On April 23 from 13:00 to 17:00 CEST, IFOAM – Organics International in collaboration with the Global Landscapes Forum, will host a digital forum that aims to answer the question: What will happen to smallholder farmers as the trend toward lab-grown food attempts to address our current unsustainable agriculture model? Participants will explore topics related to sustainable food systems, incentivisation for farmers, reducing the impact of unsustainable agriculture on biodiversity and livelihoods, how to equip farmers with the skills and knowledge they want and need and much more. Prep for the forum with these knowledge products.
Food without farmers: Is this the future we want?
The recent IPCC report showed that our food systems are estimated to cause up to 29% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to unsustainable crop and livestock production as well as deforestation. Estimates show that agriculture is responsible for 80% of deforestation worldwide. The world is on the cusp of a new technological era, meaning most of our food could stem from unicellular life in the lab, and not from farms.
The Agenda
13:00 – 14:30
What is organic agriculture?
This session will explore the four principles of organic agriculture and will end with a Q&A.
MODERATOR: Gabor Figeczky
SPEAKERS: Louise Luttikholt, Hans Herren, CK ‘Bablu’ Ganguly, Julia Lernoud, and Karen Mapusua
14:30 – 15:30
Across borders and generations: an intergenerational conversation on organic agriculture
This session will explore challenges that farmers from different parts of the world share, and how they overcome then.
MODERATOR: Konrad Hauptfleisch
SPEAKERS: Bob Quinn, Kaluki Paul Mutuku, and Laureene Reeves
15:30 – 17:00
Is lab-grown food a solution to the climate crisis?
This conversation will explore the issues related to recent trends towards lab-grown food, that in turn could impact the amount of soil-grown food and therefore, the farmers that grow it.
MODERATOR: Dr. Peter A. Minang
SPEAKERS: Walter Willett, George Monbiot, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Julia Lernoud, and Gunnar Rundgren
Source: IFOAM – Organics International, 20.04.2020