Mar 19: Food Production & Hunger

Global Challenges and Local Impacts:  Food Production and Hunger

The United States alone is responsible for $43 billion worth of food waste. In this nation, 40-50% of harvested food is never eaten.  Globally, millions of acres of potentially productive farmland is being used to grow cash crop commodities like cotton, tobacco, and marginally nutritious foods with a large global market.  Countries suffering from a hunger crisis, such as India and Argentina, are shifting focus to the expanded use of fast-growing, disease resistant genetically modified foods.  GMOs and efficient agricultural practices will feed a developing country’s bursting population and expand its agricultural economy.  However, most European countries are not investing in developing farms abroad because their culture places high value on sustainable and healthy foods, free of pesticides and hormones.  How do the issues surrounding food production interact across countries and cultural preferences?  Is there a tension between nations focusing on sustainable foods and those focusing on the hunger crisis?

On the panel for this discussion:

Brian Snyder, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
Dawn Plummer, Director, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
Ken Regal, Executive Director, Just Harvest

6:30-8 at the Union Project (801 N Negley Ave., 15206).  Free and open to the public, but you must RSVP here.  Presented by Global Solutions Pittsburgh (for more information, email Laura Amsler or call 412-471-7852).