Forum on Science, Technology & Innovation for Sustainable Development - Conference Session on Food Security
The Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development is a major five-day event in the days just prior to the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro. Organised by the International Council for Science (ICSU), in partnership with UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the Forum aims to provide a platform for the science, technology and innovation (STI) community to highlight key messages within the Rio+20 context, and to enter into dialogue with policy-makers and other stakeholders.
The Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development is a major five-day event in the days just prior to the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro. Organised by the International Council for Science (ICSU), in partnership with UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the Forum aims to provide a platform for the science, technology and innovation (STI) community to highlight key messages within the Rio+20 context, and to enter into dialogue with policy-makers and other stakeholders.
Aim and structure of the session
The Rio+20 Policy Brief “Food Security for a planet under pressure” addresses the interconnected challenges and solutions to feed the global population both now and in the future. Food security is closely linked to the three Rio Conventions agreed upon in 1992 and is a cornerstone in the UN Millennium Development Goals. Science has much to contribute and a recent report on “Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change” addresses some of the key challenges. The UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Global Sustainability report “Resilient People: Resilient Planet, A Future Worth Choosing” outlines solutions for achieving a sustainable planet Earth for future generations.
The session will provide perspectives from the science community and present the conclusions of the “Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change” report. A final Panel debate will address the challenge of building on the Rio Conventions while providing food security for all. The session is a component of a process to highlight the need for research and policy to address the challenge of feeding the global population, now and in the future, which has included three Agriculture and Rural Development Days during recent meetings of COP of the UNFCCC.
Programme
(All titles of presentations to be confirmed)
14.00-14.05 Welcome and introduction to the session – Professor em. Thomas Rosswall, CCAFS, France
14.05-14.25 The role of food security in relation to the Rio conventions – Professor Tim Benton, University of Leeds, UK; Champion of the UK Global Food Security Programme
14.25-14.45 Community-based adaptation, rural institutions and agriculture – Dr. Lisa Schipper, Stockholm Environment Institute, USA
14.45-15.05 Food security and climate change – Professor Ram Badan Singh, Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences
15.05-15.20 Report from the Beddington Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change - Dr Adrian Fernández, Advisor on Sustainability, Metropolitan University, Mexico
15.20-15.45 Panel debate with speakers on climate smart agriculture and food security., Chair: Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, FANRPAN, South Africa
15.45-15.50 Strategic recommendations from the session – Professor em. Thomas Rosswall, CCAFS, France
15.50-16.00 Climate smart agriculture - Closing address by H. E. Mr. Jorge Mendes Riberio Filho, Minister for Agriculture, Brazil