We are pleased to announce a series of four seminars hosted by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich, under its Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (FaNSI). The seminars to be held in January and February 2023, will provide the occasion for NRI researchers, students and FaNSI partners to share with a wider audience, their recent research addressing challenges and potential solutions relating to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa.
The FaNSI programme supports a food systems approach to food and nutrition security, exploring the interactions between improved nutrition, protection of the environment, economic growth and social sustainability and the implications for policy. The programme works in collaboration with partner organisations in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa.
Food and nutrition security are major challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. The latest data (FAO, 2021) show that the number of undernourished people in the world rose in 2020 , including 282 million people in Africa, which experienced the largest percentage increase in undernourishment. Together with climate variability and extremes, conflict and economic downturns, COVID 19 contributed to an increase in world food insecurity (for an estimated additional 30 million people), a situation which threatens gains made in nutrition and creates further vulnerabilities in food systems. Progress on Sustainable Development Goal 2 is not on track to achieve nutrition targets by 2030.
The four main FaNSI themes are
- 1) Climate change, agriculture & natural resources
- 2) Sustainable agricultural intensification
- 3) Food systems for improved nutrition and
- 4) Food loss and waste reduction. These are multidisciplinary efforts involving natural and social scientists in researching challenges to food and nutrition security. This includes examining inequalities in food systems relating to gender, low income and vulnerable groups and developing strategies to strengthen their position.
Three of the seminars will be in hybrid format – online and in person on the Medway campus.
SEMINAR 1 Reconciling agricultural intensification with environmental sustainability
DATE: 26 January 2023
TIME: 11.00 -15.30 (GMT)
TEAMS LINK: Reconciling agricultural intensification with environmental sustainability
- Meeting ID: 335 135 715 652
- Passcode: jiXjsL
MEETING ROOM (for in person attendance): University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Blake Building, room B028b
This session will focus on sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) and its relationship to environmental sustainability. It will include short presentations on current research and its relevance to the key topic, from FaNSI partners, FaNSI staff and students and external speakers. There will be a roundtable discussion of speakers and additional panel members.
SEMINAR 2 Climate Change, Agriculture & Natural Resources: highlights of research under FaNSI
DATE: 27 January 2023
TIME: 13:00 – 16:00 (GMT)
TEAMS LINK: Climate change, Agriculture & Natural Resources: highlights of research under FaNSI
- Meeting ID: 393 276 946 159
- Passcode: 6VEWFv
MEETING ROOM (for in person attendance): University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Jellicoe Building, room J105
This session will focus on findings from recent climate change research related to agriculture and natural resources. There will be a presentation from an external invited speaker, a panel discussion by NRI and partners, and presentations from FaNSI-funded staff working on climate change or a closely related topic. These will highlight specific research achievements and different approaches at macro and micro level. There will also be student posters/video presentations.
SEMINAR 3 Food Systems for improved nutrition
DATE: 31st January 2023
TIME: 13.00- -16.00 (GMT)
TEAMS LINK:
Teams link: Food Systems for Improved Nutrition
- Meeting ID: 375 353 783 983
- Passcode: gigw2m
The Food systems for improved nutrition session will start with keynote speakers addressing key issues relating to food systems and nutrition, providing insights and outlining future directions. This will be followed by short presentations from FaNSI PhD students. NRI FaNSI staff will present their research, on various topics, including school feeding programmes, food environments and food safety.
SEMINAR 4 Food loss and Waste reduction - emerging research themes
DATE: 7th February 2023.
TIME: 11.00 -14.00 (GMT)
TEAMS LINK: Food Loss and Waste Reduction
- Meeting ID: 352 922 689 115
- Passcode: aYLBE6
MEETING ROOM (for in person attendance): University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Nelson Building, room N008
This session will highlight the huge range of unanswered questions faced by practitioners in the field of Food Loss and Waste Reduction. As an example of an under-researched area, NRI and Partners at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania will present a keynote looking at the impact of rodent damage on food security. This will be followed by presentations from NRI FaNSI staff and PhD students on the emerging research findings on a range of food loss and waste related topics. Finally, a panel of external speakers and NRI partners will lead the discussion on related thematic questions arising from the work to date.