Just nine plant species now provide 65% of the world’s food supply. As genetic diversity dwindles and ecosystems falter, agrifood systems grow increasingly fragile, threatening food security and human health. Experts warn this unprecedented loss of biodiversity — at genetic, species and ecosystems levels — has far-reaching consequences for how the world grows and sustains its food.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis will bring together leading researchers, policymakers and community advocates for the panel discussion “Policy, Biodiversity and the Future of Food.” Panelists will discuss policy frameworks, community solutions and actionable strategies to protect and enhance biodiversity for food and nutrition security.
The panel discussion will take place from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in Umrath Hall Lounge, with a reception to follow. The event is free and open to the public, with participation available in person or via Zoom. Registration is required.
The event will open with welcome remarks by Morven A. McLean, PhD, executive director of networks and innovation and a professor of practice in the School of Public Health, who also serves as director of the university’s Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM). The panel will be moderated by Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, the Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health, the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health and vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives.
Panelists include: Kaleab Baye, PhD, a leading researcher on how biodiversity loss affects maternal and child nutrition and a professor of human nutrition at Addis Ababa University; Gina Kennedy, PhD, principal scientist with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture; and Anna Nelson, executive director of the Food Security Leadership Council and a former deputy special envoy for global food security at the U.S. State Department. Following the discussion, panelists will take questions from the audience. Lora L. Iannotti, PhD, the school’s Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor, co-director of FARM and director of the E3 Nutrition Lab, will deliver closing remarks.
