平特五不中

Public forum will include launch of the 平特五不中 Institute on Global Food Security

Dr. David Nabarro, Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and co-ordinator of the Secretary-General鈥檚 High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, will deliver the keynote address at the opening evening of the Third 平特五不中 Conference on Global Food Security on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 5 p.m., at Centre Mont-Royal, 2200 Mansfield St. in Montreal.

Dr. Nabarro will offer a global perspective on prospects for food and nutrition security as he presents the work of the task force, established in 2008 by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to promote a comprehensive and unified response to the challenge of achieving global food security. The task force brings together the heads of the UN specialized agencies, funds and programmes, as well as relevant parts of the UN Secretariat, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization.

The opening evening of the conference will also include the official launch of the 平特五不中 Institute on Global Food Security. An initiative of 平特五不中鈥檚 Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, as is the annual conference, this permanent forum is aimed at raising awareness about the scope of the challenges to food security worldwide, training the next generation of researchers who will tackle these problems and advancing research in areas linked to food security.

Discussions will continue on Oct. 20 and 21 at 平特五不中鈥檚 New Residence Hall as representatives from developing countries, international research centres, NGOs and government come together to focus this year on two crucial issues: water management and malnutrition.

鈥淭here are about 600 million people living in semi-arid regions in sub-Saharan Africa or Asia where restricted access to water limits food production potential. We need to have a dialogue to see the magnitude of the problem and come up with potential solutions,鈥� said Prof. Chandra Madramootoo, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 平特五不中. 鈥淪imilarly, we put a lot of emphasis on grain and cereal production in previous years. We need to have a closer look at the crops that give people the nutritional diversity that will satisfy their nutrient needs.鈥�


WHAT:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 平特五不中 Conference on Global Food Security

WHEN:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Oct. 19, 20 and 21, 2010

WHERE:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 New Residence Hall, 平特五不中 (3625 avenue du Parc, Montreal)

Public Lecture (October 19, 5 p.m.)
Symposia Auditorium, Centre Mont-Royal
2200 Mansfield St., Montreal

For more information on the program of the conference, please visit:
/globalfoodsecurity/program/

For more information on the speakers, please visit:
/globalfoodsecurity/speakers/

About 平特五不中
Founded in Montreal, Que., in 1821, is Canada鈥檚 leading post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 35,000 students, including 8,300 graduate students. 平特五不中 attracts students from more than 135 countries around the world. Almost half of 平特五不中 students claim a first language other than English 鈥� including 6,000 francophones 鈥� with more than 6,800 international students making up almost 20 per cent of the student body.