagement with Asia’.
Professor Henry has played a leading role in Australian agriculture research for more than 20 years and is one of the world’s most cited agriculture scientists. He was made a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) in 1993, was Chair of the RACI Cereal Chemistry Division, and received the Guthrie Award in 2000.
UQ awarded Professor Henry a higher doctorate (DSc) for his work on analysis of variation in plants. More recently Professor Henry was made a Fellow of the prestigious Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Dr Brian Keating has 35 years' experience in agricultural and natural resource management research and development. He has authored more than 200 scientific papers covering diverse topics including soil and water management, plant nutrition, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, crop physiology, farming systems analysis and design, bioenergy, simulation modelling, climatic risk management and food security.
More information: http://www.slc.qld.edu.au/alternatupcoming-events/global-food-forum
Other speakers include
- Ms Fiona Wyborn and Ms Mellissa Wood, Australian International Food Security Centre (AIFSC)
- Mr Julian Cribb, Author of The Coming Famine
- Michael Ross and Michael Besgrove, QLD State Government authors of the QLD Agriculture Strategy: A vision to double production by the year 2040
- Mr Paul O’Callaghan, CEO of Caritas Australia
* Dr Keating and Professor Henry will speak at Session Three (12.45pm to 2.15pm)
Contact: Professor Robert Henry, Tel: (07) 3346 0552
Media Enquiries
- UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation: Ron Hohenhaus, Mobile 0417 425 510
- CSIRO’s Sustainable Agriculture Flagship: Adam Harper, (07) 3833 5605
- St Lawrence’s College: Chanelle Szmolnik (07) 3010 1194
Global Food Forum
Thursday, 27 February, 2014
8.30am to 2.30pm
Venue: Edmund Rice Performing Arts Centre, St Laurence’s College, 82 Stephens Road, South Brisbane
