Join the Earth Institute at Columbia University for their sustainable development seminar series on December 2 from 2-4 PM. The topic for this lecture is food security and sociopolitical stability.

From the Earth Institute, on the topic of the lecture:

“Global food price spikes in 2008 and again in 2011 coincided with a surge of political unrest in low- and middle-income countries. Angry consumers took to the streets in scores of nations. In some places, food riots turned violent, pressuring governments and in a few cases contributed to their overthrow. Foreign investors sparked a new global land rush, adding a different set of pressures. With scientists cautioning that the world has entered a new era of steadily rising food prices, perhaps aggravated by climate change, the specter of widespread food insecurity and sociopolitical instability weighs on policymakers worldwide. In the past few years, governments and philanthropic foundations began redoubling efforts to resuscitate agricultural research and technology transfer, as well as to accelerate the modernization of food value chains to deliver high quality food inexpensively, faster, and in greater volumes to urban consumers. But will these efforts suffice?”

Speakers will include the following:
Christopher B. Barrett, Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University; Mark A. Cane, G. Unger Vetlesen Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences and Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University; Director, M.A. Program in Climate and Society, The Earth Institute, Columbia University; Upmanu Lall, Director, Columbia Water Center; Senior Research Scientist, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Alan and Carol Silberstein Professor, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University.

For more information, click here.

Photo Credit: Earth Institute