Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World

Posted by on March 05, 2013

Hear some of the brightest minds speak about their world-changing ideas, tell their stories, and share their knowledge. Be a part of the solution to feed the world.

What:
An international conference examining the critical relationship between urbanization and food security throughout the world

Purpose:
Penn’s Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR), in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Schools of Arts & Sciences, Design, Education, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Social Policy, Veterinary Medicine and Wharton, is pleased to present “Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World,” the first international conference to examine the critical link between urbanization and global food security.
The nexus between food security and urbanization touches on one of the most fundamental challenges facing modern society—how to provide an affordable, sustainable and nutritious diet to the world’s burgeoning population of city dwellers.

With some 6 billion people projected to inhabit urban areas by 2050, this task is not only urgent, but also immensely complex.
It will require coordinated management of the myriad agricultural, ecological, social, economic, and land use systems that underlie global food production, distribution, consumption, and nutrition.
To ensure an accurate portrayal of the complexity of this global challenge, Penn IUR is collaborating closely with seven schools from across the University of Pennsylvania.

Highlights:
Held over three days, conference attendees will hear presentations and participate in plenary and focused breakout sessions designed to facilitate a discussion to identify implementable solutions to the fundamental challenge of our modern age: how to provide a sustainable, nutritious and affordable diet to the world’s burgeoning urban populous.
More than 60 distinguished speakers and some 300-400 attendees across the public, private and non-profit sectors will be assembled on Penn’s campus to advance the conference’s ambitious, though achievable goals:

• Stimulate constructive dialogue and foster the exchange of knowledge among a diverse group of speakers and attendees and

• Spur the creation of teaching, research and practice-based coalitions, with participation from both the public and private sectors, dedicated to ensuring a secure, sustainable and equitable food distribution system for the 21st century.

Toward this end, speakers and attendees will delve into the interrelated issues of supply, demand, environment, geography, governance, as well as urban food access, price and distribution.

The conference program will include keynote presentations from Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT; Yael Lehmann, Executive Director of The Food Trust; Ridwan Kamil, Founder and Principal, Urbane Indonesia; Professor Barry Popkin of UNC Chapel Hill; and Drew Becher, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society among other prominent leaders from the private sector and academia, as well as 4 high-profile plenary panels and 12 focused breakout sessions. Attendees will be invited to experience the Feeding Cities Photography Exhibition and gallery tour, showcasing the work of the Penn community working and studying around the world, as well as explore the conference book fair.

When and Where:
March 13-15, 2013
University of Pennsylvania
Houston Hall
3417 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6306

Registration Fees:
General – $25
Penn Faculty/Staff/Student (with valid PennCard) – $5.00
Non-Penn Student (with valid student ID)  – $5.00

Please register before March 13, 2013 at: http://www.feedingcities.com/