Genetically altered foods subject of lecture series
Miguel Altieri, one of the most prominent voices in the heated debate over genetically modified organisms, will be a visiting lecturer at UBC's Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in October and will give two free public lectures.
Prof. Altieri of U.C. Berkeley will speak on "Globalization, Food Security and Traditional Agriculture," on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m. at the MacMillan Building (room 158). His second lecture, "Biotechnology, Globalization and Food Security: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly," will be held on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7-9 p.m., at the Vancouver Public Library, Library Square.
Altieri has been instrumental in the emergence of agroecology as the discipline that provides the basic principles for how to study, design, and manage sustainable agroecosystems. His research focuses on how biodiversity can contribute to the design of pest-stable agroecosystems.
His work extends into Latin America where the enhancement of agricultural biodiversity is helping resource-poor farmers achieve year-round food self-sufficiency, reduce their reliance on chemicals and develop agroecosystems that rebuild the production capacities of their small land holdings
"These lectures will be of keen interest to everyone involved in sustainable development and other environmental issues," says Moura Quayle, dean of Agricultural Sciences, presenter of the lectures. The second lecture is co-sponsored with SFU, Farm Folk City Folk, and B.C. Institute of Agrologists. Call 604-822-1219 for more information.