The planet produces enough food to feed all its occupants, yet one sixth of the world’s population is chronically hungry. This was one of several startling statistics that prompted McGill’s Third Conference on Global Food Security. The event brought together students, faculty members, and international delegates for a dialogue on water and nutrition challenges.

The three-day conference began on Tuesday, October 19 with a public lecture highlighting the inauguration of the McGill Institute for Global Food Security. The institute will focus on innovative research, development, and training to improve the state of poverty which currently affects over one billion people worldwide.

“The McGill Institute for Global Food Security has been created at this university to harness the tremendous energy and intellectual resources of our community and to meet a multi-dimensional interdisciplinary challenge,” said McGill Provost Anthony Masi as he addressed the audience at the Centre Mont-Royal.

Chandra Madramootoo, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, stressed his concern for the possible reoccurrence of the 2008 food crisis, which spurred the first McGill Conference on Global Food Security two years ago.

“The time to reinvest in agriculture, food production, and nutrition is now,” he said.

Madramootoo said that although intimidating challenges lie ahead,  the staff, students, and post-doctoral researchers are optimistic they wil find solutions.

“[We want to help] advance the annual agricultural productivity growth while conserving natural resources and minimizing environmental degradation,” he said.

He went on to note that McGill’s position within the academic and international community will be critical to achieving the institute’s goals.

“McGill is uniquely positioned with the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, that is built on an agriculture, food, and nutrition nexus to tackle the problems of food and nutrition security,” he said.

David Nabarro, the United Nations Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s opening event. He commended McGill on its leadership role in an area of such enormous developmental importance and said he was delighted to be taking part in launching the institute. He also thanked Canada for its consistently strong and long-term support on food security.

Nabarro outlined the challenges that the UN is facing to reach the first of eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)—to eradicate world poverty and hunger by 2015. The problem, he said, does not stem wholly from food production but from access to food for the world’s poorest nations.

“Ensuring universal access to sufficient food and a sustainable environment is one of our main global challenges at this time,” he said.

Nabarro argued a shift in focus is necessary to ensure the MDG can be completed on time. He called for a holistic approach, that not only considers production but ensuring people’s access to nutritious food as well.

According to Nabarro, a special area of focus is small farmers and women. “This means maintaining the focus on smallholder agriculture — investing in small-scale farmers, agribusinesses, processors and markets. It means building the capacity of farmers organizations and associations so that they can be fully involved in policymaking and practice — working for poor people means working with them.”

This mindset reflects the interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach suggested by Madramootoo and broadens the view of food security from an issue of natural science to one of social science as well.

“This means keeping people  and their food and nutritional security at the centre of all we do,” he said.

The Honourable Beverly J. Oda, Canadian Minister of International Cooperation, was also present to comment on Canada’s initiatives on poverty alleviation and food security. She emphasized an integrated approach to the very complex issues surrounding food and water nutrition challenges and the indisputable link between food security, agriculture, and sustainable economic growth.

“It’s not just about getting food on tables, it’s about getting better, more nutritious food, on those tables,” she said.