The Global Politics of
Food and Water the Topic at
27th Annual Camden Conference
Friday evening’s keynote speaker will be Fred Kirschenmann, an expert on sustainable agriculture and food issues as well as an organic farmer.
The 2014 Camden Conference, slated for the weekend of February 21 to 23, will feature a stellar lineup of high-profile experts addressing “The Global Politics of Food and Water.” The speakers, focusing on issues as well as solutions, are guaranteed to stimulate discussion—and perhaps generate controversy—as they present their perspectives on this critical topic.
The moderator for the conference will be Jonathan Foley, Director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. Friday evening’s keynote speaker will be Fred Kirschenmann, an expert on sustainable agriculture and food issues as well as an organic farmer.
Saturday morning speakers will address the effects of climate change on food and water supplies. Ann Tutwiler, Director General of Bioversity International, will focus on the effects of climate change on agricultural biodiversity. Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development at the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, will follow with a case study of African efforts to improve food security in the face of climate-change impacts on farming. Wrapping up the morning, Andrew Guzman, Professor at Berkeley Law School, will cover the impacts of climate change on water resources and access to water as well as other effects of existing and potential water scarcity.
Saturday afternoon will feature Andreas Merkl, President of the Ocean Conservancy, who will outline international agreements for managing fisheries practices and examine the consequences for fishery resources as ocean temperatures rise and acidification increases. The afternoon will conclude with a panel of speakers comparing large- and small-scale agriculture as alternatives for future global food security. The pros and cons of the different solutions will be explored by a dynamic group: Kathleen Merrigan, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Dave Gustafson, a Senior Science Fellow at Monsanto; and Jim Harkness, President of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
The Sunday-morning program will open with an overview of international food security policies provided by Robert Paarlberg, Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College. He will focus on important challenges facing international trade and finance institutions and multinational organizations to achieve global food security. The closing speaker will be Gus Schumacher, Executive Vice President of Policy at the Wholesome Wave Foundation. He will address key issues on domestic agriculture in terms of both policy and technology and their implications for international and longer-term domestic issues and policy. As always, the Conference will conclude with a panel of all speakers taking questions from the audience and interacting with one another.
For more information, visit the website www.camdenconference.org which has full speaker biographies and the latest Conference information. Tickets are now on sale and already on track to duplicate last year’s sellout at the Camden Opera House.
The Conference’s Global Sponsor is R. M. Davis, Inc., and the Education Sponsor is The Unity Foundation. For more information, visit www.camdenconference.org, email info@camdenconference.org, or call 207-236-1034.